E3 2001: PictureParadise technology debuts at E3

At the Tecmo booth, Sony Electronics debuted PictureParadise, a technology that makes it possible for Sony digital-imaging devices to be linked to the PlayStation 2 via USB. We were able to see the technology firsthand in Monster Rancher 3.

We had a picture taken and used the PictureParadise photo editor available in Monster Rancher 3 to crop the photo to the right size for use with an accessory, in this case, a picture frame-crown combo that was worn by Mocchi. The image appeared on the crown after selection and was in remarkably high resolution. We got to see Mocchi embark on a training sequence, and watching him scare off other monsters with an editor's face was both disturbing and remarkably amusing.

PictureParadise works with most Sony digital-imaging devices and in the future should work with other brands of hardware. Though the technology is currently being integrated only into PlayStation 2 software, Sony Electronics has licensing agreements to use the technology with software publishers Taito, Square, and many others. It has also been brought to our attention that the PictureParadise technology is in the works for the Microsoft Xbox.

We have a playable English demo of Monster Rancher 3 with PictureParadise support, and we will be sure to report our findings as we learn more about its capabilities.