EyePets kenneled 'til 2010 in US

Sony's EyeToy for the PlayStation 3 hasn't enjoyed the most robust of support since its October 2007 release. However, that could soon change with the introduction of Sony's new camera-based motion-sensing controller, which the publisher first trotted out during its 2009 Electronic Entertainment Expo presence and is expected to arrive in spring 2010.

One game that will apparently accompany Sony's impending EyeToy push will be EyePet, an animal-raising sim in development at Sony's London studio. With EyePet having previously been penciled in for a fall 2009 release in the US, GameStop has recently updated its online database to indicate that the game is now expected to ship on April 4, 2010. Sony had not responded to requests for comment as of press time.

[UPDATE] Shortly following the publication of this article, a Sony America rep confirmed that EyePet has been pushed out of 2009, at least in the USA.

"The North American territory has decided to take additional time to focus on the EyePet product and can confirm it will not be available this holiday," the publisher said in a statement. "EyePet is an innovative and exciting new IP to the PS3 platform and SCEA marketing will spend additional time to continue educating consumers and retail channels, setting the table for a successful product launch. We will provide more details on an updated launch timeframe very soon."

[UPDATE 2] When contacted by GameSpot UK, Sony Computer Entertainment Europe confirmed that the American delay was an isolate case, saying, "We're still set for October 23rd."

Notably, Sony said as part of the 2009 Tokyo Game Show that EyePet would be among the handful of titles that would have motion-control support patched in when the device is released. Sony has yet to narrow down the release window for the North American launch of its new controller, though it is expected to be available in Japan in March.

EyePet allows players to create and raise a simian-looking creature. Players can then interact with the animal by making physical motions that are detected and relayed by the EyeToy camera.

For more information, check out GameSpot's previous coverage of EyePet.