Perhaps the most intriguing and innovative PS3 games demoed before launch is nearing completion: Eye of Judgment, as the below announcement shows, is set to arrive in the UK this autumn.

It caught the eye initially, as instead of using the Sixaxis, it uses a never-before-seen combination of the PlayStation Eye, mounted looking down so it is pointing at a special playing mat. On which players must place special playing cards, which the system reads. Manipulation of those cards allows them to play the game.

We haven’t managed to get hands-on experience yet, so we can’t tell you exactly what it’s like to play, but we can be sure it will be pretty wacky and unlike any other game you’ve played. Of course, as soon as we do get a chance to play Eye of Judgment, we’ll report back swiftly.

Thought we’d offer this release to you verbatim…

THE EYE OF JUDGMENT: a Revolution in Gaming
o High-tech meets traditional: a new concept in gaming and a new use of PLAYSTATION®3
o Fantasy trading cards come to life in 3D with the PLAYSTATION®Eye camera
o A battle of wits and magic: use tactics, skill and luck to defeat your foe

Sony Computer Entertainment announced today the Autumn release of THE EYE OF JUDGMENT™ — developed exclusively for PLAYSTATION®3 (PS3™) in collaboration with trading cards expert and market leader Hasbro. THE EYE OF JUDGMENT is a new concept of interactive entertainment that combines Hasbro trading cards expertise, a strategic board game format, the immense power of PS3 and the groundbreaking technology of Sony Computer Entertainment’s next-generation PLAYSTATION®Eye camera. Magical, visually stunning, conceptually unique, easy to play and seriously enjoyable, THE EYE OF JUDGMENT will appeal to gamers of all ages and abilities and is set to become a PS3 must-have.

How does it work? First, set up the next-generation PLAYSTATION Eye USB camera in its special stand arched over the play mat – a grid of nine fields - on your tabletop; then draw five cards from the 30-card deck. The aim of the game is to control five fields on the mat – a simple concept; but this is where the magic starts. Your opponent places a game card down on a field on the mat. On the screen, vibrations and energy waves begin to emanate from the card; before your eyes, the game creature emerges from the flat surface in incredible 3D detail.

It’s your turn. You look through your hand for a creature or spell card with the right attributes to defeat that of your opponent’s. If you select a creature card – say, a dragon – and place it down on an adjacent square, facing your opponent’s creature. On the screen, your dragon emerges in 3D, wings beating, and launches a jet of scorching flame at your opponent’s creature. Battle has commenced. Take turns to place and activate cards on the fields: each card summons a different creature or spell, with an amazing variety of attack and defence characteristics. Choose from creatures including Flame Magus and Bioliths. Many have special abilities that you must consider. Choose from spells that heal, burn, teleport and more. Your task is to conquer the board by deploying your cards more skilfully than your opponent does, and making the right decisions – sometime sacrificing a creature for strategic gain…

THE EYE OF JUDGMENT is made possible by the card-reading abilities of the next-generation PLAYSTATION®Eye camera and PS3. Each card features a unique code which the camera reads, allowing PS3 to create High Definition animated characters and meld them seamlessly into the on-screen camera view of the tabletop. It’s a revolutionary application of the latest technology to a much-loved card gaming format that will captivate players of all ages.

- Three ways to play: play on your own against PS3, against an opponent in two-player mode or against an opponent online.

- THE EYE OF JUDGMENT is developed in collaboration with Hasbro’s Wizards of the Coast subsidiary: producer of MAGIC: THE GATHERING, the world’s premier trading card game.

- THE EYE OF JUDGMENT comes with a starter pack of 30 character and spell cards, plus 4 function cards. A total of more than 100 cards will be available at launch, which can be purchased separately in stores, with a variety of themed decks available from major retail chains across Europe. Trade, swap and build your card deck for the ultimate battle.

Key Features:

• A revolutionary new way to use PS3: a much-loved traditional gaming format given new life in 3D by the next-generation computer entertainment system

• Showcases the power of the next-generation camera: this is the first example of the possibilities of camera gaming on PS3

• See your creatures come to life in High Definition 3D

• Chose from over 100 different cards to do battle with – from creatures to spells – and play with your cards even when you’re away from your PS3

• Suitable for one or two players

• Collaborating with trading cards experts Hasbro

• A range of data expansion discs and card decks planned for release, continually refreshing and changing gameplay strategies

A unique blend of magic and technology, THE EYE OF JUDGMENT is a revolutionary application of the technological power of PS3 and the next-generation camera. This Autumn, the power will be in your hands.