This past weekend I got an Xbox Live Vision Camera used at a local game store for 25. Now these usually sell for 25 and have a coupon for downloads of Totemball and Uno on Xbox Live but that's OK since I already had a copy of Uno. ( I was actually called an "Uno N00b" This weekend. That was a first. ) It also ships with a wired Xbox Headset that I didn't need so I thought it was a pretty good deal for just the camera. It normally retails for $40.

The camera is a pretty cool small web style USB camera that is pretty easy to place, aim, focus and it lights up with a green ring to let you know that it is recording you. Also you can hook it up to a PC or Mac and use it as a standard web camera if you configure your software correctly. The camera can record at 640x480 at 30 FPS and the software is pretty good at adapting to lighting. The base is pretty useful in aiming it.

Now the camera has four main features.

In-Game Video Support
This is where you have a video window of you that is shared with other users. It's pretty cool if other folks are using the camera and it helps to reinforce that you are playing against a real live person. The games that I have that support this is Uno, Bomberman Live, Band of Bugs, and Hardwood Hearts . Bomberman Live will take a photo of you while you are playing and display it between rounds and if you win a tournament battle you get to broadcast a live victory dance to everyone else in the match at the victory screen. I am probably going to be getting the new XBLA arcade game Spyglass Board Games since it supports the camera and I've been waiting for a chess game on Xbox Live.

Camera Based Controls
This is where the camera will track your hands and use it as a control input device. I need to try this out on Pinball FX and I need to download TotemBall and try this out. This is sort of what Sony's EyeToy camera was all about.

Facemapping
One of the cooler idea is to use the camera to take a picture of your face and have it mapped onto the 3d model of your online character.
It's supported in Tiger Woods PGA Tour 08, Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six: Vegas, World Series of Poker: Tournament of Champions, and Football Manager 2007.

Video Chatting
If you have a Gold Xbox live account you can see who on your friends list has a Live Vision Camera enabled and can send them an invite for a one on one video chat. I tired to invite two of my friends into a video chat but they were busy with their own games and didn't join in. You can also take single pictures for sending messages to other users.

On the newer versions of the Dashboard it is a breeze to setup and to pick a good lighting level setting to use in your room. I found that Auto Lighting worked best for me. When you are on the main dashboard the camera will record you and put sort of a transparent ripple effect and show you with a ripple transparent reflection over your theme.

Now you can either have the camera above or below your TV and it is a choice of do you want your neck to be shot more than the top of your head? An alternative is to place it far away to shoot your entire couch and body but I prefer to have it next to my TV aimed at my head and shoulders.

I took a personal gamer picture of my cat Ryu and so if you're not on my friends list you will see once of the cartoon cats drawn by Penny-Arcade but if you're on my Friends list you will see a personal gamer picture of my cat Ryu.

Since I got my camera I cleaned all the empty drink bottles and crud that was the desk by my couch in the view of the camera. Before I got my camera I didn't really play Xbox with my shirt off but now I defiantly will not be playing Xbox sans shirts or pants. Before I got this I never cared about my posture and if I had my hair looking decent before I played Xbox Live.

Like all things under Metcalfe's Law it the camera's usefulness is increased with more people using them but it is a pretty cool way to extend the Xbox Live communications experience with the games that support it.