Bandai's Human Player virtual "pet"

We've seen some virtual pets over the years, but we're not entirely sure what to make of the virtual pet. Do you mate them and create strange new breeds? Or fight them to the death via IR? Apparently (and hopefully) neither this time; Bandai's new Human Player is a little more like you than an amorphous pixelated blob. You start by taking a 50 question "Eco-Gram" that assigns your little avatar one of 22 personalities, which commingles (or rejects) other Human Players, and establishes quaint, confined "interpersonal" relationships. Hits Japan for ¥2,980 ($25); it's certainly a new take on the virtual pet, but still a little creepy for our tastes; we're strongly hoping this isn't how we get reincarnated.

[Via Kilian Nakamura, thanks Michael]

[oscarsito @ Feb 18th 2007 2:02PM]

Pretty creepy indeed, I wonder who would buy this thing ?

[AndrewNeo @ Feb 18th 2007 2:58PM]

I often wonder that too, since the technology really hasn't changed at all since the first generation of virtual pets..

[Kyle @ Feb 18th 2007 5:26PM]

I had a Gigapet. This is old technology. Where's the color lcd? Pixels were cool in Space Quest and Peasant's Quest. Let's see something that would spoil little kids.

[Aaron @ Feb 18th 2007 5:50PM]

Yeah, I'm with you guys, what's with the same ol' stone age black and white LCD screens? Same technology from 10+ years ago.

[Matthew Meta @ Feb 18th 2007 10:30PM]

Uhm... there's this thing called battery life that's really really important to virtual pets. High resolution color screens make battery life short... these things are supposed to last for several months.

[Julian @ Feb 19th 2007 1:14AM]

Why not include a rechargable battery? How expensive is the Nano's battery? I agree, the tech in Bandai's little virtual pets is boring.

[Matthew Meta @ Feb 19th 2007 2:21PM]

That's still missing the point... As they exist now, they are supposed to be on 24 hours a day, not just when you want to use them, each character and evolution wakes up at a certain time, goes to sleep at a certain time, behaves in different ways. If recharging was part of the game, perhaps that would work.