h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Can someone explain the concept of "virtual pets" to me? I mean, how much fun is it to watch the computerized graphic of a dog or cat frolicking on your desktop?!

Virtual pets were invented specifically to address the stress-relieving attributes of real pets. The world needs a certain (quite high) degree of stressed individuals, and if everyone got a fluffy kitten we would all be far too laid back. We would then be open to invasion and enslavery by stressed aliens from a nearby galaxy. As long as a percentage of the population keeps a crap virtual pet, another higher percentage will get annoyed at them, thus maintaining the status quo.

Well, Jimi, virtual pets have several advantages over their corperal conterparts. One: virtual pets cost about five dollars. That's it. With that $5 you get all the food you need, chew toys, and vet visits included. Being the 90's and all everyone is striving to save money and vp's are simply cost effective! Two: Death. It REALLY sucks to have to look into your child's eyes and tell them that Fluffy won't beoming home anymore. With a virtual pet all you have to do is get a pen, push the reset button and voila! Fluffy just came home. Three: If you decide that you don't want a pet at this point in your life the government won't come hounding you down for animal cruelty if you throw a virtual pet away. Four: You never have to teach a virtual pet to come when you call its name, they come with an attachment for you key ring! I could go on but I digress. Hope this cleared some things up Jimi.
Reverand42

But why settle for cyberpets when the real thing can be so satisfying?

But why settle for cyberpets when the real thing can be so satisfying?

Well I have a virtual pet that is an R2D2 droid. If that isn't satisfying then I'm an Englishman..........

.....doh!

As I said earlier, it's all about convience. True the a real pet is satisfieing but in the age of technology we need everything to be compact and on the go. Sad really.

Very sad really. I'd rather have no pet than a computerized bit of silliness (No offense intended to the Guide of course!)

Wow! I never conceptualized the Guide as a Virtual Pet before! I gotta go think about this....

^..^

i think that the most amusing thing about virtual pets is taht the manufacturers make even more money by making pet "leashes", "care guides" and even ones that you can connect together to make pet "families". it is all just for people who can't handle the reality of an actual living, breathing pet...or for those sad others who need to teach their kids about sex.

So it is just a huge marketing gimmick, right?

Jimi catches on quickly, doesn't (s)he? What do we have for Jimi, Bob? oh look, it's a brand new spongue!