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Man's Best Virtual Friend
Via GameSetWatch, an L.A. Times article discussing the existential reality that exists inside the world of Nintendogs. From the article: " Today, the saga further unfolds with the Nintendogs phenomenon. That's a form of computer intelligence running on that experimental platform, the Nintendo DS, a hand-held game system far less advanced than the theoretical HAL 9000 but still powerful enough to let you walk around with a bunch of simulated beings living in your pocket. Yes: virtual pets. A game of tail-wagging, ball-chasing, romp-loving puppies is the latest evolution in the man-machine interface, now available for $29.99 at Wal-Mart and quality electronics retailers nationwide."
I don't think the Nintendogs will do well in the "Good 'ol United States". It's very Japanese. And it shows.
Are you kidding? I made the mistake of waiting until days before our anniversary to buy this game for my girlfriend as a gift... It was completely sold out--and that was weeks after the game had already been released! I visited any store that even remotely had an electronics section and it was to no avail. In the end, I had to eventually order it online and get 2-day air shipping.
You don't think it will do well? It already has done well!
In Japan, most households do not have dogs, so they need video game simulations. In America, nearly half (or more) of the population has one or more dogs. I don't think our youth have become connected to video games so much that they will choose a simulation over the real thing.
See the funny thing is, my girlfriend already has a dog.
The beauty of Nintendogs is it even appeals to dog owners--especially dog owners! Because dog owners, (hopefully) by definition, love animals. Moreover, they appreciate more than the layman the differences between breeds, which are crucial to the enjoyment of the game--otherwise there'd be no point in having any more than one Nintendog or advancing through the game.
The last point shouldn't be overlooked. A big appeal of Nintendogs is in owning a purebred dog of a particular breed. Not everybody has either the time or money to do that. Getting the breed you want can be very difficult--especially if it's rare. I managed to find a breeder for the breed I like the most, Bernese Mountain Dogs. But do you know how much time an effort it took to find a good, ethical breeder for such a rare breed? It was ridiculous! I literally did research for over a year and drove for hours on end visiting multiple breeders before I finally found what I was looking for.
In the end, I got Misha (Pics). But, after my experience, I can definitely empathize with simply buying the Nintendogs. In fact, if you're not willing to do the legwork to get a good purebred dog ethically, I would recommend getting Nintendogs instead.
-Grym