| A digital pet, also known as a virtual | | | | different digital pets, some of them are |
| pet, is a type of artificial human | | | | used to give a sense of reality to the |
| companion. They are usually kept for | | | | user (such as pet's responds to |
| companionship or enjoyment. People may | | | | "touch"), and some for enhancing |
| keep a digital pet in lieu of a real | | | | playability (such as training). |
| pet. | | | | Communicating with digital pets |
| Digital pets are distinct from robot | | | | With advanced video-gaming technology, |
| pets and other entertainment robots in | | | | most modern digital pets do not show a |
| that they have no concrete physical form | | | | message box or icon to display the pet's |
| other than the hardware they run on. | | | | internal variable, health state or |
| Interaction with virtual pets may or may | | | | emotion like earlier generations (Such |
| not be goal oriented. If it is, then the | | | | as Tamagotchi). Instead, users can only |
| user must keep it alive as long as | | | | understand the pet by interpreting their |
| possible and often help it to grow into | | | | actions, body language, facial |
| higher forms. Keeping the pet alive and | | | | expressions, etc. This helps keep a |
| growing often requires 'feeding', | | | | pet's behavior seem natural, rather than |
| grooming and playing with the pet. If | | | | calculated, and fosters a feeling of a |
| the interaction is not goal oriented, | | | | relationship between user and digital |
| the user can explore the character of | | | | pet. |
| the pet and enjoy the feeling of | | | | Sense of reality |
| building a relationship with it. Often | | | | To give a sense of reality to users, |
| these games use realistic visual effects | | | | most digital pets have certain level of |
| or interaction to make the pet appear | | | | autonomy and unpredictability. The user |
| alive and give a sense of reality to | | | | can interact with the pet and this |
| users. | | | | process of personalizing can make the |
| Gadget-based digital pets | | | | pet more unique. Personalizing increases |
| Some virtual pets, like Tamagotchi, are | | | | the feeling of responsibility for the |
| sold on a self-contained, hand-sized | | | | pet to the user. For example, if a |
| computer. In the case of the Tamagotchi, | | | | Tamagotchi is unattended for long |
| a small screen has an image of the pet, | | | | enough, it will "die". |
| while buttons on the case let the user | | | | Interactivity |
| perform different tasks, such as | | | | To increase user's personal attachment |
| feeding, playing with, or washing the | | | | to the pet, the pet interacts with the |
| pet. Dissatisfied pets can emit beeps | | | | user. Interactivity can be classified |
| and sometimes "die". | | | | into two categories: Short-term and |
| Digimon was originally sold on a gadget | | | | long-term. |
| similar to Tamagotchi's, but able to | | | | Short-term interactivity includes direct |
| connect to other Digimon gadgets in | | | | interaction or action to reaction from |
| order for the pets to fight. | | | | the pet. Example: "touch" a pet with |
| Sonic Adventure 2 for the Sega Dreamcast | | | | mouse cursor and the pet will give a |
| had virtual pets, called Chao, which | | | | direct response to the "touching". |
| could be either used in game or | | | | Long-term interactivity includes action |
| transferred to the Visual Memory Unit, | | | | that affect pet's growth, behavior or |
| which enabled a transformation from | | | | life span. Example like training the pet |
| game-based to gadget-based. | | | | may have good effect on pet's health. |
| Webpage-based digital pets | | | | Long-term interactivity is quite |
| Virtual pet websites such as Neopets are | | | | important for a sense of reality as the |
| usually free to play and accessible to | | | | user would think that he has some |
| all who sign up. They can be accessed | | | | lasting influence on the pet. |
| through web browsers and often include a | | | | Two kinds of interactivity are often |
| virtual community, such as the planet | | | | combined. Such as playing with a pet |
| Neopia in Neopets. In these worlds, you | | | | (short-term interactivity) may make the |
| can play games to earn virtual money; | | | | pet more optimistic (long-term |
| which is usually spent on items and food | | | | interactivity). |
| for your pets. | | | | Example of common features |
| Some sites adopt out pets to put on your | | | | Responds to calling |
| webpage and use for roleplaying in chat | | | | Responds to touching |
| rooms. They often require the adoptee to | | | | Training the pet |
| have a page ready for their pet. | | | | Supplies or toys for the pet |
| Sometimes they have a setup for breeding | | | | Dressing up the pet |
| one's pets and then adopting them out. | | | | Competition or trial amongst pets. |
| Other sites that adopt out pets to put | | | | Meeting other pets. |
| on a webpage are centered around writing | | | | Ethical Concerns |
| for and breeding said pets to create | | | | Humane treatment |
| newer, often 'showier' creatures. | | | | There are some ethical concerns about |
| Members are often encouraged to create | | | | digital pets. As the digital pets are |
| their own species of draconic creatures, | | | | more realistic, they simulate different |
| to adopt from other members, and to | | | | kinds of emotion and self-awareness. |
| breed the various species together. | | | | They may require the same animal rights, |
| Unlike with some adoption agencies for | | | | according to some fields of philosophy. |
| webpage based cyberpets, where the owner | | | | Digital pets and children |
| of the species is the only one that can | | | | While users can do whatever they want |
| breed said species, the Nexus encourages | | | | with their digital pets nowadays, it may |
| all of its members to share and | | | | encourage young users to form bad |
| interbreed their species together, and | | | | habits. It is arguable that a |
| the resulting offspring are usually | | | | relationship with a digital pet cannot |
| adopted out to story-based or stats | | | | compare with a real relationship with an |
| page-based web-pages. | | | | animal, because a real relationship |
| Some games also allow users to breed a | | | | teaches children that their desires |
| pet for combat against other players. | | | | can't always come first. |
| Game- or application- based digital pets | | | | Digital pets over real pets |
| Other virtual pets come in software run | | | | Some people suggest that digital pets |
| on PCs or video game consoles. Since the | | | | are preferable for a number of reasons. |
| computing power is more powerful than | | | | Having a digital pet in place of a real |
| with webpage or gadget based digital | | | | pet ensures real pets don't have to |
| pets, these are usually able to achieve | | | | suffer, and it is arguably training |
| a higher level of visual effects and | | | | before adopting a real pet. PETA has |
| interactivity. Games like Nintendogs | | | | suggested that robotic animals can help |
| render realistic figures of dogs. | | | | people recognize that they are not up to |
| Example game or application based | | | | the commitment of caring for a real |
| digital pets: the creatures in Black and | | | | animal. |
| White, Nintendogs, Petz, Catz, Dogz (in | | | | Impact of virtual reality on digital pet |
| Gameboy Advance and DS), and Pets in | | | | Some people suggest that the simulated |
| Sims 2: Pets. | | | | experience of digital pet lacks the |
| History | | | | constraints of the real world that |
| Digital pets were a massive fad in | | | | allows us to apply substantive ethics. |
| Japan, where they originated, and to a | | | | The virtual environment failed to |
| lesser extent in the United States | | | | simulate real social consequences. |
| during the late 1990s. There have been | | | | Another problem about problem about |
| significant improvements of digital pets | | | | digital pet is the "virtual slavery". A |
| since Tamagotchi's success. From | | | | robotic pet could be made in the shape |
| dot-images (such as Tamagotchi) to | | | | of a human, a problem raised by the |
| rendered and animated 3D games (such as | | | | fiction Do Androids Dream of Electric |
| Nintendogs). Today, there are also | | | | Sheep? by Philip K. Dick. |
| "Digital Pets" which have physical | | | | Relationship with digital pet |
| robotic bodies, known as Ludobots or | | | | There is research concerning the |
| Entertainment robots. | | | | relationship between digital pets and |
| The idea of an animal companion composed | | | | their owners, and their impact on the |
| of technology rather than flesh has also | | | | emotions of people. For example, Furby |
| inspired a lot of fiction, such as the | | | | affects the way people think about their |
| anime Digimon (itself a contraction of | | | | identity, and many children think that |
| "Digital Monster"). | | | | Furby is alive in a "Furby kind of way" |
| Common features of digital pets | | | | in Sherry Turkle's research. |
| There are many common features between | | | | |