Romancing the phone
Wednesday, September 15, 2004 Posted: 11:22 PM EDT (0322 GMT)
The virtual girlfriend is reminiscent of the Tamagotchi "pet" launched in Japan.
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A Hong Kong firm will soon offer a virtual girlfriend via mobile phones
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HONG KONG, China (CNN) -- For men seeking true romance there is now a new mating game with an unusual twist -- it is virtual and mobile.
A fantasy world in which lovesick men can wine and dine a virtual girlfriend on their 3G phones is about to be rolled out in Asia and Europe.
You will soon be able to download an artificial girlfriend, then track her movements via images on a 3G mobile handset. All the likely suitor needs to do is push the right buttons -- literally.
Aimed at males between the ages of 15 and 35, the virtual girlfriend uses up a lot of bandwidth -- shopping, dining, going to bars and the gym.
Men who wish to take the relationship further have to shower the virtual girlfriend with gifts, paying with real money.
If an anniversary is forgotten, the player quickly discovers that their new "partner" is giving them the cold shoulder.
Artificial Life, the Nasdaq-listed and Hong Kong-based software company, which created the new virtual girlfriend, has designed her with artificial intelligence. It expects thousands of men to sign up to the service in the coming months.
"You can send her messages, ask what she is doing, even flirt with her," Eberhard Schoneburg, CEO of Artificial Life told CNN.
"She will have certain secrets and behaviors that you will not realize in the beginning," says Schoneburg. "She will talk about sex -- but you will not get any sex there."
Opportunities for advertising are plentiful in this new interactive experience. The new "partner" may express a liking for a certain fashion brand or suggest a date in a particular coffee house.
"Once you get into a virtual relationship, there is a danger of not being able to relate to real people," said one man on the streets of Hong Kong when asked by CNN about the concept.
Some women, meanwhile, are celebrating the end of conventional romance.
"It is safer (for men) to have (a virtual) girlfriend (rather) than a real girlfriend because you cannot trust men," said one woman.
These interactive, virtual agents are also known as bots. Technology and marketing firms are now using them to engage and interact with customers. They encompass functions such as purchasing, customer complaints or delivering product information.
However, this latest development has some people worried about the psychological implications.
"It would be dangerous if people got excited by these electronic experiences and tried to transplant them into real life," Dominic Lee, professor of psychiatry at Chinese University, told the South China Morning Post newspaper.
"In vulnerable personalities who cannot develop a relationship with a woman, that could develop into something voyeuristic, or even dangerous."
http://www.cnn.com/2004/TECH/09/15/s...nce/index.html
Wednesday, September 15, 2004 Posted: 11:22 PM EDT (0322 GMT)
The virtual girlfriend is reminiscent of the Tamagotchi "pet" launched in Japan.
Find a Girlfriend at AllPersonals
Register once and get instant access to millions of single men and women across...
allpersonals.com
Single Dads: Find a Girlfriend
Single parent personals. Free to register. Find a new way to meet new single...
www.singleparentmeet.com
Millionairematch.com - Date Millionaires
Meet thousands of single millionaires. $9.95 monthly. Have more girls than guys....
www.millionairematch.com
Great Expectations Dating Service
Meet quality women and a girlfriend in your area. We'll help you to choose a...
www.great-expectations.net
VIDEO
A Hong Kong firm will soon offer a virtual girlfriend via mobile phones
PLAY VIDEO
SPARK
Find out how tech is changing our lives Click here
QUICKVOTE
Is the digital divide between those who can and cannot afford the latest tech getting bigger?
Yes
No
VIEW RESULTS
YOUR E-MAIL ALERTS
Artificial Life Incorporated
Hong Kong
or Create your own
Manage alerts | What is this?
HONG KONG, China (CNN) -- For men seeking true romance there is now a new mating game with an unusual twist -- it is virtual and mobile.
A fantasy world in which lovesick men can wine and dine a virtual girlfriend on their 3G phones is about to be rolled out in Asia and Europe.
You will soon be able to download an artificial girlfriend, then track her movements via images on a 3G mobile handset. All the likely suitor needs to do is push the right buttons -- literally.
Aimed at males between the ages of 15 and 35, the virtual girlfriend uses up a lot of bandwidth -- shopping, dining, going to bars and the gym.
Men who wish to take the relationship further have to shower the virtual girlfriend with gifts, paying with real money.
If an anniversary is forgotten, the player quickly discovers that their new "partner" is giving them the cold shoulder.
Artificial Life, the Nasdaq-listed and Hong Kong-based software company, which created the new virtual girlfriend, has designed her with artificial intelligence. It expects thousands of men to sign up to the service in the coming months.
"You can send her messages, ask what she is doing, even flirt with her," Eberhard Schoneburg, CEO of Artificial Life told CNN.
"She will have certain secrets and behaviors that you will not realize in the beginning," says Schoneburg. "She will talk about sex -- but you will not get any sex there."
Opportunities for advertising are plentiful in this new interactive experience. The new "partner" may express a liking for a certain fashion brand or suggest a date in a particular coffee house.
"Once you get into a virtual relationship, there is a danger of not being able to relate to real people," said one man on the streets of Hong Kong when asked by CNN about the concept.
Some women, meanwhile, are celebrating the end of conventional romance.
"It is safer (for men) to have (a virtual) girlfriend (rather) than a real girlfriend because you cannot trust men," said one woman.
These interactive, virtual agents are also known as bots. Technology and marketing firms are now using them to engage and interact with customers. They encompass functions such as purchasing, customer complaints or delivering product information.
However, this latest development has some people worried about the psychological implications.
"It would be dangerous if people got excited by these electronic experiences and tried to transplant them into real life," Dominic Lee, professor of psychiatry at Chinese University, told the South China Morning Post newspaper.
"In vulnerable personalities who cannot develop a relationship with a woman, that could develop into something voyeuristic, or even dangerous."
http://www.cnn.com/2004/TECH/09/15/s...nce/index.html
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