wraggster
June 3rd, 2011, 00:06
http://www.blogcdn.com/www.joystiq.com/media/2011/06/wappy62.jpg
Activision Publishing and Sega Toys' Wappy Dog is primarily targeted at kids, but where some see a gimmicky toy fighting for holiday dollars, we see a robot that is controlled by the Nintendo DS. And we also see an adorable puppy.
Players communicate with the Wappy Dog toy through the Wappy Dog game on the DS, talking and giving commands through the game, with the game "interpreting" barked responses from the puppy. As the game progresses, the dog supposedly learns new skills and develops new personality traits -- and displays its mood via colored lights on its cheeks. The game can also be played on the go sans robot, with progress sent back to the toy upon your return.
We don't need to pretend we're building a friendship with a real AI or anything like that, though. It's quite enough that there is an adorable robot dog, whom we can instruct to sing by sending commands through the DS.
http://www.joystiq.com/2011/06/02/wappy-dog-turns-ds-into-robot-puppy-communication-device/
Activision Publishing and Sega Toys' Wappy Dog is primarily targeted at kids, but where some see a gimmicky toy fighting for holiday dollars, we see a robot that is controlled by the Nintendo DS. And we also see an adorable puppy.
Players communicate with the Wappy Dog toy through the Wappy Dog game on the DS, talking and giving commands through the game, with the game "interpreting" barked responses from the puppy. As the game progresses, the dog supposedly learns new skills and develops new personality traits -- and displays its mood via colored lights on its cheeks. The game can also be played on the go sans robot, with progress sent back to the toy upon your return.
We don't need to pretend we're building a friendship with a real AI or anything like that, though. It's quite enough that there is an adorable robot dog, whom we can instruct to sing by sending commands through the DS.
http://www.joystiq.com/2011/06/02/wappy-dog-turns-ds-into-robot-puppy-communication-device/