Japanese Resort Town Caters to Men with Virtual High School Girlfriends!?
Okay, this is just creepy and wrong on so many levels! There is a resort town in Japan called Atami that is targeting an interesting market... men with virtual high school girlfriends. I don't even know what to say! This is so weird that the society we live in has actually created something like this. Is this something our world needs right now? I guess I shouldn't be surprised that there is a market out there for this.
Thirteen romantic spots around the town, like a statue of a couple from a famous love story, have been rigged with barcodes that allow these men to take pictures with their virtual girlfriends from the dating simulation game, Love Plus. In this latest edition of Love Plus, available on the hand-held Nintendo DS and iPhone applications, these men appear in pictures with the superimposed anime characters Rinko, Manaka, or Nenefrom in vacation wear.
This is a subsect of manga and anime, known as “otaku,” which allows users to court virtual girlfriends. One user even staged a wedding last year with his cartoon girlfriend, Nene Anegasaki.
Some souvenir shops in Atami have even started selling Love Plus merchandise. The Ohnoya hotel offers rooms with two sets of futon beds and a barcode that allows the men to visualize their girlfriends in the room.
Does this not just disturb you? Apparently this Love Plus game is the most popular game on the Japanese market. Why?
because users aren’t just challenged with meeting virtual girls; they must build long-term relationships. The goal is to see how good of a boyfriend users can be. Love Plus also offers voice recognition software and a clock that keeps real time on dates. The virtual girlfriends get angry when neglected and they demand attention when sick. If users want to take a trip with her, they must plan this in advance.
What!? Now check this out, The virtual girls can kiss you as a way of communication, but there will be no hanky panky in the bedroom when these guys are sleeping with them. That's not allowed.
It's like these guys get all the hard parts of a relationship, but there are absolutely no benefit's at all.
Thanks to isaacada1 for the tip on this.
