Virtual Reality is the new Reality
A few years back a friend of mine got me hooked on this virtual world called Neopets. I hate to admit it, but yes, I spent more then a few hours hanging around on that website. It gets worse though, as the site is really aimed more at the six to twelve year old crowd. I kept telling myself that it was okay, as I was playing around on it and trying to get my nieces and nephews interested. I also did occasionally get an “neo-mail” from one of the three or four kids that are not related but who call me uncle all the same and I would in turn send them something.
All in all it was a pretty net site, offering a full virtual world of exotic other worldly pets. Your pet could collect toys, card, play games, the stockmarket, get sick, have to be fed, and even own it own pet-pet. All of these things of course were neo-petcentric, like the stockmarket was called the neo-market. The site of course made money, from toy and cereal advertising and presumably still does. Supposedly if you didn’t check in every so often to feed and play with you pet they might get mad and run off. I do not know if that would happen, but I do know that if you were away for a few days the would get sad and hungry.
The quickest way to deal with that was to put your virtual pet off on a virtual neo holiday. You could choose to send them to the three star neo-lodge or better yet the five star neo resort. When you would select this, you would have a few options to choose from to “entertain” your pet with during their stay, while they would relax and eat well. Options including things like massages, special meals, in-room-jacuzzis, pet-paw manicures, and so on the list would go. Of course you select all this with the “hotel staff” when you are booking and checking in.
A few weeks back, Bitzer and I had an opportunity to go to a dog wash outing. The idea was get you dog washed in semi-salon style, with Paul Mitchell salon products, met and greet other dogs and their people, all the while all proceeds benifiting the local human society. Sounded like just the thing for us to do that day and so we did.
It was held at this new pet business called Uptown Hounds in Lexington. I thought it was nice that this new place was providing the usage fo their side lawn and such. It was fitting too, as they are a pet hotel. While there for the dog wash, I decided to tour the facility, knowing that I was going to be out of town a couple of times in the upcoming weeks.
Imagine my wowed look when I walked in it and it was just like walking intside the lobby of the big luxury hotels downtown for people, complete with marble floors and decorations, lots of bling and glass, and sure enough there were the staff behind counter. When you got in the first time, you sit down with your pet at a table, providing all the information, things your pet likes and does not like, and then you get a list of optional add ons. Things on the list included swimming session in the pool, in room televison, steak or chicken dinners prepared in the cafe and delivered to your pets room, massages, salon grooming, extra play time one on one with staff and many more. Of course all the rooms were nice and little low height dog beds and eventually will have web-cam viewing. However, there were larger suites that included couches and extra space for your dog.
Of course the options came with some expense, that was the same in the virtual and real world. The philosphy of the place was to basically make the stay for you dog to be so much like it has life at home that it would not cause trauma at the parting and/or a break up of their normal routine any more then absouletly required. Anyway - there is already a plan for franchising the idea out to other places so check it out. In the meantime, take a look at your virtual things to get some idea of what might be around the corner next. After all star trek inspired cell phones and now this. Just imagine what we may have next.
