PostPet
PostPet (ポストペット, Posutopetto) is a hybrid virtual pet and email client software developed by So-net, first released in Japan in November 1997. The software is designed for computer novices. It takes place in a virtual room, allowing the user's pet to send and receive email messages. OverviewPostPet takes place in a virtual room where the user's pet resides.[1] When a user receives an email message from another user of PostPet, their pets interact with each other on-screen as the message is exchanged. When a reply is sent, your pet temporarily disappears in order to deliver the message.[2] Pets start out inexperienced at deliveries, and may find themselves going on detours. The pets will also write messages to the owners from the delivery destination, updating them on what's happening, and sometimes for no reason at all but to chat.[1] They may even send messages out to other addresses of their own accord,[3] often about their owner.[4] Users can feed their pets a variety of treats,[3] though they do not die if they are not fed. Their mood depends on their success in delivering mail. The user can pet or hit their pet using their mouse cursor, which invokes a positive or negative response respectively. Pets get dirty while delivering mail and require baths to be cleaned.[1] CharactersFour characters were introduced in the original release of PostPet: Momo (モモ), a pink teddy bear, Furo (フロ), a purple cat, Sumiko (スミコ), a turtle, and Mippi (ミッピ), a yellow rabbit.[1] PostPet 2001 introduced four new characters: John (ジョン), a dog, Ushe (ウシェ), a penguin, Jinpatchi (じんぱち), a hamster, and Shingo (シンゴ), a mecha shaped like a computer.[5] PostPet V3 added a final two members to the lineup: Komomo (コモモ), a smaller pink bear, and Takechiyo (竹千代), a version of the software's robot postman character. It also featured an update to Shingo.[6] HistoryDevelopment of PostPet began in 1996. It was created by Kazuhiko Hachiya,[1] intended to be an easy-to-use and fun email client for novice computer users.[2] It officially released in November 1997.[4] Some computers at the time came bundled with the software.[7] It would later be released in English and Chinese language versions.[8] Support for Windows CE came in June of 1999,[9] with a dedicated CE device, the Pocket PostPet, following in April of 2000.[10] An IBM ViaVoice compatible version would release on September 10, 1999.[11] An updated version of the software, PostPet 2001, released in December 1998, and a third iteration, PostPet V3, released on December 4, 2002.[6] ReceptionPostPet took less than a year to sell over 100 thousand copies.[4] It won the Minister of International Trade and Industry Award at the Multimedia Grand Prix '97.[12] Newsweek's Kay Itoi notes that the software is "slow and lacks the versatility of more serious mailers", pointing out its lack of common features such as the ability to have multiple mailboxes or to send email to multiple addresses at once.[7] Internet Watch expresses that the software is good for those who are new to using email.[1] Yuko Hasegawa writes in Leonardo that the software's use of cute pet characters "makes us more resistant to the stress brought on by computer problems".[13] Spin-off media
Video gamesPostPet Paradise (2008)PostPet Paradise is a RPG-like sugoroku game for I-mode mobile devices, released on May 26, 2008. A Yahoo! Mobile version would release in July.[14] PostPet DS (2009)PostPet DS: Yumemiru Momo to Fushigi no Pen (PostPet DS 夢見るモモと不思議のペン) released for the Nintendo DS handheld on December 24, 2009.[15] References
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