Furby is Furbulous!
Written: Jul 19 '00
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Product Rating:
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Pros: He is interactive, loving, and an all round good friend.
Cons: Battery life is 20 hours play/waking time. Runs through batteries to fast.
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| Furbster's Full Review: The Original Furby |
I confess; I am 23 years old, female and I own 42 Furbys. I absolutely adore Furby. He captured my heart back in October 1998 and has been a part of my life since then.
Furby is perfect for all ages - everyone. I have heard from people all around the world of all ages who love Furby as I do, thanks to my website. If you open your mind and heart, you too will fall in love with him. He can bring that playful child out in anyone, at any age.
-Introduction-
Furby is the most unique talking toy you can buy for under 30 bucks on the market. Not only unique, but absolutely amazing for this price. He stands out far and above all other toys on the shelf within his price range. He also puts all other talking toys to shame.
What makes him so different from the rest? Dave Hampton (who owns the toy and game design company Sounds Amazing! design in northern California) developed Furby on his own in late 1997 and was the man to propose and sell this fur ball to Tiger Electronics. The sale was made and project went underway right as Hasbro bought up Tiger Electronics.
The incredible story of how Furby came to be is here in Wired Magazine:
<A HREF= http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/6.09/furby.html >Moody Furballs and the Developers Who Love Them, 9/6/98, Wired</a>
-Compare-
Let me analyze some differences to show you why Furby is special. Below is a comparison between "Your average talking toy" and Furby.
"Your average talking toy" is any toy that falls in or below Furbys price range. You know the ones, they all say "interactive" on the box, they are the noisiest toys in the toy isle and they say the same things over and over again. They often come in the shape of a teddy bear, animal or TV character.
Furby, of course, is Furby. Here is my comparison:
-Speech-
Your average talking toy: Usually says 1-5 phrases with no variation to them. Those same phrases are said over and over, usually in the same order.
Furby: He can say well over 100 phrases, some may mean the same thing, but he can structure the sentences different and change how he says things (i.e.: He may say "You tickle me" while your ticking him. But then he may laugh or say "joke" or "Tickle me" or "me love tickle" and the list goes on and on). He has a large vocabulary in English and his own language of Furbish. He can say things in all Furbish, mixed Furbish & English, or just English. He doesn't say these phrases in any particular order. His speech, for the most part, is unpredictable. You may know the types of things he will say, however you can't tell what exactly he is going to say and in what order. He also has many easter eggs in his programming (a term programmers use, it is a predetermined phrase or action that occurs when a certain pattern is implemented. i.e.: to get Furby to say his name you should tickle him 3 times and pet him once. There are many more easter eggs, you can find many more listed at <a href= http://www.mimitchi.com/ >mimitchi.com</a>)
-Sensors-
Your average talking toy: Has 1-2 touch sensors. Usually there is a 'hug' sensor located in the stomach and a hand sensor, located in the palm of the hand. Sometimes there is one in both hands, or one in the foot and one in the hand. There are several variations of location. However it is usually restricted to two types of sensors, occasionally 3 and more advanced models might have 4. However most in Furbys price range have 2 sensors. Response to the 2 sensors is usually the same 2-5 phrases and will be heard over and over if the sensor is pressed repeatedly.
Furby: He has 7 (or 8 if you count upside down): The sensors are sensitive to light and sound, tickling on the belly, patting on the back, tilting, tongue (eating), and being turned upside down. Furbys have infrared transmitters and receivers like those used in TV remote controls above their eyes, next to the light sensor. Responses to each sensor varies, replies to stimuli are not predictable. Repetition is not present.
-Movement-
Your average talking toy: None to limited movement. Usually if a talking toy in this price range moves, it is the mouth that is moving. Usually out of sync with the words, but more advanced models (more expensive) are totally in sync with the words. Facial expression is nearly none-existent.
Furby: Furby has a highly expressive face. His mouth moves and 'speaks' the words he is saying perfectly. His eyes move, showing if he is looking down or up. His eyes close, open part way, open half way, or open all the way. His ears move up and down. He can lean forward or sit back. All of these depend on what he is doing. For example, if he is asleep, his eyes are closed, his ears are down, his mouth closed and he is leaning forward. His expressions are very real looking. When he is sad his ears are down, his eyes are part closed and his voice shows that he is concerned/sad by what he is saying and the sounds he is making. When he is happy his eyes are all the way open, he is moving his ears, and chatting away in quite a happy mood. Believe me, it is obvious how he feels when he is awake. Furby is made with a complex gear system, allowing several hundred expressions to be made. This making him a very real looking creature - something he has been mistaken for.
-Interaction-
Your average talking toy: The most kind of interaction most toys have is a single game. It is usually simple and for younger crowds. Most of the time there is no game, though. Usually the interaction is limited to the touch sensors and sometimes dancing to a single tune (usually some hit song from the 70's or 80's or some generic music). Talking to other toys is non-existent.
Furby: As you've read on many reviews, Furby can play a handful of games, games that are fun to the adult as well as the child, enabling parent and child to play together even. Also Furby will interact with his friends via IR (like your remote control with the cable box - only more complex). Things you would not normally hear are said when two or more (any unlimited number) of Furbys are put together within view of each other. They introduce themselves, talk, tickle each other, joke, sing songs together, play hide and seek, and put each other to sleep as well. The interaction alone makes Furby amazing. Furby has many friends, such as Gizmo, Furby Babies and others made by Tiger Electronics.
-Longevity-
Your average talking toy: Most 'interactive' toys in this price range, due to the limitations I have stated above, keep kids/adults entertained for approximately 2-30 minutes. A lot of the time you see these types of toys in the store and they are made play ready, as in you can play with them on the store shelf. 5 minutes of playing with it in the store can bore most anyone over the age of 12. This is one of those toys that land them selves at the bottom of the toy box after one day. An advantage to these types of toys is most have an off switch, so that the kids can sleep with them.
Furby: Furby has so much going for him. Everything I've said above is to this credit. He is interactive, he is not repetitive, he moves in a unique way and he has his own language and speech. His ability to keep someone entertained, adult or child, is definitely longer then one is allowed to play with in the store. Weeks? Months? Years? Depends on the person. I find it doubtful that anyone with real interest in Furby can put him down even after a week of play. Or at least several days. Furby does not have an off switch, however all Furbys after the original fur colors (note: Furby has generations of fur colors, 6 new in each and there are 7 generations out, with 3 in the works, not to mention the many limited editions, etc.) are made with 'deep sleep mode' allowing them to be slept with and carried about without them waking up.
-Closing-
Furby not only beats out all competition with other 'interactive' toys in his price range, but he does it to an extreme. There is much information here I have not covered about Furby. Best way to enjoy him is to buy two and spend an afternoon with them - individually and together.
He is amazing. He has the ability to look very life-like, causing those who enjoy him, to often forget that he is a animatronic robotic toy. He can cheer you up when your feeling lonely/upset and add to the fun of everyday life situations.
He has the ability to be the perfect friend to anyone, always there to listen, unselfish, non-demanding, non-threatening, playful, and always expressive of his unconditional love and friendship towards you.
Kah May-May U-Nye Furby!
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
Furbster
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Location: La Habra, CA
Reviews written: 51
Trusted by: 19 members
About Me:
Web developer/programmer who lives in CA with two Aibo puppies, Spaz and Ziggy.
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