Anybody who watched “Star Trek: The Next Generation” were introduced to the wonders of the Holodeck. This was the ultimate video game. It wsa a place where whatever fantasies somebody could dredge up from the bits of their mind that are best left in the care of folks with a Ph.d, could became a solid reality. Mostly guys used it to score with chicks they would never get a shot in real life, and girls probably had fantasies that involved shoes. Usually when the session was over, and this amazing bit of technology shut down, everything in the room disappeared (except for the person running the session) and one of the lower ranking ensigns was sent in to clean up the bits of biology and DNA that were left on the walls and floors. Unfortunately there is no such thing as Holodeck…but were getting closer.
While we are all familiar with Love Dolls (not in the physical sense of course) and the seriously deviant things you can make your characters do while playing “The Sims” (as long as you have the right custom hacks), Konami has piled on with their Nintendo DS product called, “Love Plus”. Fundamentally, this game is a guys little, pocket sized girlfriend. The anime girl on the screen complains, demands attention, and wants the sort of kisses that someone can only give with the Nintendo DS stylus pen. Some twit actually married his “Love Plus” partner and put the whole experience on YouTube. He is presumably still living in his mother’s basement and supporting his new, digital, spouse working the drive-thru window at Taco Bell.
“Love Plus” was originally created as a dating simulator, not a replacement for a real girl. Unfortunately as technology gets better, and is driven more and more by the mating instincts of those who attend Comic book conventions, we may eventually get to a full blown Holodeck. At that point humanity will die because men will be getting their digital freak on with a very real feeling hologram of every girl who has graced the cover of the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit issue, and the women will die of loneliness and high cholesterol as they replace men with chocolate.
