Delivered at Casual Connect Europe 2016 There are more than 400 million dogs and cats in this world, and yet virtual pet games have never seen much love from mobile game developers. A Dog's Heart, the first mobile game from Virtualbeings.co, approaches the virtual pet game genre from a new angle. We are people who have grown up with dogs, and we asked ourselves: How can we re-create the emotional bond between owner and pet in a virtual world? The answers I will offer in this talk touch not only on game design but also on AI, cognitive science and social psychology.

1. February 16, 2016 1AI-driven virtual pets | wendelin reich
Can a virtual pet
break your heart ?
Wendelin Reich, PHD
Founder & CEO
Virtualbeings.co

2. Real pets staggering numbers–
February 16, 2016 2AI-driven virtual pets | wendelin reich

3. Real pets staggering numbers–
February 16, 2016 3AI-driven virtual pets | wendelin reich
+400 million dogs + cats worldwide

4. Real pets staggering numbers–
February 16, 2016 4AI-driven virtual pets | wendelin reich
+400 million dogs + cats worldwide
1 in 3 Americans growing up with pets

5. Real pets staggering numbers–
February 16, 2016 5AI-driven virtual pets | wendelin reich
+400 million dogs + cats worldwide
1 in 3 Americans growing up with pets
Americans spent $60.5 billion on pets in 2015

6. Real pets staggering numbers–
February 16, 2016 6AI-driven virtual pets | wendelin reich
+400 million dogs + cats worldwide
1 in 3 Americans growing up with pets
Americans spent $60.5 billion on pets in 2015
4-5 % annual growth

7. Real pet ownership not for everyone–
February 16, 2016 7AI-driven virtual pets | wendelin reich

8. Real pet ownership not for everyone–
February 16, 2016 8AI-driven virtual pets | wendelin reich
"Pet ownership in its current
form is likely unsustainable in
a growing, urbanized
population."
(Rault 2015)

9. Virtual pet games a history–
February 16, 2016 9AI-driven virtual pets | wendelin reich

10. Virtual pet games a history–
February 16, 2016 10AI-driven virtual pets | wendelin reich
Tamagotchi (1996)

11. Virtual pet games a history–
February 16, 2016 11AI-driven virtual pets | wendelin reich
Neopets (1999)

12. Virtual pet games a history–
February 16, 2016 12AI-driven virtual pets | wendelin reich
• Nintendogs (2005)

13. Virtual pet games a history–
February 16, 2016 13AI-driven virtual pets | wendelin reich
Dog Hotel (2015)

14. Virtual pet games just toys ?–
February 16, 2016 14AI-driven virtual pets | wendelin reich

15. Virtual pet games just toys ?–
February 16, 2016 15AI-driven virtual pets | wendelin reich
"Another study showed that
children associated a stuffed
dog with friendship, but a
virtual dog with
entertainment."
(Rault 2015)

16. February 16, 2016 16AI-driven virtual pets | wendelin reich

17. The core of "A Dog's Heart"
February 16, 2016 17AI-driven virtual pets | wendelin reich

18. The core of "A Dog's Heart" 1/3–
February 16, 2016 18AI-driven virtual pets | wendelin reich
Free movement in
an open world

19. The core of "A Dog's Heart" 2/3–
February 16, 2016 19AI-driven virtual pets | wendelin reich
Behavioral
believability,
less focus on
gamification

20. The core of "A Dog's Heart" 3/3–
February 16, 2016 20AI-driven virtual pets | wendelin reich
Backstory,
emotional arch

21. Walt Disney as inspiration
February 16, 2016 21AI-driven virtual pets | wendelin reich

22. Walt Disney as inspiration
February 16, 2016 22AI-driven virtual pets | wendelin reich
Bambi
(1942)

23. Walt Disney as inspiration
February 16, 2016 23AI-driven virtual pets | wendelin reich
Dumbo
(1941)
Bambi
(1942)

24. Disney broke my heart once...
February 16, 2016 24AI-driven virtual pets | wendelin reich

25. Disney broke my heart once...
February 16, 2016 25AI-driven virtual pets | wendelin reich
The Fox and the Hound (1981)

26. What breaks our hearts ?
February 16, 2016 26AI-driven virtual pets | wendelin reich

27. What breaks our hearts ?
February 16, 2016 27AI-driven virtual pets | wendelin reich
Attachment

28. What breaks our hearts ?
February 16, 2016 28AI-driven virtual pets | wendelin reich
Attachment
+
Suffering

29. What breaks our hearts ?
February 16, 2016 29AI-driven virtual pets | wendelin reich
Attachment
+
Suffering
=>
Empathy

30. But… should we break our players hearts ?
February 16, 2016 30AI-driven virtual pets | wendelin reich
?

31. But… should we break our players hearts ?
February 16, 2016 31AI-driven virtual pets | wendelin reich
(I actually never
made that choice)

32. Avoiding the uncanny valley
February 16, 2016 32AI-driven virtual pets | wendelin reich

33. Avoiding the uncanny valley
February 16, 2016 33AI-driven virtual pets | wendelin reich
The Polar Express (2005)

34. Avoiding the uncanny valley
February 16, 2016 34AI-driven virtual pets | wendelin reich
The Polar Express (2005)
A Christmas Carol (2009)

35. Avoiding the uncanny valley
February 16, 2016 35AI-driven virtual pets | wendelin reich
Dog Hotel (2015)

36. "Good" AI doesn't overpromise
February 16, 2016 36AI-driven virtual pets | wendelin reich

37. "Good" AI doesn't overpromise
February 16, 2016 37AI-driven virtual pets | wendelin reich

38. "Good" AI doesn't overpromise
February 16, 2016 38AI-driven virtual pets | wendelin reich

39. "Good" AI doesn't overpromise
February 16, 2016 39AI-driven virtual pets | wendelin reich

40. THANK YOU!
February 16, 2016 40
Wendelin Reich, PHD
Founder & CEO
Virtualbeings.co
@wendelinreich
@virtualbeings
Wendelin.reich@gmail.com
AI-driven virtual pets | wendelin reich