A virtual experience: Best of friends

Click here to read Part I

( Second of two parts )

In this fast-paced, technology-enhanced world we live in, it’s so easy to get caught up in our day-to-day struggles, pressure and targets. These daily burdens can consume a person so much that in many cases, we tend to forget a very important facet in human relationships — friendship. They say that a person’s true worth is known not by how much he has but by how many lives he has touched and the kind of friendships he has built. Unfortunately, this seems to be forgotten nowadays as we all struggle to attain the goals we have set out for ourselves.

Fortunately, there are some mobile applications that allow us to have fun and learn new things and, at the same time, remind us how valuable friendship is and how neglect of this precious gift can lead to a great loss. One such application developed by Wireless Services Asia for Globe Handyphone subscribers is the Virtual Friend game.

Virtual Friend — The Virtual Friend Game is a derivative of the Virtual Pet Game (discussed in a previous article) but instead of taking care of a pet, you interact with a "human being" with a defined set of characteristics.

Your friend could be a boy or a girl, depending on your preference.

When starting this game, you and your virtual friend are like strangers introduced for the first time. The objective of this game is to nourish the friendship until you become the best of friends. This stage is achieved by texting a series of commands aimed at deepening the relationship.

Nurturing The Friendship

Unlike the Virtual Pet where your commands are limited to five, the Virtual Friend Game has a wider array of commands that further enhance the game play.

• LetsEat – This command allows the subscriber to invite his/her virtual friend to a meal.

• LetsStroll – This command is used when a subscriber wants to have some quiet time with his/her virtual friend.

• LetsRelax – This command allows the virtual friend to recharge after an action-based command like LetsParty or LetsWatch.

• LetsWatch – This command is used when the subscriber wants to watch a movie, a concert or even a play with his/her virtual companion.

• LetsParty – This command invites the virtual friend to go partying with the subscriber.

Note: One interesting feature of these commands is that you can customize them to suit your interest. For example, LetsEat (type of food) or LetsWatch (movie title).

• Hi – This command allows the subscriber to check the status of the friendship.

• Take Picture – This command allows the subscriber to get an operator logo of his/her virtual friend.

• Our Song – This command, which is considered as a very novel feature of the service, allows the subscriber to download a ring tone that best applies to the current stage of his/her relationship with the virtual friend.

• Should – Should allows the subscriber to seek the opinion of his/her virtual friend on matters that can be answered by a yes or no. The subscriber simply sends in the key word SHOULD followed by his/her question. Example: Should I get a new pair of shoes for myself?

Note: The Take Picture and Our Song commands are to be sent to a different access number as this involves downloading of logos and tones. See examples.

Playing The Game

To start playing, a subscriber needs to register and choose his friend. In the registration process, you can assign a name for your friend.

Once you have registered, you can now proceed to enhancing the friendship by using the commands outlined above.

After sending the commands, you will receive a text message from your friend, sharing his/her own thoughts or feelings, depending on the status of your relationship. In the beginning, since you are just acquaintances, the replies might be curt one-liners but later on, they get more personal. However, if the friendship is not going well, you will also know through your friend’s response. This normally happens when you haven’t been in touch for a while.

Another variation of this Virtual Friend game is the International Friend where you get to meet friends from Japan, the United States, France, Jamaica and Brazil. One interesting innovation to this game is that your virtual international friend gives you information about his/her country, culture, way of life and history that makes this game very educational.

And like the Virtual Pet game, I believe the Virtual International Friend is also the first of its kind mobile application developed on the GSM/SMS platform. There are other innovative SMS applications that are firsts either in the region or in the world. We shall take a look at some of them in succeeding articles.

In the meantime, let’s meet a new friend.

For Globe subscribers who want to know more about the Virtual Friend service and instructions on how to play it, visit the www.globeinteractive.com.ph site.

The same procedure applies for a girl friend, just key in GIRL (name of friend) and send to 2333.

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The author is the marketing director of Wireless Services Asia, a pioneer of local mobile value-added services. For any questions, you can e-mail him at ardie.balderrama@wsworldwide.com.