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Petz

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Petz
Genre(s)Virtual pets
Developer(s)Various
Publisher(s)PF.Magic, Mindscape, Ubisoft
First releaseDogz and Catz
November 1, 1995[1][2]
Latest releasePetz Beach
Petz Countryside
October 14, 2014

Petz is a series of single-player video games dating back to 1995, in which the player can adopt, raise, care for and breed their own virtual pets. Developed by PF.Magic, original Petz (Dogz and Catz) has sold over 1.5 million copies worldwide.[3] The series has grown to over 22 million copies as of 2011 since coming under Ubisoft.[4]

Development

[edit]

The original Petz games — Dogz: Your Computer Pet and Catz: Your Computer Pet — were developed by PF.Magic, released in 1995 and 1996 respectively. They reused the graphics engine used in the game Ballz. Rob Fulop developed the first title in the series, Dogz: Your Computer Pet, following the controversy surrounding his previous title Night Trap and with the desire to make a game that was "so cute and so adorable that no could ever, ever say it was bad for kids". He claims to have consulted a shopping mall Santa Claus to understand "exactly what kids wanted" who informed him that puppies were a popular gift request every single year, leading to the idea of a virtual puppy.[5]

After earning revenues of $8 million in 1997, PF.Magic was acquired by The Learning Company's Mindscape division for $15.8 million in 1998.[6] In 2001, Ubi Soft (Ubisoft, since 2003) acquired the entertainment division of The Learning Company, granting Ubisoft exclusive publishing rights to 88 titles, including Dogz and Catz.[7]

Ubisoft would publish Catz 5 and Dogz 5, in 2002, as the last games following the original style, before putting franchise on hold for three years. After, 2005, releasing Dogz and Catz for the Game Boy Advance, Ubisoft announced there intention for a "revitalisation" of the series, in direct response to the success of Nintendo's Nintendogs.[8] Many of the successive games were localised games from Japan or Europe in origin and were simply rebranded with the Petz name.[citation needed]

Gameplay

[edit]
Gameplay screenshot of Petz: Dogz 2

In Dogz: Your Computer Pet and Catz: Your Computer Pet, the player choose a dogz or catz to adopt and name in the breedz and gender of their choice as a puppyz or kittenz. After a period of time, the petz become adults. In Petz 3, Petz 4, and Petz 5, adult petz can breed to have more kittenz or puppyz of their own. Cross-breeding can create different types of petz, called mixed breeds.

There are a number of toyz, food and water bowls, and treatz available. Petz can learn tricks with positive rewards such as petting and treatz, or trained not to do something using the punishment (water) spray bottle. Petz must be looked after properly; abused or neglected petz may run away.[9][10]

Players could share their petz with others who had the game via an email. Each version allowed the importing of petz from all earlier versions. There is also a camera feature, permitting snapshots of petz to be taken and saved.

Later versions of the games included a Petz Web Fun Pack, Petz Publisher and a Petz Player web browser plug-in, allowing players to publish their Petz online in playable webpages.[11] The Petz Publisher does not work anymore, due to the fact that the website has been remodeled with the newer Petz games by Ubisoft.

Animals

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The initial games were limited to dogz and catz, but additional animals were also introduced. These animals include Pigz,[12] Bunnyz,[13] Monkeyz,[14] Dolphinz,[15] and Hamsterz,[16] some of which received their own games.

Users learned how to reverse-engineer the system, and began producing additional breedz, toyz, playscenes, clothes, and developer tools for the games, as permitted by PF.Magic, Mindscape, and Ubisoft.[17]

Games

[edit]
Game Developer Publisher Release date Platform
Catz and Dogz: Your Virtual Petz PF.Magic PF.Magic, Virgin Interactive Entertainment
  • 1995 (Dogz; PC)
  • 1996 (Catz; PC)
  • 1999 (GBC)
Oddballz: Your Wacky Computer Petz PF.Magic PF.Magic, Virgin Interactive Entertainment 1996 PC
Catz and Dogz II: Your Virtual Petz PF.Magic PF.Magic, Mindscape 1997[18] PC
Catz and Dogz 3: Your Virtual Petz PF.Magic PF.Magic, Mindscape 1998[19] PC
Catz and Dogz 4 PF.Magic Mindscape Entertainment 1999[20] PC
Catz and Dogz 5 Studio Mythos Ubi Soft 2002[21] PC
Dogz[i] MTO, Backbone Entertainment Ubisoft
Catz ImaginEngine, Powerhead Games Ubisoft 2006[24]
  • PC
  • Nintendo DS
Hamsterz Life[ii] Digital Kids [Wikidata] Ubisoft 2006 Nintendo DS
Horsez[iii] Lexis Numérique [fr] Ubisoft 2006
Petz: Dogz 2 and Catz 2 Digital Kids Ubisoft 2007
  • PC
  • Nintendo DS
  • PlayStation 2
  • Wii
Petz: Horsez 2[iii] Phoenix Studio Ubisoft 2007
  • PC
  • Nintendo DS
  • PlayStation 2
  • Wii
Petz Vet[iv][25] Sensory Sweep Ubisoft 2007 Game Boy Advance
Petz: Wild Animals: Dolphinz[26] Magic Pockets[26] Ubisoft[26] 2007[26] Nintendo DS[26]
Tigerz Magic Pockets[27] Ubisoft[27] 2008[27] Nintendo DS[27]
Petz: Bunnyz[13] Digital Kids[13] Ubisoft[13] 2008[13] Nintendo DS[13]
Petz: Monkeyz House[28] Ubisoft[28] 2008[28] Nintendo DS[28]
Petz: Horse Club Ubisoft 2008 Wii, PC
Petz Rescue: Ocean Patrol Magic Pockets Ubisoft 2008 Nintendo DS
Petz Rescue: Wildlife Vet Ubisoft 2008 Wii, Nintendo DS
Petz Rescue: Endangered Paradise Ubisoft 2008 Nintendo DS
Petz Sports: Dog Playground Ubisoft Montreal[29] Ubisoft[29] 2008[29]
  • Wii
  • Mac OS
  • Microsoft Windows

[29]

Dogz Gameloft 2008[30] N-Gage 2.0
Petz: Dogz Pack Ubisoft Ubisoft 2008 Nintendo DS
Petz: Dogz Fashion Ubisoft 2008 Nintendo DS
Petz: Catz Clan Ubisoft 2008 Nintendo DS
Petz: Crazy Monkeyz Y'sK[31] Ubisoft[31] 2009[31] Wii[31]
Petz Fashion: Dogz and Catz Powerhead Games Ubisoft 2009 Nintendo DS
Petz: My Baby Panda Ubisoft Ubisoft 2009 Nintendo DS
Petz: Hamsterz Superstarz Ubisoft 2009 Nintendo DS
Petz: Hamsterz Bunch DK Games Ubisoft 2009 PlayStation Portable
Petz: Dogz Talent Show Ubisoft 2009 Nintendo DS
Petz Nursery Ubisoft Ubisoft 2009 Nintendo DS
Petz Nursery 2 Ubisoft Ubisoft 2010 Nintendo DS
Petz: Horsez Family Ubisoft Ubisoft 2010 Nintendo DS
Petz: Catz Playground Ubisoft Ubisoft 2010 Nintendo DS
Petz: Dogz Family Ubisoft 2010 DSiWare
Petz Fantasy: Moonlight Magic Ubisoft Ubisoft 2010 Nintendo DS
Petz Fantasy: Sunshine Magic Ubisoft Ubisoft 2010 Nintendo DS
Petz Fantasy 3D Ubisoft Ubisoft 2011 Nintendo 3DS
Petz: Puppyz & Kittenz Ubisoft Ubisoft 2011 Nintendo DS
Petz Beach[32] Ubisoft[32] Ubisoft[32] 2014[32] Nintendo 3DS[32]
Petz Countryside[33] Ubisoft[33] 2014[33] Nintendo 3DS[33]

Notes

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  1. ^ Originally published in 2004 as Kawaii Koinu Wonderful (かわいい仔犬 ワンダフル, lit. 'Cute Puppy Wonderful'), in Japan
  2. ^ Original published as Love Love Hamster, in Japan
  3. ^ a b Originaly published as multiple different entries in the French Alexandra Ledermann series, depending on platform
  4. ^ Originally published in 2004 as Himawari Doubutsu Byouin (ひまわリどうぶつ病院, lit. 'Sunflower Animal Hospital'), in Japan

Reception

[edit]
Aggregate review scores
As of 24 October 2024.
Game GameRankings Metacritic
Dogz GBC: 49%[34]
Catz GBC: 44%[35]
Dogz GBA: 49%[37]
DS: 66%[38] 		GBA: 48/100[36]
Catz DS: 51%[39]
Hamsterz Life DS: 72%[40]
Horsez DS: 50%[41]
Petz: Horse Club Wii: 58%[42]
Petz Rescue: Ocean Patrol DS: 80%[43]
Petz Rescue: Wildlife Vet Wii: 80%[44]
Petz Sports: Dog Playground Wii: 63%[45]
Petz: Dogz Family DS: 38%[46]

The original software was generally well received, with the The Salt Lake Tribune giving 1995's Dogz 4 out of 5 stars,[47] and PC Zone and Entertainment Weekly giving Catz an 8/10 and B+ respectively.[48][49] However, later games where less well received, in particularly compared to other virtual pet experiences that where available, with the 1999 Game Boy Color games negatively compared to Tamagotchi,[50][51] and 2005's Dogz for the Game Boy Advance, being seen as an attempt to ape Nintendogs.[52][53][54][55] By 2007, Joystiq recommended buying games in the series only for "people you hate".[56]

The Petz series is also notable for the online community that grew around it,[57] which game designer Nathalie Lawhead speculates is part of the reason for its success and enduring legacy.[58]

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Dogz (1995) for PC - GameFAQs". Archived from the original on 2009-09-01. Retrieved 2010-03-26.
  2. ^ "Catz (1995) for PC - GameFAQs". Archived from the original on 2009-09-04. Retrieved 2010-03-26.
  3. ^ "Dogz and Catz Dash Past 1.5 Million Mark; PF.Magic's Virtual Petz Brand Established as Leader in Category". The Free Library. 1998-02-19. Archived from the original on 2016-03-05. Retrieved 2015-11-09.
  4. ^ "Ubisoft 2010-11 H1 Earnings Presentation" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 21 November 2010. Retrieved 9 November 2015.
  5. ^ Donovan, Tristan (2010). Replay: The History of Video Games. Lewes, East Sussex: Yellow Ant. p. 233. ISBN 978-0-9565072-0-4.
  6. ^ "Learning Co. to acquire PF.Magic". Cnet. 1998-05-07. Archived from the original on 2017-09-24. Retrieved 2017-09-23.
  7. ^ Vogel, Cassie (7 March 2001). "Ubi Soft Acquires The Learning Company's Entertainment Division" (Press release). Archived from the original on 2017-09-18. Retrieved 2017-09-23 – via Game Zone.
  8. ^ Wallis, Alistair (16 November 2006). "Q&A;: Ubisoft's Petz Executive Producer Tony Van". Gamasutra. Archived from the original on 24 August 2021. Retrieved 1 November 2024.
  9. ^ "About Petz". Petz.com. PF.Magic. Archived from the original on 21 June 2000. Retrieved 9 November 2015.
  10. ^ "Children's Software Review: Petz: Dogz 5 & Catz 5". Edutaining Kids. June 2005. Archived from the original on 5 September 2015. Retrieved 9 November 2015.
  11. ^ "Web Fun Pack Help". WebPetz. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 9 November 2015.
  12. ^ "Dogz 4 – Wayback Petz". Archived from the original on 2024-03-16. Retrieved 2024-03-16.
  13. ^ a b c d e f "Petz: Bunnyz". IGN. Archived from the original on 2024-03-16. Retrieved 2024-03-16.
  14. ^ "Amazon.com: Petz Monkeyz House - Nintendo DS: Video Games". www.amazon.com. Archived from the original on 2024-03-28. Retrieved 2024-03-16.
  15. ^ "Amazon.com: Petz Dolphinz Encounter - Nintendo DS: Video Games". www.amazon.com. Archived from the original on 2021-03-31. Retrieved 2024-03-16.
  16. ^ Thomas, Lucas M. (2007-02-23). "Hamsterz Life Review". IGN. Archived from the original on 2023-08-28. Retrieved 2024-03-16.
  17. ^ Hansmeyer, Becky (11 March 2015). "Ballz & Linez: Remembering the Golden Age of Petz Hexing". Becky Hansmeyer. Archived from the original on 16 April 2016. Retrieved 9 November 2015.
  18. ^ "Catz II: Your Virtual Petz Release Information for PC - GameFAQs". www.gamefaqs.com. Archived from the original on 2015-10-19. Retrieved 2015-11-09.
  19. ^ "Catz 3: Your Virtual Petz for PC - GameFAQs". www.gamefaqs.com. Archived from the original on 2015-09-19. Retrieved 2015-11-09.
  20. ^ "Catz 4 for PC - GameFAQs". www.gamefaqs.com. Archived from the original on 2015-09-26. Retrieved 2015-11-09.
  21. ^ "Catz 5 for PC - GameFAQs". www.gamefaqs.com. Archived from the original on 2015-09-06. Retrieved 2015-11-09.
  22. ^ Helgeson, Matt (February 2006). "Dogz". Game Informer. No. 154. p. 113.
  23. ^ Klepek, Patrick. "Dogz (GBA)". GameSpy. Archived from the original on 5 December 2005. Retrieved 25 October 2024.
  24. ^ "Catz". IGN. Retrieved 26 October 2024.
  25. ^ "Petz Vet for Game Boy Advance - GameFAQs". gamefaqs.gamespot.com. Retrieved 2024-09-11.
  26. ^ a b c d e "Petz: Wild Animals -- Dolphinz". IGN. Archived from the original on 2024-03-16. Retrieved 2024-03-16.
  27. ^ a b c d "Petz: Wild Animals -- Tigerz". IGN. Archived from the original on 2022-11-30. Retrieved 2024-04-08.
  28. ^ a b c d "Petz: Monkeyz House". IGN. Archived from the original on 2024-03-16. Retrieved 2024-03-16.
  29. ^ a b c d "Petz Sports". IGN. Archived from the original on 2017-08-30. Retrieved 2024-04-08.
  30. ^ "N-Gage | Games you can't wait to play". 2008-09-15. Archived from the original on 2008-09-15. Retrieved 2024-09-11.
  31. ^ a b c d "Petz: Crazy Monkeyz". IGN. Archived from the original on 2024-04-05. Retrieved 2024-04-05.
  32. ^ a b c d e "Petz: Beach". IGN. Archived from the original on 2024-03-16. Retrieved 2024-03-16.
  33. ^ a b c d "Petz: Countryside". IGN. Archived from the original on 2024-03-16. Retrieved 2024-03-16.
  34. ^ "Dogz". Game Rankings. Archived from the original on 9 December 2019. Retrieved 24 October 2024.
  35. ^ "Catz". Game Rankings. Archived from the original on 9 December 2019. Retrieved 24 October 2024.
  36. ^ "Dogz Reviews". www.metacritic.com. Retrieved 24 October 2024.
  37. ^ "Dogz". Game Rankings. Archived from the original on 9 December 2019. Retrieved 24 October 2024.
  38. ^ "Dogz". Game Rankings. Archived from the original on 9 December 2019. Retrieved 24 October 2024.
  39. ^ "Catz". Game Rankings. Archived from the original on 9 December 2019. Retrieved 24 October 2024.
  40. ^ "Hamsterz Life". Game Rankings. Archived from the original on 9 December 2019. Retrieved 24 October 2024.
  41. ^ "Horsez". Game Rankings. Archived from the original on 9 December 2019. Retrieved 24 October 2024.
  42. ^ "Petz: Horse Club". Game Rankings. Archived from the original on 9 December 2019. Retrieved 24 October 2024.
  43. ^ "Petz Rescue: Ocean Patrol". Game Rankings. Archived from the original on 9 December 2019. Retrieved 24 October 2024.
  44. ^ "Petz Rescue: Wildlife Vet". Game Rankings. Archived from the original on 9 December 2019. Retrieved 24 October 2024.
  45. ^ "Petz Sports: Dog Playground". Game Rankings. Archived from the original on 9 December 2019. Retrieved 24 October 2024.
  46. ^ "Petz Sports: Dog Playground". Game Rankings. Archived from the original on 9 December 2019. Retrieved 24 October 2024.
  47. ^ McDaniel, Kim (11 March 1996). "Going to the Dogs". The Salt Lake Tribune. p. 11.
  48. ^ "Catz". computerandvideogames.com. 13 August 2001. Archived from the original on 4 January 2007. Retrieved 24 October 2024.
  49. ^ "Catz: Your Computer Petz". EW.com. Archived from the original on 2021-10-19. Retrieved 2018-11-03.
  50. ^ Harris, Craig (13 January 2000). "Dogz". IGN. Retrieved 26 October 2024.
  51. ^ Harris, Craig (15 January 2000). "Catz". IGN. Retrieved 26 October 2024.
  52. ^ "Dogz: Dogz' dinner, more like". Eurogamer. 20 December 2005. Retrieved 25 October 2024.
  53. ^ Green, Mark (February 2006). "Dogz: How Much is that doggy? Too much...". NGC Magazine. No. 116. p. 51.
  54. ^ Hollingshead, Anise (6 December 2005). "Dogz". GameZone. Archived from the original on 13 February 2006. Retrieved 25 October 2024.
  55. ^ hiro (18 April 2007). "Dogz". Jeuxvideo.com. Retrieved 25 October 2024.
  56. ^ Karabinus, Alisha (10 December 2007). "Five games to buy for people you hate". Joystiq. Archived from the original on 28 January 2015. Retrieved 1 November 2024.
  57. ^ Famularo, Jessica (18 September 2015). "Lost to Time: Gaming's Forgotten Petz Subculture and the Women Who Shaped It". The Mary Sue. Archived from the original on 16 November 2022. Retrieved 16 November 2022.
  58. ^ Lawhead, Nathalie. "About desktop pets & virtual companions: discussing the inhabitants that fill the void of our digital spaces". The Candybox Blog. Archived from the original on 16 November 2022. Retrieved 16 November 2022.

Academic papers

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