Bandai, the company that makes
Tamagotchi and Power Ranger toys, is targeting a slightly more mature audience (we hope) with its newest novelty item: a
beer can simulator. The $9 toy is a plastic recreation of the top of a beer can, complete with a pop top that plays an electronic sound simulating the opening of a beer can every time you pull it. Every 30 times you pull the tab, it plays what we're told is "a special sound" as a "reward" -- your guess is as good as ours. Also, how much does simulated alcoholism deserve to be rewarded.
We're not sure what the appeal of virtual drinking is, but between the success of
iBeer and the
Wii beer pong game, it seems like the beginning of a trend. [From:
OhGizmo!]
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Tags: alcohol, bandai, beer, drinks, gadget, novelty, top, toy, virtual beer can, VirtualBeerCan
Comments
3
Subscribe to commentscwnycMar 28th 2009 5:47PM
This sounds like a somewhat poorly thought out product... Wouldn't this sound be an actual trigger for alcoholics to want to drink more...? This sound is not associated with the high of alcohol as the reward is not instantaneous like food, which the carbohydrates immediately gets digested in your mouth and trigger dopamine release in the brain. One of the things they teach an addict in therapy is to avoid triggers that stimulates the brain into desiring or receptive to the addictive substance... I assure you this product will not work as advertised but may actually work against its original intended purpose.
shjeloMar 29th 2009 7:24AM
After 30 pulls, perhaps the "reward" sound might be that of throwing up?
AngiebabyMar 29th 2009 9:47AM
If you're an adult with nothing better to do than sit around pulling the poptop on a toy beer, you've got bigger problems than virtual alcoholism.