Pets are expensive and they tend to poop everywhere. Why deal with real pets, when soon you will be able to care for a realistic virtual pet? Forget about Fluffy - just get an EyePet! This adorable monkey/bush baby critter (coming for PS3 in 2010) is just like a real pet, minus the hassle. He reacts to your every move (as long as you’re within reach of the PS3 Eye) and you’ll only need to pay a one-time fee.

Sure, there have been plenty of virtual pets before the EyePet. There was Neopets, Tamagotchi, the entire Petz series, and many more. But this new EyePet will take the graphics, complexity, and technological advances of today, and put it into one very realistic bundle. At least, that’s what the trailer would have us believe. See for yourselves:

As far as I can see, the only major drawback to this virtual pet is that you can’t touch it. Other than that… he reacts to you, he can learn things from you… he even makes what you draw come to life! A real pet can’t do that. And when the owner gets tired of having a “pet” and the novelty wears off, there is no worry for its health if it is abandoned.

So it seems like a logical question: Will the EyePet replace real pets? or at the very least, will parents use it as a way to see if their child is truly interested in and capable of taking care of their own pet?

What do you think?