14 DAY TRIAL // Blitz Games Studio, as the developer, and THQ, as the publisher, have announced they are working on Fantastic Pets, a title for the Kinect motion tracking system from Microsoft which will allow players to directly interact with virtual animals.
The game is currently slated for a March 2011 launch date.
The pets themselves can be personalized using a variety of options and players will be themselves integrated in the world they inhabit, using motion commands and voice based directions to interact with the creatures.
THQ has not said whether players will be able to connect with other gamers and share pets and virtual worlds.
Martin Good, the executive vice president at the Kids, Family, Casual Games, and Global Online Services division of THQ, stated, “Fantastic Pets offers an incredibly high level of interactivity, creativity and originality. As you discover your pet's personality and become enmeshed within the world, Fantastic Pets becomes more like a personalized adventure and less like a game.”
THQ has stated they plan to release other two titles for the Kinect motion tracking system: The Biggest Loser Ultimate Workout, which will use the template of the popular television show to encourage players to shed weight and develop an active regimen, and UFC Trainer.
Kinect will be released by Microsoft for the Xbox 360 on November 4 in the United States and one of the launch titles is Kinectimals, a game which allows players to interact with on screen virtual animals.
The big difference between Fantastic Pets and the Microsoft title is that the THQ game actually introduces the player in the game world, but it's not clear if this feature is enough to beat a five month gap in launch dates.
Virtual pet lovers can currently get their fix via EyePet: Move Edition from Sony, which is now out and uses the PlayStation Move motion tracking peripheral.