Huffington Magazine Issue 88 | Page 43

METAL FINALLY/FLICKR >> DIGITAL LOVE allow for a never-ending virtual love affair: Successfully wooing a girl leads to a second, openended phase of the game in which players can date their virtual girlfriends forever. The game only ends when a player decides he or she is through, and these digital relationships can last longer than some marriages. In one famous instance, a LovePlus player known only as “SAL9000” made history by marrying his virtual girlfriend, Nene. Set against the backdrop of a fictional Japanese city, LovePlus gamers assume the role of a teenage Japanese boy who hopes to date one of three girls he meets at his new high school. There’s sweet, big-sisterly Nene; intelligent, but clingy Manaka; and shy Rinko, who feels alienated by her new stepmother and half-brother. The girls have animated avatars with heartshaped faces and large black eyes, and they speak set phrases that are pre-recorded by professional singers and voice actresses. The high school girls will kiss, model bikinis and moan when players stroke their chests with a stylus, but sex and nudity are out of the question. Neither the chastity nor young age of the girls has HUFFINGTON 02.16.14 The girls have animated avatars with heart-shaped faces and large black eyes, and they speak set phrases that are pre-recorded by professional singers and voice actresses. kept players from being attracted to their girlfriends, however. There are fans who snuggle up with “hugging pillows” that are printed with life-sized portraits of their girlfriends, which are available in clothed or semi-nude versions. Tkaczevski says he sleeps with his Rinko pillow because it