“They don’t bite, they don’t make a mess on the carpet and they don’t cost anything to feed,” writes The Independent. What can they be talking about? Virtual pets of course. “The appeal of virtual animals is clear. Both cute and attentive, they treat you as if you are the centre of their world – without any vet’s fees. Video games involving animals are perfect family fun, and come in many forms. Virtual pets have been particularly popular – over 70m Tamagotchi toys, the Japanese handheld digital pet, have been sold, while the Nintendogs series, in which the player looks after a virtual puppy on their DS, has been a major seller for Nintendo since its launch in 2005.”