Furby Information
One of the early stages of artifical intelligence was the virtual pet craze, and one of the first big virtual pets was the Furby. The Furby was a furry little partially robotic creature that would sit on a desk and demand food, attention and knowledge. Over time, you could learn to speak "Furbish" or teach it your language--starting with its name.
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Appearance and Features
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The original Furby doll was a roughly gumdrop-shaped figurine that stood about 8-inches tall. They were covered in fake fur, had huge ears, a yellow beak and a flower-shaped sensor between its mechanical eyes. The battery-operated Furby was run by a batch of senors hidden beneath the fur. A small button in the mouth acted as the "food sensor." The face and ears were also motorized, allowing it to make faces, blink, sleep and talk. At the bottom, a small motorized foot allowed it to wiggle and dance.
History
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The Furby was introduced in late 1998 and was an immediate sensation. They were originally made by Tiger Electronics, a part of Hasbro, that specialized in electronic games like Giga Pets. According to Hasbro, more than 40 million Furbys sold within the first three years. The demand was so great around Christmas time that stores quickly sold out of them (at a suggested price of around $30). In those first few years, a secondary market developed that saw Furbys selling for well over $100 each.
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Communication
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The Furbys spoke in the made-up language of "Furbish." For example, if your Furby was to say "Kah a-tay" it meant she wanted to eat and prompted you to push the button in her mouth. Furby could also communicate that they wanted to sleep, play one of the programmed games, or tell you they were feeling ill. The infrared sensor in the forehead could be used to exchange information with other Furbys. If two or more Furby's faced one another, and had their backs patted, they could initiate a "conversation."
Games
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There were a few games programmed into Furby. One was a hide-and-seek that called for you to physically place it somewhere and let someone else try to find it. If the Furby wasn't found after three minutes, the little guy would call the game by chanting "Nah nah nah." You could also play a version of "Simon Says" and "Ask Furby," a game a bit like a magic 8-ball toy.
Post Success
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Hasbro produced several versions of the Furby during its run, but by 2002 the public had pretty much moved on. In May of 2010, plenty were for sell on eBay. Owners were asking for hundreds for special electronic versions, but an original brown and black was available for $6.99. Like many other toys, the Furby has had several websites and blogs dedicated to it, including one that tried to offer Furbys for adoption.
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