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Virtual reality games usually promise shoot 'em up adventures but in Hong Kong Friday lovelorn tech fans donned headsets to go on imaginary dates.
The city's annual Ani-Com and Games fair sees thousands queue to try out the latest consoles or buy up comic book collectibles, often dressed up as their favourite characters.
But for those who had spent too long alone in their rooms, a new VR smartphone app offered some romantic solace.
Users can choose between four female models and spend a vacation with them in either Japan or Thailand, joining them on trips to cafes, hot springs and karaoke.
They slot their phones into a plastic headset and are then immersed on a date, during which they can choose options for activities.
Promoters of the Hong Kong-made app, which is known by its Cantonese name "leoi yau" or "VR travel friend", said it was to help what they called "Otakus" to practise their dating skills.
The name is a Japanese term for obsessive manga or anime fans.
"We want to allow more people to try out what it's like to date a girl because there are a lot of Otakus who don't know how to communicate with girls," Margaret Ming, the app's communication officer, told AFP.
"This game can teach them how to get to know girls," Ming said, adding that there is some flirting involved in the story arcs with the models.
Helpful, or sad?
(Score: 2) by Immerman on Sunday July 30 2017, @01:07PM
>Why not real girls (or boys?)
>My credit union website is not a 3-d simulation of standing in line and talking to a teller.
And there you answered your own question. The reason your your CU website *isn't* a simulation of standing in line, is because it *doesn't* involve a real person on the other end. Without needing a real person involved, they can afford to be instantly attentive and proceed through the interaction as fast or slow as you like. Put a real person on the other end and you have to pay them by the minute - in which case maximizing profit (while keeping the prices to you as low as possible) requires that they have a queue waiting to interact with them so that their time is never wasted waiting for the next client to arrive. And also, unless you're paying by the minute, that they deal with you as quickly as possible and move on to the next person in line.