WTF is Eccky!?!

After Monday's public announcement there has been a lot of press attention and I spent the better part of this week talking to journalists and bloggers alike. This weekend we will launch the Eccky weblog (in English) that will give you a more detailed look at this very special project, primarily from a development perspective. Here's a preview...


Eccky is the name of a game where two parents can make, name and raise a virtual child. An Eccky. Their Eccky will be added to their MSN Messenger contact list, just like a regular buddy. Parents can chat with their Eccky, play games, feed, wash, shop, and everything else that comes with raising a child in real life. The game will end in 18 days when Eccky will celebrate its 18th birthday. After having gone through three life stages, baby, toddler and teen, Eccky will leave its parents home... All interaction is done either through the MSN Messenger chat interface, the MSN Messenger game window or by using a mobile phone.


The looks and character of an Eccky are based on the DNA profiles of the parents, derived from a DNA quiz at the beginning of the game. There are no two Eccky's the same and our 'artificial life' technology will make sure that Eccky's behavior will be dynamic and in some ways even unpredicatble. Parents will face the challenge of raising their Eccky in the best way possible. At any time, parents can see the results of their Eccky by just looking at him or her, but also by taking a glance at some of the monitors available or by watching the rankings on www.eccky.com. Happiness, health, wealth, skills and friends are just a few examples of the hundreds of dynamic variables that make up each Eccky and which are used in order to determine how parents are doing....


This is just a short overview of what Eccky will be like. Stay tuned, the first Eccky will be born on November 4th and, after an extensive closed beta test, Eccky will available to everyone Q1 2005...