Some Light Relief—Furby's Brain Transplant
The smash hit toy of Christmas 1998 was Furby. Furby was designed by Californian toy inventor Dave Hampton. Part of Dave's motivation to develop Furby was a reaction against the previous “virtual pet,” the Japanese Tamagotchi. Tamagotchis are bland, inert lumps of plastic. Dave knew he could do better, and he created a fur-covered toy that sings, farts, and wobbles—sometimes all at once. No kid could resist that. In 1998, Furby sold over two million units, and they were actually being rushed by air from mainland China factories to satisfy U.S. market demand! Toys have a limited life. Furby was red hot in 1998, warm in 1999, and by 2000 you could buy one for $9.99 in Target.
Furby is an animated ...
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