Pixel Hugs
Pixel Hugs is a planned series of interactive, plush dogs by Eolo, that will be distributed by Pat Avenue in the U.K. They will be released in July, 2024.
An application for the trademark was filed on the 21st of November, 2023. Eolo currently has a picture of CGI models of them on their website, with text that says 'Coming Soon'.
Appearance
The toy is a plush dog with a head, legs, and arms, that are shaped like rectangular cubes. Unlike the CGI models which show them with paw pads that look like they are made up of pixels, a photo of the actual product shows the toy with regular paw pads, printed on its feet. The toys wear a collar with a bone-shaped charm. They also have a pair of eyebrows and a small, rectangular muzzle with a rectangular nose and a little tongue that pokes out. The toy's round eyes have a screen behind them which displays animated, pixelated eyes.
CGI pictures feature a dalmatian version called Rexel, as well as another dog with a large, pink spot, covering its left eye, and pink ears, called Pinxel. While CGI pictures show them with bright blue, pixelated eyes, their pixelated eyes are a dark shade of blue.
Functions
There is currently only a demo video of Rexel. I don't know if Pinxel differs slightly with how she responds, since there is no video of her yet.
They change eye expressions to let you know how they feel, and respond to being pet on the head. It can respond when you feed it by pressing its mouth, tickling it, throwing it up in the air and catching it, holding it upside down, If you keep feeding it, it will fart and apologize. When tickling its tummy, it will cluck like a chicken, and when you throw it in the air and catch it, or hold it upside down, it will scream and laugh. You can give your Pixel Hugs toy an "energetic boost" by shaking it up, and it will be happy when you fully energize it.
After tickling and feeding it, it will be in 'Super Happy Mode', where it supposedly makes cute and funny noises; eventually, it will feel tired, but you can keep interacting with it, to keep it awake. You can lie the toy on its back and it will fall asleep; leave it alone for long enough, and it will power off, until you touch his head, tummy, or mouth.
Pixel Hugs is said to have more than six play modes, a secret mode, and more than 50 sounds and reactions. The CGI demo shows them being fed a bone-shaped cookie, but I don't know for sure if the toy actually comes with it.
Other Info
Pixel Hugs was inspired by the pixel aesthetic and "the latest trends in video games".
Eolo describes them as "The next innovative robotic trend," and a PDF by Toy World Magazine called "Nuremburg Preview", referred to them as "the only robotic dog in the market that is fully soft, with no internal hard plastics." (page 48)
Here is an extract taken from the same page:
"In the electronic plush category, Furry Tails and Pixel Hugs are expected to be a great success... Pixel Hugs, one of the company's latest developments, is a new revolution in electronic plush toys. The company says that it is the only robotic dog in the market that is fully soft, with no internal hard plastics. Other key brands in the plush segment, like Sprint, Glowies and Party Pets, will be on show at Eolo Toys' booth."
This extract refers to the Nuremburg Toy Fair.
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