For a generation who grew up with Tamagotchi's and engage with programs like Foursquare, it's no surprise that the idea of having a virtual girlfriend is pretty normal for them. But this isn't Sims. This is Love Plus+. 

Imagine playing World of Warcraft where the player needs to leave your home and travel to a place where you have to catch five fish in order to complete the quest. Here the player must chose one of three female cartoon characters – goodie-goodie Manaka, sassy Rinko or big-sister type Nene (see below) – to be a steady girlfriend. 

To keep the girlfriend, the player must tap a sylus on the DS touch-screen where they can then walk hand-in-hand to school, exchange flirtations text messages and even meet in the school courtyard for a little afternoon kiss. Through a built in microphone, the player can even carry on sweet, albeit mundane, conversations. By completing tasks like homework or exercise, more “boyfriend points” can be earned. The prize is a trip to Atama, a real-life holiday destination. Here gamers can finally walk around the city and see the sights familiar to them from playing the game.

The girlfriends will give players the silent treatment if they are not interacted with enough and games can by synched up to an actual calendar and clock, so if you if you have to stay late at work, the girlfriend may already be asleep when you get home. The dream holiday then comes to an end as the imaginary characters have to eventually return to school.

The lines between the virtual and physical world are becoming more and more blurred. Wii Sports would gain a whole new level of immersion by allowing players to go to a batting cage and play ball with a full roster. Augmented reality is something things brands would be foolish to ignore. 

 Steve Jobs, big fan.