|
|
|
History
Giochi Preziosi an Italian toy company. Founded in 1978 by Enrico Preziosi the company produces toys and TV series based on their toys. After the success of the My Life handheld which sold over 1,000,000 units worldwide, Giochi Preziosi decided to release an updated version of the handheld. The goal was to release a more modern version that would be able to compete with the newest trend such as the iPod and iPhone. With that in mind, the new device was designed to look more like a phone, with a more grown-up color scheme, a keypad more in line with the flip phone of the time, a digital camera and the ability to play MP3.
Release
The console released in 2010 just in time for Christmas. With an expended world that included shops, bars, restaurants, sports facilities, the handheld wanted to be real update to the previous version. The world was bigger and came preloaded with 400 different fashion items that could be purchased in-game for virtual money. This money would be given for taking care of their avatar, meet their needs, go to school, play sports and take care of social life by interacting with the 50 characters they will meet in the virtual world. The handheld included a collection of 28 mini games scattered throughout the virtual city and would also spawn many special events that will come during the year, such as Christmas in the square, the Halloween party or even the owner birthday.
The console also features the same concept of Magic Key adopted by its predecessor. 80 in-game item could be unlocked with theses keys. Theses keys were spitted in two collections: Summer & Winter.
The console was released in various European countries.
Demise
Even with all the improvement, Giochi Preziosi was not able to get the same level of success of the My Life handheld. Many factors explain this salutation, the price of the console being one of them. The inclusion of the MP3 players and the digital camera really increased the production cost which, in turns almost double the sale price when compared to the previous iteration of the console. The price was almost on part with the Apple iPod with also feature an MP3 player and a digital camera. The decision between the two devices basically boiled down to the content. My Real Life did provide a unique experience, but by 2010, the AppStores already 300,000 compatible apps. This made the iPod the most versatile of the two devices.
Cartridges
Like the previous iteration of the handheld, the My Real Life had two type cartridges. The magic key cartridges only unlock contents already programmed in the handheld and, therefore, don’t truly expand the capabilities of the device. The device was made retro-compatible with the three expansion cartridges of the My Life handheld, but no unique expansion cartridge was ever made for this system.
 |
 |
 |
|||
| My World Club Disco |
Hannah Montana |
Summer Party |
Technical Specifications
| Screen | 2.4 ”TFT LCD screen |
| Internal Memory | 32 MB |
| External Memory | SD-Card, up to 4GB |
| Camera Resolution | 640 × 480 pixel |
| Power | Rechargeable lithium battery. |
| Communication | Wireless 2.4G module |
| Integrated MP3 player | Yes |
| Sound |
|
T.V. Advertisement (Original Version in Italian)