Observations on the game

What works:

• There is a large immersive world around the creature and you.
• You can raise more than one, and then watch the social interactions between them all.
• You don't *control* them at all times.

What doesn't work:

• The software tended to be very buggy on both Mac and PC platforms.
• High investment of time to raise a hatchling (20 minutes).
• Teaching language involves plenty of RSI inducing rapid mouse and typing.

What would I do differently:

• Being able to walk away from the desktop, but keep the world running and being alerted when something of interest happens via a small, portable device, akin to Tamagotchi. This device could show if a norn was sick, pregnant, or having difficulty.
• I think 20 minutes to raise a hatchling is too long (to be sitting in front of a machine doing nothing else but teaching it language). I would shorten it to 10 minutes and make language teaching a little less tedious.

Why it sells:

• We like to play gods, so running our own little world, being able to be omniscient (we can literally *see* what our norns are thinking), and being able to be omnipresent, has its allure.
• Norns are able to reach a self-sufficient maturity where you don't have to monitor them as frequently anymore, allowing you to raise more hatchlings or simply play observer.

Is it better or worse than the Tamagotchi?

• Worse: not portable.
• Worse: high maintenance; user must sit with hatchling for first 20 minutes.
• Better: giving creatures a world to live in.
• Better: creatures talk!
• Better: all in all, a richer interaction by allowing multiple creatures, inter-creature social behavior, enemies, and mating.
• Better: creatures mature!