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Would anyone buy a talking doll?

Jan 10, 2009

    1. Alright let me first off say that I have no clue as to properly know where this thread should go, I have read the stickies. Mods, if I have misplaced this thread I am very sorry.

      That said I move on to my question. I have begun work on converting my doll into one that can converse with me, talk back, argue. In short communicate with me as a human, albeit scripted, would. However this is a draw back. The doll would only (for now) be able to talk to their owner and their owner alone. But unlike if they could converse with anyone their vocabulary would be greatly increased. It's rather like: "which do you want to have? More people and a very short script? Or one person and a large script?"

      If I offered this service, of making other dolls talk to their owners, for $150.00 would anyone be interested in buying? Or is it merely a very strange passing fancy?
       
    2. that is really fascinating, and i'm really wondering how you can actually do that, even though i wouldn't be able to offer such a service at this point...
       
    3. It's an interesting idea, but not for me. My dolls have very well developed characters that I know and love. I know them so well, in fact, that I don't need them to have a script. I know how they would respond to various situations and what things they would say, so in that respect, a script would actually be limiting and in some ways take away their "voice". The organic quality of doll owner interaction would be gone for me. I also know what their characters sound like, which might also be hard to imitate--especially my guys that have accents.
       
    4. Aren't there already toys and machines that provide this type of entertainment? You would essentially be inserting similar devices into the bodies of Super Dollfies, right? Or is it much more complicated than my simple interpretation?

      I think whatever gadgets you put on or inside of a doll is an accessory, and there will probably be a market for it.
       
    5. I'm not sure if I personally would buy a voice accessory for my dolls, particularly because to me they have very specific voices and I don't think anything offered would come even close to my envisioning. However, it sounds like a nifty idea and I'm sure someone would be interested. :)

      ...Although the temptation to invest in one of these and then name the doll Tina would be oh-so-strong. [Cookies to anyone who gets that reference. ;)]
       
    6. this is defiantely in interesting idea though i dont think i fully grasp how you are going to do it. it will be scripted but why could it only talk to one person? are you just going to have the mouth stay stationary and the voice just comes from nowhere?
       
    7. I think by it only talking to one person would mean voice recognition, thus allowing it a wider choice of words because it would only need to know one voice, instead of several.
      While in theory sounds kinda cool, but I wouldn't want it. Dolls are real enough as it is, I don't need my boy literally yelling at me when I do stupid things.
       
    8. How does one go about making something like that? :?
      On one hand I think the idea is pretty neat but on the other, I would be terrified if it spoke when I was trying to sleep. :o
       
    9. lol i know everyones afraid of robots taking over the world but i think a little msd with AI would be adorable :) then he could like build his vocab by talking to you and if it really is voice recognition that would be awesome! like your secret little companion :3
       
    10. *accepts the cookies* I'm going to have nightmares now, thankyouverymuch. :...(

      I wouldn't personally want something like this. My dolls are all created in the image of my original characters. I know who they are, I know more or less what they sound like in my head... I'm happy with them as they are now, and I don't think a voice box would be compatible with my vision for them.
       
    11. Yes there is.
      Specifically Amazing Alley/Amanda (I may have the names incorrect *_*)
      They use voice recognition, and apparently have some learning capacity.
       
    12. I would only like it if it was super intelligent, like way beyond any technology we have now (think chobits). Other than that, it'd just seem like one of those old pull-string dolls that talk.
       
    13. I would totally want it, but only if it didn't hurt my doll in any way (no drilling, cutting into resin, etc). I'd rather my doll talked only to me with a larger script- that way I would be like her translator to everyone else. ^_~
       
    14. Even as a child I was never fond of gimmicky toys... so I'd definitely say no to something like this...! The best thing about a doll is her beauty, the second best thing is her silence. If only people were like this! XD

      Raven
      (pay no attention to me tonight, I'm on cold medication!) XD
       
    15. I think it would be something very interesting to see.
      However, to me it's more of a feature that would mostly interest
      children, they get easily amused when they get their
      toys to talk back to them. Although, I must admit, something
      like a talking car/bike, I wouldn't mind owning.

      However, it would also depend on the quality of the sound,
      and how artificial this sounds. I love certain voices, and
      I am very much picky about the voices I find attractive, and
      the voices that irritate me (I find very few voices appealing,
      actually). I think I wouldn't mind owning an apparatus that made
      certain dolls of mine, speak phrases form a certain film, voiced
      by Steve Staley, or George Newborn (I think I said too much). XD
      But, I doubt I would pay to permanently modify my dolls to have
      such gadget inserted in to them -- I did find SoulDoll's heart-beat
      incredibly interesting, this doesn't sound so much different.


      - Enzyme ^.^
       
    16. Certainly it would be cute to see, but I would probably not get it for myself. All talking dolls remind me too much of teen talk Barbie and Chatty Cathy, both of which frighten me to no end. D:
       
    17. That would be a cool idea!
       
    18. ive never heard of the heartbeat idea, that sounds so sweet! so would there be like... an on/off switch and the basic toy like features?
       
    19. Er, no. I prefer to use my imagination. My dolls don't need voices for me to converse with them (yes, I admit, sometimes I have mini conversations with my dolls in my mind. It's just fun to picture how they communicate with eachother or with me. I'm too lazy to write my "stories" down though) A talking bjd is kind of odd in my opinion, no offense meant.

      I'm fascinated on how you would do this though.
       
    20. Oooh, that's interesting, but I doubt how I hear my doll would be how he sounds with the thing. Maybe if he could speak like a human with his voice, then it'd be nice, but instead of that, I enjoy hearing him in my head.