Mobile Devices

Japanese youth picks up technological developments in no time: nowhere do you see people interact with computers in such a relaxed way as in Japan. The computer has broken free from the screen and keyboard and has taken on all kinds of forms. Almost everything is computer controlled, from ticket machines to virtual pets. People are continuously linked to each other through portable gadgets such as mobile phones, Pokemon and other games. Are they toys or utensils? The boundaries between media, information and entertainment have faded. In the Japanese Media Lounge you can experiment with for instance Pocketstation, a cross between a Tamagotchi, an address book and a game that behaves like your personal buddy; or with Game Boy Camera, with which you can alter photos, edit them and import them into a video game, so that you can play the hero yourself.