PAX 2008: My Baby Boy First Hands-On

No one will argue with the fact that raising a baby is a lot of work. SouthPeak Interactive takes virtual simulation to a new level where it's not just your horse, dog, or hamster's well-being at stake, but your very own baby boy. At the Penny Arcade Expo 2008, we tried to bond with our baby, but it didn't work out too well because of the ruckus.

Our first task was to give the baby a bottle, but because it involved saying soothing words into the microphone, all the Nintendo DS was able to pick up were the explosions coming from the television next to us. Due to all the noise, it was difficult to calm our baby down, but we spoke with SouthPeak to get an idea of what to expect.

My Baby Boy will have you do some of the things that a real parent would do, such as change diapers, feed the baby, and play with the baby--except without the mess or the need to be careful. Your bouncy newborn will grow and develop as normal babies should, with you to guide your baby along throughout the entire process. We started off with trying to give the baby a bottle, and the goal was to talk softly into the microphone (which was difficult) while caressing the baby to calm him down. Once he's calm, you use the stylus to shake the bottle first (it's formula) and then feed the baby. There is a specific angle that you should be feeding at, so you'll need to tilt back and forth to make sure there is always enough milk in the nipple (the plastic one).

Each month your baby will learn new things, such as following a rattle with his eyes, and it's your job to encourage this kind of development so that eventually your baby will takes his own very first steps at 14 months. As you progress through the months, the game becomes a little more complex with the various tasks. You'll have to always keep your baby happy and healthy for him to learn quickly. You can earn credits to purchase clothes for your baby, and once you've reached a certain age, you can take pictures to send to grandma. You can also compile a baby album, and the more interesting your pictures are, the more credits you'll earn.

Expect your new bundle of joy to arrive this October along with My Baby Girl.