Pleo on the Way! Plus: Dino Skin and Life OS Update

[ugobePrema]

Hi Everyone,

It’s been so fun getting those sticker requests from all over the country! We’re stuffing envelopes to send back to everyone who has requested.

Now for the news you’ve all been waiting for... here's an email that we’re sending out around 2pm PST today (which means a couple of the links may not be live until then).

Cheers,
Prema
UGOBE
_______________________

Dear Pleo Fans,

GREAT NEWS! Pleo is in production this month! For those of you who have pre-ordered Pleo from the UGOBE store, your 30-day shipment notification will arrive before Thanksgiving. Anyone who has pre-ordered Pleo from any US retailer will receive their baby dino before December 25th. You can look forward to the squeals of delight from family and friends, the “what-the-heck?” response from your pets, and all the fun of getting to know Pleo yourself. Also in December, enhancements to Pleoworld.com will enable you to connect and share experiences with other owners and download a surprise “mode” for Pleo!

We also want to tell you some things about your Pleo:

Pleo’s skin is delicate and as you pet him, his paint develops a wear pattern. Perfecting the skin has been one of the most challenging aspects of developing Pleo, and we continue researching ways to make the paint adhere with the best possible results. Because our warranty does not cover regular wear and tear of skin, we wanted to give you a sense of what the wear may look like (http://www.pleoworld.com/support/faq?section=skin) and offer you pointers on how to minimize wear (http://www.pleoworld.com/support/faq?section=skin). Here at UGOBE we simply let the wear happen – and pet him and love him all day long.

Now for an update on Pleo’s software. The architecture of the Life OS software provides for Pleo to evolve and learn – an exciting breakthrough that holds much promise for the future of robotic life forms. Pleo interacts with you fully – moving organically, expressing emotion, autonomously exploring and responding to the world around him. However, the software that will be in Pleo when he ships this year allows for only subtle shaping of personality and temperament. For example, based on how much you interact with Pleo, he will be more sociable – inclined to stay put and wait for more petting. If you consistently leave him be, he will prefer to walk away and explore his environment. However, this does not achieve our goal of “Pleo learning and developing a unique personality based largely upon how he is raised.” Free software updates next year on PleoWorld.com will enable this previously announced feature. As the development team says, “It’s already in the code!” With efforts this fall being focused on supporting the external charging battery model, the development team needs more time to bring Pleo’s capabilities to fruition. As with any new technology platform, the ability to expand capabilities through software upgrades is part of the promise and excitement.

Pleo is a magical product, and we are so excited to finally be sharing him with you. Nonetheless, we want you to make an informed decision about your purchase. Those of you who are the first owners of Pleo will be integral to UGOBE’s future work. Your experience and insights will help shape our software development in 2008 and we are glad you are on this journey with us.

Thank you as always for your continued enthusiasm and support! Pleo is on his way!

Sincerely,
The UGOBE Team

[cmadmacs]

Finaly in production. whoooo!

[pleoWhisperer]

If first hatch 30-day notices go out "before Thanksgiving", then It doesn't sound like there will be the "two weeks earlier" than other pleos being shipped. But hey, I'm just glad they're almost ready to ship!

[Oldtrekkie]

I pre-ordered my Pleo through Amazon in England. I wonder if they'll manage to deliver it before Christmas like in the US.

Hmmm... so we owners of the first batch shall be a sort of "test team".

[junkroxy]

yes friends, i noticed that thing about the paint of the pleo skin, but sincerely i like how the paint fade in the skin, you could have a different pleo skin just petting him every day :p petting doesn't damage the skin and it's fully resistant to the touch and softly under your hands!
Basically, i think i saw the same Pleo for the preview i told you, that model is in production now... i' very happy and i'll be more happy if i'll get mine in time for xmas like you from amazon.de ans share impressions with your "blessed" first batch :D

[ugobePrema]

If first hatch 30-day notices go out "before Thanksgiving", then It doesn't sound like there will be the "two weeks earlier" than other pleos being shipped. But hey, I'm just glad they're almost ready to ship!

Hi PleoWhisperer,

"Before Thanksgiving" refers to people who ordered from UGOBE in general, not First Hatchers specifically ... so keep an eye on your inbox ...

-Prema
UGOBE

[pleoguy101]

WOOOOOO!!!!! this all reminds me of paul reveres famous quote " THE PLEOS ARE COMING THE PLEOS ARE COMING:D!!!"

[kianajade]

Question... so why did I already get my "30 day notice" e-mail from best buy on the first... saying they would ship december 1st?

[mweed]

WOOOOOO!!!!! this all reminds me of paul reveres famous quote " THE PLEOS ARE COMING THE PLEOS ARE COMING:D!!!"

That would be the famous poem by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow...

Now listen my children and you shall hear,
of the midnight email of Caleb's Cheer.
On the eighth of November in ought seven,
Hardly a man is now in heaven,
Who remembers that famous day and year... ;)

[amjoie]

My PC chose yesterday as the unfortunate day to go temporarily belly-up. (OK, so I made one tiny little mistake while fussing with networking settings, and it declared itself corrupted -- delicate critter that it is.) Because of my temperamental PC, I was busily reinstalling a new OS when this momentous news came out. I wait all this time, and then miss the moment. LOL

At any rate, I am thrilled! :D

As far as being "test subjects," I would have volunteered myself for that a very long time ago, if I thought it would have meant I could get my hands on a Pleo any sooner. After all, while "next year" sounds like a very long time, it is only a few months away. Once I have my Pleo, it won't seem like that long a wait, I think.

BUT, that being said, I hope they put out lots of little updates before the big "rolled into one" brain-implant type update. If they try to wait until it is "done," we will *never* get it, because they are such perfectionists. So, Ugobe, ladle out the changes in programming a little bit at a time, and give us incremental improvements. That way, it will seem like our baby is slowly growing up.

[ryane]

was there an email from ugobe? i never recieved one.:confused::mad:

[Primus]

not yet. hopefully soon.

[cmadmacs]

Yes there was an email talking about the paint on pleo skins wear over time with petting him. Also that pleo was in production and should be in our houses before Christmas.

[ryane]

Yes there was an email talking about the paint on pleo skins wear over time with petting him. Also that pleo was in production and should be in our houses before Christmas.

ok. i did read that info. i'm on the email list, i ordered a first hatch for crying out loud! i didn't even get the email. this happened the last time they sent out emails. i had to email them to recieve it!:mad: i would just like to get the news the same time as the other people who have preordered:(

[neil]

Are international orders being met the same as the US orders, or are UGOBE only interested selling in the US,if they want Pleo to become world wide they must look further than on they own door step,we have all place orders!

[dotyj]

I ordered my Pleo in June and I don't get e-mail messages either. I hope I haven't been lost.

[EricinOakland]

Just going on record that I haven't gotten an email either. Also a first-hatch orderer and on email list.

[pleoguy101]

check your spam box, it might be in there:)

[EricinOakland]

Have checked spam, nothing there. Have also added all the Ugobe addresses from previous messages to my contacts - Yahoo doesn't block messages if the sender is in your address list. Hope I don't miss that 30-day notice I've heard tell of, especially if action is required on my part.

[Tundro]

Here's one more who has not been receiving the e-mails, though have been on the list for a year and am an essay contest winner (also have a preorder in). It seems like they may have lost a bit of their e-mail address list. I resubscribed.

[dotyj]

check your spam box, it might be in there:)

I don't actually use a spam filter, mostly because I hate missed e-mails.

Our e-mail server at work is constantly blocking legit messages.

[amjoie]

I don't actually use a spam filter, mostly because I hate missed e-mails.

Our e-mail server at work is constantly blocking legit messages.

Well, this was a good "trial run," then. Be sure to take some action now to insure that you are not overlooked, later. If you did not get your email like the rest of us, write to support and then do a resubscribe, just to even the odds. Be sure to include your original order number, so they can tag the name to the number, when you write support.

If the missing people all write, perhaps Ugobe can discover what is happening to their mail program, and fix it before the long awaited "30 day notice" is sent.

[ugobePrema]

Hi everyone,

Thank you for letting us know about these email problems, and I apologize for the inconvenience and frustration this has caused. We’re trying to figure out what is happening, and, actually, you all can be a huge help. If you have signed up to receive Pleo updates and have not been receiving them or have only been receiving them some of the time, please go to the Customer Support page (http://www.pleoworld.com/support/contact) and send a message to us. Describe in as much detail as you can when you signed up, how you signed up, what email you signed up with, and what emails you have received (if any). This will be very helpful to us in getting to the bottom of this frustrating issue. Thank you!

Oh, and we've posted a treat for you all on the Support page (http://www.pleoworld.com/support): a pdf of the approved, official Pleo Companion Guide (http://www.pleoworld.com/downloads/PLEO_CompanionGuide_FULL_110707.pdf). Enjoy!

Sincerely,
Prema
UGOBE

[Primus]

Awesome! Thanks Prema. I'm a little scared of the "rear speaker" though. :p

[arcticlotus]

I haven't received a single one of the update emails since (and including) the first big one in September...

I can't remember if my original email had been the one at school (I graduated so that account is dead) but I have asked support twice to be sure that my current email is the one in the system.. They told me to check with my system admin to make sure that my spam blocker isn't keeping the emails out,..

The thing is, I'm my own admin, and there is no spam block turned on whatsoever.. :(

So those of you with First-Hatch Pre-Orders, Please be sure to create a big, loud post that you got your 30 and 2 day emails for those of us cut off from the rest of the world :D Thanks!

... oh how I long for my little dino..

[EricinOakland]

An update: I finally got the "Pleo on the Way!" email last night that others got on the 6th. Better late than never!

[cyberdude]

I HAVE RECEIVED NOTHING!! WAAA!!!

I asked UGOBE (via email 3 days ago) to confirm that they still know about my pre order, However, I have heard nothing yet, nor have I gotten a ship email :(

I'm soooo sad.

[gumbowumbo]

you can try calling ugobe. I know their number is on the pleo companion guide.

[daffney]

I'm a Canadian... but thank StarClan there's eBay!

[kianajade]

Just thought i'd let everybody know that best buy just called to let me know my credit card was being charged, and pleo would be shipping!
Last week they called and told me that it'd arrive by december 1st through the 7th!
So I guess pleo will be arriving a bit early! :D

They said they would keep me updated.
I'm excited!

but not so much that i'll have a hard time petting my pleo, because I recently broke my hand and fingers a day ago :(
but I still have two hands, so it'll be okay :D

[PleoWorldHostCami]

I'm excited!

but not so much that i'll have a hard time petting my pleo, because I recently broke my hand and fingers a day ago :(
but I still have two hands, so it'll be okay :D

OUCH! Good thing you still have one good hand for Pleo petting! ;) I hope your hand is better real soon.

[kianajade]

Thanks :) I can't wait for the little dino to arrive at my doorstep!

[geert]

the german firm just let me now that the pleo's will be in stock at 10dec and that i will get him (belgium) on 12 dec

i hope it soooooooooooo!!!
:D:D:D

[Starfire]

Just thought i'd let everybody know that best buy just called to let me know my credit card was being charged, and pleo would be shipping!
Last week they called and told me that it'd arrive by december 1st through the 7th!
So I guess pleo will be arriving a bit early! :D

They said they would keep me updated.
I'm excited!

but not so much that i'll have a hard time petting my pleo, because I recently broke my hand and fingers a day ago :(
but I still have two hands, so it'll be okay :D

So if Best Buy is shipping theirs our should be here. If they are still planning on a two week advance for first hatches it doesn't seem like Best Buy should have theirs yet.:confused:

[Eeyorefan]

Sorry about your hand, Kianajade! Ouch! But now you have an excuse to make someone else wrap your Christmas presents for you while you play with Pleo.

BestBuy charged my card last week. I haven't received any phone calls but I check my order each day to see if it's left "in process" status in favor of something better (like...shipped?) They seem pretty definite about the Dec. 1st release date. Some companies like Gamestop and Amazon ship items before the release date so they'll arrive ON the release date. Think that's happening here? That would be cool!

[kianajade]

I'm pretty sure. I had talked to Best buy on the phone a while ago, and they said it should be here at the door, by december 1st and december 7th-8th at the latest!

Does bestbuy have first hatches?

[Eeyorefan]

[Does bestbuy have first hatches?[/QUOTE]


That is an interesting question. I know there are people who've been here for a really long tme and who ordered long ago from Ugobe. If I had to assume (although we know how dangerous THAT can be!), I'd think that Ugobe would still try to honor the First Hatch idea for the folks who've stuck with them so long. I'm not sure what form that would take, however. Are there special features or certificates that people are expecting? I admit to having discovered Pleo a lot later than most of you all.

[kianajade]

yeah. Does bestbuy have first hatches?

[mweed]

In theory, first hatches were only offered to those ordering direct from Ugobe, and all the first hatches were sold within a few days back in June when they first started taking pre-orders. So, Best Buy should not be sell first hatches, but they may be shipping theirs at about the same time.

[ciarrasmom]

we ordered ours (2) the first MINUTES they were available, right here on ugobe. I have been told my cc would be billed today, but not sure when it will be mailed. I would have expected first hatches to be sent before all the regular orders, but who am I to feel special ;)

[notoriusMAT]

ciarrasmom-
The email that I got as a first hatcher, stated that the card would be billed today as you said and that they would be in homes by Dec 10th...shipped via fed ex directly from factory....hope this helps:D

[ravennh]

nevermind q answered, what you expect when you've been a member for 37 years ;)

[dotyj]

nevermind q answered, what you expect when you've been a member for 37 years ;)

Wow, you really have been patiently waiting for a Pleo haven't you?

I've only been a member for six months. I'm such a noob.

[Lu Bu]

When will Pleo be available in stores, NOT ONLINE STORES where you have to pay for the shipping, etc. But stores as in I can just walk to Best Buy and get a Pleo, rather than order him online?