Hobbies And Interests
A Virtual Horse
The online PC or Mac game A Virtual Horse does exactly what the name implies: It provides players with a virtual pet in the form of a proud horse. Players can develop a stable full of virtual beasts and train them, buy them gear and feed, and go with them on adventures in a virtual town. The game incorporates a deep breeding mechanic in that it encourages players to breed the horses in their stables to come up with new offspring who will inherit the visual and physical characteristics of their parents. Players can then display their horses in shows or auction them for in-game credits. A Virtual Horse incorporates a social networking component similar to sites like MySpace or Facebook, where players can meet friends and trade horses online; however, parents of the account holder can alter these options.
Howrse
Howrse is a website-based game for Mac or PC that allows players to pick a horse or pony and care for it, developing the beast for races, shows and auction. The game also allows players to simulate the business of horse rearing and buying and developing an equestrian center or breeding farm. Here players can rear, combine and breed horses and ponies to provide new animals that they can can then show or sell for in-game credit. Howrse is endorsed by Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum, an international-level equestrian and show jumper.
Petz Horsez 2
Horsez 2, available for the PC, Nintendo DS and Wii, and Sony Playstation 2, provides a horse-focused iteration of Ubi Soft's hugely popular Petz franchise. The second in the Horsez series, Horsez 2 increases the tycoon-type aspect of the game by allowing players to build a championship stable for their grown horses. The game places a focus on action, with minigames that let players train, play with and groom their horses using the Wii Remote, DS stylus or PC/Playstation 2 controller. However there is also a breeding mode where horses, once reared, can be combined and bred to produce new foals to sell, show or train anew.