As a Colorado Springs Mortgage Lender, I embrace technology and the benefits it provides not only in business productivity and improved service (online applications, automated underwriting, electronic document delivery), but also as it relates to entertainment (on demand movies, video games, social media). And while some people debate the benefits of various technologies, especially when they become addictive and a replacement for authentic human interaction, this Colorado Springs Mortgage Lender thinks that a resort town in Japan has gone a little too far in encouraging the use of one specific application.
According to an article in today’s Wall Street Journal “Only in Japan, Real Men Go To a Hotel With Virtual Girlfriends”, the once thriving resort town of Atami is trying to revive its economy by catering to single men who play a video game for the Nintendo DS by the name of Love Plus+. Atami, a town featured in the game, and once popular with honeymooners, is feeling the pinch of Japan’s falling marriage rate; yet where they came up with the idea to market to players of this game, mainly single men in their 20’s and 30’s, this Colorado Springs Mortgage Lender has no idea.
The crazy thing about this (ok there are numerous crazy things), is that the men will actually pay more for a hotel room in some cases just to make the experience real (in Japan rooms rates are based on number of occupants), and they will also pay for dinner for two, even though there is only one who can actually eat. Hopefully their electronic girlfriends don’t mind a room without a view or the fact that their boyfriend only orders them a small plate of sushi.
Just when you’ve thought you have heard it all, something ultra-weird pops up. I guess that as a Colorado Springs Mortgage Lender, I won’t be surprised in their near future when a potential client asks if they can apply for a loan jointly with their virtual girlfriend named Manaka. Hopefully she has stable income and a high FICO score.