It's one thing to lose a game to a friend or online opponent, but can your ego handle being trounced by your cat?
Friskies, who already made waves by creating a series of single-player video games for your favorite feline, has unveiled the industry's first multiplayer — and, as far as we can tell, multi-species — game. And early evidence shows that cats are better at it than us.
The aptly named iPad game "You vs. Cat", which is being shown at this week's South-by-Southwest conference, is a lot like air hockey. Pet owners flick an animated piece of cat food towards a goal, while the cat pulls a Hope Solo and tries to deflect it, generally by pouncing on the tablet.
And reigning champion Buddy the Cat (pictured) is apparently taking the Austin hipsters to school. A Buzzfeed writer admits to losing three games in a row to the still-undefeated kitty. Worldwide, feline forces have been just as dominant against their bipedal masters: Cats currently lead humans 2,091 to 1,250 on the global leaderboard.
Friskies, which developed its first three cat game apps "through behavioral research, careful consideration of what appeals to cats' senses, and even some feline focus group sessions," seems to think that playing games with your cat is a good way to enrich Mr. Nibbles' brain. So at least we know how our future feline leaders came to take over the world.
Of course, letting a cat swipe its claws all over an $800 tech toy might be conclusive enough proof that we're of inferior intelligence. Friskies, not surprisingly, says there's little danger, noting "the bare glass screen on the iPad stands up to our cat's claws with no problems, but please be aware that a cat's sharp claws could possibly damage add-on plastic film covers."
The game is due out as a free download next week.
