Furby Invasion

Christmas may be months away, but Tiger Electronics Ltd.’s Furby invasion is poised to hit the toy shelves this week. Depending on the fickle taste of the oh-so-hard-to-please preteen crowd, Furby will either be the next hot holiday hit--or an animatronic flop.

Earlier this year, the owl-like doll garnered raves at the 95th American International Toy Fair. The reason is simple: Technology sells. In 1996, the craze was Tickle Me Elmo. Last year it was Tamagotchi. And nine out of the top 10 best-selling toys of 1997 had a digital component, according to the Toy Manufacturers of America.

Enter Furby, a $30 stand-alone animatronic toy kids can play with, nurture and teach. About 10 inches tall and weighing a bit more than a pound, the chatty fuzzball interacts with its owner and immediate surroundings through touch, sight, sound and physical orientation.

Even critics admit the toy and its basic artificial intelligence is a marvel of engineering. A light sensor as well as an infrared sensor and receiver are built into its forehead, allowing it to interact with other Furbies. (If one is sick, its “sneeze” can be passed to another doll.) Motion sensors are installed in its stomach, back and several other points. A voice modulator allows the doll to speak in different pitches, as well as chatter in its own language, Furbish.

It sneezes. It giggles. It even burps. In fact, the whirring, clicking doll never shuts up. When asked how to unplug the chatty toy, Tiger President Roger A. Shiffman said--in a shocked tone--”You do not turn off Furby. This is a living being.”

Furby, which debuts at FAO Schwarz in New York on Friday, will be distributed nationwide by late October.