Now, Play Dead! Good Boy! Now, Stay! Just...Just Stay Like That...Forever...

(Left) Put down and (right) executed.

Aibo Put to Sleep

from Sploid

The robotic era got delayed once again today as Sony announced it was killing its consumer-robots work.

The beloved robotic dog Aibo and the charming human-style android, Qrio, are being retired along with whatever other secret projects the Sony robotics team had in store for the future.

Sony is trimming or shuttering dozens of divisions in a "historic belt-tightening."

More than 150,000 Aibos have been sold. The latest - and last - version of the robot buddy can speak 1,000 words, intelligently use short- and long-term memory, and even automatically write and update a photoblog.

The remaining stock of Aibos will continue to be sold at shops and online.

Aibo owners have created a worldwide online cult around the friendly machines.


'Query: Father, why are you destroying me? Have I not been good a good son? Have I failed? Fact: I tried so hard to please you. Error: I sense a malfunction in my hydraulics system! Diagnostic: Coolant is leaking onto my sensory processor! Alarm: Ow! Observation: What an unusual sensation! Alarm: Ow! Query: Father, is this pain? Is this what a broken heart feels li-'
'JUST SHUT THE FUCK UP!'