2007 Archive
Ugobe Announcement: “Pleo Will Be in Homes by the Holidays”
From the archive: this is a preserved news post from the original Pleo Dinosaur! enthusiast blog, written as Pleo approached his 2007 launch. We keep it at its original address for the historical record.
Originally posted November 6, 2007.
The news Pleo fans had waited for arrived today: Pleo is officially in production. The company sent a mass update to its mailing list confirming that customers with US retailer preorders would receive their dinosaurs before December 25, and that direct-store customers would get their thirty-day shipment notifications before Thanksgiving. After years of anticipation and delay, Pleo was finally on his way to living rooms.
What the Announcement Said
Beyond the ship dates, the message was refreshingly honest about the young product. A few highlights, paraphrased from the original:
- Production is underway this month, with retail deliveries timed for the holidays.
- Enhancements to the official owner community site would soon let people connect with other owners and download a surprise new "mode" for their Pleo.
- A candid note on the skin: Pleo's covering is delicate, and as you pet him his paint develops a wear pattern. The company framed this as normal — their advice was simply to "let the wear happen" and enjoy him.
An Honest Word About the Software
The announcement was unusually candid about Pleo's brain, too. The shipping Life OS software allowed only "subtle shaping" of personality — pet him often and he'd grow more sociable; leave him be and he'd become more independent. The richer, deeper learning fans had heard about would come through free software updates the following year. As the developers put it, the capability was "already in the code"; the team just needed more time to bring it fully to life while they finished supporting the new replaceable-battery design.
Why It Mattered
This was the moment Pleo stopped being a promise and became a product. It also captured everything endearing about his makers: excited, transparent, and clearly a little in love with their own creation — willing to tell customers the unvarnished truth about wear and software rather than overselling. For the wider story of what came next, see the timeline; for a plain-language summary of Pleo himself, the Pleo reference is a good companion.