I've also dabbled with a story about a fictional world and put some thought into it and decided the most important factor is why an apparent civilized society that can make microchips would "enslave" people as play things and pets. Punishment for crime? Tradition? Religion perhaps?

I couldn't come up with a convincing enough reason (for me at least) so I ended up making the society more privative. Along the lines of 17th-18th century Europe.