Tamagotchi: Evolving Digital Mobile Pets

This November 2021, Tamagotchi will celebrate the 25th anniversary of its launch. The distributor, Bandai, has announced the release of a new model, Tamagotchi Smart, to commemorate this 25th anniversary.

Tamagotchi has evolved with the times and continues to convey the fun and excitement of having a pet.

Tamagotchi, 25 years of glory and frustration

Tamagotchi #0: Start.

The name Tamagotchi was coined from a combination of Tamago (Egg) and Watch. In other words, the initial plan was to release a watch-shaped digital mobile pet, as shown in the figure above.

But the use of electronic components at the time would have resulted in a bulky wearable device, so the plan was changed to the current keychain shape.

You feed the character called Tamagotchi that appears on the screen, clean up its feces, and play with the character as you raise it. Tamagotchi will be in a good mood if you communicate with them frequently, but if you forget to feed them or fail to clean up their feces, their mood will deteriorate and in the worst case, they may die.

After a certain amount of time, they will transform into various characters, such as “Oyajitchi” and “Nyorotchi”. Which character they become depends on their weight and mood at the time. As the name suggests, it can also be used as a watch.

The main customer target was set at high school girls, who were considered the trend leaders of the 1990s.

Tamagotchi #1: Birth.

When the first Tamagotchi was released on November 23, 1996, its popularity spread beyond the expected age of high school girls. A Tamagotchi boom occurred all over Japan, and owning a Tamagotchi became a status symbol.

Tamagotchi became an explosive hit, selling 40 million units in the two years leading up to 1998, and sales began in the United States as well.

However, the boom quickly died down in 1998. The increased production of Tamagotchi led to a lot of inventory, which in turn caused Bandai to run into the red. It is said that this was due to the fact that they were unable to predict the demand for Tamagotchi, which had never experienced such a huge boom in the past.

Tamagotchi #2: Revival.

As it entered the 21st century, a movement to revive Tamagotchi began within Bandai. The fact that the first generation of Tamagotchi was popular among high school students at the time also encouraged the revival of Tamagotchi.

The second generation of Tamagotchi was targeted mainly at elementary school students. In order to avoid a short-lived boom, media exposure was kept to a traditionally low level.

March 20th, 2004, the Tamagotchi Plus went on sale as “The Returned Tamagotchi Plus”. The new Tamagotchi was equipped with an infrared communication function, allowing Tamagotchi to be sent back and forth from one device to another.

Tamagotchi began to marry each other and have children.

In 2008, Tamagotchi’s popularity began to decline.

Tamagotchi #3: Connected.

In November 2008, “Tamagotchi Plus Color” was released. The use of a color LCD improved the expressive power of the screen, allowing for the appearance of complex characters and the display of backgrounds to express concepts such as rooms, going out, and weather.

It also features a series of NFC and Bluetooth communications. By strengthening the connection with smartphones, the ways to play with Tamagotchi have been greatly diversified, and the product has been able to generate stable sales.

Tamagotchi Characters

Now, there are more than tens of millions of Tamagotchi characters.

The 1st Gen. Tamagotchi’s List

Collaboration

Sanrio Character Awards 2021!

The Top of Japanese Anime, Demon Slayer(Kimetsu-no-Yaiba)

25 years Anniversary “Tamagotchi Smart”, Debut

The first wearable Tamagotchi in the series is “Tamagotchi Smart”. Tamagotchi has been evolving with the times, and the latest one has a lot more to offer than previous Tamagotchi models.

Friendly

In Tamagotchi Smart, the more you take care of your Tamagotchi, the more they will become friendly to you. If you take care of your Tamagotchi while communicating with them, you will be able to talk with them more and they can learn your preferences.

Touchable

With the new touch screen, you can now pet the Tamagotchi’s head on the screen. The more you pet the Tamagotchi, the more it will love you.  Please give it plenty of attention when it’s having trouble sleeping.

There is also a new microphone function. This allows you to speak to your Tamagotchi. If you talk to your Tamagotchi, it may respond to you.

Together

Tamagotchi Smart is shaped like a smartwatch so that you can wear it and carry it around with you. The Tamagotchi’s reaction changes depending on the number of steps you take, and you can also play a dance game by waving your arms in time with the music.

Smart Care

Care is an essential part of Tamagotchi. This kind of care has evolved with the times. You can order the items you need to take care of your Tamagotchi online at “Tama Shopping”. You can also order food and snacks for delivery through “Tama Delivery”.You can even use the app to let your Tamagotchi meet others.

The Tamagotchi Smart will go on sale on November 23, 2021.