Pets Don’t Have To Be Real!
Here’s the inside scoop on Tamagotchi
Growing up, Tamagotchi was my absolute favorite thing (as you can probably tell from the three Tamagotchi devices I owned). I always had my Tamagotchi in my little purse and never left anywhere without it. I never had a pet growing up despite my constant pleas so this was the compromise.
For those of you that don’t know, Tamagotchi is a little egg-shaped device that holds a virtual pet that you have to take care of and if you don’t, it can die.
Don’t be fooled that this toy is meant for children. It takes a lot of time and dedication to keep this virtual pet from dying. You have to feed it, play with it, clean its poop, and give it medicine when it’s sick. I’ve definitely killed more than my fair share of virtual pets so it makes sense why I didn’t get a dog until I was a sophomore in high school.
Clearly a lot of us are above the age of playing with Tamagotchi and don’t follow the latest on toys. You guys must be wondering, what happened to Tamagotchi? Luckily, I was able to interview with Tara, a senior brand representative for Tamagotchi in the US, and BANDAI Japan! Here’s what I learned :)
What is the history of Tamagotchi? What was the inspiration?
BANDAI Japan: The portable toy “Tamagotchi” was released on November 23, 1996. About two and a half years after its release, it has sold a cumulative total of about 40 million units worldwide and has become a big hit product due to the boom that has become a social phenomenon. Since 1996, a cumulative total of over 82 million units have been sold (as of the end of March 2020).
This project started with the concept of a virtual pet that allows you to stay together for 24 hours, inspired by the software for growing tropical fish on a computer that was popular at the time, as well as the key chain game that was very popular among high school girls.
How well was it received by customers when it first came out comparing Japan to America?
BANDAI Japan: In Japan, it became popular mainly among high school girls who were opinion leaders at the time.
Tara: When Tamagotchi launched in the US in 1997, it was ‘the’ must-have toy that holiday season. As it was the first virtual pet ever to launch, it was something new that consumers hadn’t seen before, which was why there was so much excitement around Tamagotchi!
Why did Tamagotchi become so popular?
Me: I’m guessing it’s because a lot of kids’ parents didn’t allow real pets so children settled for digital pets…
Tara: I think parents using the Tamagotchi in place of real pets is the easy answer for its success, but I think it’s because it took a core play pattern for kids to grow and nurture a pet and it was presented in a new way that crossed genders. Traditional nurturing in the toy arena is a consistent play pattern in toys since the beginning and it usually focuses on dolls and stuffed animals. The Tamagotchi device allows all types of personalities (and for all ages) to enjoy taking care of their Tamagotchi character. It has games to keep the character happy, it has a potty dance, and even poops — so there’s humor for children! Since the characters are so cute, our research shows us that our consumers love the characters and therefore develop a special bond with the characters and in turn want to take great care of it!
Any fun facts about Tamagotchi?
Tara: ‘Tama’ means egg (hence the shape) and ‘gotchi’ sounds like ‘watch’ in Japanese. So kids are taking care of their pets they’ve launched.
Here are some more fun facts I found from the good old internet.
- Some of the older, rare Tamagotchi devices go for $500+ on eBay!
- There were four Tamagotchi anime series. The first series airing from 2009–2012
- In England, there was a pet cemetery where you could bury your dead Tamagotchis. Each device got its own coffin and flowers.
I could be wrong, but I remember Tamagotchi being really popular in the early/mid-2000s (Tamagotchi Connection) and then I started seeing advertisements for a new Tamagotchi device (Gudetama/Tamagotchi On) around 2018–2019… Where did Tamagotchi disappear between these releases? Why did it lose popularity?
Tara: The Tamagotchi brand in Japan has consistently released new versions since its launch in 1996. Here in the States, we have been more sporadic in our releases as we look at the Japan line and decide if it makes sense to release it in the US market. Every market is different so what makes sense in Japan doesn’t necessarily mean it’s the right time to launch in the US, or the UK, or France…
We find that we’ve been most successful when we introduce new technologies. In 2004, we introduced our Tamagotchi Connection line which for the first time we were able to have devices talk to each other, and kids loved not only showing off their characters but now they were able to give and receive gifts, go on playdates and so much more.
And, then of course, with the release of Tamagotchi On, we kept with the core play of Tamagotchi and the ability for the devices to talk to each other, along with a colored screen and downloadable APP to further extend the play. The Tamagotchi On has full play in the device — you can feed your character, clean up after it, have a pet, go shopping, play games to win Gotchi points to buy accessories, items, food, get married, and more! Best of all — no internet needed. The device also has your own Tamagotchi character’s town to play games in and go shopping. Along with ‘your own town’ there are also 8 other towns you can unlock during play. Plus, when your Tamagotchi character becomes an Adult, not only can your Tamagotchi character marry another of your choice, the next generation will have a look that combines characteristics from their parents — eyes from one parent, body type from the other. This allows for millions of different My Tamas to be created.
Now, by connecting to your friend’s device you can still give and receive a gift, you can go on playdates, and now you can travel together to different lands and marry your friend’s Tamagotchi Character. And, then you have the APP which allows you to see various My Tama characters from around the world in Japan, Canada, and the US. You can see the many characters, LIKE them, and even marry them so when your character goes back to the device, the next generation begins. There are also games to win items and Gotchi points that you can also bring back to your device.
We re-introduced Tamagotchi to the US market to celebrate its 20th Anniversary with a mini version reminding Millennials of their favorite toy. The fans were excited — some even pushed us to bring the Original Tamagotchi back, so we did, and we continue to introduce new colors each season! Recently, we have partnered with various properties where it makes sense. In the States, we partnered with Sanrio’s Gudetama and most recently we partnered with PAC-MAN to help celebrate its 40th Anniversary! We’re excited to continue to expand the brand in this direction as we move forward!
Are Tamagotchi fans mostly old fans feeling nostalgia or is Tamagotchi drawing in new fans?
Tara: One of the most exciting things about Tamagotchi is that the fans are stretching across generations. Our original fans are the Millennials and many of them are the parents of today’s newest fans! Our research from earlier this year shows that Tamagotchi On consumers is a split of 60% kids and 40% Adults!
What is the difference between the Tamagotchis we grew up using (Tamagotchi Connection) and the new one releasing (Tamagotchi On Wonder Garden)? How has Bandai America been improving Tamagotchi throughout the years?
Tara: The main difference between the Original Tamagotchi devices and the Tamagotchi On is the newly added features which include better graphics, colored screens, and overall more gameplay for users to experience! We continue to innovate and add technology to keep close to the core, nurturing play pattern kids and adults resonate with. The latest and greatest from Tamagotchi, the Tamagotchi On — Wonder Garden, comes in 2 new colors, lavender, and turquoise and is equipped with a number of new, special features that will leave the users entertained for hours!
Just a few of the new features in the Wonder Garden are a new home screen, exclusive characters, special lands, and new games! Consumers can find them at Target, Amazon, GameStop, Best Buy, and Entertainment Earth.
My Review of the Product:
So I was kindly offered a free Tamagotchi On Wonder Garden to try out! I wasn’t paid to write this review or forced to write this so this is all 100% my opinion.
When I first got the product, I was surprised at how much thicker it was. I thought “Aren’t things supposed to get lighter and thinner as technology improves?” However, I was pleasantly surprised at why it was bigger: it uses AA batteries which are more accessible than the coin batteries. The design is also beautiful! The lavender body with the sparkly, holographic bezel around the screen is aesthetic. The screen is also color which is a plus!
The main screen is so much more detailed. You can tell the Tamagotchi is in an actual room, there are more food options, and you can take it outside to a restaurant, shops, the park, and even a vacation island. You can send your Tamagotchi character to your phone using the Tamagotchi ON app which allows for more functionalities.
Keeping true to my roots, I exclusively tested the in-device features to be able to compare it to my old Tamagotchi. This device definitely brought back the nostalgia of playing with a Tamagotchi! It felt the same because I still had to feed it, clean its poop, and play with it but it was much more aesthetically pleasing. It wasn’t just a blob of black pixels, I can actually tell what the character looks like in full color!
I think the most shocking thing playing with the device was how easily it died. I felt like I was paying attention to it but I guess I wasn’t doing enough. This virtual pet requires more attention than my real pet!
Overall, this Tamagotchi definitely appeals to the nostalgia of the past while incorporating new technology. I liked my experience with it a lot but I just don’t think I have the time anymore to prevent it from dying every couple of days :(
Where is Bandai America and more specifically, Tamagotchi headed in the future?
Tara: Bandai America is always looking forward and planning specific brand and product launches based on where we see the ever-changing market going. This is especially true for Tamagotchi as the brand awareness is just starting to rebuild with Adults and with the new generation of fans — with the new Tamagotchi On Wonder Garden announcement that just launched and we’re already working on an exciting Fall 2021 product!
I actually learned a lot from all of this and I hope you guys did too! I can’t believe how much Tamagotchi advanced yet stayed the same all these years. I bet you guys thought Tamagotchi died out a while ago too. I hope this inspired you to go and see what your favorite toy company is up to lately or maybe pick up that old Tamagotchi you have lying around the house.
Keep Dreaming,
Rachelle
About the Author: Rachelle Cha is a sophomore at Rutgers University studying Computer Science and Statistics. Her favorite piece of nostalgia is the Tamagotchi!
