It seems almost inconceivable today how an egg-shaped device with a monochrome screen can keep people seriously occupied almost 24/7. The Tamagotchi made it, though, and by the late 1990s it was about as popular as social media or the smartphone is today.
Even today, the word “Tamagotchi” makes many people’s eyes light up in their 30s and 40s. The digital pet has fascinated children all over the world since 1997. The Tamagotchi is born in Japan. Many children there want a pet. For various reasons, however, parents cannot fulfill this wish. Therefore, Aki Maita, an employee at the Japanese game manufacturer, is considering bandaito develop at least one digital friend. Like a real pet, the little creature has needs. As a result, it creates a lot of enthusiasm within a very short time. But also for great sadness and annoyed parents. Because from the beginning it is clear: The Tamagotchi will die.
Play with me or I’m dead
The small, colorful device with the three buttons must always be at hand. Because when the integrated clock has been started, an egg appears on the screen. A digital chick hatches from this a short time later. From now on, this makes your own needs clear through regular beeping. If you don’t take care of, feed or keep your Tamagotchi sufficiently busy, you won’t be able to enjoy your digital pet for long. Death is part of the gameplay. That’s why millions of children around the world develop unbridled ambition with just one goal: My Tamagotchi must not die, at least not so early.
However, the life of a Tamagotchi is somewhat similar to that of a housefly, at least as far as duration is concerned. Hardly any of the digital friends are much older than 20 days. Even the inventor Aki Maita only manages a maximum of 18 days, as she later admitted in an interview.
Even in the digital world, death comes suddenly and makes children’s eyes sad. With the first version of Tamagotchi Eggs, not only does the digital pet die, but the device dies with it. This means that when the digital being turns into an angel, all that is left for the grieving child is electronic junk. The manufacturer Bandai also thought this was a bit wasteful and built a kind of digital rebirth in later versions, a reset button. The game can thus start over.
Adults suffer with and under the Tamagotchis
Even if the play equipment is primarily aimed at children, the little colorful egg also brings parents and teachers to the brink of a nervous breakdown. When the children are at school, the parents have to look after the food on their behalf and change the diapers digitally.
The Tamagotchis will soon be banned from schools because eggs in trouser pockets or satchels are constantly beeping in class. In addition, the teachers are concerned about the ailing psyche of their students, not to mention the increasing lack of sleep. Because many children stay up all night. After all, it would be too tragic if your own Tamagotchi passed away while you were sleeping.
In some countries there are even self-help groups in which parents work through the death of the Tamagotchi and the associated consequences for their own child in intensive discussions. The internet was still new territory back then. However, the digital cemetery for deceased Tamagotchis developed into the first click hit on the World Wide Web.
If you want even more iconic games from the 1990s, read on here.
The Tamagotchi cult is ending quickly
The hype surrounding the digital being is just as short as the life of a Tamagotchi. In May 1997, the toy ended up in German stores, costing 30 marks – the equivalent of 15 euros. By the end of the year, not only countless digital pets had died, but the entire cult.
In Germany, 2 million Tamagotchis wander over German shop counters. Worldwide there are even 40 million – an enormous number for such a short period of time.
As is so often the case, imitators try to profit from the hype and bring cheap alternatives onto the toy market. However, none of these products come close to the original.
Yes, it’s still alive
Bandai himself, the creator of the Tamagotchis, is always attempting a revival. A first attempt starts in 2004 with the Tamagotchi Connexion. The principle remains the same, but the devices can contact each other via an infrared interface. This opens up new possibilities: Tamagotchis can fall in love, start a family and “beget” offspring. The Connexion series itself also gives birth to a number of successor models. From 2009 there will finally be the first colored Tamagotchis.
Various apps are now available for smartphones. If you still haven’t had enough of the digital pets, you can buy a modern retro version in 2017 on the occasion of the 20th birthday. However, it remains questionable whether the drama about the Tamagotchi will be as much fun as an adult.
The Tamagotchi has definitely achieved one thing: It is the first digital toy that not only boys were interested in. For the first time, girls are also playing on this scale. This is leading to a rethink in the computer games industry. Suddenly, more and more games are coming onto the market that specifically appeal to female gamers. All the drama surrounding the Tamagotchi was worth it for this development alone.