They have passed almost three decades since its creationbut the fever has not begun to turn off. With 100 million units soldthe Bandai machine is an artifact for natives of the nineties, yes, but also an object of desire for new collectors, as demonstrated by its last releases. And what demonstrates its current validity: the artifact that you have to take care of as a child with problems of incontinence and insomnia continues to generate amazing stories.
Tamagotchi: modest origins. In 1996Aki Maita, a 31 -year -old game designer who worked for Bandai had the idea for Tamagotchi when he saw a television advertisement where a mother prevented her son from taking a turtle to school, which inspired her to create a digital pet that could fit in her pocket and require real care. He developed that concept with the help of Akihiro Yokoi: a virtual creature that should be fed, cared for and attended.
Immediate success. With its international launch the following year, Tamagotchi quickly became a phenomenon. Soon began to arrive novelties and improvements for artifact. In 2004, different Tamagotchis communicated (and could get married) by infrared; In 2008 the Color screens; And already in this decade, the screen became Tactile LCD and Wi-Fi was implemented and different possibilities of connectivity. More than thirty different models of Tamagotchi have come to be created throughout their history.
The nostalgia of the 90 works. Although the Tamagotchi never left at all, as it shows Tamaghotchi Paradisethat has reached stores this summer and that includes a zoom device to take care of creatures both from a cosmic perspective and from a microscopic, its outbreak of fame main fame took place in the nineties. He Kidult market segment which is making toy lines as never seen before handling two variables that the Tamagotchi cover wisely: on the one hand, they encourage and cover the needs of the nostalgic stimuli of Millennialconvinced that They won’t live such a happy time like that of his childhoods and young years.
Port another, significantly, Tamagotchi are acquiring vicaria responsibilities taking care of a creature that demands constant attention. Perfect for a generation that, in many cases, is seen resigned, in many cases, not to have children.
Know how to evolve. One of the great secrets of the success of the Tamagotchi has been to adapt to the new times, and we do not speak only of the incorporation of WiFi or touch screens, but of their mechanics, which have been going from a mere care and cleaning of an alien embryo to game mechanics clearly inspired by Pokémon (and we connect like this with Another fetish of nostalgia Millennial). In Tamagotchi Paradise we have fifty creatures that are divided into three environments (sky, earth and water), with three of them hidden at the beginning of the game, in curious parallelism with the legendary pokémon and other oddities.
The possibility of making Tamagotchi muddle each other open the door to the birth of 50,000 different creatures, with characteristics inherited from their respective parents. Another mechanic that does not drink directly from Pokémon, but that does connect with the ideas of hunting, parenting and care of Nintendo creatures.
History. The striking thing about Tamagotchi is that they have generated their own mythology and unique stories, often derived from the particular rupture of a taboo with respect to pets: despite being virtual, these encapsulated digital animals also die. For example, there are Funeral websites of the creatures Deaths, and Forums with hundreds of pages that they remember them and that they remain active. And a tremendous anecdote: in the year 97, A girl buried her Tamagotchi In a wooden coffin in a cemetery for real pets. Soon, the owner of the cemetery began to receive other Tamagotchis in his small coffins and had to convert and adapt the field.
Image | Álex Alcolea
In Xataka | A great mystery surrounded Tamagotchi 27 years after its launch. Now we have finally resolved
GIPHY App Key not set. Please check settings