Robotics Reference
In-Depth Information
Figure 60.
A Tamagotchi (Courtesy of Bandai U.K. Ltd.)
haviour Tamagotchis fostered responsibility and selflessness in their own-
ers. And business people admitted to postponing meetings because their
Tamagotchi needed its virtual waste removed or its virtual sore feelings
consoled.
Tamagotchi owners were obliged to feed their virtual pets when they
were hungry, play with them when they craved attention, give them
medicine when they were ill, scold them when they were naughty and,
of course, clean up after they virtually defecated. (All of these tasks were
conveniently made possible through the buttons on the Tamagotchi's cas-
ing.) When the owner did not fulfil these obligations their Tamagotchi
would become virtually unhappy, kvetchy, ill and, ultimately, it would
die. And even though a “new” Tamagotchi could be “hatched” with the
press of a button when an old one died, their owners often become quite
attached to the digital playmates and even posted memorial messages for
their “departed” virtual pet in a “Web cemetery” on the Internet.
The Tamagotchi was an instant hit and virtual pets were here to stay.
Toy shops in Japan were besieged as customers struggled to buy their
Tamagotchis before stocks ran out, while many shops in other countries
had to ration each customer to two Tamagotchis in an attempt to ensure
that no-one left the shop empty-handed. Even then Bandai had to issue
a public apology shortly after the product launch because the shortage of
stocks caused near riots in Japan. When a new batch of Tamagotchis was
due to arrive in the shops in Japan, children and adults would travel hun-
dreds of miles if necessary, to camp out on the street, hoping to buy one.
