Hard to believe it was over seventeen years ago, then we examined the
Tamagotchi by Bandai 'pets' as a means to connect with consumers. They were a true craze then. Children, even adults were feeding and caring for them. Strangely persuasive toys. See
The Media Equation: How People Treat Computers, Television, and New Media Like Real People and Places" by
Reeves and
Nass. We used those same findings to power
other brand engagement approaches. It did not work, and was lost in a stream of hype, it ramped up and then failed. But now it has been announced that
they are coming back next year. Will they succeed more broadly this time? Still don't think so. They are toys and not engaging entities. It looked like we could find a way to connect to the emotions of people with very simple computing systems. Will wait and see.
The WP also reports:
" .. In early 2013, Bandai released an enhanced version of the original 1996 Tamagotchi as a free iOS and Android app named "Tamagotchi L.i.f.e." to great fanfare and reviews. ... "
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