Depending on which generation you grew up in, you may have had contact with virtual pets – and virtual poop.
Akihiro Yokoi saw an advertisement featuring a boy who wasn't allowed to take his turtle on a family vacation. So he thought to himself: What if our pets could just fit in our pockets?
Today, everyone knows Tamagotchi, but the world of virtual pets didn't start with them. In this article, we take a look at some of the most successful virtual pets and their significance.
What Are Virtual Pets?
In the 1990s, the world of technology looked very different. And amid the almost daily new innovations in the world of computers and home consoles, a trend emerged that changed pop culture forever: virtual pets.
These small, pixelated creatures are more than just toys: they have allowed children, in particular, to take on responsibility in an increasingly digitalized world and even form emotional bonds.
How did the hype begin?
Dogz
Dogz first saw the light of day in 1995. But you couldn't carry them around with you: PF Magic's cute program, where you could choose your new best friend, ran on Windows 95 or MacOS.
Before choosing your favorite dog, you could play with each of them to see which personality suited you best. You could even set it as your screensaver (which should definitely make a comeback), where your guard dog would bark at anyone who dared to touch your precious computer.
Dogz, Catz, which was released the following year, and its successors sold over 1.5 million copies by early 1998!
Tamagotchi
There is speculation about how the name Tamagotchi came about. However, “Tamago” for egg plays a certain role here: in 1997, Akihiro Yokoi and Aki Maita brought their idea to Bandai.
There, they had no hope for the pixelated animal, but Aki Maita conducted a test in which she asked young girls what they thought of it and whether it would be popular, proving that it doesn't matter what big companies think of big ideas.
Over the years, the Tamagotchi became a huge success: everyone had at least one and took care of it as if it were alive. In 1998, many schools in America banned the constantly beeping device and its popularity declined for the first time.
However, studies and personal experience show that the Tamagotchi also had a positive effect on children's mental health: it taught them to take responsibility at an early age.
Because even though a Tamagotchi doesn't really "die", you still wanted to take care of it as best you could by feeding it, washing it, and making it happy.
Nintendogs
When Nintendogs was released for the Nintendo DS in 2005, it was a real game changer for the world of virtual pets. It was as if Tamagotchis and digital dogs had evolved into something revolutionary.
Nintendogs took the whole thing to a whole new level with realistic dog sounds, touchscreen petting, and voice commands via microphone.
Everyone had a Nintendo DS and a digital dog to walk. Nintendo struck the same chord that Bandai had already discovered: millions of Dalmatians, Chihuahuas, Labradors, and later cats scurried around on the small screens of the portable device of the time.
Pou
But even the Nintendo DS was becoming outdated, and although Nintendogs enjoyed a long run, eventually everyone had a different rectangle in their pocket.
With the advent of smartphones, we no longer carry around a small computer with us - it has become an integral part of our lives.
So it was only a matter of time before someone managed to capture people's hearts. In the end, it wasn't Mimichi or a dachshund, but a literal pile of... poop?
At first glance simple, almost silly, Pou quickly became a cult hit. With enough mini-games, clothes, and food to make the little creature somehow lovable.
And as we've seen before, emotional bonds can be formed with anything we take responsibility for. Well, the main thing was that the thing beeps when it's hungry, and you feel a little bad when you forget.
What Became Of Them?
While many of these games are no longer as popular as they once were, one thing is certain: the memories you have of your first pet are very special.
And for many, that was a very pixelated cat, a strawberry with a face, a digital dog, or literally a pile of something. That doesn't mean it's all lost: Tamagotchi, in particular, is still going strong today! Urban Outfitters, a popular fashion chain, sold Tamagotchis as accessories a few years ago, and Holy, a fast-growing energy drink brand, is currently marketing its Burrgotchi.
Even Bandai itself is continuing to develop the Tamagotchi! With color displays and an internet connection, your creature grows with you: And it will probably continue to do so for several generations.
What was your first virtual pet?