Tamagotchi

Associated With

Bandai - creator or operator

Defining Feature

An egg-shaped LCD device in which care choices determine a virtual pet's development

Status

Active - Bandai's official history records new product generations through 2025

Overview

Pocket-sized and egg-shaped, Bandai’s Tamagotchi made a virtual creature depend on its owner’s care.

Released in Japan on 23 November 1996, the LCD pet needed regular feeding, cleaning and attention. Its condition changed according to the care it received and it could die after neglect.

Different interactions shaped the adult character that developed. Bandai later extended the same nurturing idea through infrared communication, colour screens, Wi-Fi and further product generations.

Why It Mattered

It made neglect feel like part of play: the toy continued needing attention even after it had been put away. That persistent responsibility could create a strong attachment to a few pixels, and Bandai kept the same nurturing idea alive through later colour, communication and networked versions.

Original Tamagotchi Form

• The first device used an egg-shaped case, an LCD screen and a keychain form.
• Bandai dates the original Japanese release to 23 November 1996.
• Bandai's development account says an earlier proposal was an egg-shaped wristwatch before the keychain design was chosen.

Care as Play

• The creature's condition changed according to the user's care and could die after neglect.
• Different interactions determine which adult character develops.

Continuing Tamagotchi Series

• Bandai's chronology records an infrared-equipped return in 2004, a colour-screen model in 2008 and a Wi-Fi-equipped model in 2023.
• The official history lists Tamagotchi Paradise in 2025 and cumulative worldwide shipments of 100 million by the end of July 2025.

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