14 DAY TRIAL // There are gadgets for almost every purpose out there, or at least the idea for them, but entertainment remains the primary focus, and when life can be simulated, it's all the better. On that note, Tamagotchi are coming back. In truth, they were never really gone, these small, plastic caskets, or little homes, or whatever you want to call them.
They also haven't been all that well known either, though, over the past ten years or so. Or at least not really all that often talked about.
They were a nice rave, seventeen to ten years back, but eventually people outgrew them, or got bored of the lack of variety. Even the models with more than one potential race didn't manage to truly revive interest.
Tamagotchi could be making a comeback now though. Bandai is revamping the brand by launching Tamagotchi Friends.
The main asset is the clearly larger variety of starting options for the virtual pets that owners can raise into adulthood.
Speaking of which, if you're not familiar with the concept, Tamagotchi are small, pocket watch-sized gadgets loaded with a sort of game, or program.
Said program simulates a life form, which starts out in its infant stages and needs you to periodically feed it, play with it and clean up after it. If you don't do those things well, it will die before its time.
Original Tamagotchi had the animal start out as an egg, then an amorphous blob for a while, before it finally started maturing. There were several different age avatars, so to speak.
In a nutshell, Tamagotchi gives you a pocketable, virtual pet. If you have a real one, you might not want one of these gadgets, but then you still might. For curiosity's sake if nothing else.
Tamagotchi Friends has another special feature though: two owners can bump their devices together to allow pets to go on play dates and otherwise interact in game.
Black and white ones will launch in December (2013) and color backgrounds will be included in the fall of 2014.