The Rise and Fall of Tamagotchi

[JJuggle]

Sometime in November 2004 one of my daughter's best friends got a Tamagotchi (http://www.tamagotchi.com/). Emma had to have one. November 2004 to January 2005 she and at least 50% of her friends acquire Tamagotchis. Little else is of interest to 10 year old girls sitting in the back of the car, waiting for movies to start, eating out or at the dinner table. Playdates are largely occupied by Tamagotchi business.

During the latter part of January 2005 and through mid-March 2005 Tamagotchis are virtually unobtainable at local Toys-R-Us and Target stores, the main local retailers. Shipments fly off the shelves with a day.

The death of a Tamagotchi is cause for numerous telephone calls as is a 9 in training. Those new to the world of Tamagotchi spend similar amounts of time on the phone in the evening receiving advice and instructions on Tamagotchi care and activities.

My own daughter actually paid for a Tamagotchi for a friend with her own money because her parents refused to buy her one.

Teachers have to tell kids to keep their Tamagotchis in their school bags or risk losing them. I await word that the Principal has banned them from school altogether. That news never comes.

April 2005. For the past week and a half Emma's little lonesome Tamagotchi sits abandoned on a countertop on "Pause" no more an object of desire or interest. Apparently, according to Emma, so do most of the other girl's Tamagotchis.

I'm happy to report that tennis has replaced the Tamagotchi as the current fascination. I'm hoping it will last a bit longer.

[yoopers]

We have a lesson line in our house involving Rumble Robots, a mechanized, wheeled little fighting machine that appeared on the shelves one pre-Christmas season some years ago and flew off the shelves into shoppers' carts just as fast. There were some sort of key cards involved that allowed different features to be used.

Well, we chose not to purchase the fad toy for the boys for Christmas that year. They did receive money from Grandpa and Grandma for Christmas, so since all their friends allegedly received Rumble Robots for Christmas, the boys just had to have them. Off to the after-Christmas rush.

The toys were still in excess of $20 each and I tried my best to talk the boys out of them. "Save for something bigger and better" or "They'll just get stuck in a closet after awhile" or "It's a lot of money for what will probably just be a fad". But no go. I'll never forget the glazed-over look in the boys' eyes as they held the boxed toy in their hands in the toy aisle of Wal-Mart. I could almost see the power of possession wrapped around their brains and holding them hostage. So Mary and I had to make a decision to use an expensive lesson.

As expected, the Rumble Robot interest lasted about a week. It was a fairly rapid decline too and the toys soon ended up on the auction block at Ebay. I think they sold for $3 or $4.

Today, when I need to make a point, I use a paraphrase of the old Remember the Alamo war cry, "Remember the Rumble Robot!" Somehow it works to help bring the boys back to reality.

Now if I could only use it on myself when I'm looking at things like Jeeps...

[pissinlemonaid]

Ahh, i used to have about 12 tomagachi's. They were so awesome, except i could never make it an adult. :( and just like emma, suddenly one day i just never wanted to play with all my 12 tomagachis anymore. and well, if i remember where they were, i probably would. as for tennis goes...I have been playing practically all my life. Keep her with tennis, and show her how awesome it is to play in tournements or anything. Its way better then a tomagachi, and you can play it too. :-D i have a match tomorrow =-O! :-D

[JJuggle]

Originally posted by pissinlemonaid
as for tennis goes...I have been playing practically all my life. Keep her with tennis, and show her how awesome it is to play in tournements or anything. Its way better then a tomagachi, and you can play it too. :-D i have a match tomorrow =-O! :-D Good luck with your match.

In fact, we both got racquets last week and I will be playing with her. I played a bit when I was much younger and it is a good way to slow my middle age expansion.

[GILD]

whatever sparked this re-appearance of the Tamagotchi (http://www.pocket-lint.co.uk/news.php?newsId=201) ?
those evil marketing people again?

the
Tamagotchi Creches (http://www.geocities.com/firestorm02_03/tama_history.html) of the 'first wave' was to me the funniest of the whole thing

i can honestly put my hand up and say that i've never fed, thought about feeding, switched on, thought about switching on any tamagotchi styled creature

i may have to get one now

[Checkernuts]

I have to agree with you Gild, I thought people got sick of these things back in 98 or so. I never owned one although my sister had one. I cant say I ever found anything remotly fun about them either that would spur me on to purchasing one ever.

[pissinlemonaid]

Originally posted by JJuggle
Good luck with your match.

In fact, we both got racquets last week and I will be playing with her. I played a bit when I was much younger and it is a good way to slow my middle age expansion.


Thanks for the good luck. I will need it. Its a tough match. And thats awesome that you used to play. :) A really really good raquet but pricey, is the babylat. But its excellent. Prince are awesome too. They are nice and light. Wilson are heavier. What raquet did you get? And how old is emma? :-D I teach tennis in the summer with a bunch of my older friends in college. They are awesome at tennis. Im getting to there level:) ranking goes there are levels of tennis. If you are a level 7 you are automatically a pro. I'd say im about a 4.5? soooo...a few more years and maybe ill get a little better. teaching is really fun, i teach little kids and grown ups. and all ages!! :-D if she really likes it, i suggest that she takes lessons. although look for cheap ones, because the prices are rediculous. the person i work for in the summer teaching, chardes 48 for 8 weeks, and thats really good. but its not individual, its group lessons. some will go for like...60 per lesson. =-O

[JJuggle]

Originally posted by Checkernuts
I have to agree with you Gild, I thought people got sick of these things back in 98 or so. I never owned one although my sister had one. I cant say I ever found anything remotly fun about them either that would spur me on to purchasing one ever. I try to be aware of Emma's interests and what's going on in her life particularly vis-a-vis friends as much as possible. And I volunteer regularly over at her school.

That said, I have not seen any interest in Tamagotchis on the part of boys. There is a social aspect to them that I believe is foreign to the way boys operate. On a very basic level Tamagotchis do not hit each other, for example.

[Edit]: By the way, for those of you who have been out of the Tamagotchi loop for a while, they now "connect". That is much like you can beam information from one PalmPilot to another, Tamagotchis can new pass information and "gifts" to each other, play games simultaneously, and establish friendship lists of other Tamagotchis.

[JJuggle]

Originally posted by pissinlemonaid
Thanks for the good luck. I will need it. Its a tough match. And thats awesome that you used to play. :) A really really good raquet but pricey, is the babylat. But its excellent. Prince are awesome too. They are nice and light. Wilson are heavier. What raquet did you get? And how old is emma? :-D I teach tennis in the summer with a bunch of my older friends in college. They are awesome at tennis. Im getting to there level:) ranking goes there are levels of tennis. If you are a level 7 you are automatically a pro. I'd say im about a 4.5? soooo...a few more years and maybe ill get a little better. teaching is really fun, i teach little kids and grown ups. and all ages!! :-D if she really likes it, i suggest that she takes lessons. although look for cheap ones, because the prices are rediculous. the person i work for in the summer teaching, chardes 48 for 8 weeks, and thats really good. but its not individual, its group lessons. some will go for like...60 per lesson. =-O We got a couple of cheap Wilsons for $30.

When I say I played, I do mean that I played according to the rules, i.e. not just whacking the ball around over the net, but I never actually played on a school team or in tournaments.

Emma has expressed interest in lessons and we may look around.

Thanks.

[pissinlemonaid]

Originally posted by JJuggle
We got a couple of cheap Wilson's for $30.

When I say I played, I do mean that I played according to the rules, i.e. not just whacking the ball around over the net, but I never actually played on a school team or in tournaments.

Emma has expressed interest in lessons and we may look around.

Thanks.

Alright, good. i was just checking, i didnt know if you played or hit. me and my mom 'hit' and me and my brother play. and my mom is really good for someone of her age that smokes. haha. except sometimes she wont move for it..:(. How old is emma? :D Id have to say, try to get her to learn serving asap. serving is the most complicated thing, and how to volley at net. :-D just a bit of advice.

[JJuggle]

Originally posted by pissinlemonaid
Alright, good. i was just checking, i didnt know if you played or hit. me and my mom 'hit' and me and my brother play. and my mom is really good for someone of her age that smokes. haha. except sometimes she wont move for it..:(. How old is emma? :D Id have to say, try to get her to learn serving asap. serving is the most complicated thing, and how to volley at net. :-D just a bit of advice. Right now Emma, who is 11, is at the hitting stage. I will take your comments under advisement, though. :)

[DigitalDave]

I remember the 1st of that type of toy....

It was called a .....

PET ROCK


... and then there were 'mood rings' .... and then ....

[JJuggle]

Originally posted by DigitalDave
I remember the 1st of that type of toy....

It was called a .....

PET ROCK


... and then there were 'mood rings' .... and then .... Dave, I think the pet rock and, to a lesser extent mood rings, are something completely different. Tamagotchis actually do something, involve the exercise of some intelligence and do promote human to human interaction of some kind. That is to say owning one and using it is not a completely passive activity. I'm not saying they are great, I'm just saying that as far as fads go there is some substance to them.

[forrestunifreak]

Originally posted by Checkernuts
I have to agree with you Gild, I thought people got sick of these things back in 98 or so. I never owned one although my sister had one. I cant say I ever found anything remotly fun about them either that would spur me on to purchasing one ever.

Same here.me too.

[johnfoss]

Haha, Raphael remembers all the way back to the stone age!

[pissinlemonaid]

Originally posted by JJuggle
Right now Emma, who is 11, is at the hitting stage. I will take your comments under advisement, though. :)

good luck

[DigitalDave]

Originally posted by JJuggle
For the past week and a half Emma's little lonesome Tamagotchi sits abandoned on a countertop on "Pause" no more an object of desire or interest.

Just like the pet rocks.

[Catboy]

I got a Tamagotchi the week they came out in Hawaii(about a half year before they made their debut in the mainland). Aaaaand got a Tamagotchi connection a month before their 2004 release in USA, from Japan. I aslo bought a green one from America too. Back in the day, EVERYONE had one, and with good reason. Tamagotchi are awesome!

[Fuego]

I wonder why things like that die, while unicycling hooks you and you don't give it up... It's interesting.

[s7ev0]

Originally posted by GILD

i can honestly put my hand up and say that i've never fed, thought about feeding, switched on, thought about switching on any tamagotchi styled creature
[/B]

Only last month I ended up taking home a pupil's tamagotchi from school as she'd left it there after netball club. I assured her (over the phone, as she was ringing school after reaching home) that my two boys (9 and 11) would be able to look after it over night.

Get home - boys hadn't a clue! Quickly phone friend with 7 year old girl and she teaches me how to feed it, play with it, and clean its poo up!

I kept it alive all night and returned it safely to its owner at school the next morning. PHEW! :rolleyes:

[James_Potter]

'round here, Tamagotchi's were the biggest fad in like '99.... don't know where you've been. (; now, I'm mostly serious, the fad in my school is unicycling. at first it was a few of us, but then a bunch of kids started learning to unicycle because they thought it would make them look cool. that's what we think anyway. and of course they learn to ride, they pretend to be avid unicyclists for a couple weeks, and now their unicycles sit in the back of the garage most of the time. there's still about seven active unicyclists here, the guys that first started it, like ME

[JJuggle]

Originally posted by DigitalDave
Just like the pet rocks. Or the dog sh*t by the mailboxes my neighbor didn't scoop up after her pet. That they sit on a counter after being ignored by their owners doesn't make them the same in every way, dude.

[JJuggle]

Originally posted by Fuego
I wonder why things like that die, while unicycling hooks you and you don't give it up... It's interesting. I believe you are confusing the pathology we exhibit here on RSU with a representative sample of those who have tried unicycling at some time in their lives.

[tomblackwood]

Originally posted by JJuggle
Dave, I think the pet rock and, to a lesser extent mood rings, are something completely different. Tamagotchis actually do something, involve the exercise of some intelligence and do promote human to human interaction of some kind. That is to say owning one and using it is not a completely passive activity. I'm not saying they are great, I'm just saying that as far as fads go there is some substance to them.
Yeah well Mr. Potato Head did all that just fine, and in combination with Mrs. Potato Head also provided a good "bird and bees" lesson for us kids. Don't know why anybody needs these newfangled grumble grumble grumble. Idiotic concept to grumble create an electronic object that poops grumble kind of defeats the purpose that the best thing about inanimate objects is they don't poop.

[GILD]

Originally posted by JJuggle
On a very basic level Tamagotchis do not hit each other, for example. i'm very sure somewhere, someone is working to correct this oversightOriginally posted by johnfoss
Haha, Raphael remembers all the way back to the stone age! so does digidave Originally posted by DigitalDave
I remember the 1st of that type of toy....

It was called a .....

PET ROCK Originally posted by s7ev0
Only last month I ended up taking home a pupil's tamagotchi from school as she'd left it there after netball club...
I kept it alive all night and returned it safely to its owner at school the next morning. PHEW! :rolleyes: extreem teaching!

this thread's actually inspired me to go out this weekend and get me one of these idiot machines
i'll report back on monday

[weeble]

Tamagotchi?! Eww! That's, like, SO twentieth century...

[BillyTheMountain]

Originally posted by JJuggle
Sometime in November 2004 one of my daughter's best friends got a Tamagotchi (http://www.tamagotchi.com/). Emma had to have one. November 2004 to January 2005 she and at least 50% of her friends acquire Tamagotchis. Little else is of interest to 10 year old girls sitting in the back of the car, waiting for movies to start, eating out or at the dinner table. Playdates are largely occupied by Tamagotchi business.

During the latter part of January 2005 and through mid-March 2005 Tamagotchis are virtually unobtainable at local Toys-R-Us and Target stores, the main local retailers. Shipments fly off the shelves with a day.

The death of a Tamagotchi is cause for numerous telephone calls as is a 9 in training. Those new to the world of Tamagotchi spend similar amounts of time on the phone in the evening receiving advice and instructions on Tamagotchi care and activities.

My own daughter actually paid for a Tamagotchi for a friend with her own money because her parents refused to buy her one.

Teachers have to tell kids to keep their Tamagotchis in their school bags or risk losing them. I await word that the Principal has banned them from school altogether. That news never comes.

April 2005. For the past week and a half Emma's little lonesome Tamagotchi sits abandoned on a countertop on "Pause" no more an object of desire or interest. Apparently, according to Emma, so do most of the other girl's Tamagotchis.

I'm happy to report that tennis has replaced the Tamagotchi as the current fascination. I'm hoping it will last a bit longer.

JJuggle,

Thanks for that detailed trend tracking. These things come and go, and iwithout your cultural commentary, we might not even notice.

I recall many years ago when your parents posted the same thing about YOU and your nehru shirts.....

It's cool and real that kids get and lose interest in toys. It's not cool that real parents lose interest in their real kids.

Billy

[GILD]

Originally posted by BillyTheMountain
It's cool and real that kids get and lose interest in toys. It's not cool that real parents lose interest in their real kids. an interesting perspective and one that hasn't occured to me yet
besides, what would the bottom of the cupboard in the spare bedroom be for if it wasn't for karate clothes, tennis raquets and (the horror, the horror) unicycles?

it's probably another of those discussions about the value of experience and sharing that experience vs the value of gaining that experience by yourself

as sentient beings, our ability to learn from the mistakes of others, our opposable thumbs and our moments of unspeakably bad dress-sense sets us apart from the animals
it's a natural instinct to want to 'warn' another human (esp one u have an emotional investment with) of certain mistakes they're about to make
u're able to do this because u've gained the experience to be able to issue the warning
if the warning is heeded, the 'danger' is avoided but the value of the lesson may be reduced
a couple of generations of this, and we may be as stupid as two short planks and have to start doing stupid things all over again

if the warning is not heeded, the lesson is invariably well-learnt, at a cost
but what price life-experience?

there's a fine balance, with the finger-in-the-socket example marking one extreme
it's another one of the many reasons i don't want to have kids
now pardon me while i go buy myself a tamagochi and sign up for karate lessons

[BillyTheMountain]

Originally posted by JJuggle
I believe you are confusing the pathology we exhibit here on RSU with a representative sample of those who have tried unicycling at some time in their lives.

It's true. JJuggle and anyone who came to a NYC Unatics meeting when they were in Central Park knows that NUMEROUS ex-unicyclists came by, some to try again for a minute and drop their interest just as fast.

If you ride in NYC, you inevitably hear of the MANY people who gave it up.

It's nothing like Tamagotchi, though, because it's never been as popular, never reached FAD proportions. I can't figure out why.

Billy

[BillyTheMountain]

Originally posted by GILD
an interesting perspective and one that hasn't occured to me yet
besides, what would the bottom of the cupboard in the spare bedroom be for if it wasn't for karate clothes, tennis raquets and (the horror, the horror) unicycles?
now pardon me while i go buy myself a tamagochi and sign up for karate lessons

Dave, I'm sure you've heard it more than the others: Time to put away childish things....

Just imagine it your were still listening to Raffi: Music for 2s and 3s.....

:D Billy