It all started with low-rise jeans and UGG boots, and now decades-old technology is making a comeback.
The 1990s were perhaps one of the best years for video games, from Bop It and Street Fighter to Polly Pocket and The Super Nintendo Entertainment System (also known as the SNEZ). It was a terrific time to be a kid.
But, as amazing as they were, I’m afraid Gen Zers aren’t spending their time building Polly Pocket’s newest palace; instead, they’ve turned their attention to the simple but incredibly amusing Tamagotchi.
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The egg-shaped toy was initially released in Japan in 1997, and then in the United States a year later.
For those who are unfamiliar with the Tamagotchi, it is a pocket-sized piece of technology that holds a virtual pet that you may care for. You accomplish this by keeping your virtual friend satisfied, nourished, and trained.
According to Janbox, 83 million devices were sold by 2021, although this figure has subsequently risen dramatically.
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According to BBC News, Tamagotchi’s global sales increased between 2022 and 2023.
While the toy has seen some improvements since its initial success in the 1990s, the basic concept remains same.
Tamagotchi brand manager Priya Jadeja told the BBC that “now you can connect with friends, play on Wi-Fi and download different items, and that’s really combating that sense of fatigue that you might have gotten with some earlier models.”
Liz Grampp, Vice President of Brand Management at Bandai America, expressed similar comments to MailOnline last year: “It’s about resource management, nurturing, and caring for a little virtual pet, and that basic human emotion of taking care of something that I don’t think ever goes away.”
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“What sets us apart is how we deliver. So, it’s a more classic pixel game with its own trend.”
The miniature toy was released in 2019 and has been gaining popularity ever since.
The manufacturer anticipated that the item would appeal to millennials for nostalgic reasons, but it appears that the younger generation is also loving it.
“When we relaunched, we thought it would be a very millennial-focused relaunch,” Jadeja told the media.
“But it’s being introduced to kids who’ve never had this sort of device before – it’s really exciting to see them embracing it.”
I’m not sure about you, but Tamagotchi becoming popular again was not on my 2024 bingo card.
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