Tamagotchi
”All You Need is Love from Talking, Romantic "Handsome Men" Piggy Bank
Things'd have to be pretty desperate in your love life if you needed one of these Ikemenbank, or "handsome men banks" from Bandai. For each 500 yen coin you drop in the heart-shaped gadget, you're rewarded with the next step of a virtual love affair with a Tamagotchi-like digital chap inside. He speaks to you with emotionally supportive phrases, but needs constant attention. Not dropping a coin in for five days results in him leaving you, with nothing but a digital love letter to remind you of his pixels. Fill it up with 100 coins, however, and you get the romantic conclusion—it can be happy or sad—but I'm not clear exactly how pornographic it would be... Anyhow, if you're lovelorn, and in Japan it will be out for around $46 in September. [Reuters]
What the Hell Is a Moshi Monster?
Michael Smith, creator of the Perplex City puzzle game may be a little slow to deliver that second season, but it doesn't mean that he's been sitting around doing nothing. His next brainchild is Moshi Monsters, a mash of Tamagotchi, Pokemon and NintenDogs, with heaping helpings of MySpace and LeapFrog ladeled over it for good measure.
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cellphones
Tamagotchi Mobile: No No No No NO NO NO. NO
Are you stuck in a 1996 timewarp? Perhaps you have kiddie issues. Fear not, for Bandai and Playphones have gotten together and come up with the Tamagotchi prepaid cellphone. Like all the best ideas, it is a simple concept... More »
gadgets
Bandai's Ant's Life Studio Virtual Ant Farm
Bandai is set to release Ant's Life Studio this November in Japan, a virtual ant farm simulator that could very well become the next Tamagotchi. It's apparently being aimed at the hordes of Japanese men who do nothing but slave away at a tiny desk all day, working until their eyes fall out. Maybe Bandai's making some sort of social justice metaphor here, but, then again, they could just be wanting to cash in on a fun idea. More »
home entertainment
Virtual Doggy in a Console: vMigo
In the relentless quest for the shitless dog, here's a new one, the vMigo, a plug-and-play TV-connected console that includes a carry-around Tamagotchi-like handheld pod with a 16-bit screen and a pedometer inside. If you want your pet to stay happy, you'll have to take it out for a walk, and that pedometer keeps you honest, measuring exactly how far you've gone. More »
columns
frog Design Mind
Tamagotchi to Xbox: Why The World Can t Resist Phatic Technologies
By Laura Richardson More »
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