What is Tamagotchi
Tamagotchi (Japanese: たまごっち) is Bandai’s (a division of Bandai Namco Holdings) family of handheld virtual pet toys. The original was developed by Aki Maita of Bandai and Akihiro Yokoi of WiZ, released in Japan on November 23, 1996, and in the United States on May 1, 1997; the name combines “tamago,” meaning egg, with “watch,” reflecting its original wristwatch concept (Wikipedia article). Players care for a virtual creature on an egg-shaped device, feeding and cleaning it as it grows.
Series history
The first Tamagotchi became a fad that faded around 1998; the series returned in March 2004 with “Kaette Kita! Tamagotchi Plus,” which added infrared communication, released overseas from August 2004 as Tamagotchi Connection (Wikipedia article). The first color model arrived in November 2008. Later milestones on the official history page include the October 2018 re-release of the original, Tamagotchi Uni in July 2023, and Tamagotchi Paradise with its Zoom Dial feature, released worldwide from July 2025 (official history page). The product lines listed on the official site are Paradise, Original, Connection, Uni, and Nano (official website).
Sales and influence
The official history page records that over 100 million units have been shipped worldwide since 1996 (as of July 2025) (official history page). The two developers won the 1997 Ig Nobel Prize in economics (Wikipedia article). As the archetypal handheld digital pet, the Tamagotchi is often used as a reference point for later small pocket-sized smart devices.
Discussion in the show
Weekly #004 twice uses the Tamagotchi as a reference point while discussing the portable device Meta announced, the Muse Charm:
- In the chapter “Muse Charm、手机与 AI 的入口” (Muse Charm, phones, and the AI entry point), Xiangyang Qiaomu compares the newly announced Muse Charm to a Tamagotchi: “A Tamagotchi, right?” (Chinese transcript); Yang Pan adds that Shenzhen companies have all made similar devices over the past year (paragraph) and argues the hardware itself matters less than the platform and ecosystem behind it (paragraph).
- In the chapter “掌上设备与日常生活” (Handheld devices and daily life), Xiangyang Qiaomu says he never played pet-type electronic pets and describes the handheld device category by referencing the Tamagotchi (Chinese transcript); Yang Pan mentions “my daughter has several,” and Xiangyang Qiaomu notes such devices ship in bulk as Christmas gifts (paragraph).
These are analogies and personal anecdotes using the Tamagotchi as a reference, not a product review. See the episode 004 chapter and another chapter.
Frequently asked questions
Where is the official Tamagotchi website?
Bandai’s official site is tamagotchi-official.com, with news, history, characters, and product pages, and regional versions.
What is a Tamagotchi?
It is Bandai’s family of handheld virtual pet toys, first released in Japan on November 23, 1996, in which players raise a virtual creature on an egg-shaped device (Wikipedia article).
Who invented the Tamagotchi, and what does the name mean?
The original was developed by Aki Maita of Bandai and Akihiro Yokoi of WiZ; the name combines the Japanese “tamago” (egg) with “watch,” from the original wristwatch concept (Wikipedia article).
Are Tamagotchi still being made?
Yes. The official history page records over 100 million units shipped worldwide as of July 2025, and Tamagotchi Paradise with its Zoom Dial feature was released worldwide from July 2025; current lines are on the official products page.