The old Tamagotchi digital pet formula has stayed the same for a couple of decades. Now, with the Tamagotchi Smart, Bandai is changing the formula up a bit. And the company is doing so by mixing the concept with that of a smartwatch.
Befitting the name, the Tamagotchi Smart comes with bands that allow you to wear it like a smartwatch. Also new to the digital pet formula is the inclusion of touch and voice controls. The former lets you wake up your digital pet. It also allows you to pet them, much like you could on the 3DS Pokemon games.
The voice controls of the Tamagotchi Smart, on the other hand, could be a little bit of downer. You can use it to wake the pet up as well, but that’s about as far as it gets. The device can only recognise that a voice is speaking, but is not sophisticated to recognise specific people’s voice or what they’re saying.
As is the trend with Japanese toys, there are additional add-ons called “TamaSma” cards. These add exclusive characters and items into the digital pet system. Beyond that, there’s a very basic pedometer for step-tracking.
The Tamagotchi Smart will be priced at JPY6380 (~RM240). It will go on sale in Japan on 23 November, but no word on when, or if, it will be available elsewhere.
(Source: Bandai [1], [2], [3] via Engadget)
