Hottopic & Tamagotchi Friends DreamTown

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violetvioletchi

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So I went and bought two tamagotchi friends dream town's from my local hottopic at the mall yesterday, and it got me thinking/worried about how the sales are going to go... Obviously Bandai wants to make money and we all know how versions keep getting discontinued etc. but when I went to find them, I really had to know what I was looking for (ie being familiar with the packaging etc.) I found the tamagotchi friends at about knee level by some hello kitty stuff underneath a shelf that basically forces you to kneel down in order to see them...then when I went to buy them, a customer next to me was like "OMG Are those tamagotchis?? Like real ones??" before I could say anything the cashier interrupted me and was like "yeah...they're not like the originals though from the '90s..." in a tone that indicated they aren't very good or that the customer wouldn't like them.

People that I know downloaded the app that was supposed to mimic the 1998 ones told me they thought it was too simplistic for them, and I had to explain that the newer ones obviously have more features. I feel like the cashier totally shot down the other customer who might have been interested otherwise.

I'm really worried that this version is going to "flop" again. What do you guys think? Are we as tamagotchi enthusiasts/fans the only people buying these now?

 
Tamagotchis just aren't as big as they are in Japan and I think one of the biggest factors is that they're simply not marketed very well. Have you seen a tv ad for tamagotchi? I certainly haven't. A lot of people simply just don't know that new models are being produced.

 
These have already 'flopped'.

The original wave 1/wave 2 releases are the ones that came with a promotional push and the lack of sales have resulted in the Dream Town version struggling to find a chain to stock them, and are now in a random store at knee level.

I imagine they where made last year when they where first mentioned on the Bandai site and are only just out now to get rid of the ones produced.

If there is truth to the Colour Screen Tamas coming to the West next year then this is all a good thing. Let the failed product quietly sell off and then come out next year with an investment in promoting the new Tamagotchis. Heck, the original Friends promo material acted like they where the first Tamagotchis since 1996 so dusting them under the rug for a new start could be a good plan.

 
Have you seen a tv ad for tamagotchi? I certainly haven't.
I've actually seen one on Nick a few times. However, it doesn't mention what stores they're in or anything. (And I haven't seen it in months). Like others have said, I do think it's lack of advertisements and you know, not actually having them in stores. (I know some of you have seen them in Hot Topic and stuff, but I haven't yet. :p )

 
Tamagotchis just aren't as big as they are in Japan and I think one of the biggest factors is that they're simply not marketed very well. Have you seen a tv ad for tamagotchi? I certainly haven't. A lot of people simply just don't know that new models are being produced.
I certainly see adds every now and then, but to be honest, the adds are so bad I think not having adds would be even better lol

We can all agree that Bandai just did a terrible job on the marketing in every single way, and that's what made the products fail -_-

Which is really sad, let's just hope their next release will have a better planning, though I doubt it :p

 
I think it's just hard for Bandai to compete with Nintendo. Sure the new 3ds is $200 but it just comes with that name brand recognition.

But I really hope they try harder next time around. I want tamas to be in vogue again :blink:

 
These have already 'flopped'.

The original wave 1/wave 2 releases are the ones that came with a promotional push and the lack of sales have resulted in the Dream Town version struggling to find a chain to stock them, and are now in a random store at knee level.

I imagine they where made last year when they where first mentioned on the Bandai site and are only just out now to get rid of the ones produced.

If there is truth to the Colour Screen Tamas coming to the West next year then this is all a good thing. Let the failed product quietly sell off and then come out next year with an investment in promoting the new Tamagotchis. Heck, the original Friends promo material acted like they where the first Tamagotchis since 1996 so dusting them under the rug for a new start could be a good plan.
Agreed.

 
Tamagotchis just aren't as big as they are in Japan and I think one of the biggest factors is that they're simply not marketed very well. Have you seen a tv ad for tamagotchi? I certainly haven't. A lot of people simply just don't know that new models are being produced.
True...well and I feel like the customer next to me was thinking about buying one, and the cashier like made her feel weird for being interested/told her they're not as good as she remembers, which is kind of a problem.

 
These have already 'flopped'.

The original wave 1/wave 2 releases are the ones that came with a promotional push and the lack of sales have resulted in the Dream Town version struggling to find a chain to stock them, and are now in a random store at knee level.

I imagine they where made last year when they where first mentioned on the Bandai site and are only just out now to get rid of the ones produced.

If there is truth to the Colour Screen Tamas coming to the West next year then this is all a good thing. Let the failed product quietly sell off and then come out next year with an investment in promoting the new Tamagotchis. Heck, the original Friends promo material acted like they where the first Tamagotchis since 1996 so dusting them under the rug for a new start could be a good plan.
I wouldn't underestimate people buying them for the nostalgia factor though, I know I only *really* got into tamagotchis during the 2008 "connection" releases, and bought one pretty randomly. I agree that these aren't the most fantastic version, but my concern is that Bandai will have lost money and think that people just don't like tamagotchis anymore, rather than looking at the factors that made it flop. I can't imagine they would release a color one if they couldn't even sell the $20 Dream Town's.

 
I think Bandai should look into plainer, less gendered designs for tamagotchis. The glittery jewels and the hot pink cheetah print patterns are cute but they're clearly aimed at girls. Looking at this forum, it's apparent that there are a bunch of guy collectors too, some of whom may not be too excited about more super feminine designs. If they went back to the vintage, more gender neutral designs, they'll be able to appeal to a wider audience.

 
The Tamagotchi Friends at my Hottopic are actually in plain site right underneath the counter.

So when you walk up to pay, they have items below the counter, and thats where they are. You cant miss them!

But anyways, that employee should be written up tbh.

You are in retail trying to sell things, so why would you tell a customer a thing with such a negative connotation?

People these days lol

But I do agree. Bandai needs to also not make such girly tamagotchis.

A representative from Bandai DID say they were working on a color tamagotchi.

I do believe them, honestly. And if they can market it right, it would probably be a hit.

 
I strongly disagree with the notion that Tamagotchis should look plainer/less feminine. Most toy franchises are either aimed at boys or girls. Nowadays if the target audience isn't clear, it could cause problems. I always used to find Tamagotchis in the boys' toys section of stores. I find it odd that everyone thinks Tamagotchis shouldn't look girly. Feminine Tamagotchi fans exist. Tamagotchis are more likely to appeal to girls than to boys, but if they don't have girly shell designs, then they're losing the little girl audience.

Tamagotchi is a virtual pet where you feed, bathe, and play with cute, fluffy critters.

Does that sound like something for boys or girls? Boys can play with Tamagotchis, yes, but it's best to market the Tamagotchi towards girls because even just the characters and concept makes them seem girly.

Plus BanDai Japan markets Tamagotchi towards girls and is still successful, and thus BanDai America followed in a similar fashion.

 
You can't market Tamagotchis in America like you do in Japan because there are vast cultural differences. Japan is a country that still adheres to strict gender roles but in America, it's not so cut and dry. At least I'd like to think so. There are girls who like traditionally male activities and there are boys who like traditionally female activities. And that's okay. In fact, that's great!

One of the reasons I will not be purchasing the new Tamagotchi Friends/Dream Town is because I personally find the designs overly girly and down right tacky. And guess what? I am a girl, a member of their current target audience, according to you. However I can see from the Friends/Dream town shell designs is that they're aimed towards younger girls which is why you get the super lacy and floral designs. But even though it's relatively cheap, its sales have "flopped." Why? Probably because their target audience was rather small because not many other demographic groups would like the designs that they produced. And it had terrible marketing, but that's not the point here.

Instead, they should have widened their target audience. I'm assuming most people who collect Tamagotchis are aged 15+ and have slightly more refined taste. That's the reason why the iD L's, P's, and 4U's have done better and it's not just because they've been on the market longer. The designs are still girly but they're simpler, more tasteful and this appeals to the older demographic groups that have more disposable income. If the Friend/Dream town came in a plain color, I would have bought it.

To further widen the net, Bandai, other toy companies, and people should stop heavily gendering toys. Why can't boys raise, feed, bathe, or play with fluffy critters? Why is raising a virtual pet considered a female normative behavior? It's not like men can raise pets, or even children, on their own. Oh wait, they do. It's folly to assume that only girls enjoy caring for things; some girls don't even like it. All I'm saying is that boys and men should be able to raise a virtual pet if they want to and that they shouldn't have to deal with the super girly designs because frankly, even I find them ridiculous.

tl;dr- if you cast a wider net, you will catch more fish.

 
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I wouldn't have said it better than gbenz did, her comment is pretty much all I had to say xD

Not all girls like girly designs, and most boys definitely don't like them, it's not that there can't be girly designs, is that there should be more gender neutral ones, or at least variety

, look at the 4.5s for example, that version had boyish designs, girly designs and neutral designs so any kid would want to buy one.

If they stopped marketing Tamagotchis to girls and just did it to boys I bet lots of people would be upset, so this is pretty much the same :p

 
I guess, at the end of the day every collector would want to get one, albeit a girly or non-girly design. Perhaps they should have done some market research to find out what the people wants, via polls etc. I mean, it's not THAT difficult right?

Personally I find the Dream Town TF a tad girly but, like what some of the users, they modified their tamas by painting them etc. If you really want one, you can do it too.

It just boils down to, DO YOU WANT IT? Not an issue of it being girl/non-girly. (My opinion)

 
You can't market Tamagotchis in America like you do in Japan because there are vast cultural differences. Japan is a country that still adheres to strict gender roles but in America, it's not so cut and dry. At least I'd like to think so. There are girls who like traditionally male activities and there are boys who like traditionally female activities. And that's okay. In fact, that's great!

One of the reasons I will not be purchasing the new Tamagotchi Friends/Dream Town is because I personally find the designs overly girly and down right tacky. And guess what? I am a girl, a member of their current target audience, according to you. However I can see from the Friends/Dream town shell designs is that they're aimed towards younger girls which is why you get the super lacy and floral designs. But even though it's relatively cheap, its sales have "flopped." Why? Probably because their target audience was rather small because not many other demographic groups would like the designs that they produced. And it had terrible marketing, but that's not the point here.

Instead, they should have widened their target audience. I'm assuming most people who collect Tamagotchis are aged 15+ and have slightly more refined taste. That's the reason why the iD L's, P's, and 4U's have done better and it's not just because they've been on the market longer. The designs are still girly but they're simpler, more tasteful and this appeals to the older demographic groups that have more disposable income. If the Friend/Dream town came in a plain color, I would have bought it.

To further widen the net, Bandai, other toy companies, and people should stop heavily gendering toys. Why can't boys raise, feed, bathe, or play with fluffy critters? Why is raising a virtual pet considered a female normative behavior? It's not like men can raise pets, or even children, on their own. Oh wait, they do. It's folly to assume that only girls enjoy caring for things; some girls don't even like it. All I'm saying is that boys and men should be able to raise a virtual pet if they want to and that they shouldn't have to deal with the super girly designs because frankly, even I find them ridiculous.

tl;dr- if you cast a wider net, you will catch more fish.
-applause!- *can't tell if Sociology/Gender Studies major, or just super well spoken*

 
I guess, at the end of the day every collector would want to get one, albeit a girly or non-girly design. Perhaps they should have done some market research to find out what the people wants, via polls etc. I mean, it's not THAT difficult right?

Personally I find the Dream Town TF a tad girly but, like what some of the users, they modified their tamas by painting them etc. If you really want one, you can do it too.

It just boils down to, DO YOU WANT IT? Not an issue of it being girl/non-girly. (My opinion)
The sad thing about the market research is that I feel like they *tried* (because otherwise I'm not sure where they got the idea that their target audience is like elementary school girls) but failed to take into account that honestly, the appeal for these was great because almost everyone wanted one/had one. My mom always jokes that in the 90's when they came out, the parents were playing with them to try to keep them alive while the kids were at school and such. It wasn't just a children's toy, or just a girl's thing. I think they really narrowed down their potential audience for people unfamiliar with the toys, which is unfortunate.

Can you imagine a little boy asking his parents to buy him one though, and his parents being like "Oh no son, those are for girls," based on the color schemes, and now somebody who could have found a new hobby or something that makes them happy was limited. Even if they thought that Tamagotchi Friends Dream Town would appeal more to girls, they could have had like ONE neutral one in a line of 6 designs, you know?

 
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Can you imagine a little boy asking his parents to buy him one though, and his parents being like "Oh no son, those are for girls," based on the color schemes, and now somebody who could have found a new hobby or something that makes them happy was limited. Even if they thought that Tamagotchi Friends Dream Town would appeal more to girls, they could have had like ONE neutral one in a line of 6 designs, you know?
Yep, instead of making them all "girly" designs, they would have made better sales with an additional gender neutral color or design (I hope). And I know a lot of guys don't like the P's because of the glitters BUT at least they are plain colors which isn't that much of a turn off for them.

 
The white Dream Town with the coloured stripes is fairly neutral gender wise. It makes no difference though. The packaging would still be the same if they had a few more gender neutral designs. The aim would still be to collect Jewellery and the bulk of characters would still be fluffy and pastel.

In general terms it would still be a fairly 'girly' toy even if it was packed in a black box with football stickers and a free Tama Toy Gun.

To advertise to boys and girls Bandai need to overhaul the whole gameplay.

In fairness to Bandai America the Friends is the only series marketed to just girls so maybe the failure of it will see them going back to their gender neutral packaging (with more girly shells than 'male' ones if they must).

 
I strongly disagree with the notion that Tamagotchis should look plainer/less feminine. Most toy franchises are either aimed at boys or girls. Nowadays if the target audience isn't clear, it could cause problems. I always used to find Tamagotchis in the boys' toys section of stores. I find it odd that everyone thinks Tamagotchis shouldn't look girly. Feminine Tamagotchi fans exist. Tamagotchis are more likely to appeal to girls than to boys, but if they don't have girly shell designs, then they're losing the little girl audience.

Tamagotchi is a virtual pet where you feed, bathe, and play with cute, fluffy critters.

Does that sound like something for boys or girls? Boys can play with Tamagotchis, yes, but it's best to market the Tamagotchi towards girls because even just the characters and concept makes them seem girly.

Plus BanDai Japan markets Tamagotchi towards girls and is still successful, and thus BanDai America followed in a similar fashion.
Back then, it was originally for teenage girls to have an example to what it would be like to raise their own child someday.

And there are different colored shells, like red and blue, so there shouldn't really be a problem with the tama looking so "Girly".

 
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