Bandai America - "TechPet"

[Amat Gotchi]

I personally wouldn't want to get one because I don't have a smartphone and couldn't imagine paying that much for something like that. I'd prefer a Tamagotchi.

But I do see the appeal. It's very good technology (which really is what kids want) and is very cute and original.

I somehow doubt that these will really replace Tamagotchi. They've already got Tamagotchi L.i.f.e. for that.

The reason Bandai's items are unique, though, is that they're willing to take the plunge with new stuff. As we've seen, sometimes that's a good thing, sometimes it isn't. I don't think we should make any assumptions yet.

 

[TamaGuyJayy]

I think this is really cool! Even though not everybody has wants or can afford an iPhone like the above posts stated, I love it! A cute dog pet! New, too! I love the design, and why do you guys keep bashing BanDai? I want 5 proven answers of PROOF that it is replacing Tamas! All of you will not stop saying it is a replacement. Where on their website does it say that? Where does it say that? Nowhere So quit bashing BanDai, be thankful they made what they made. What if they had just abandoned the idea of Tamas from the start? They spent a TOn of money making and creating Tamas, they also gained a lot. Nobody knows for sure whether they gave up Tamas or not, but from recent emails to and from them, I dont think they are. Nobody here thinks about anything else!!! BanDai is NOT a Tama-only business They are allowed to make/help/create new products! So quit bashing them for making new things, alright? Gosh, guys. Be nice for once. Be thankful for what they made, and will make. Dont go bashing them, because what if they see this site one day, and this specific topic, and they get mad that you are bashing a product so they quit Tamas altogether? I know it is very unlikely, but it just makes me sick of when people bash things that people make and jump to conclusions. Please be nicer, guys. thanks for reading if you did...

tamagotchialice

we're still entitled to our opinions. you're all for the techpet, some of us others..not. personally i don't think it's a replacement, but considering that it involves the ipod touch/iphone, that creates a border for many of us. a lot of people like the crazy technology era we're headed into, but there's a big group of us who are anti-super-unnecessary technology.. tamagotchis aren't as super technology as iphone/touches. with those things you literally have the world in your hand. of course they're allowed to create what they want, market economy right?? only based on the like/dislike ratio here on the site, will it sell?? amongst the people who own an iphone/ipod touch, how many will get it?? i did see many discussing the whole age issue here. although i have seen little kids with iphones/ipod touches, is there really that many??

all i'm saying is..if it doesn't sell, then what does it mean for bandai considering the last tamagotchis either don't sell, or are pretty pricey, slowing down the profits.. we have a lot going on here at once. this money game isn't helping either..

 

[KlickBop]

Hahah.... Oh whoa.

So it's pretty much a poo-chi, except it won't function without a $500 phone on a contracted service.

No thank you.

I mean, I suppose you could always get a used iphone, but I'm not sure what the terms are for using it with the pet.

If you need a data connection, the phone will HAVE to have a clean esn, which rules out cheap used ones,

unless you want to be tethered at wifi points.

(Not that I go anywhere but work anyways)

Personally, I always found tamas more fulfilling than the robo pet counterparts.

I had the Polly robot. You could teach it to talk, feed it, it'd flap it's wings.

Lost interest in it right quick. Pets like that are almost always gimmicky, a cheap fix for a craving.

I had poo-chis as well, and they were neat, but didn't hold my interest for long.

Same with my furby, though admittedly furby held my attention for a bit because it would get up on its own sometimes and demand attention.

Just my opinion though.

 

[dazzilitchigirl]

I think this is really cool! Even though not everybody has wants or can afford an iPhone like the above posts stated, I love it! A cute dog pet! New, too! I love the design, and why do you guys keep bashing BanDai? I want 5 proven answers of PROOF that it is replacing Tamas! All of you will not stop saying it is a replacement. Where on their website does it say that? Where does it say that? Nowhere So quit bashing BanDai, be thankful they made what they made. What if they had just abandoned the idea of Tamas from the start? They spent a TOn of money making and creating Tamas, they also gained a lot. Nobody knows for sure whether they gave up Tamas or not, but from recent emails to and from them, I dont think they are. Nobody here thinks about anything else!!! BanDai is NOT a Tama-only business They are allowed to make/help/create new products! So quit bashing them for making new things, alright? Gosh, guys. Be nice for once. Be thankful for what they made, and will make. Dont go bashing them, because what if they see this site one day, and this specific topic, and they get mad that you are bashing a product so they quit Tamas altogether? I know it is very unlikely, but it just makes me sick of when people bash things that people make and jump to conclusions. Please be nicer, guys. thanks for reading if you did...

tamagotchialice

This is a replacement for Tamagotchi. Literally. The Tamagotchi section has been removed from their website and in the same place on their list of products, they've put this. If that's not a sign it's a replacement, I don't know what is.

I wouldn't care if they made this in addition to Tamagotchi. But it won't do as a replacement. Tamagotchi fans want Tamagotchi and that's all there is to it.

 

[robodog]

I think this is really cool! Even though not everybody has wants or can afford an iPhone like the above posts stated, I love it! A cute dog pet! New, too! I love the design, and why do you guys keep bashing BanDai? I want 5 proven answers of PROOF that it is replacing Tamas! All of you will not stop saying it is a replacement. Where on their website does it say that? Where does it say that? Nowhere So quit bashing BanDai, be thankful they made what they made. What if they had just abandoned the idea of Tamas from the start? They spent a TOn of money making and creating Tamas, they also gained a lot. Nobody knows for sure whether they gave up Tamas or not, but from recent emails to and from them, I dont think they are. Nobody here thinks about anything else!!! BanDai is NOT a Tama-only business They are allowed to make/help/create new products! So quit bashing them for making new things, alright? Gosh, guys. Be nice for once. Be thankful for what they made, and will make. Dont go bashing them, because what if they see this site one day, and this specific topic, and they get mad that you are bashing a product so they quit Tamas altogether? I know it is very unlikely, but it just makes me sick of when people bash things that people make and jump to conclusions. Please be nicer, guys. thanks for reading if you did...

tamagotchialice

You make a good point. We should be grateful to Bandai for the years of happiness they have brought us through Tamagotchi. But this tech pet product leaves many out in the cold. Not everyone has a smart phone and those that do may not want to use it for this purpose. I wouldn't. If this was something that did not require a phone I'd not only praise Bandai but be the first in line to purchase one. But it's not. I don't want to use an expensive phone as a toy. Had they gone the Furby route where it can be used with a phone but doesn't require one I'd love it. But as it is now I have no use for it.

 

[tamagotchialice]

This is a replacement for Tamagotchi. Literally. The Tamagotchi section has been removed from their website and in the same place on their list of products, they've put this. If that's not a sign it's a replacement, I don't know what is.

I wouldn't care if they made this in addition to Tamagotchi. But it won't do as a replacement. Tamagotchi fans want Tamagotchi and that's all there is to it.

People have to pay to run sites. What if they couldnt afford to place another tab for their website for Tamagotchi? Just because something doesn't show doesn't mean it isnt there. BanDai hasnt stopped production of Tamagotchi. If they did, I'm sure that somebody would of made a topic about BanDai sopping production, but there isnt. They made the P's, but nowhere does it say they will stop production, and nowhere does it say they will continue. They would of said something by now, but we all just have to keep waiting or somebody can email.

 

[KlickBop]

People have to pay to run sites. What if they couldnt afford to place another tab for their website for Tamagotchi? Just because something doesn't show doesn't mean it isnt there. BanDai hasnt stopped production of Tamagotchi. If they did, I'm sure that somebody would of made a topic about BanDai sopping production, but there isnt. They made the P's, but nowhere does it say they will stop production, and nowhere does it say they will continue. They would of said something by now, but we all just have to keep waiting or somebody can email.

I think they mean on the Bandai America site.

Bandai Asia made the P's, not Bandai America.

I *think* the last thing Bandai America put out tamagotchi related (other than the app and lifestyle products) was the Tama Go. Might be remembering wrong.

Which, they took away Tama Town from it, hinting at a "surprise" on the page alerting the users that Tama Town isn't available anymore.

(This is Bandai America's big surprise. No more tamas from them! Hooray!)

*heavy sarcasm lacing*

 

[elelia]

Look at those reviews

https://www.amazon.com/Tech-Pet-88646-Virtual/dp/B00A6WLI6M

 

[dazzilitchigirl]

Look at those reviews

https://www.amazon.com/Tech-Pet-88646-Virtual/dp/B00A6WLI6M

It's obvious from the reviews this toy will never be as successful as Tamagotchi was. It seems like it lacks creativity and is only for a VERY small audience (people who can afford it and have iPhones/iPods that fit). Tamagotchi was affordable, gender-neutral and age neutral (or it was until they messed it up with the Tama-Go). This is overpriced, and although it's gender-neutral, looks like it is not at all age neutral.

 

[tamatown123]

This may sound a little rude..but who would use an iPhone for a dog toy? I'd rather want the dog to have an ACTUAL FACE ON IT. Or, a Tamagotchi like face rather than putting our iPhone in it.

 

[robodog]

I don't think it's rude at all. I think you make a very good point. If the Tech pet was as you described it I'd buy several. As it is now I'd buy none.

 

[ichiro.malfoy]

I would actually enjoy this if it's completely operational and independent without an iPhone. (Because 1. I don't have one, 2. Can't afford one, and 3. Not getting one anytime soon). LOL

 

[elelia]

Has anyone noticed that it's not actually available for the IPhone 5.. so, lets get this straight..

The target market for this is people who love pets, have a iPhone or iPod Touch but NOT the newest model and they want to make their iPhone/iPod Touch unacessible everytime they want to use the toy...

That's going to work out well..

 

[robodog]

The more we find out the more it seems this is a very poorly planned product.

 

[dazzilitchigirl]

I think the reason you need to have an iPhone or iPod for it to work is because BanDai did not want to pay manufacturing costs for a product that may not sell well. They're having to pay enough to make the main body of the TechPet without having to add the controls for the pet, so they just left that to their customers. And the only way to do it was to require another product to be attached, namely an iPhone/iPod. And why Apple, not Android? Although Android is becoming popular, the majority of educational apps are on Apple products, so children are more likely to have access to them. I can't say how many times I've found a great app for learning Japanese or maths or whatever and it's only available on iOS.

 

[SamJJE101]

... I really cannot understand why people are drawing comparisons to this product and Tamagotchi.

As it's been stated, this is not a new nor revolutionary idea, similar products have been out in Japan for quite some time now.

Just because it's being made by Bandai America in the US, doesn't mean that it's a replacement for Tamagotchi. Everyone needs to realise that Tamagotchi is not all that Bandai America is/was about, it was simply one of their many product lines, so to assume that this is their new idea to replace Tamagotchi is just confusing to me. Besides, it's clear that Bandai have clearly decided to pass everything on to Sync Beatz with the new Tamagotchi L.I.F.E. campaign in the US, and have removed all trace of Tamagotchi from their Bandai.com website, and closed down the TamaTown servers.

If anything, this would be better suited to the Tamagotchi Cousins section.

As for the actual subject of discussion, I'm not a fan. Not because of the restriction (although that is unfortunate for those without iPhones or such, we are in the digital age, and they aren't expecting every person to buy one. But it's not such a jump to assume that someone that would be interested in a digital dog device to also possess such a phone), but just because I'm not interested in the concept. I prefer the small handheld digital pets. If I wanted a dog, I'd get a real one.

 

[SailorRosette]

You make a good point. As of now it does seem more fitting for tama-cousins Sam.

 

[HopeMcCarthyAuroraLovingtn]

I want one >.<

 

[dazzilitchigirl]

This is a replacement for Tamagotchi. Definitely. There is plenty of evidence.

• BanDai has not made any new Tamas or merchandise for 2 or 3 years which is very irregular since before then they were releasing Tamas fairly often
• All TamaTown servers have been suddenly closed down but the notice about it said "we look forward to sharing new news with you" which was obviously this thing
• The Tamagotchi section has been removed from the BanDai website and literally replaced with a TechPet section
• BanDai are giving indirect, vague responses to people's emails to them about new Tamagotchi releases

If this wasn't a replacement for Tamas and didn't require a phone, I'd definitely want one. It looks cute and a good idea. But it isn't and never will be as good as Tamas. I'm open to new interests, including virtual pets, but I'm not open to replacing things that are important to me.

 

[SamJJE101]

I'm sorry dazzilitchigirl, but I'm going to have to disagree with you there. What you have there is not evidence, but speculation.

1. There is a simple explanation for your first point. As far back as 1996, Bandai America have been basing their releases off Japanese ones. The P1 became the Generation 1, the Mori no Tamagotch became the Tamagotchi Ocean, etc. When Tamagotchi was relaunched back in 2004, the Tamagotchi Plus (Japan) became the Tamagotchi Connection (America). The V2 and V3 were different from the Keitai and Akai, yes, but this was because Bandai America didn't want to take that next technological step with the Mobile Phone access (instead they opted for codes and TamaTown on the V3), but even still the V2 and V3 used characters and concepts from a range of Japanese releases, and were modelled in design after the Plus and Keitai Tamagotchis. After that's, it's pretty obvious what they tried to do, by making American versions of each consecutive Japanese release. This stopped in 2008, when Bandai Japan made the Tamagotchi+Color. Bandai America didn't want to do this, so they made the Tamagotchi Music Star. That's the point in which sales of Tamagotchi in Japan began to increase (or at very least remain consistant), and sales of Tamagotchi in America began to decrease. The iD and iD L came in Japan, but all that Bandai America had to offer was another non-Color Tama-Go. The only reason that Bandai America stopped releasing Tamagotchis was because they knew that the only way to save the brand was to make a color screen one, and they did not want to do this. Nothing to do with paving the way for the TechPet.

2. This is really up to interpretation, but I took it as "we look forward to sharing new news with you" about Tamagotchi (Tamagotchi L.I.F.E.) and not about Bandai (TechPet). You may be right here though, but it still doesn't mean that it's a replacement, it's just good news for Bandai that they have a new product.

3. I don't really see the significance of this, it's a bit of a reach to be honest. The fact that Bandai have lost a product (Tamagotchi), therefore leaving room to add their new product (TechPet), proves nothing. What were they going to do, make a new section for TechPet and leave the former Tamagotchi one blank? Of course they would replace an old product with a new one. It's like saying if they lost Ben 10 and then gained a brand called "Kuddly Kittenz" (very bad product name, I know) that it was a replacement for Ben 10. Besides, it's called alphabetical order. TechPet is in the same spot as Tamagotchi used to be because they both begin with T, which comes after P for Power Rangers Megaforce.

4. This one made me chuckle a little. Bandai have been giving indirect, vague responses about Tamagotchi for many, many years now, even before the Tamagotchi Music Star was released, back in 2009.

...

Just because something is a virtual pet doesn't make it a Tamagotchi knock-off or replacement. This is not handheld, this is not able to evolve into a variety of crazy and loveable creatures, this is not remotely like a replacement for Tamagotchi. And, if it is intended to appeal to the Tamagotchi fans, then it's doing a very poor job of it. Tamagotchi fans do not want TechPet. Tamagotchi fans want Tamagotchi.

In my opinion, we won't be seeing anything like a Tamagotchi being released (by Bandai America at least) any time soon. Bandai America have clearly given the brand up to Sync Beatz, and they can't even make a Tamagotchi app without using their friends in Japan, so I doubt that they could make a new Tamagotchi release, let alone in color.