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Virtual pet-raising gamesVirtual pet-raising games become new rage in toy market. Games that let users raise a digital pet on-screen are seeing soaring sales in the toy market which was, until recently, dominated by video games. Toy makers are now vying to develop new varieties of such games, following the lead of Bandai Co., whose Tamagotchi game has become a smash hit with teenage girls. Tamagotchi, priced at 1,980 yen, is an egg-shaped device with a small screen and a few buttons. A user can raise a chicken on the screen by pressing the buttons to give it virtual nourishment. Bandai will market a new version of the game in early February. The looks and character of the chicken change depending on the way the user raises it. Casio Computer Co. and other firms, meanwhile, are selling digital pet-raising software that run on personal digital assistants and game machines. "We have bought large volumes of such games but are already out of stock," said a spokesperson for Kiddyland, a major Tokyo toy retailer. Copyright 1997 Nihon Keizai Shimbun, Inc., all rights reserved. |
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