Virtual pets are an evolution of the life sim/raising sim genre of games, wherein players take care of an animal without most of the usual costs and responsibilities associated with caring for a living thing.
Usually associated with the Tamagotchi franchise, virtual pets have grown a niche but dedicated following of users who prefer the companionship of a digital pet over a real one. Newer technologies have led to the development of more sophisticated virtual pets across a multitude of platforms, catering to anyone and everyone looking for a digital companion.
The appeal of virtual pets lies in the unique blend of interactivity, responsibility, and nostalgia they offer. Owners form emotional attachments to their virtual companions, despite their purely digital existence. The sense of care and nurturing creates a virtual bond that mirrors the connection people have with real pets but without the risks that come with having a living animal. The convenience of having a relatively easy to maintain, cheap, pocket-sized companion also resonates with people who may be unable to care for a physical pet due to various constraints.
Take off of concept
Though there were a few rudimentary attempts at a virtual pet before it, the release of the Tamagotchi in 1996 was where the concept really took off and entered the mainstream. Created by the Japanese toy company Bandai, Tamagotchis are small, egg-shaped devices with a simple monochromatic screen that displays a pixelated creature.
Users had to keep their devices on them throughout the day, and were responsible for the well-being of their virtual pets, feeding them, playing with them, and ensuring they got enough rest. The success of Tamagotchi sparked a virtual pet craze, with various companies trying to cash in with their own virtual pets.
The fundamental design of the Tamagotchi required constant attention from users, as pets would d
ie in less than half a day without attention. As a result, kids would take their devices to school, and a minor moral panic spread in the west about Tamagotchis distracting kids from schoolwork and disrupting class. As a result, the explosive popularity of the franchise in the US was cut short with a nationwide ban of Tamagotchis from schools.
However, while they amounted to little more than a fad in the west, Tamagotchis are still a successful franchise in Japan, with multimedia adaptations like films and animated shows. Even the hugely popular Digimon series was a masculine counterpart to Tamagotchis made by Bandai.
Advance in technology
As technology has advanced, so too have virtual pets. Today, a myriad of virtual pet apps and games offer diverse experiences, catering to different preferences and interests. At the peak of virtual pet popularity, a lot of big monster or pet oriented franchises had a virtual pet spin-off or feature, such as Pokémon, Digimon, Hello Kitty or Dragon Quest.
Virtual Pet games were a key feature of Nintendo’s DS era of consoles, its touch screen capabilities allowing for more interactions with digital companions, a feature taken advantage of by games like Nintendogs, Petz and again, Pokémon.
Virtual pets don’t need to be restricted behind a screen anymore either. Many toy companies have tried their hand at physical artificial pets, such as the Furby. Created by Hasbro and popularized around the same time as Tamagotchis, Furbys could do a lot of what typical virtual pets couldn’t, such as talking, “eating”, and being petted. Robot dogs such as Sony’s AIBO were also marketed as artificial companions, and alternatives to real pets.
