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- The Story of Tamagotchi & The Babysitter
-
- Long ago, there was a little creature called Tamagotchi, who came in a
- box, with lots of his friends, from Japan.
-
- Soon after they arrived in the UK, the creatures all split up to
- explore different parts of the country, living in department stores
- and computer shops.
-
- People, who were attracted to them by their colourful coats and the
- tendancy to always wanting attention, were soon adopting these
- colourful creatures into their own lives.
-
- Humans then found their real mission in life - to take over the world.
- No matter how hard they tried, they found it hard to put down these
- cute colourful creatures from the land of Sake and Karaoke.
-
- These creatures had a great trick to captivating the human's
- attention. If you did not devote your life to them, and be their
- slave, they would die, only to be reincarnated as themselves shortly
- afterwards. The humans, who were by this time devoted followers of
- this strange race of beings, were powerless against them.
-
- Record attempts were soon staged to see who could look after their
- creature the longest. The record started, of course, in their
- homeland, when a boy managed to tend for one for an amazing 58 days
- before it died of old age, presumably (or until the batteries ran
- out!).
-
- All this will now change, as two British companies have joined forces
- to defeat this evil foe.
-
- Priestman Goode & the Cambridge Design Partnership have come up with a
- cunning plan. They plan to make a "Robot babysitter" which will tend
- for the creature while you are away from it.
-
- What you do is simple - place the creature in the babysitters arms and
- play with it as normal, pressing the buttons as you usually would.
- The babysitter will then learn how you tend the creature and take
- over, usinng small motors to push the buttons on the creature, when
- you are away. There is also a microphone which will listen for the
- creature crying when it has not been tended for enough, ensuring 24
- hour nursing.
-
- The two companies are looking for somebody to manufacture the device,
- which they plan to sell to the Japanese before Christmas. The
- babysitter is multi talented as well, as it can also look after other
- virtual pets, and not just the ones from the Bandai family.
-
- These virtual pets, or "Electronic Vermin" as they have been called in
- some circles, were banned in Singapore schools after pupils'
- schoolwork was suffering. In Japan, businessmen have been known to
- employ "Tamagotchi sitters" to look after their pets while they work.
-
- Stephen Graham
- 16 August 1997
-
- Sources: The Sunday Times 10.08.97 - Innovation Section
-
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