How exactly does one become a Tamagotchi breeder?

February 15, 2023 5:44 AM

The Tamagotchi Breeder on Her 65th Generation of the Digital Pet [Vice Gaming] ““Every morning, I wake them up, I check to see if they’re hungry, then I clean up if they’ve pooped,” she says. “I give them a bath, then I clean their homes or play with them.” Kostoglou isn’t talking about her kids or puppies, but about her Tamagotchis. She’s currently taking care of four at a time, the devices placed in both her hand. [...] Kostoglou, however, is a pro: These are actually the great-great-grandchildren of her original Tamagotchi pets. As a Tamagotchi breeder, her goal isn’t simply to keep her creatures alive – she marries them off once they’ve reached adulthood, and then makes sure they have children so those can grow up and procreate, too. Kostoglou’s personal record so far is 65 generations in a row.”
posted by Fizz (10 comments total)

(Shades of Ted Chiang!)
posted by Insert Clever Name Here at 6:06 AM on February 15, 2023 [2 favorites]

I could look down at this but then I remember all of the time I spent trying to make a sourdough starter and keep it alive and ... well ... hobbies are hobbies. I'm glad she has one she loves.

(I switched to Lahey's no-knead bread for my weekly bread baking and never looked back.)
posted by kimberussell at 6:11 AM on February 15, 2023 [2 favorites]

I kind of love this. And anyone could be one! Don't really get the title...
posted by tiny frying pan at 6:18 AM on February 15, 2023

Maybe it was meant as a how to sorry!
posted by tiny frying pan at 6:29 AM on February 15, 2023

Launched in 1996 by Japanese toy manufacturer Bandai, Tamagotchis are digital pets living inside an egg-shaped device. They took the world by storm in the early 2000s – every kid wanted one, and every kid killed theirs at least a million times.

Wait, did they come *back* in the 2000s? I remember them when they first released in 97-98 (in the states), and thought they had kind of died down after a year or two..
posted by FatherDagon at 6:59 AM on February 15, 2023 [1 favorite]

They were still making new kinds in the 2000s, at least in Japan, as I recall...
posted by tiny frying pan at 8:44 AM on February 15, 2023

Honestly, it does sound like it's taking over her life a bit, but the knit tamagotchi cozy won me over. It's like the sweetest possible thing.
posted by phooky at 8:49 AM on February 15, 2023 [2 favorites]

Wait, did they come *back* in the 2000s?

My daughter wanted one, but got a 'knockoff' one, somewhere around her birthday in 2001 or 2002; it died quickly and migrated to the bottom of her toybox relatively soon thereafter.
posted by AzraelBrown at 9:09 AM on February 15, 2023

Cute story (and even cuter knit cozies!), and I hope she's able to find a healthy balance in her life. Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to go take my Pokemon for a walk. (Blissey wants a berry!)
posted by xedrik at 10:54 AM on February 15, 2023

My kid took an interest in Tamagotchis after watching "Turning Red". We deliberately got a knock-off one that lets you choose your creature's appearance (dog, rabbit, etc). I think it found its way to the bottom of the toybox in less than a month.
posted by Phssthpok at 12:15 PM on February 15, 2023