This is an old revision of this page, as edited by Oliver Pereira (talk | contribs) at 06:46, 9 June 2003 ("90's" -> "1990s" and other minor changes). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.
Revision as of 06:46, 9 June 2003 by Oliver Pereira (talk | contribs) ("90's" -> "1990s" and other minor changes)(diff) ← Previous revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff)A digital pet also known as a Virtual Pet is a simple computer designed to simulate a pet. The computer is usually housed in a small, egg-shaped plastic container, and the image of the "pet" is displayed on a simple black and white screen. Three or four buttons allow the user to perform different tasks, such as feed the pet, play games with it, or wash it. When the pet is unsatisfied, it beeps.
The user's "goal" in maintaining the digital pet is to keep the virtual animal alive as long as possible, and in most models, to make it grow into the best "adult" form.
The two most popular digital pet brands were Tamagotchi and Neopets.
Digital pets created a massive fad in Japan, where they originated, and to a lesser extent in the United States during the late 1990s.