Tamagotchi on your mobile!

11 December 2001
Written by Kinny Cheng


Remember the time, a few years back, that there were these little egg-shaped devices that had a tiny screen on there showing a creature that one tries to keep alive by attending to it now and then?  Boy, hasn’t that been a while… and I can’t even remember where I put mine! :) 

Interests in these so-called virtual pets (or Tamagotchi) didn’t really last that long – but it did cause a hype once it became available all over the world.  There were products that followed which tried to copy the concept… but they disappeared quickly as well.

Now, in the UK, the virtual pet excitement may be starting all over again with the release of Pumpui (what a name!) – wicked pocket pets bred and fed from your mobile phone.  On top of being able to only feed and play with a Pumpui pet, it can now interact with other pets via sending items to them and also play with a variety of toys you give it.

The Pumpui concept works by using SMS as a method of communications – where you can send a message from your mobile to acquire, feed and play, and buy virtual toys for it to play with.  From the other end, the Pumpui pet can send you messages telling you how it’s feeling and so on.

So is Pumpui coming to Australia?  Probably not… but it is food for thought for some who may want to develop similar applications supported by available services on our mobile networks, such as SMS (which is, of course, available in Australia). 

Related links:
Pumpui web site