Virtual toys aim at young male market

Discount Store News, Feb 9, 1998

Forget about nurturing. Virtual pets are talking, playing and even fighting with each other.

Now they're boys toys.

Virtual pets was a top-performing toy in 1997 with retailers reporting outstanding sales from the egg-shaped electronic novelty on a key chain. Sold en masse from dump displays or from peg hooks at checkout, the parameters of the toy are being widened for 1998 to include more gaming functions and licenses, making virtual pets a full-fledged category that will be fully managed.

Virtual pets were introduced last May by both Bandai (Tamagotchi) and Tiger Electronics (Giga Pets) in headline-grabbing events. While most retailers thought the novelty toy would be a bright spot for the summer, few thought it would be a best seller at Christmas. Virtual pets were primarily a girls' toy that focused on nurturing. But boys loved the pets, too, and now the popular key chain pets are well into their second generation.

"Because of the new products, it is a category that has to be managed," said Fred Hurley, divisional vp, toys and seasonal at Hills.

The new products should be strong sellers during the first half of the year, providing a real boost to the boys' category, said Sal Vasta, senior vp and gmm for Kay-Bee. Vasta noted that for the new products to enjoy the same kind of sales success, they must be marketed correctly.

Playmates gave the industry a sampling of its promotional direction this spring when it offered Nano Fighters, the first virtual handheld game for boys in the virtual pets category. Playmates was the third company to venture into virtual pets with its Nano Pals, introducing it shortly after Tamagotchi and Giga Pets hit retail. It followed with Talking Nano Pals, the first talking virtual pet.

Nano Fighter got some heavy-hitting publicity when it hit the market in December; its debut featured boxing legend George Forman. The object of Nano Fighter is to raise, train and coach the fighter until it is 18 years old and can fight other Nano Fighters. It also can be linked with other fighters for elimination-style battles.

Giga Pets by Tiger is taking the whole category to another level with its new introductions. Tiger created an entire line of key chain games from its initial launch last year and has expanded the cast of characters to include popular licenses. Among the new additions are Dear Diary Giga Pet, a Digital Doggy pet with a nine-function electronic diary; Salem the Cat from Sabrina the Teenage Witch; Yoda from Star Wars; Barbie Cat and Dog; and Oreo, a virtual pet-like game in an Oreo cookie case.

In addition, Tiger is offering Giga Pets Plus, a pet with six to eight different characters and animals in each unit. And like Playmates, Tiger has introduced Giga Fighters, pets that can be linked together. These fighter games offer sound effects and a built-in night light.

For an added gaming dimension, Giga Fighters can be linked to a PC by way of a Tiger Link that allows owners to log onto a new Giga Pets Web site, www.gigapets.com, to unlock and download hidden characters and features for added play.

Other key chain games by Tiger include popular gaming characters from the 1970s, including Sonic the Hedgehog, Pong and Millipede.

Tamagotchi, the original virtual pet, is now available in monster form: Digimon, a linkable fighting game; and angel, with a touch-activated screen that permits players to earn angel power.