Chicken News II

“Tamagocchi” or — “loveable egg” — is sweeping Japan. The initial production run of 350,000 games sold out in 38 days, and the producer is struggling to keep up with orders. Some shops that still had a supply were charging 50,000 yen (US$420) for the toy; the suggested retail price is 1,980 yen (US$16). The pocket video game, about the size and shape of an egg, takes up to 10 days to play. It begins with a chick hatching on the display screen, and the player must feed, pet, and clean up after it using commands entered on tiny buttons. Do a good job, and the chick grows up and, apparently, flies the coop. But if you don’t take good care of it, it dies. “It jumps up and down and looks really happy” when you do it right, a woman player said. A high school girl said the toy is “great because it teaches me to be a parent.” (Reuters) ...Great: a generation of high school girls is learning that successful parenting is a 10-day job, and if you fail you just press a button and begin again.