From the original Tamagotchi to Neopets and Nintendogs, there’s a long history of people forming emotional connections with pets that only exist on a screen. It’s not hard to see the appeal: all the belly rubs, nuzzles and sense of being needed you get from a doe-eyed animal companion, with none of its messier realities. So when Niantic, having racked up over a billion downloads with Pokémon Go, looks to repeat the trick, it’s worth paying attention.
Releasing on May 9 for iOS and Android, puts an AR spin on the Tamagotchi formula, allowing you to hatch, raise, and care for a digital ‘Peridot’ – or ‘Dot’ for