News
PlayPhone targets Tamagotchi success
Stuart O'Brien in Orlando Mar 28 2007, 7:15pm
PlayPhone and Bandai expect to sell 100,000 units of their pre-paid Tamagotchi phone within 12 months of its July launch in the US.
The device comes pre-loaded with a raft of Bandai content, including Bandai's classic virtual pet game, with users able to exhange airtime for more downloads (from tamaphone.com).
The web, WAP, community and content provision elements of the package were put together by PlayPhone, with Cingular providing the airtime and Motorola the V190 handset.
Speaking to ME, PlayPhone CEO Ron Czerny said the company is in discussions to create similar branded pre-paid packages with other content publishers.
"The Tamagotchi phone is the first of what will be a series of products from us this year," said Czerny. "We think 100,000 units in 12 months is acheivable and we'll be doing it at a fraction of the cost incurred by the big MVNOs in the market."
PlayPhone is counting on the popularity of Tamagotchi to drive it towards its target - the original game has sold 40 million units worldwide, with more than 12 million in the US and Canada.
