The Tamagotchi King of TamaTown.com Hosts Ribbon Cutting Ceremony to Unveil Exciting New Destinations in His Online Kingdom

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The celebration continues at TamaTown.com, the new exclusive online destination for fans of Bandai America Incorporated's Tamagotchi Connection Version 3 – the latest and most dynamic version of the world’s first and most popular "virtual pet" toy.

The famed Tamagotchi King has maintained a very busy schedule engaged in his many royal duties, such as kicking off a new year at the Tamagotchi Town elementary school, hosting a movie premiere at the TamaTower Theater, and cutting the grand opening ribbon at the International Food Court. In addition, His Royal Majesty recently found time to help Bandai America unveil a fresh collection of fun design styles for its top-selling Tamagotchi virtual pet, as well as debut new "Gotchi Gear" products that let kids accessorize their eggs with fun charms, lanyards and character plush lanyards.

"With the support of the King and our most loyal fans, Tamagotchi Connection continues to be the hottest virtual pet around, which is why we're unveiling a total of 24 design styles in 2006 – the most in one year," said Michael Riley, vice president of marketing for Bandai America. "Kids of all ages should stay tuned to Tamagotchi.com to learn more about all of the exciting expansions we have in store for TamaTown.com. as well as the exclusive promotions we’re launching in the summer and coming fall."

The new "Gotchi Gear" line includes colorful lanyards, or Tama Leashes, with a miniature character figure attached; three-in-one Charms that feature smaller versions of Mametchi, Memetchi or Kuchipatchi, along with collectible items commonly found in Tamagotchi Town; and 3.5" Pet Pouches that are shaped like individual characters and are perfect for carrying an egg around anywhere (includes a matching lanyard as well). For the ultimate fashion statement, simply attach them all to backpacks, purses, cell phones, belt loops and even your virtual pet.

And coming in mid-July, Bandai America is hosting its first-ever "fan's choice" by calling on all Tamagotchi lovers to help select a new design that will debut at retail stores in January 2007. Anyone can log onto Tamagotchi.com throughout July-August to participate in the voting. The winning style will then be unveiled by His Royal Majesty in October, to coincide with a special ceremony that he is holding to honor the occasion.

The advanced Tamagotchi Connection Version 3 arrived in early 2006 and introduced fans to Tamagotchi Town, where one could explore the magical world of Mametchi, Memetchi, Kuchipatchi and all their friends. While using "Gotchi Points" and special passwords, visitors can go online to shop at the mall, visit with their pet's parents and grandparents, receive a map and keys to the city in the Town Hall, and even travel the world to exotic destinations. And the response could not be more overwhelming with more than 50,000 daily visitors to TamaTown.com since the site's launch.