Modern Warfare's new 'Tomogunchi' is a cute digital pet that feeds on death

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The latest bit of gadgetry to come to Call of Duty: Modern Warfare is neither a gun, nor a bomb, nor a swanky bit of electronic guffola that enables you to see bad guys through walls, at which point you can blow them into sticky bits with guns and bombs. No, it is fact a Tamagotchi, one of those little digital pets that you wear on your wrist, play with for a few minutes, and then forget about until it starves.

Tamagotchi is a trademarked term, though, so what we've got here is actually a Tomogunchi, "a nesting device that houses the most realistic artificial intelligence ever witnessed in a Rothwynn Industries wrist-based product."

"Utilizing the latest advancements in pixel-based monochromatic liquid crystal display technology, your Tomogunchi’s 'home' is a durable watch, machine-crafted from the finest non-biodegradable plastic designed to provide you with the most immersive pet-based, combat-related experience ever seen," Activision said. "Do YOU have the nurturing aptitude to keep your Tomogunchi alive? Will your new friendly creature become well-fed and thrive? Or will it freak out and eventually die due to inattention? That’s all up to YOU."

To be perfectly clear, the Tomogunchi is not a real product (nor is Rothwynn a real company), but it is a real interactive cosmetic that you can buy through the in-game store. It was actually revealed last summer, but only became available today.

As for what it does, it's basically a Tamagotchi adapted for Call of Duty. You'll need to keep it alive and happy after it hatches, just like the real thing, but instead of pushing a button to feed it you'll need to sate its hunger with kills, objective completions, killstreaks, and wins. The opposite can also happen: Poor performance will result in your Tomogunchi growing sad, or even dead.

The blog post hints very strongly that different forms of Tomogunchi pets are available, and that they contain secrets to be unearthed—but that's something you'll have to figure out on your own, if you're interested. The Tomogunchi is available for 1000 MW points, which translates into $10 in real money.

Andy has been gaming on PCs from the very beginning, starting as a youngster with text adventures and primitive action games on a cassette-based TRS80. From there he graduated to the glory days of Sierra Online adventures and Microprose sims, ran a local BBS, learned how to build PCs, and developed a longstanding love of RPGs, immersive sims, and shooters. He began writing videogame news in 2007 for The Escapist and somehow managed to avoid getting fired until 2014, when he joined the storied ranks of PC Gamer. He covers all aspects of the industry, from new game announcements and patch notes to legal disputes, Twitch beefs, esports, and Henry Cavill. Lots of Henry Cavill.