What Are Hatchimals? Why the Hottest Toy This Season Is (Literally) Flying Off Shelves

Pokemon GO is so last summer. There’s a new toy craze sweeping the globe and it doesn’t involve users turning into mindless zombies and walking into traffic or off cliffs.

Meet Hatchimals, the hottest toy this holiday season that’s so popular, it’s become almost impossible to buy.

If you are unfamiliar with this bizarre but totally adorable creature that is driving parents around the world crazy as they scramble to buy them before Santa arrives, a Hatchimal is like a sophisticated hybrid of a Furbie and Tamagotchi, according to The Independent.

Also Read: Dwayne Johnson Plays Live-Action Pokemon GO With Daughter for Halloween (Video)

Coming in bright neon colors, the birdlike pets are purchased while still incubating in their egg and only hatch (hence the name, get it?) when they’ve been played with by their owner enough.

The more it is played with, the faster it hatches and develops, going through the normal stages of development like a child. Each Hatchimal is unique so the birthing experience is different for each one, according to the official website.

Once it reaches the child stage, it can then be taught to talk and walk or spin (Warning: A spinning Hatchimal may cause dizziness).

The creatures are designed to look like penguins, koalas and dragons, and come as part of the Pengualas or Draggles families.

Also Read: Look How 'Pokemon Go' Has Out-Grossed 'Star Trek Beyond' and Other Summer Hits (Chart)

The concept sounds simple enough, but it is obsessively appealing to kids, and Hatchimals have been flying off shelves both in the U.S. and the U.K. since the line was launched earlier this month. Toys ‘R’ Us, Target and Walmart have already sold out, and manufacturer Spinmaster had to release a statement apologizing for the shortage in eggs.

“The consumer response to Hatchimals has been extraordinary, exceeding all expectations,” it said on the official website, explaining that a new batch is expected in early 2017.

Hatchimals retail at $59.99 but are now being sold for over three times that amount on eBay.

Also Read: 'Pokemon Go' Player Shot at San Francisco's Fisherman's Wharf

Read the full message from Spinmaster below:

The consumer response to Hatchimals has been extraordinary, exceeding all expectations. Some of our first shipments have already sold out. While additional product will hit retail shelves in November, we anticipate this inventory will also sell out quickly. We have increased production and a whole new batch of Hatchimals will be ready to hatch in early 2017.

This is a special season and we don’t want anyone to be disappointed, nor do we support inflated prices from non-authorized resellers. We are working on creative solutions to help kids and their parents withstand the wait. In the interim, some retailers are developing pre-sale and/or rain-check programs for redemption in January. We will continue to update with program details as they become available.

If you’re lucky enough to get your hands — we mean, your kids’ hands — on a Hatchimal, here’s a handy video on how to play with it.

9 Stories That Show The Dark Side of 'Pokemon Go' (Photos)

"Pokemon Go" has brought kids and their parents together, brought a sales boost to many small businesses that suddenly became PokeStop locations and restored Pokemon to the mainstream cultural dominance it enjoyed during its heyday in the late 90s. But for every story of mass gatherings and unexpected new friendships formed, there's also been reports of gamers' Pokemon quests gone horribly wrong. Just remember to use caution when out and about collecting Pokemon.
Niantic
Shortly following the game's release, a 19-year-old in Riverton, Wyoming discovered a dead body while searching for water Pokemon along the Big Wind River. Other gamers have reported finding dead bodies while hunting for Pokemon off the beaten path.
ABC 10 Wyoming
Reports also surfaced of criminals using the game to find popular PokeStops with the aim of mugging unsuspecting gamers who pass by. In O'Fallon, Missouri, police arrested teenage boys who had robbed several "Pokemon Go" users. The suspects were charged with first degree armed robbery.

Missouri State Police
A similar robbery occurred on July 18, when a tourist from New Hampshire was hunting for Pokemon in Central Park and was held at gunpoint by two men. Police later tracked down the suspects using the victim's Find My iPhone app. Central Park has become a popular spot for New York "Pokemon Go" users, with large groups of gamers traveling together to find rare Pokemon.
In Ontario, Canada, a woman was arrested on assault charges after shooting a pellet gun from the roof of her apartment at a group of people playing the game.
Niantic
In Flagler County, Florida, a man fired gunshots at two teenagers who parked in front of his house after midnight when they discovered Pokemon on his street. The teenagers were not injured, though the gunshots left bullet marks on the vehicle and punctured one of the tires.
Niantic
"Pokemon Go" has inspired fans to go out and meet new people to hunt Pokemon with, but sometimes those meetups can take a nasty turn. In British Columbia, a 19-year-old woman met up with a 31-year-old man to play the game, only to end up calling the police after the man made sexual advances towards her.
PokeDates
On July 28, an Australian Pokemon trainer crashed his car into a school building in Melbourne after he lost control of the vehicle while attempting to catch a Pokemon. Fortunately, no one was injured in the crash.
Niantic
A comic book artist in San Jose, California was attacked by a man with a knife while playing the game, sustaining a severe wound that required fifteen stitches. The victim told NBC Bay Area that his attacker thought he was recording him with his phone and didn't believe him when he explained he was just trying to catch Pokemon. He says the attack did not reduce his passion for the game.
NBC Bay Area
A few days after the San Jose attack, a student from San Joaquin Delta College was shot and killed while playing "Pokemon Go" near Fisherman's Wharf in San Francisco. Police are still investigating the incident.
Creative Commons

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Have fun playing ”Pokemon Go,“ but make sure you stay safe while doing so

"Pokemon Go" has brought kids and their parents together, brought a sales boost to many small businesses that suddenly became PokeStop locations and restored Pokemon to the mainstream cultural dominance it enjoyed during its heyday in the late 90s. But for every story of mass gatherings and unexpected new friendships formed, there's also been reports of gamers' Pokemon quests gone horribly wrong. Just remember to use caution when out and about collecting Pokemon.

View In Gallery

9 Stories That Show The Dark Side of 'Pokemon Go' (Photos)

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