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It turned out to be an international smash hit that just eight months after the first virtual pet hit the market, its maker Bandai Ltd. reported that as of Tuesday, July 15, 1997, 10 million ``virtual pets'' have been shipped from its factories . Sold at 1,980 yen (dlrs 17) in Japan, the egg-sized toy, known widely as the ``Tamagotchi,'' made its debut on the domestic market last November, and the hand-held video game even became an international craze. (KEYSTONE/AP Photo/Kyodo)