DEEP DIVE

The tale of Talking Tom

Who can resist gaming’s chattiest cat?

Talking Tom, the kid-friendly star of over a dozen games and his own animated series, has diverse talents. He races jet skis and chases robbers. He eats cupcakes and plays dress-up. But how did he come to be? Here’s the inside scoop on the chattiest cat to grace your iPhone and iPad.

After a busy day in My Talking Tom 2, your kitty’s ready to be tucked in.

Humble roots

Unlike most hit videogame characters, Talking Tom wasn’t actually designed by his developer, Outfit7.

Back in 2009, studio co-founder Samo Login was full of game ideas but had no artists on staff yet. So he turned to the internet, where he found an online marketplace selling a 3D model of a tall gray cat with a fuzzy white belly.

When you least expect it, Talking Tom Gold Run whisks you into the sky and back again.

After purchasing it for 90 USD, the team integrated the model into the franchise’s first game, Talking Tom Cat. That’s the one where you talk to Tom through your device’s microphone and he repeats what you say back to you in a high-pitched voice.

The game was a huge hit.

And who knows? If Login had picked a different model (a frog and trash can were also options, the devs recall) we might be playing Talking Toad or Gabbing Garbage instead.

Palling around

In most of his games, Tom’s surrounded by pals, a few of whom have their own spin off adventures. His posse includes girlfriend Angela (who dreams of becoming a singer), best friend Ben (a brilliant dog), plus buddies Ginger and Hank.