Does anyone else get the impression...

[redshoe]

...that closing VMK was a fairly sudden decision?

We just got not only a whole load of beautiful new items, but a new room. And not only THAT, but what about the checkers, the penny arcade and the magic shop? That seems like a LOT of trouble to go to for a game that will be closing in a matter of months.

 

[Pirate-Emery]

Nail meet Head.

 

[TLinden16]

I'm sure most of the folks who run VMK on a day to day basis had no idea that this was comeing. The people who made the decision to close VMK probably barely even spent any time on the game, and only say that it was costing them x number of dollars to keep it open.

 

[timber_dude]

I'm sure most of the folks who run VMK on a day to day basis had no idea that this was coming. The people who made the decision to close VMK probably barely even spent any time on the game, and only say that it was costing them x number of dollars to keep it open.

talked to a lady and a man and they said the decision makers don't play VMK

 

[redshoe]

Any way of finding out who these decision makers are, so that we can direct our requests right to them, or at least fairly close?

 

[timber_dude]

Any way of finding out who these decision makers are, so that we can direct our requests right to them, or at least fairly close?

The lady said uh I need to uh put you on hold and hung up with me when I asked that. I wan to find out HOST_Lily number I could be like hey bff whats up!

 

[Cheops]

...that closing VMK was a fairly sudden decision?

We just got not only a whole load of beautiful new items, but a new room. And not only THAT, but what about the checkers, the penny arcade and the magic shop? That seems like a LOT of trouble to go to for a game that will be closing in a matter of months.

TLinden16 is correct. Corporations, do not tell the people that will be effected (IE: do the work), until the last possible moment. I am sure Yavn, hosts and everyone else that work for VMK, were not told they decided to close until Monday. Most of us have worked for large corporations and been "slammed" with sudden corprate decisions, like layoffs, closings etc.

With that said. The entire staff at VMK were working on the assumption everything was as usual. They of course worked on new projects, quests and everything else. Of course Yavn had to write the newsletter. He also had to make it sound like it was a "New life for the people".

 

[Imagineer_Tech]

The lady said uh I need to uh put you on hold and hung up with me when I asked that. I wan to find out HOST_Lily number I could be like hey bff whats up!

Odds are she'll hang up too......

 

[SharkMeal]

Ouch BURN rofl!

 

[hightp]

This reminds me a lot of the 'Disney Magazine' fiasco a few years ago. Disney Magazine was, really, nothing more than a 72 page advertisement for all things Disney. Lots of glossy pictures of the parks and 'articles' about what the latest animated feature or park attraction was. The mag was only published a few times a year, then, just as suddenly (around the Disneyland 50th anniversery, I think), management pulled the plug. The Spring issue came out and it said it was the last issue. From what I understand, the staff was shocked. They had even prepared the articles for the next issue.

Once again, lots of people were very disappointed, but the magazine is now history.

My one thought is that if we manage to save VMK, what kind of effort will Disney put into it. If they thought, originally, it wasn't a money making venture, I doubt they'd put a lot of effort into updating and adding new things.

 

[CelebrationNM]

Once again, lots of people were very disappointed, but the magazine is now history.

My one thought is that if we manage to save VMK, what kind of effort will Disney put into it. If they thought, originally, it wasn't a money making venture, I doubt they'd put a lot of effort into updating and adding new things.

You make a really good point with this. It's pretty common for a company to allow things to go on per usual and annouce a change at the last minute. That being said, I don't think the decision itself was sudden at all, but part of the long-term plan for VMK's lifespan.

 

[Dizneemad]

I know it is not mega bucks, but how many people bought the VMK pins at the park for the pirate quest items, how many people just bought DVD's for the codes to gain VMK items. It was making them money and how legally would they stand on selling something under the pretence of you not actually getting anything now?

 

[TLinden16]

I know it is not mega bucks, but how many people bought the VMK pins at the park for the pirate quest items, how many people just bought DVD's for the codes to gain VMK items. It was making them money and how legally would they stand on selling something under the pretence of you not actually getting anything now?

Things like the rewards and the codes are bonuses. Even though people may have bought items to get the codes, what they were actually paying for were the pins and the DVD's--not the virtual items. So they got what they paid for.

 

[VMK_Mouse]

I know it is not mega bucks, but how many people bought the VMK pins at the park for the pirate quest items, how many people just bought DVD's for the codes to gain VMK items. It was making them money and how legally would they stand on selling something under the pretence of you not actually getting anything now?

Most people who used the DMR codes for virtual items would have purchased them anyway.

As for the pins, Disney trading pins are a very popular souvenir. Though people did purchase the pins with/for the virtual codes, the number of those pins sold compared to average pin sales would not even put a dent in their profit.

 

[hogwartsdropout]

This reminds me a lot of the 'Disney Magazine' fiasco a few years ago. Disney Magazine was, really, nothing more than a 72 page advertisement for all things Disney. Lots of glossy pictures of the parks and 'articles' about what the latest animated feature or park attraction was. The mag was only published a few times a year, then, just as suddenly (around the Disneyland 50th anniversery, I think), management pulled the plug. The Spring issue came out and it said it was the last issue. From what I understand, the staff was shocked. They had even prepared the articles for the next issue.

Once again, lots of people were very disappointed, but the magazine is now history.

My one thought is that if we manage to save VMK, what kind of effort will Disney put into it. If they thought, originally, it wasn't a money making venture, I doubt they'd put a lot of effort into updating and adding new things.

I loved that magazine! I still have a few copies of it. It totally feels like the same situation!

 

[Kasiks]

When they started promoting the other games on the main page, I was thinking into myself : I hope they dont do that to make us leave VMK and then they announced the closing of VMK -_-

 

[cteddiesgirl]

This reminds me a lot of the 'Disney Magazine' fiasco a few years ago. Disney Magazine was, really, nothing more than a 72 page advertisement for all things Disney. Lots of glossy pictures of the parks and 'articles' about what the latest animated feature or park attraction was. The mag was only published a few times a year, then, just as suddenly (around the Disneyland 50th anniversery, I think), management pulled the plug. The Spring issue came out and it said it was the last issue. From what I understand, the staff was shocked. They had even prepared the articles for the next issue.

Once again, lots of people were very disappointed, but the magazine is now history.

My one thought is that if we manage to save VMK, what kind of effort will Disney put into it. If they thought, originally, it wasn't a money making venture, I doubt they'd put a lot of effort into updating and adding new things.

The problem is that the company only looked on this as a short term project.
And every time they had something about VMK making money for them, they took it away so they could say they were losing money from it.
It's lasted far too long to have been only a 50th anniversary promotion.
It's basically about making money and I'm sure that VMK never made them a boatload of money that they could directly link to it.

They have failed to see what they really have and how it can be used. It still has not reached it full potential.

 

[Belle1997]

The problem is that the company only looked on this as a short term project.
And every time they had something about VMK making money for them, they took it away so they could say they were losing money from it.
It's lasted far too long to have been only a 50th anniversary promotion.
It's basically about making money and I'm sure that VMK never made them a boatload of money that they could directly link to it.

They have failed to see what they really have and how it can be used. It still has not reached it full potential.

I totally agreed I belief they built a cute little world that would encourage people to go see the real parks. What it became probably was not their intention. It really was another marketing tool.

It was aimed at kids 8-14 the primes age for first visits to Disney. With playing VMK how many were saying can we go plz can we go. Even if only a small few say 100 families it still is a marketing tool.

If the forum boards did not exist VMK probably would not be as strong as it became.

I wonder why Disney never asked real questions to the people who play like a pop message. They do this for DCL, and Disney.com.

Disney can blame all the complaints. Ibelieve good guest relations simple courtesy and better communications would have solved 80% of those complaints.

 

[TLinden16]

It's basically about making money and I'm sure that VMK never made them a boatload of money that they could directly link to it.

They have failed to see what they really have and how it can be used. It still has not reached it full potential.

To be honest, I'd be surprised if VMK made them any money. Even if people who wouldn't otherwise have bought pins bought them, there wouldn't be much money made on them. Certainly not enough to pay for staff salaries and the technology used to run the game. The pins are really the only direct item sold for the game.

I know some people have said that they bought movies, or made trips because of VMK, and even if we each made one family trip to Disney a year since it started, and bought a few movies, it's still not going to bring in enough revenue to pay staff salaries and run the game.

And beyond that, look at how demanding we have been of this game as a free game. Can you imagine what the expectations would be if we had to pay to play it?

I agree that Disney failed to reach the full potential of this game, but then again, they did have VMK centrals in Disneyland and Disney World for two years, and they did have ads in their publications for it. So, they did do more marketing for it than we are giving it credit for right now. Maybe to them, it doesn't have the potential of the other games in an online gaming market.

 

[BayKid]

we have no idea when any of this stuff was actually started on or made...i mean look at the stuff that has never been released, like the people mover cart, flying magic, etc....so this new stuff might have been waiting a while and yavn figured he'd just throw it all out there as a last "bang".....