bopper
Which way to the Hundred Acre Woods
- Joined
- Oct 22, 2004
- Messages
- 2,696
Please Save Disney's On-Line Game Virtual Magic Kingdom
Dear Bob:
I would like to bring to your attention a situation that you may have some impact on.
I am a faithful player of Disney's online game, Virtual Magic Kingdom (VMK). I heard about it back in May of 2005, and started playing. I have recently been informed that VMK is being cancelled.
I have to tell you that this broke my heart. Why?
I have been playing this game almost every day for 3 years. In all on-line role playing games, you have the same goals: To acquire virtual "stuff" and to acquire your in-game friends. Can you imagine playing a game and building your virtual rides and rooms and all of taken away? For example, in Club Penguin, imagine you started playing and then after awhile they just said "Thanks, that's all now. All those games you played to get in-game credits? Too bad." And all your friends? We are told that we are not to contact our VMK players outside of VMK. Good online safety. But now you are telling us you are taking away all our virtual friends?
VMK also keeps me immersed in "all things Disney." We love the family-friendly aspect of it...in fact my husband, me, and my 11 year old and 14 year old all played the game. But now it will be gone.
On the VMK home page, it says that VMK was only supposed to be a promotion and that is why they are closing it down. Well why didn't you tell us? Why not say this game will only last for three years so don't get too invested? Why have new virtual items for sale and new games and quests continuously if it was just going to stop?
You might ask, "It's a free game, what do you want us to do?"
But as you said, it was to promote Disney. I can tell you all the money I spent on Disney products as a result of VMK.
1) Trips to Walt Disney World. I remember in 2005 when my husband I were talking about where to go on vacation, I immediately suggested Disneyworld as I wanted to do some of the in-park quests that allowed you to get park-specific virtual items for VMK.
2) Stays in the Disneyland hotels. My husband had some business trips to the L.A. area, and he went early and stayed in a Disneyland Hotel just to get the virtual "Stitch" items for VMK. They are still very rare in the VMK economy.
3) Disney Movie Rewards. I feel stupid now, but we bought a few more DVDs than we would have to get Disney Movie Rewards to get exclusive items for VMK.
4) Pins: I feel really really really stupid now, but just on Monday April 7th 2008, I went to Epcot as I was in town for a business trip. I bought some of the real-life VMK pin sets for both the pins and the virtual codes to get more VMK items.
5) In park merchandise. With purchase of real items, you get some virtual items. I have a set of gold ears. I also have a set of virtual gold ears! I have some pins, and virtual Penny Press that I got with the purchase. I have a Splash Mountain Photo, and the virtual Wanted Poster. I have some magic tricks, and a Magic Mirror. Would I have bought all that without the VMK bonus? No, I wouldnt have. Those magic tricks are sitting in a closet.
Can I have my money back please? I spent money on Disney items to get VMK items as well as the physical items. But I no longer get the benefit of the VMK codes related to those items. I feel that you have reneged on your implied contract with us.
Now you say, hey, why don't you play one of our Pay to Play games? So you want me to abandon all that I have worked for in VMK, all the items and rooms and clothing I have worked hard for, even paid for with my real life purchase, and now pay for the privilege to start all over? No thanks.
Why would I pay money if you can close down the games at any time? Clearly you are in control and we never know when you will close down an online game.
And truly, I cannot imagine Walt Disney shutting down a family friendly virtual Disney Experience with hardly any notice and causing such bad feelings about Disney.
WWWD? What would Walt Do?
You may say that VMK costs money. You never gave us the opportunity to pay for VMK. I would say that I already paid for it with what I bought from Disney. Even so, I would pay to keep what I have acquired in VMK. All the items, all the friends. All the Disney fun. But you say, throw it way. Who cares. Too bad. Not our problem. Your fault for getting invested in a Disney online experience. Wasnt supposed to last anyway.
Just a promotion. Didnt you know?
Please, we beg you, let VMK stay, even if we have to pay.
-ppiglett
Dear Bob:
I would like to bring to your attention a situation that you may have some impact on.
I am a faithful player of Disney's online game, Virtual Magic Kingdom (VMK). I heard about it back in May of 2005, and started playing. I have recently been informed that VMK is being cancelled.
I have to tell you that this broke my heart. Why?
I have been playing this game almost every day for 3 years. In all on-line role playing games, you have the same goals: To acquire virtual "stuff" and to acquire your in-game friends. Can you imagine playing a game and building your virtual rides and rooms and all of taken away? For example, in Club Penguin, imagine you started playing and then after awhile they just said "Thanks, that's all now. All those games you played to get in-game credits? Too bad." And all your friends? We are told that we are not to contact our VMK players outside of VMK. Good online safety. But now you are telling us you are taking away all our virtual friends?
VMK also keeps me immersed in "all things Disney." We love the family-friendly aspect of it...in fact my husband, me, and my 11 year old and 14 year old all played the game. But now it will be gone.
On the VMK home page, it says that VMK was only supposed to be a promotion and that is why they are closing it down. Well why didn't you tell us? Why not say this game will only last for three years so don't get too invested? Why have new virtual items for sale and new games and quests continuously if it was just going to stop?
You might ask, "It's a free game, what do you want us to do?"
But as you said, it was to promote Disney. I can tell you all the money I spent on Disney products as a result of VMK.
1) Trips to Walt Disney World. I remember in 2005 when my husband I were talking about where to go on vacation, I immediately suggested Disneyworld as I wanted to do some of the in-park quests that allowed you to get park-specific virtual items for VMK.
2) Stays in the Disneyland hotels. My husband had some business trips to the L.A. area, and he went early and stayed in a Disneyland Hotel just to get the virtual "Stitch" items for VMK. They are still very rare in the VMK economy.
3) Disney Movie Rewards. I feel stupid now, but we bought a few more DVDs than we would have to get Disney Movie Rewards to get exclusive items for VMK.
4) Pins: I feel really really really stupid now, but just on Monday April 7th 2008, I went to Epcot as I was in town for a business trip. I bought some of the real-life VMK pin sets for both the pins and the virtual codes to get more VMK items.
5) In park merchandise. With purchase of real items, you get some virtual items. I have a set of gold ears. I also have a set of virtual gold ears! I have some pins, and virtual Penny Press that I got with the purchase. I have a Splash Mountain Photo, and the virtual Wanted Poster. I have some magic tricks, and a Magic Mirror. Would I have bought all that without the VMK bonus? No, I wouldnt have. Those magic tricks are sitting in a closet.
Can I have my money back please? I spent money on Disney items to get VMK items as well as the physical items. But I no longer get the benefit of the VMK codes related to those items. I feel that you have reneged on your implied contract with us.
Now you say, hey, why don't you play one of our Pay to Play games? So you want me to abandon all that I have worked for in VMK, all the items and rooms and clothing I have worked hard for, even paid for with my real life purchase, and now pay for the privilege to start all over? No thanks.
Why would I pay money if you can close down the games at any time? Clearly you are in control and we never know when you will close down an online game.
And truly, I cannot imagine Walt Disney shutting down a family friendly virtual Disney Experience with hardly any notice and causing such bad feelings about Disney.
WWWD? What would Walt Do?
You may say that VMK costs money. You never gave us the opportunity to pay for VMK. I would say that I already paid for it with what I bought from Disney. Even so, I would pay to keep what I have acquired in VMK. All the items, all the friends. All the Disney fun. But you say, throw it way. Who cares. Too bad. Not our problem. Your fault for getting invested in a Disney online experience. Wasnt supposed to last anyway.
Just a promotion. Didnt you know?
Please, we beg you, let VMK stay, even if we have to pay.
-ppiglett
