Please do not post copy cat VMK sites - First post Updated 5/1

[redshoe]

To use your car analogy... a Pinto driven by Mario Andretti, will ultimately perform better than a Ferrari driven by a blind grandmother.

Clearly, you've never met my grandmother.

 

[PizzaCaptain]

Woot Woot Aengus thanks for protecting dis members! Are these those other Kingdom site things like the one everyone is talking about on VMK as the new VMK?

 

[Vary]

To use your car analogy... a Pinto driven by Mario Andretti, will ultimately perform better than a Ferrari driven by a blind grandmother.

Not that I agree with your assesment of VMK's managment as visually impaired old lady to LPS's experienced professional driver, but how awful does a car have to be if the best thing you can say about it is that Mario Andretti drove it to victory in a race against a blind grandmother? Would you buy a car based on that ringing endorsement? Running the game 'better' (in your opinion) will never make it a better game.

But all the digs at VMK's management are simply off point. We're talking about development periods here, not what's done with the game once it's live. Looking again at the easier to compare plushie buy-in games: which one is getting the attention? Webkinz took time to create, and its a better game for it. LPS was rushed so Hasbro could get in on the market that Webkinz discovered, and that hurt the game. It's unreasonable to expect a game that's being cranked out in six weeks to measure up to the game that most people here are looking to replace. People are looking for a Webkinz. At best, they're going to get a Littlest Pet Shop. And there are plenty of those out there already.

 

[aengus]

Woot Woot Aengus thanks for protecting dis members! Are these those other Kingdom site things like the one everyone is talking about on VMK as the new VMK?

they have no affiliation with vmk

 

[CelebrationNM]

First, Vary and Mtlhddock2, I’m enjoying your dialogue here and have nothing really good to add, just some thoughts that came into my mind as I read through this.

I would argue the evidence points to the idea that VMK was never designed to be a popular self-standing game like Disney’s other virtual worlds, but rather a short-term marketing experiment. You can’t effectively advertise a Disneyland vacation on the back of a cereal box; the call to action (planning a vacation) is out of reach for the kid. What you can do is advertise a virtual world which acts as bridge to the real theme parks and other Disney media properties; advertising is converted into a medium through which children can accomplish the advertiser’s objective with little parental guidance. The immersive nature of the game hooks the entire family, and thus we have what we have today.

If this were a company that had never designed an online game before I would view it differently, but I believe Disney was aware of the limitations of the game discussed above and wasn’t concerned about them because the sole purpose of the game was to generate short-term interest in the real parks and Disney media, not the Virtual Magic Kingdom itself. The game hit the ground running with major marketing and connections to real theme parks and was just one of many ways Disney has of driving traffic toward those products.

If a virtual world is intended to be a breadwinner for a company it would be designed and managed quite differently than VMK was, which seems to explain why VMK’s user numbers may have been lower than games of lesser quality. Had Disney wanted to turn the world upside down with this game, I think they could have done so, but it simply wasn’t within the strategy for this project at this time.

Sorry, got slightly off topic; just my Monday morning rambling.

 

[redshoe]

If a virtual world is intended to be a breadwinner for a company it would be designed and managed quite differently than VMK was, which seems to explain why VMK’s user numbers may have been lower than games of lesser quality. Had Disney wanted to turn the world upside down with this game, I think they could have done so, but it simply wasn’t within the strategy for this project at this time.

I agree. I just can't wrap my mind around the idea that, knowing what they've inadvertently created with VMK, they wouldn't find a way to transition it to that type of strategy and management rather than just scrapping it altogether. No matter how you slice it, "this turned out to be bigger and more successful than we thought, so we're just going to make it go away now rather than capitalizing on it" doesn't work from a business standpoint.

 

[Rygo]

I have remained quite for too long, I can't keep it in anymore.

Mods, I applaud the fact that you are trying to keep us all safe by not allowing us to mention "site-that-must-not-be-named" and other copy cat sites. BUT, aren't you allowing exactly that with all the other threads about Sims Online, Habbo, Gaia, etc??

I may not be a parent, but there is no way I would let my kids (if I had them) sign up for any of the other sites that have been mentioned as alternatives. I have looked into them with my boyfriend, and they are not places I feel comfortable going to as an adult. The best I have seen is the Sims, and even that is not really for the younger VMK'ers out there. From what was posted and is now posted about "site-that-must-not-be-named" I would allow them to sign up. All they are offering us is a safe, family/kid friendly online place where we can have the fun and joy that we had with VMK. I can not find fault with them trying to give us what Disney has taken away from us.

I have to agree with Monkey, Pink and all the others on this one, let's give them a chance to put the band-aid on the wound that Disney created, before we start jumping to conclusions and crying foul before even giving them a chance. Notice, I did not say heal the wound that was created, just help it heal faster then without

I also agree they threw together a half-baked site initially, cause they were just trying to give us an alternative to VMK, not a copy cat VMK. Yes, they could have gone about it all in a better way, but they were trying to get it out there fast. Once they had better art work and more details, it was all changed. How many of you can say you haven't made the same mistake when throwing together something at the drop of the hat, only to have it all come together nicely and differently when you have been given the chance/time to really put some thought into it?

I don't think this could be a replacement for VMK, but could anything really replace all that magic?? No. To use the theme parks as an example: I grew up in Disneyland, I have been to WDW and Disneyland Paris (CA Adventure is just not even worth mentioning in comparison). For me, neither can even come close to the magic the original still has for me, 33 years later. Did I have a great time while I was at the other parks, sure, who wouldn't? They still have that Disney magic, but for me, they are the copy cat parks. And that is all I am asking of from "site-that-must-not-be-named," a place where I can have still have fun...minus the Disneyland magic that I've only experienced at Disneyland and VMK.

I am not trying to get people on board with "site-that-must-not-be-named" or trying to get anybody more against it then they already are, I am only stating my opinion. Like the mods and other posters have stated again and again, use caution when dealing with ANY website. Whether you are for or against this whole thing, being cautious is just part of the internet age that we all live in.

(side note: I too have signed up with "site-that-must-not-be-named" and have had no problems with my account on any Disney site)

I have vented now, and feel much much better

 

[seaturtledude]

Bump!

 

[seaturtledude]

This has been down for a while.. Bump!

 

[aengus]

bump!

 

[aengus]

Bump!

 

[disvaclub92]

Please note first post has been updated.

 

[aengus]

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[aengus]

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[aengus]

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[aengus]

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[aengus]

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[aengus]

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