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Guess who just launched the fastest-growing virtual world ever?
Mrbloodworth
Member Posts: 5,615
A. Blizzard (World of Warcraft)
B. Linden Labs (Second Life)
C. Mattel (Hot Wheels, Barbie, etc.)
All right, so it's obviously C, otherwise why is this blogger jabbering at you, right?
Last night at the Digital Life preview a Mattel rep--who, just to make the conversation extra surreal, actually looked sort of like Barbie--told me that in the first 60 days of its existence, the new online virtual world Barbie Girls has signed up three million members, and they're adding new ones at the rate of 50,000 a day.
Just for reference, it took Second Life 3 years to reach 1 million members.
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"Anyone posting on this forum is not an average user, and there for any opinions about the game are going to be overly critical compared to an average users opinions." - Me
"No, your wrong.." - Random user #123
"Hello person posting on a site specifically for MMO's in a thread on a sub forum specifically for a particular game talking about meta features and making comparisons to other titles in the genre, and their meta features.
How are you?" -Me
Comments
And 90% of those are age 18-30 Males
Which explains SOE's recent announcements to create games/worlds for the non-traditional MMO market.....
But the real question is...not can they sign up this many people, but can they retain them for 900 hours ( a target estimate for Funcom/AOC) or will these children quickly lose interest and cancel their subscription?
I remember when Toon Town came out, my son was all about it.... and we paid for it for 2 months before deciding to cancel. Meanwhile, now that he's older, his WOW sub is approaching the 3 year this November.... and shows no sign of letting up....
Signing up new customers isn't that hard.... retaining them is the real mark of success or failure....
"True friends stab you in the front." | Oscar Wilde
"I need to finish" - Christian Wolff: The Accountant
Just trying to live long enough to play a new, released MMORPG, playing New Worlds atm
Fools find no pleasure in understanding but delight in airing their own opinions. Pvbs 18:2, NIV
Don't just play games, inhabit virtual worlds™
"This is the most intelligent, well qualified and articulate response to a post I have ever seen on these forums. It's a shame most people here won't have the attention span to read past the second line." - Anon
http://www.barbiegirls.com/home.html
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"Anyone posting on this forum is not an average user, and there for any opinions about the game are going to be overly critical compared to an average users opinions." - Me
"No, your wrong.." - Random user #123
"Hello person posting on a site specifically for MMO's in a thread on a sub forum specifically for a particular game talking about meta features and making comparisons to other titles in the genre, and their meta features.
How are you?" -Me
Jesus, what is the world coming to?
Don't care for second life either, but babiegirls!
That's just ridiculous.
Its not aimed at you, lol.
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"Anyone posting on this forum is not an average user, and there for any opinions about the game are going to be overly critical compared to an average users opinions." - Me
"No, your wrong.." - Random user #123
"Hello person posting on a site specifically for MMO's in a thread on a sub forum specifically for a particular game talking about meta features and making comparisons to other titles in the genre, and their meta features.
How are you?" -Me
Its free.
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"Anyone posting on this forum is not an average user, and there for any opinions about the game are going to be overly critical compared to an average users opinions." - Me
"No, your wrong.." - Random user #123
"Hello person posting on a site specifically for MMO's in a thread on a sub forum specifically for a particular game talking about meta features and making comparisons to other titles in the genre, and their meta features.
How are you?" -Me
Jole would say There if he was here.
-In memory of Laura "Taera" Genender. Passed away on Aug/13/08-
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RISING DRAGOON ~AION US ONLINE LEGION for Elyos
MMO companies are just giving up on us real MMO players. They figure "shit, they're too hard to please so let's just release big old floppy turds and sell them to a waterhead/little girl demo" Sadly it's working, 3 mil subscribers is a lot.
Its not aimed at you, lol.
It's obviously not aimed at you but it is just the thing for my eight year old daughter. I was glad to see this thread and plan to show it to her tonight when I get home. Hopefully it will keep her busy enought that she won't want to watch me play AoC when it comes out. I wonder how many people are going to ask what this world is coming to when Aoc is realeased. Different games for different folks. except first person shooters, I don't understand how anyone can enjoy that crap.
At first I was surprised to hear something like this, but then given some time to think about it....it actually makes sense. I'm sure other companies are now seeing the big money in MMO's and will have all sorts of virtual worlds pop up. Theres probably going to be alot of new releases within the next decade.
In fact, I wouldnt be all that surprised to see these types of hardcore games die out 20 or 30 years from now. Even games like WoW may be a rarity and these "virtual worlds" being the dominant type of "game" because it adheres to a larger market. We may be called the "priveleged ones" by future gamers since we had the chance to play some really great games, obviously classics (UO, AC, AO, DAOC, EQ...even WoW?). Funny how things change and evolve, ne?
Hmm, at least someones thinking of something different.
One thing I would be worried about though as a parent would be the child "predators".
What better place for them to hang out, it isn't only chat, but also visual. Just seems kinda creepy. I mean... we all know well that there are many out there who like to hide behind the fantasy. I wonder if anyone at Mattel has thought about this, and possibly a way to keep those people away from children, but who knows.
Unless you can point to an official news blurb from mattel I think the VP is blowing hot air. The product is still in beta.
-Atziluth-
- Never underestimate the predictability of stupidity.
Its free.
If it is free I'm not that suprised considering how many 8 year old girls there are that like barbies. On the other hand, if it were a p2p model that would be very impresssive. What's the pricing structure for the game? I don't see it being completely free since it wouldn't make much money. Ingame ads perhaps?
In the end, logic and reason always beat out fanboys.
I almost cried at this potential future. I could see it happening, but I think there will always big a big enough market for at least companies like SOE to make something resembling "real" MMOs.
Le sigh.
"There are two great powers, and they've been fighting since time began. Every advance in human life, every scrap of knowledge and wisdom and decency we have has been torn by one side from the teeth of the other. Every little increase in human freedom has been fought over ferociously between those who want us to know more and be wiser and stronger, and those who want us to obey and be humble and submit."
John Parry, to his son Will; "The Subtle Knife," by Phillip Pullman
Its free.
If it is free I'm not that suprised considering how many 8 year old girls there are that like barbies. On the other hand, if it were a p2p model that would be very impresssive. What's the pricing structure for the game? I don't see it being completely free since it wouldn't make much money. Ingame ads perhaps?
Item mall, and product placement.
As far as the "Predator" comment.
Girls can naturally customize and accessorize their avatars, with up to 2.64 quadrillion combinations available, and "B Chat" with one another in a moderated and as-safe-as-reasonably-possible environment. In July, Mattel will launch a companion Barbie Girl MP3 player, which will allow girls who have met in person and synced the player with each other's computer to participate in "Secret B Chat," which allows more privacy and more open conversation.
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"Anyone posting on this forum is not an average user, and there for any opinions about the game are going to be overly critical compared to an average users opinions." - Me
"No, your wrong.." - Random user #123
"Hello person posting on a site specifically for MMO's in a thread on a sub forum specifically for a particular game talking about meta features and making comparisons to other titles in the genre, and their meta features.
How are you?" -Me
Incomming Pedder Asses, Over.
Whats funny is this stuff reminds me of the Winx club crap we had a laugh on over at a site I frequent.
Like 40% of the user base were guys over 26 who felt "they were a teenager at heart" real creepy crap.