Here at Virtual Pets Blog, we think that is a given. Fuel and transportation costs are significantly impacting nonprofits, churches, and organizations. We expect them to lead the pack. Yes, we know many of these organizations already have a presence in Virtual Worlds, but much of the current presence is to recruit “real” members, seek donations, or to raise the awareness of their cause. In the future, we expect them to also be holding their business, leadership, training, and organizational meetings there to save fuel and travel time.

One place this could rapidly come on the scene is organizations with several young families in rural America where distances are large, and the younger generation is comfortable with the virtual platform.

Now Disney wants to pull the plug. Some think to run users over to similar Disney sites requiring users to pay, like Club Penguin and ToonTown.

Users are mixing real and imaginary efforts to attempt to stop the closing of their beloved park.

Later this year, Nexon plans to release “Sugar Rush” in the United States. It uses a similar model (free game and pay for accessories) in which users compete to gobble up virtual coins.

Nexon prepaid cards (for purchasing accessories in their existing games) are currently said to be the second best selling entertainment gift card at U.S. Target stores, behind Apple iTunes cards.

Maple Story, an online role playing game for teenagers, is currently Nexon’s leading entry in the U.S. market.

Min Kim, V.P. of U.S. Marketing for Nexon says, “We sell experiences, not packaged products.”

Nexon’s success with a twist on the old razor model where you give away the razor to get the customer to buy blades from you, now has many other game publishers considering getting a shave.

Another accessory is a handheld game that can be used to gain “points” for use in the online world.

Techno Source calls the interactive technology used in the game components (charms, bracelets, jewelry box) “Clickables”. Disney has nice Tinkerbell sounding names for them: Pixie Dust Jewelry Collection, Tink Friendship eBracelets (includes the Friendship feature), Tink’s eCharm Bracelet,  Fairy eCharms, Tink and Friends Fly with me eLCD game. A nice image of them is available on GadgetsGizmo’s.

As we understand it, communication online will be accomplished by selecting phrases (similar to Barbie Girls) or typed text with a filter. Combined with great graphics, several games, interactive areas, and the Disney brand, this site may pull more young girls online, as well as pull them over from competitive virtual worlds. It looks like a great application and we wish them well.

If this technology (”Clickables”) follows form with other interactive devices, we may soon see “Fairy Hackers” figuring out how to get the bracelets, charms, and jewelry box to do additional tricks? (Hack Furby, Hack Aibo, Hack Tamagotchi, Hack Roomba, etc.).

Will the Dark Side use Pixie Hollow? – it will be interesting to see if auxiliary applications spring up outside the game to use the interactivity (using the verification of the charms, the bracelets, etc) inside the game. For example, the ability to pass previously coded messages (such as “I like your hair” means “put $100 on Seabiscuit in the 6th”) between two authenticated avatars. This communication channel might be utilized by everybody from computer hackers to terrorists. Not exactly Disney’s intentions.  But that is true of most technologies. They can be used for good or for evil. Let’s all promise to use this one for good!

In terms of future applications, Disney has already said they are looking at “Clickables” in Club Penguin. We anticipate other virtual worlds to follow, especially because it is a way to monetize virtual worlds (sell bracelets, charms, collectibles) that have both “real world” and “virtual world” uses. Plus when those objects are worn in public, people ask about them, and even more are led to their online world.

All virtual banks (about a dozen) were closed. Many players convert actual dollars into “Linden dollars” to deposit in their virtual bank accounts and use in the game. Some virtual banks have done well, others have lost money in land and gambling deals. Under the new rules, only chartered banks will be allowed.

A virtual run on the banks left many players unable to get their money. The Journal reports a previous run on a virtual bank in August may have cost players $750,000 in real money.

Linden announce yesterday’s shutdown two weeks ago. Players started coming into the banks to withdraw their money. Some banks shutdown their virtual ATMs.

“Linden essentially acknowledges that the financial services being offered in its virtual society have evolved to the point that they need to be regulated by the real world. ” From now on those accepting deposits inside Second Life will have to have a real government registration statement or financial institution charter.

Many other reports covered the bank closings in Second Life. Some report Ginko Financial is the virtual bank that failed back in August in a virtual ponzi scheme. Others point out the increasing parallels with the real world such as the possibility of  being charged with a real crime for your actions there, and the recent run on the banks. Some say it is getting to real to be an escape from reality.

Is this the first case of digital reverse evolution? (Going from a virtual community to an plush pet instead of from a plush pet to a virtual community).

A 26 September 2007 Nickelodeon & Viacom Consumer Products (NVCP owns Neopets) press release announced they signed a licensing agreement with JAKKS to create a plush line of toys based on Neopets. They call it a collectable roll out strategy and say JAKKS will create new ways to interact with the site in the months ahead (maybe they will use some of the concepts we have mentioned in the past to better integrate the plush toys?) .

Neopets began with an online virtual community. As they began to add merchandise, they started selling traditional plush pets. Now that everybody else is launching virtual communities based on plush pets you purchase for the secret codes (tokens) to enter their virtual community, it sounds like Neopets is going to back up another step and follow suit.

The new plush Neopets are expected to hit the stores in early spring 2008. The plush toys will contain codes that allow players to unlock virtual extensions of the toys to use as part of their Neopets Key Quest experience. (sound familiar?). They say the plush pets are part of their “multplatform strategy”.

Sounds a little more like they (or their major stockholders) think they may have left some money on the table and are coming back to get it.

An example of one of the current (non token containing) Neopet plush pets is shown above. It is currently available from Amazon. The press release does not specifically say a plush pet will be required for entry, but points out they will be required to unlock virtual extensions of their plush pets. You may still be able to enter without one?

With the continued rash of entries into the plush pet virtual community category, Neopets may be able to bring some real innovation to the category through JAKKS who has also been involved in several interactive toys. We hope so. In their haste to hit the streets in a hurry, they may just copy everybody else and sell standard plush pets with a code on them as Generation I. Maybe Gen II will open some new doors. Time will tell.

JAKKS recent list of signed licenses is very impressive. It can’t help but make us think of the history of Dream Pets and the companies involved. We sure hope JAKKS comes out better than Applause did. We also hope all the new signings don’t detract too much from the time they have available to work on truly interactive Neopet plush pet designs.

She opened with a quiz to guess where you would find a Webkiz toy, the answer was tossed aside and forgotten in the corner of the bedroom. Her article is right on the theme of our earlier post, Hasbro Joins in Chase of Webkiz, Webkinz are being purchased solely for the ID tag to access their virtual world.

Bratz and MyePets are mentioned as following the Webkinz model (buy a plush pet or toy for access to the online community).

Other virtual communities for youth that do not require purchase of a something to enter are also briefly discussed (Barbie Girls, Club Penguin).

Its nice to see we are not the only ones noticing the “throw the Webkinz in the corner” mentality. However, we do still seem to be the only ones recognizing that somehow incorporating the physical pet into your online experiences or otherwise increasing its play value of the physical pet might differentiate you from the rapidly crowding field. Plus it could make you look more favorable to mom when she makes the purchase.

I tried to respond to Ad Age’s post in their system, but after spending many minutes signing up, giving them my life history, and finally writing my response, the form died. I hate it when that happens. Especially later you get bombarded by their advertising materials in your email box.

Anyway, my never sent comments mentioned the opportunity for third parties to create “add-on” additional features to bring new life to the tens of thousands of Webkinz and “Webkinz like” plush pets tossed in the corner right now.

If not, at least a toy drive to collect them and give them to poor kids might be in order?

Plus I pointed out their list of Webkinz wantabees missed Hasbro’s quite recent addition, the VIPs.

The pets are anticipated to list for $14.99 and are targeting young girls. Just like Webkinz, purchase of a pet will allow you to enter an online community of pet owners. You can customize a virtual home for your pet, purchase apparel for them and buy pet accessories. The virtual world uses a currency called Kibble.  You earn Kibble by keeping your virtual pet healthy and happy. (I wonder if Kibbles ‘n Bits pet food bought into this ?)

One nice feature is an adoption desk. You can sign up at littlestpetshop.com, borrow a pet for a limited time and check out the virtual world before actually purchasing a pet to gain continuous access to the world.

VIP owners can play 16 mini-games or get involved in ten different activities in the virtual world. Games include hang gliding, snowboarding, and skate boarding.

Hasbro’s new VIP games, MyePets.com from MGA, Webkinz, and others chasing Webkinz use an unusual approach. They provide you with a free online virtual community experience, but make you buy a plush pet as a token to enter. Its like you go to the store to buy the plush pet, get the secret codes to sign up online off of it, then just throw it in the corner and forget about it. Seems like a waste. But, they can’t get zillions of people to pay for access to the virtual community, so they use this as a monetizing method. Hard to knock it when they are being this successful.

Nonetheless, seems like if someone took a similar approach BUT also created and promoted some more ways to interact and have fun with the “real” plush pet, they could separate themselves from the pack.

No mention in the Littlest Pet Shop press release if their online pet vanishes in a year like  Webkinz does unless you buy another one.

Current versions include a Mutt, Chocolate Lab and and Golden Retriever (shown).

Myepets.com were announced in a 16 August 2007 MGA press release. They are another version of their Rescue Pets product line.