Webkinz
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Webkinz are stuffed animals that were originally released by the Ganz gift company in 2005. The toys are similar to many other small plush toys, however they come with a special code on their labels that allows access to the "Webkinz World" which is a website to "adopt" a virtual version of the pet for virtual interaction. There is are also smaller versions of the toys called "Lil' Kinz". [1]
The toys have been marketed in similar fashion to Ty Beanie Babies with some being retired after some time, which encourages high secondary selling prices. Webkinz have been extremely popular, with Ganz claiming more than 2 million units sold to retailers and 1 million registered users of the Webkinz website. At the height of the toys' popularity, shortages of supply at some stores have been reported. [2] [3] NPD Group reports that the product brought in more than $1 million (USD) in United States retail sales in 2006. [4] ==Gameplay== When a user adopts their first Webkinz pet, they give it a name, gender, and enter its secret code. The user is then given basic items such as a room, a welcome balloon, an apple,their pet's exclusive item and exclusive food, a kiddie chair, a basketball, and 2 000 kinzcash. Upon the adoption of the pet, certain items are considered unique to the pet - such as "exclusive" food or "exclusive" items. After the tenth adoption (after 10, going be every fifth adoption), the user will receive a Super Bed. If you are adopting additional webkinz onto the account, you will get a welcome balloon, 2 000 kinzcash, their exclusive item and food, and an item under the "exclusive" section of the W Shop.[5]
Much of the gameplay involves the earning and spending of Kinzcash. Earning Kinzcash involves playing multiple minigames, including quizzes and arcade games. This virtual currency can then be used to purchase items for the virtual pet. [2] Each pet also has levels of happiness, health, and hunger that increase as time is spent with that Webkinz pet. They can be increased by feeding, playing with, exercising, bathing the pet and answering surveys. [citation needed] If these meters get too low (which is when they go down to 9), the virtual pet becomes sick and must take special medicine. [6] The online game is free to use for one year after the purchase of the first toy, then a user must re-enter the code that the pet came with to continue playing. There is a grace period of 30 days during which users can still access their accounts after which their account will be deactivated. Their pets, Kinzcash, and other items will be kept intact for a minimum of 30 days after the account has been deactivated. If the user does not re-enter the code within that period, the account will be deleted unless renewed. [7] Adopting a new pet will give the user another year of access.[8] If multiple pets are added, the account will expire one year from the last pet registered. In the summer of 2007, Ganz introduced sets of trading cards and charms to further augment the toys' gameplay. Much like the toy line, the trading cards and charms include codes that allow access to other stuff in the website. The codes that are supplied with the charms allow access parts to the sites "Charm Forest". Ganz released other Webkinz-themed accessories in Fall 2007, such as Webkinz Clothing with Codes for the site. [9]
Parental concerns
Concerns have been raised about childrens' use and overuse of the toys. Some worry that children will become addicted to the game. [10] There have been concerns about the website's online chat system. However, the chat system has various safety precautions, with restrictions on who can send messages and what message can be sent. In the "Kinzchat" chat room, users cannot type, but can choose phrases to say from a list. [11] Concerns have also been raised about the toys being a distraction in schools, causing the toys to be banned in some schools.[12] [13] Concerns were also raised when the once advertisement-free site [14] started displaying advertisements encouraging children to be healthy including brushing teeth, eating fruit and vegetables and so forth. [citation needed]
See Also
References
- ^ Geiger, Debbe (2007-02-11). "Welcome to Webkinz world". Newsday. Retrieved 2007-04-23.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ a b Hawn, Carleen (2007-03-23). "Time to play, money to spend". Business 2.0. Retrieved 2007-04-23.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ Linn, Allison (2007-04-27). "Webkinz sparks a craze, and a shortage". MSNBC. Retrieved 2007-07-12.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ Tiwari, Neha (2007-05-10). "Webkinz: I fell in love with a cyber alley cat". CNET. Retrieved 2007-07-12.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ "Webkinz - Account FAQ (See "What do I get for each adoption?")".
- ^ "Webkinz - FAQ for Parents (See "What if the Webkinz pet gets sick?")". Retrieved 2007-05-17.
- ^ "Webkinz - User Agreement". Retrieved 2007-06-24.
- ^ "Webkinz - Renewal Information". Retrieved 2007-04-23.
- ^ Template:Cite''' webThey are like a Ty Beanie Baby and a neopet together.
- ^ "Is the Webkinz Craze Bad for Kids?". ABC News. 2007-04-12. Retrieved 2007-04-23.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ Pardo, Steve (2007-04-11). "Kids hooked on Webkinz world". The Detroit News. Retrieved 2007-04-23.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ Seltz, Johanna (2007-04-08). "Toy causes classroom distraction". Retrieved 2007-07-12.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ Lazarowitz, Elizabeth (2007-07-30). "Webkinz: Big money lessons for little kids". New York Daily News. Retrieved 2007-08-20.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ Barakat, Matthew (2007-07-13). "Review: Webkinz pleases parents and children". MSNBC.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help); Unknown parameter|ccessdate=ignored (help)
Refernces
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