Webkinz
Webkinz are stuffed animals originally released by the Ganz gift company in
2005. The toys are similar to many other small soft toys, however they come
with a special code on their labels that allows access to the "Webkinz
World" website to "adopt" a virtual version of the pet for virtual
interaction. There 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.[2] When a user adopts their first Webkinz pet, they are
given basic items such as a room, a welcome balloon, a food item, two pieces
of furniture for their pet, some of these items are considered their special
food or special food for your Webkinz. 2000 in "Kinzcash" is also given to
help food costs and to get you started on your house. Kinzcash is the
Webkinz World version of virtual currency. Each pet has levels of happiness,
health, and hunger that decrease as time is spent with that Webkinz. They
can be increased by feeding, playing with, exercising, and bathing the pet.
If these meters get too low, the virtual pet becomes sick and must take the
special medicine purchased at the clinic. [3]
Gameplay
Much of the gameplay involves the making 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] The online game is free to use for one year after the
purchase of your first, then a person must purchase another toy to continue
playing. There is a grace period of 30 days where users can still access
their account after which their account will be deactivated. Their pets,
Kinzcash, and other items will be kept in tact for a minimum of 30 days
after the account has been deactivated. If you do not purchase another pet
withing that period, your account will be erased after the 30 days. After 90
days the account will be deleted unless renewed.[4] Adopting a new pet will
give the user another year of access.[5] Ganz later introduced sets of
trading cards to further augment the toys' gameplay. [6] The average store
bought webkinz costs around $10-$15 US dollars, and each lil' kinz costs
around $6-$10 US dollars. It mostly depends on the state, and what type and
also, sometimes when they get onto a "rare" streak, the prices go up.
Parental concerns
Various concerns have been raised about childrens' use and overuse of the
toys. [7] There have been particular 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 messages can be sent. In the
"Kinzchat" chat room, users cannot type, but can choose phrases to say from
a list.[8]
References
1. ^ Geiger, Debbe (2007-02-11). Welcome to Webkinz world. Newsday.
Retrieved on 2007-04-23.
2. ^ a b Hawn, Carleen (2007-03-23). Time to play, money to spend. Business
2.0. Retrieved on 2007-04-23.
3. ^ Webkinz - FAQ for Parents (See "What if the Webkins pet gets sick?").
Retrieved on 2007-05-17.
4. ^ Webkinz - User Agreement. Retrieved on 2007-06-24.
5. ^ Webkinz - Renewal Information. Retrieved on 2007-04-23.
6. ^ Webkinz Trading Cards. Retrieved on 2007-06-19.
7. ^ Is the Webkinz Craze Bad for Kids?. ABC News (2007-04-12). Retrieved on
2007-04-23.
8. ^ Pardo, Steve (2007-04-11). Kids hooked on Webkinz world. The Detroit
News. Retrieved on 2007-04-23.
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