|
Disney's Toontown Online09.16.08 |
Disney’s Toontown Online is a massively multiplayer online role playing game designed for ages 7 and up.
Basics
Publisher: The Walt Disney Company
Launch Date: 2003
Number of registered accounts: Roughly 1.2 million Users
Target Audience: Ages 7 and up
Cost and subsequent subscription fees: Disney’s Toontown Online is free to download and play. Users can purchase a subscription to the game
General Description: Disney’s Toontown Online is a massively multiplayer online role playing game designed for ages 7 and up. Users create their own avatar and are introduced into the 3D virtual world of Toontown. Toontown is being threatened by the presence of evil cogs, who turn fun toon buildings into evil cog buildings. Users battle enemies, play games, and decorate their own personal homes while meeting friends and socializing in a child safe environment.
Technical
Platform: PC, Macintosh
2-D, full 3-D, or other: 3D virtual world
Special hardware required (upgraded video card, sound card, etc): None
Language availability: English only; German had been available, but has since been closed
Option for authoring (can users create and build?): Users cannot build or create their own objects. Instead, items, furniture, emotes, and extra chat phrases are purchasable using in-world currency. Users can lay out the furniture in their own personal two room home, given to each avatar, as they see fit.
Design tools available: Not applicable.
Search (does the world offer a way to search users and/or places?): All users are given a Schticker Book, which is their list of places, objects, and friends. The Schticker book is located in the bottom right of the game screen.
Security (is there protection against hacking, identity theft, or theft of IP?): No personal information is entered so personal information is not at risk. Users cannot create their own objects. Trade and item sales are not allowed, so item theft is impossible.
Can the virtual world be accessed through mobile devices: No.
Can the virtual space be accessed offline: No.
Is the world persistent? (Does the world continue when the user logs off): Yes
Legal & Management
Entry (what personal information is required?): Email address and birthdate.
Is a free trial account available (if so, what are the account restrictions)? Free users can create only one avatar, and chat is restricted to SpeedChat. SpeedChat is a preset list of phrases and words that can be spoken to other players. Free accounts can only access a limited number of quests, skills, areas, and games.
Are there age restrictions: All users must be 13 years of age or older.
User Profiles (what do they contain?): There are no user profiles.
Privacy management (protecting personal data, information sharing with other companies): No personal information, besides birthdate and email address, is given to Disney. Personal information is not shared with other companies.
If a premium membership exists, what benefits are there to upgrading? Subscription members have the ability to create up to 6 characters. Full members have unlimited access to quests, skills, zones, and purchasable items. Full members have access to all games and boss headquarters. Full members also are given a welcome kit that includes stickers, posters, guest passes, trading cards, and more. Bi-monthly newsletters are also sent out that include contests, prizes, and special holiday activities. Full members are the only members that have access to free chat, called Truefriend chat. Once both subscribed members are approved to be Truefriends (they know each other in real life, are family members or classmates), they can speak through free chat. The chat is private, however, and other users cannot see or hear their conversation.
Can access be restricted to designated groups? Full members can access all areas of the game. Free members can only access a limited amount of the game’s areas and content.
Intellectual Property management (who owns users' creative works?): Not applicable.
Are there in-world moderators:24 hour moderators are on duty in Disney’s Toontown.
Management of abusive behavior: Users can be banned or suspended by in-world moderators depending on the severity of the offense.
Virtual Space
Avatar description (are they customizable?): Users can choose male or female species of animal, relevant facial features, skin color and body size. Users can also choose from an introductory set of clothes. Names can be generated by a random name generator or chosen by the user. Freeform names must be approved before use.
Is in-world property ownership available? Users are given their own home, complete with two rooms and an outside yard.
What are the common meeting spaces (and how many do they accommodate)? Toontown is built up of six playgrounds, where toons are safe from the enemy cogs. These spaces can accommodate a large number of players, who can chat, fish, and play games together.
Video or animation capabilities: Not applicable.
Are there any restrictions on what users can create in their "owned" space? All objects are created and distributed by Disney, so content is controlled. Users can merely rearrange objects in their own personal space.
Example of a prominent corporation present in the virtual world: Besides the Disney franchise’s signature characters and design style, the world is free of outside corporate influence.
Socialization/Communication
Does the world include in-world instant messaging? No.
Out of world instant messaging? No.
In-game email? No.
Blog space? No.
Screenshot or photo albums? No.
Can other users be blocked or ignored? Yes, there is an ignore button. Using the ignore button will ignore the targeted user for the current session. You will not be able to see the user’s chat or animations once ignored.
Is there language filtering? Yes, besides the SpeedChat restrictions, in TrueFriend chat, language is filtered for profanity. Also the use of US states and real life locations are filtered so that users may not give out any private information about themselves to other users, even Truefriends.
Economy
Does the virtual world have currency? Toontown’s official currency is the jelly bean.
How does the user obtain currency in-world? Users can play games, defeat enemies, and complete quests to earn jelly beans.
Can a user convert real world cash to in-world currency? No.
How does the company assist with in-world trade? (Official commerce sites/auction sites/etc): Trade is not permitted in Toontown Online.
Does it cost money or currency to upload user created content? Users cannot create content.
Educational Presence
Prominent educational, government and corporate organizations known to be using this product for educational purposes: None
Examples of areas in which instruction is currently offered: None
Are there special privileges for instructors? Not applicable.
Are there virtual classrooms or meeting areas? Not applicable.
Strengths of this product as an educational or learning tool: None.
Opportunities for Philanthropy
Prominent educational, government and corporate organizations known to be using this product for philanthopic purposes: None
Are there zones or areas reserved for promoting real life issues? None
Do users find the virtual world an appropriate place for philanthropy? Disney’s Toontown Online is a massively multiplayer online game. Users are concerned with playing games, leveling skills, and questing. Because of the lack of freedom to speak and build, users cannot lead philanthropic events. Many of the users are young and have not joined Toontown to address real life problems and solutions.