University of Southern California

USC Network Culture Project

USC Annenberg School for Communication

	WHYVILLE 04.25.08

Whyville is an educational virtual world designed for children and preteens.

The game was launched in 1999 by Numedon, Inc., a company founded by a California Institute of Technology professor interested in how the Internet and virtual games can impact education. Users make a virtual income based on how many educational activities they participate in, and use the “clams” to buy virtual objects and services. 

Basics

Publisher: Numedeon, Inc. 

Launch Date: 1999

URL: http://www.whyville.net

Number of registered accounts: Over 2.7 million 

Target Audience: Ages 8-15

Cost and subsequent subscription fees: Whyville is free to play forever, sponsored by major corporations such as NASA, Toyota, Adobe, and Sun Microsystems.

General Description: Whyville is a social, educational based site aimed at engaging children in learning.  Users play games and run virtual businesses, earning clams, the currency of Whyville.  With clams, users can then purchase new face parts and even a Toyota Scion in-world.  Whyville has an extensive list of sponsors, many of which support philanthropic projects in Whyville.  The goal of Whyville is to teach and instruct children in an environment that is fun and engaging, where a child looks forward to logging on and participating.

Technical

Platform: Java enabled Web browser 

2-D, full 3-D, or other: 2D virtual world

Special hardware required (upgraded video card, sound card, etc): None 

Language availability: English

Option for authoring (can users create and build?): Once users have earned some clams, they have the option of opening their own virtual business selling face parts.  Face parts must be drawn free hand, without any cut and paste or line tools to draw.   

Design tools available: There is an MS-paint like design tool for drawing face parts.

Search (does the world offer a way to search users and/or places?): There is a map that shows the different areas in Whyville.  You cannot currently search for users. 

Security (is there protection against hacking, identity theft, or theft of IP?):  All intellectual property is protected by Whyville.  The system for designing face parts currently has a simple system to disallow copies or imitations of existing creations.

Can the virtual world be accessed through mobile devices: Any device that has web capabilities with Java can access Whyville. 

Can the virtual space be accessed offline: No.

Is the world persistent? (Does the world continue when the user logs off): Yes, theoretically.  However there is no visual passage of time in the world.

Legal & Management

Entry (what personal information is required?):  Email address, birthdate, gender 

Is a free trial account available (if so, what are the account restrictions)? All accounts are free and equal in that regard.

Are there age restrictions: No 

User Profiles (what do they contain?): There are no user profiles.

Privacy management (protecting personal data, information sharing with other companies): As per company privacy policies, no personal information is shared with other companies. 

If a premium membership exists, what benefits are there to upgrading?   All accounts are free forever, there are no premium memberships.

Can access be restricted to designated groups?  There are special groups that players can join which restrict access from non-members.   

Intellectual Property management (who owns users' creative works?):  Users own their own creative works and are encouraged to expand and create their own branding.

Are there in-world moderators: There is a feature called 911 report, where a user can report any other user they believe to be breaking Whyville rules or threatening the safety of others.  911 reports generate an incident report and are sent to a moderator, and the moderator will investigate immediately.  False reports are punished by moderators. 

Management of abusive behavior:  Users can be suspended or banned indefinitely for inappropriate behavior.

Virtual Space

Avatar description (are they customizable?):  Avatars are built of a human head and shoulders. Avatars can customize facial features, wear head and eyewear, change hairstyle, and wear the top portion of a shirt.   

Is in-world property ownership available? Users are given a plot of land to build a house and decorate.

What are the common meeting spaces (and how many do they accommodate)?  The entire virtual world of Whyville is a meeting space, from the city streets to specific buildings like the mall or the Scion shop. 

Video or animation capabilities: None.

Are there any restrictions on what users can create in their "owned" space?  No, although if a home or design is built that is considered offensive, it can be reported. 

Example of a prominent corporation present in the virtual world:  Random House Books, Kidz Bop, and Toyota Scion make appearances in Whyville.  

Socialization/Communication

Does the world include in-world instant messaging? No, however users can send whispers to one another. 

Out of world instant messaging? No.

In-game email?  Yes. 

Blog space? No.

Screenshot or photo albums? No. 

Can other users be blocked or ignored?  Yes, users can be ignored or blocked if found offensive.

Is there language filtering? There is extensive language filtering in Whyville.  Moderators are consistently adding new words and phrases to the language filter in order to protect Whyville residents.

Economy

Does the virtual world have currency? Yes, the official currency of Whyville is called the clam. 

How does the user obtain currency in-world?  Users can participate in games and learning activities from anything from science to math.  Completing games earns the user clams.  Once a user has enough clams, he or she can begin creating virtual items and face parts to sell to other players.  Users are encouraged to begin their own virtual business and create their own brand to earn more clams.

Can a user convert real world cash to in-world currency? Yes, at the base, 500 clams are available for $5.00.  Discounts are available for larger purchases. 

How does the company assist with in-world trade? (Official commerce sites/auction sites/etc): Users can submit their created items to in-world stores.  Once approved by a Whyville representative, users can begin their own virtual business, selling facial parts and clothing.

Does it cost money or currency to upload user created content?  To upload created content, once approved, the user must pay a small fee in clams to place their product at the store.

Educational Presence

Prominent educational, government and corporate organizations known to be using this product for educational purposes:  The Getty Museum, New York State Banking Department 

Examples of areas in which instruction is currently offered: Art, science, accounting, finance, entrepreneurship

Are there special privileges for instructors? None. 

Are there virtual classrooms or meeting areas?  The Getty Museum has a virtual counterpart in Whyville where users can learn about science and art in a game like setting.  The NY State Banking Department holds virtual conferences teaching money management and entrepreneurship and how these relate to real life.

Strengths of this product as an educational or learning tool:  Whyville makes learning and education natural and fun by making it a necessary part of advancing in the world.  Users are able to open their own businesses and learn the pitfalls of production and ownership, as well as accounting and finance.  Users can invest, get loans for a car, and make purchases like in real life.  By teaching users the power of working for their money, saving and investing,  Whyville is helping prepare teens for the future. 

Links to some institutions or organizations currently using this product for learning:

    * The Getty Museum

(URL) http://www.getty.edu/education/for_kids/

    * NY State Banking Dept

(URL) http://www.banking.state.ny.us/fec/clwv.htm

Opportunities for Philanthropy

Prominent educational, government and corporate organizations known to be using this product for philanthopic purposes:  Numedon has created a Whybrary to support local libraries to raise interests in books and hold discussions both in and out of the virtual world.

Are there zones or areas reserved for promoting real life issues?  No. 

Do users find the virtual world an appropriate place for philanthropy? No, it is more of an edutainment source.

Links to some institutions or organizations currently using this product for philanthropy: None. 

    * Whybrary

(URL) http://tsfl.wordpress.com/2007/11/19/whyville-and-numedon-now-working-with-libraries/

    * None

(URL)