MyePets – yet another toy-based world

  4 Responses to “MyePets – yet another toy-based world”

1. Robert Brackenirdge says:

   August 18, 2007 at 5:50 pm

   Raph,

   I’ve seen several of your comments toward the impending flurry of toy-based worlds. What is your principle concern? I don’t hear complaints when another cartoon surfaces on the cartoon networks. I’m not hearing the roar of contempt when another toy based on a cartoon series finds its way onto the market. Or how about the thousands of casual games that are being created faster and finding more venues from which to distribute? There appears to be continued demand for this sort of entertainment?

   It seems that we should simply adjust the business model to accommodate the fact that the online virtual world experience is no longer new. Yet, to many, the experience will be new. Won’t those that are currently on these toy-based worlds be looking for something new within a short period of time, much as a child who begs for an Elmo then 6 months later is asking for the new Transformer? I believe there is still a tremendous amount of market available to these worlds. The me-toos will quickly be left behind, much like the me-too toys are left on the shelves. Perhaps the lesson here is not so much that there is yet another toy-based world being launched, but what additional content does it bring to the market? Are they proposing yet another chat room, accessory buying model? Or, is there some unique positioning to their storyline which would compel a child to spend 30 minutes of their day experiencing their world versus watching another Spongebob re-run?

   I see the line being drawn at worlds which don’t bring any additional value to the ownership of the toy itself. Children engage with toys for various different reasons. Those worlds which dare to explore the reasons beyond the simple day-to-day care and feeding and the desire to be social, yet unique, will still have an opportunity to grab another portion of this growing market.
2. Raph says:

   August 18, 2007 at 6:35 pm

   I don’t actually have any concern about the trend in general. Why do you have the impression that I do?

   I do have some concerns about HOW you do marketing to kids, stuff like the chocolate for dogs in MyePets, but not about the geenral idea of VWs for kids.
3. Robert Brackenridge says:

   August 18, 2007 at 8:48 pm

   When you say “yet another” I get the impression that your opinion is there are already too many. I am in complete agreement with you on the chocolate part. MyePets shouldn’t be encouraging the feeding of something poisonous. And, I also agree about the need for caution in regards to marketing to children.

   The way I was reading your comments, and many others by the way, was that the space is becoming too crowded. Or, that others have also been hearing of the myriad of other companies lining up to launch their own virtual world to jump on the Penguin craze.

   Personally, I see that there will be a large number of these launching, consolidating, and ultimately some of them will begin to interchange economies, profiles and attributes. We are already seeing the social network aggregators stepping in to pull the various social profiles into a single area.

   I’m certainly not on the attack. I would like to understand your thoughts about where the VW opportunities still lie. Likewise, what are the models to avoid.

   – Robert
4. Raph says:

   August 18, 2007 at 8:59 pm

   I actually said at a conference earlier this year that in my opinion EVERY major toy brand would have a virtual world within two to three years. So I expect there to be many many more. What’s more, I expect them all to be viable businesses.

   I do not expect there to be any interoperability between those run by different toy companies however. 🙂

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