Webkinz molds next generation of gamers
by Alan Rose 
{ Oct 16th 2006 at 6:05PM }
While attending my niece's soccer game this past weekend, I noticed a few furry new additions to the family. "They're Webkinz", she said referring to the pink poodle and St. Bernard stuffed animals she and my nephew had brought with them. At first, there didn't seem to be anything special about these Webkinz, until a few of her schoolmates came over with plush little pals of their own. Then they all started talking about emailing each other at their Webkinz addresses, and playing games at the Webkinz web site. That's when I became interested in learning more about this emerging craze created by gift maker Ganz.Webkinz combines elements of Nintendogs, The Sims, Brain Age, and Nick.com, packaging all of it together in a secure online environment for kids and their 'kinz. The result is an addictive blend of educational and simulation-style activities geared toward maintaining your pet's avatar and its virtual living space. Food and furniture are paid for with Kinzcash, the community currency which is accrued while playing games and taking quizzes. A word puzzle game had my nephew and I hooked for almost an hour, and the "one more round" syndrome manifested itself in both of us each time we achieved one goal and were given another.
Despite Wall Street grumblings and increased federal legislation, this pre-pubescent enthusiasm ensures a healthy future for the gaming industry. Ganz isn't just grooming digital dogs and cats, but also tomorrow's PlayStation 4 and MMO gamers. The ingredients are all here: the online community, competitive gaming, an achievement system, and the W Shop (the place where you spend your Kinzcash). It's not quite Live Anywhere, but the physical extension of the plush toy creates a persistent real world experience away from the desktop computer, keeping young users engaged throughout the day no matter where they venture. Just make sure you monitor your kids' health and hunger meters as often as they monitor their Webkinz's.
See also: Microsoft educates parents on 20-city bus tour
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Pince @ Oct 16th 2006 6:13PM
A note to fanboys:
When he said "Playstation 4 and MMO" I don't think he was implying that PS4 will be the only console in the future because of Sony's crushing defeat of everyone, or that MMOs are better than every game you like and will phase them all out.
Just felt like I should get that in there preemptively.
With that said, I feel an insatiable urge to check this site out. Is that a bad thing?...Naw.
otakucode @ Oct 16th 2006 6:53PM
Surely you're not telling me that kids have been so dangerously infantilized that TEENS are the target market of this stuff? I can see it as being a good thing for kids, though it looks like it might be in danger of going over the edge of being kid-friendly to being downright stupid. Kids are smart, they can figure out a lot more than people give them credit for. But if this is aimed at kids 4 - 7 years old, it looks right up their alley.
Beats the Intellivision I was playing with around that time.
mac_daddy @ Oct 16th 2006 7:40PM
Looks like an interesting Xmas gift. Thanks for posting something family-related!
bronson56 @ Oct 16th 2006 7:47PM
Hey Pince, what kind of Webkinz will you get? I'm looking at the panda, myself. :)
Hopefully, this thing really is secure. The last thing we need is another outlet for pedophiles (that means you, Mark Foley!). At least the games look educational.
Jennifer @ Oct 16th 2006 9:05PM
Neopets, anyone?
Matt Rix @ Oct 16th 2006 10:50PM
Good ol' Webkinz! I've got a friend that works on the webkinz site... I think it's a brilliant idea!
Maratu @ Oct 16th 2006 10:35PM
We sell those at the Souvenir store I work at. I thought they were actually kinda crummy, but hey, whatever the kids like.
isaac svensson @ Oct 16th 2006 10:30PM
i can only think, this might make the most amazing christmas gifts for my high school friends...
the only complaint i have is the lack of meaningful conversation within the site. good for kids- limiting for those who want this to become the next myspace. rock, rock on.
Huzzah!! (Eric Brady) @ Oct 16th 2006 10:44PM
"tomorrow's PlayStation 4 and MMO gamers"
You forgot Mention the Puu gamers!!! (Puu = successor to Wii. Yes, I'm immature.)
Scopique @ Oct 17th 2006 11:00PM
My daughter has one of these things, and I was blown away by the amount of work that goes into this site. There are tons of games (new ones added on a regular basis), and even special events that vary day by day.
Unfortunately for kids, buying one Webkinz only keeps the account open for 1 year, after which (at this time), you have to buy ANOTHER Webkinz to re-up (at which point any previous Webkinz pets will be renewed as well).
Gonzo @ Oct 18th 2006 3:02PM
As long as Foley doesn't have one.
Boo @ Oct 20th 2006 4:04PM
I personally like webkinz, I'm almost a teenager and i still play. It is fun while being educational at the same time. W/o making it boring. it teaches you a lot about random things and using money wisely, you can play for hours and not get bored. I don't like the kinzchat, where you can only use prewritten messages like, do you want to play a game. hello. i have to go. and other stuff like that. you get to decorate a hoouse and other fun stuff, i think it is a great game for ALL AGES, go buuy a webkinz. their fun
Riss @ Oct 28th 2006 1:33PM
I personally love this website, and I'm a teen. I have 10 Webkinz, all of which I have gotten i the past four months. They would be a great Christmas gift to children and adults alike. My mother even enjoys playing some of the puzzling games that keep you sitting there for hours.
Kotryna @ Oct 29th 2006 5:04PM
I LOVE WEBKINZ SOOOOOOO MUCH!!!!! I'm 10 and I have 1 webkinz I got for Easter. I didn't know much about them. I didn't want anymore toys. Now I want all the webkinz in the world!!!!!!! They are the best toys I've EVER seen in my LIFE!!!! I encourage any aged people to get them. I saw a comment on another site that a 67 year old had 'em!
btw, hi riss! keep it up! (your webkinz fan site)
Kotryna @ Nov 4th 2006 9:36AM
by the way, webkinz are 10/10 amount of awesome! 10 being the highest. 5 ***** stars!
Stuart @ Nov 2nd 2006 10:52AM
We have seen an increase in sales volume and repeat customers for Webkinz across Amazon and our online store. Most of the traffic is North East / down the east coast but we are seeing hotspots in California, Washington and Arizona. The center of the country is virtually empty. Webkinz are about to take off. We have had a few international inquiries but nothing significant.
Darcy @ Nov 3rd 2006 1:22AM
I'm 18 and own three Webkinz. My sister (who is 21!) and her friends (all ranging between the ages of 21 and 24) got me started on this, and it's quite addictive. It isn't just geared towards the younger kids - there are games and questions on there that are hard for me, and I'm a college student! It's eons better than Neopets, because you don't feel bomboarded with ads, and the privacy settings are so much better. I would reccomend Webkinz for anyone!
Maddie @ Nov 6th 2006 12:43PM
I LOVE WEBKINZ!!!!! it is so awesome! i have 15! my friend has 100!!!!!!!
MICHELLE @ Nov 6th 2006 12:42PM
WEBKINZ ARE AMAZING I AM 13 AND I HAVE 15!!!THEY ARE AMAZING!!GET ONE TODAY...
Sandy Hall @ Nov 13th 2006 10:07PM
In this part of Ontario, Canada (GTA - Hamilton, Ancaster, Toronto) - Webkinz are JUST starting to be known - when my 10 yr old daughter started school in September no one at our school had heard of them yet now two months later - most of her class owns a Webkinz (or 2 or 3 or one girl has 9!) and they "play together" after school! Yet, we have families coming into our store from other schools that have never heard of them - so it's just starting here ... we're on the edge I guess .... we do get alot of online inquiries looking for particular "pets" - but most of these inquiries are still coming from the States, we're happy to sell to them, it's an introductory product for us right now so we're selling for less anyways. The Peel Board of Education here has just started using Webkinz as a teaching aid in their Grade 3 Curriculum - sounds like a great (fun!) thing to look forward to doing when you've finished your required classwork!
Lily @ Nov 16th 2006 4:15PM
Three girls in our houses are addicted to Webkinz - ages 8, 10 and 40!!! As the mom, my job is to play games to make money for the girls accounts. The games are really good. The trivia is excellent! It's like Trivial Pursuit but current.
The only problem is that we only have one computer and we all want to use it... Seriously, the problem is that we all want to play too much!
jess erickson @ Nov 21st 2006 10:37AM
My 10 year old daughter and her friends have all gotten into the webkinz frenzy. My biggest advice... tell your kids to not share their passwords or to change it frequently. It seems you can go into another users webkinz and take or sell their furniture or prizes then buy it back for yourself. My daughter lost much of her webkinz furniture due to a fight with a friend. Unfortunately, you can't get special items back. Word to the wise...
Monica @ Dec 3rd 2006 5:30PM
MY best friends little sister(Who is nine) purchased a webkinz, but it seems that my best friend(shes thirteen) is just as interested! She gave me one and I am hooked! My only complaint is that you cant talk to your friends, or at leste the people you know. But Believe me this site is awsome! Have you gys checked out toontown? =]
Caroline @ Dec 10th 2006 9:24AM
I L-O-V-E webkinz!!!! Me(i3) and my sister(7) share an account. The games are intresting and fun. You never EVER get bored unlike Neopets, Clubpenguin, and some other nobodies. I reccomened it for all ages, not just for kids!
JESS @ Dec 10th 2006 8:05PM
Hi i'm 11 and i think that Webkinz is a great site but i wish you could go on even if you didn't have i think that if you did you can become a specail member like on a site called Stardoll if you wanna be a superstar then you have to do this this and that.
Dale @ Dec 12th 2006 11:38AM
Folks,
Lets remember most of these gimmiks are, although somethimes educational, about money. Nothing can substitute for the tried and proven method of education, teacher ans student in the classroom.
michaela @ Mar 17th 2007 9:40AM
I'm 11 and I love webkinz it's addicting. My mom and dad both have 2. And I have 10. And I'm not done buing them yet. My grama got me and my friend one 2 years ago for Christmas. I told everyone I knew and they told every one they knew. Now every one has them. Some people at school have up to 50. A lot of girls bring their stuffed animal webkinz to school and play with them. My teacher is getting one and her son has 2. A 3rd grade teacher at my school lets the kids in her class when done with their work play one webkinz world. Most of the teachers at my school like them. My teacher thinks their awsome. I think their a great way to make kids or adults think of how to take care of something and how to spend and save money. Webkinz are a greatgift for anyone!!!!!!!!!!!1
wooo. @ Jan 16th 2007 1:01PM
Hm. I started off, playing two sites, Neopets, and Habbo Hotel. My cousin, who was playing this, suggested it to me. It has the qualities, like caring for a pet, fun games, and fake cash, just like Neopets, and virtual rooms, like Habbo Hotel. Now I only play one site. Webkinz are for anyone, no matter the age, or the gender, everyone just seems to fall in love with the site!