Webkinz

Webkinz is a stuffed animal franchise by the Canadian toy company Ganz, consisting of stuffed animals that have online counterparts in the games "Webkinz Classic" and "Webkinz Next". It was originally released by Ganz on April 29, 2005.

Each Webkinz toy has an attached tag with a unique "Secret Code" printed on it that allows its owner to play with their pet in the "Webkinz Classic" game for iOS, Android and desktop computers. Webkinz plush toys sold after October 2008 contain two secret codes, one eight-digit code compatible with "Webkinz Classic" and one 15-digit code compatible with "Webkinz".

In Webkinz World, the secret code allows the user to own a virtual version of the pet for online play. There is also a spin-off, Webkinz Jr., which is aimed at children ages 3–6. Sales of plush Webkinz toys are limited to the United States and Canada, but international users can buy virtual pets from the online eStore.

In 2006, Webkinz had one million online accounts, and according to one estimate published in ''Wired'', they made $100 million in 2006. In 2011, Webkinz made its first TV commercial. Webkinz was updated in 2015 to Webkinz X, making it more kid-friendly. In October 2020, Webkinz unveiled a new logo, Added new creatures, and began to transition to a 3D version with different social features.

Types of Webkinz

There are many types of Webkinz, such as: regular pets, wild animals, prehistoric animals, and mythical creatures. Along with the regular Webkinz toys, there are also smaller, less expensive versions called Lil' Kinz, as well as larger, more expensive versions in the signature collection, which ran from April 2009 to December 2013.

In May 2009, the Birthstone Pets series was released, in which one new Birthstone Pet was released every month. In April 2010, Ganz replaced the Birthstone Pets series with the Zodiac Pets series. Similarly, one Zodiac Pet was released every month. In 2011, the CandyKinz series was released. In June 2012, the Rockerz Pets series was released.

In 2019, Ganz announced that the “first generation” of Webkinz plush was ending and that no new plush pets would be released for the time being. Website operations would continue, and purely virtual pets could still be purchased. In November 2020, two new Webkinz plush pets were released, starting a "new generation" of pets. These new pets include two codes, one for Webkinz Classic and one for Webkinz Next.

Gameplay

Each Webkinz stuffed animal and Webkinz accessory comes with an 8-character code. By registering this code on the Webkinz Classic desktop application or mobile app, the customer "adopts" a pet in the virtual Webkinz World. Without the code, the user will not get access to the full Webkinz World, but they can create a free account. On January 19, 2011, Ganz announced that Webkinz World accounts would no longer expire, meaning users would not have to buy a new pet each year to renew their account. However, certain elements and other features are limited with a free account. Young adults who had active accounts on the website have even revisited their pets to catch up on their health as an online trend.

The Webkinz World is an online play area with its own economy completely controlled by Ganz. The user receives money (called KinzCash) by adopting new pets, playing online games, answering general knowledge questions, and through daily activities like clicking "I love my Webkinz!", spinning the ''Wheel of WOW'', playing ''Wishing Well 2'', or completing jobs (minigames) available once every 8 hours. Each day, there is a Game of the Day which can be played for bonus KinzCash, and other bonuses are available each hour, full days on weekends, and afternoons only on weekdays. With each Webkinz toy purchased, more KinzCash, rooms, and items are added to the user's account. There is also an arcade, where the user can play games to earn trophies and KinzCash.

The online world also contains many rare or exclusive items. Some of these items require developing a friendship with the Curio Shop owner to purchase, while others are obtained by registering other Webkinz accessories purchased in the real world. Each type of pet gets a special item and food available exclusively for them. Also, a "Pet of the Month" is announced at the beginning of each month. If a person registers the announced pet in that month, they will also receive other exclusive items.

Many of the tasks in Webkinz World involve collecting items. For example, recipes are released for the players through cookbooks or one of the TV shows called ''The Secret Chef''. "Gems" can be mined once a day at the ''Curio Shop'', with a full set of gems being turned into the ''Webkinz Crown of Wonder'' and used to buy exclusive items. A similar feature, called ''Alyssa's Star Challenge'', involves users clicking on colored stars to find valuable stars.

Criticism

Concerns have been raised about children's use and overuse of the toys. Parents may worry that children will become addicted to the game. Some parents have voiced concerns about the website's online chat system. The ''KinzChat'' chat system has various safety precautions, with restrictions on who can send messages. Additionally, users can not type but can choose phrases to say from a list. Concerns have also been raised about the toys being a distraction in school, occasionally resulting in them being banned from school grounds. Concerns were also raised when the once advertisement-free site started displaying advertisements, previously only for their own additional game-related products, but now also for movies, such as ''Alvin and the Chipmunks'' and ''Bee Movie''. There is an option that members can use to block ads that promote sites that are not sponsored by or affiliated with Webkinz or Ganz. However, if enabled, this option cannot be changed until 30 days have passed. Rumors have circulated that malware is present.Davis, Lisa (28 September 2007). "Interactive Toys Like Webkinz Are Drawing Young Kids, Worrying Some Parents." ''Fort Worth Star-Telegram''. In 2007, rumors spread about a character that would kill Webkinz on the site, supposedly inserted by a disgruntled employee or a rival site. These claims were dismissed by Webkinz.com.

2020 data breach

In April 2020, a hacker gained access to the login information of almost 23 million players, which was later leaked. Ganz later strengthened their encryption and required all users to reset their passwords.

References

External links

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{{Non-sports trading cards

2005 video games
Virtual pets
Children's websites
Virtual world communities
Stuffed toys
Toy animals
Internet properties established in 2005
Products introduced in 2005
2000s toys
2000s fads and trends
Video games developed in Canada
Massively multiplayer online games