My opinion

I've said it before: if you want to understand the future, go talk to some kids. Watch what they do. Watch their habits. Chances are these won't change much as they go through life. The emerging generation seems to me best described as the Online Generation. They hang out online in spaces that are virtual. There they form relationships that are very real.
Kids today are joining online social networks at increasingly early ages. At Club Penguin, acquired by Disney last year, they are joining at pre-school age. Disney Interactive hopes to attract kids, then with a series of other online virtual world-based communities continue to engage them. Their portfolio now includes Toontown and the highly engaging and interactive Pirates of the Caribbean, which mostly attracts boys. Soon Pixie Hollow will come out for teenage girls who can assume a fantastic little avatar.
Last year Disney bought Club Penguin, which has members as young as age 4. Under heavy security, Penguin members can meet and talk with other children. They can learn commerce by selling goods and services in exchange for virtual money. And as the kids grow older they can transition from one Virtual World designed for them to another, each providing the quality charm of Disney that is part of Disney's occasionally controversial trademark.
So what happens when this Online Generation grows up and enters the market and takes seats in the cubicles of your business? How will this Online Generation emerge? Will they be the same or different from their own parents in the market and as professionals?
I took those questions with me to Disney Internet Group in Burbank recently, where I interviewed a few members of the senior team including President Steve Wadsworth. In their vision, the next generation will be more social, more collaborative and perhaps more globally conscious.
All things considered, I tend to agree.

Disney's recent decision to close an MMO launched in 2005 as part of Disneyland's 50th Anniversary has led to a petition from users seeking to keep the virtual world open. According to WKMG in Orlando, Florida, more than 11,000 people have signed an online petition to stop the closure of Disney's Virtual Magic Kingdom MMO. A statement on the site said that VMK will be shut down on May 21. " It exceeded our expectations in terms of performance to the point that we left it open much longer than originally anticipated. " Disney told the Orange County Register. " All good promotions must come to an end, so we have decided the time is right to close VMK. We plan to offer free online promotions that will continue to engage our parks and resorts guests in new and entertaining ways on the web. " VMK included representations of the five lands of Disneyland, with online games, avatars and rooms that could be customized, and moderated chats with other players. For a time, Disney ran a trivia game inside Disneyland park and the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World that rewarded people with codes to unlock outfits and furniture online. " There is a reality of running an online community that at some point it grows beyond the owner's control and becomes their responsibility, " wrote John Frost of the Disney blog - although he admitted to never playing the game. Sulake, the developer of Habbo, is credited with developing VMK. Disney currently offers other online MMOs and community sites such as Pirates of the Caribbean Online, ToonTown Online, and Club Penguin.

Disney is on the market for selling VMK to Saluke, and Saluke taking advantage of the game; however, this is just a rumor. No positive scams nor reports have been made. Saluke created multiple other online MMOs and is said to have set back memory on VMK, causing it to crash. There are no blogs to create this as a true thing, but there are possibilities. Many rumors have been going around that VMK will be re-opening only to Saluke's advantage. Some say that Saluke is planning to revamp it into a Habbo Hotel clone; just with Disney's works of the characters. However, rumors that happen usually aren't true. Saluke has not reported anything to confirm and openings or closures of any games they have created; so nothing has been for sure.

Contact the media and let them know about Disney's intention to close out Virtual Magic Kingdom. We can't possibly create a comprehensive list of every single media outlet and newspaper, so be creative and even contact your local news networks, and newspapers. It doesn't matter how small, because some very small networks have been the ones to break news to the country or worldwide. Also try to reach out to the departments/teams that handle video games, entertainment, technology. This includes bloggers with large audiences. Send them a copy of our press release to make it even easier for you and them!

Contact: press@savevmktoday.comFOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
DISNEY POISED TO SHUT DOWN KIDS ONLINE GAMING COMMUNITY: VMK
Disney Fans & Parents Worldwide Weigh In: Disney is Abandoning Long-Term Gaming Community; Disney Parents Upset that Disney Plans to End Safe Online Game for Children
LOS ANGELES, CALIF. April 14, 2008 - Disney Fans and parents worldwide are upset that The Walt Disney Internet Group, a division of The Walt Disney Company has announced plans to close down Virtual Magic Kingdom (VMK), a safe online gaming community created for kids which launched in 2005. Several fan petitions have been created in response to Disney’s decision, hundreds are creating original YouTube content and thousands are rallying together to try and save VMK from closing next month.
"Disney has shunned families and children worldwide with this news," exclaimed Sandra Garcia, a Disney parent from New York City. This mother of two active VMK players goes on to reveal "it's a shame, a real shame that Disney is calling VMK nothing but a promotion. These are real children, they are not promotions but real human beings. My daughters are devastated. I am outraged with Disney over this."
Immediately after the announcement, several petitions sprung up, including one at the SaveVMKToday.com campaign web site. This particular petition has garnered over 7,500 signatures, of which 4,000 of them attained within 48 hours of the news and over 160,000 page views.
"Every VMK player is stunned by this sudden announcement," explains Josh Goldstein, a long-term VMK player. "We were even more shocked that VMK is being referred to as nothing more than a promotion," a strong sentiment that is felt among the entire VMK gaming community worldwide. "Where are we suppose to go? How do we keep in touch with our friends? There is nothing like VMK anywhere else!" exclaims Josh. The decision to close VMK effectively leaves behind over a quarter of a million players with no alternative online platform available.
ABOUT SAVE VMK TODAY CAMPAIGN: SaveVMKToday.com is a volunteer fan based campaign, created to provide Disney guests worldwide with an information portal regarding Virtual Magic Kingdom. The site offers a wealth of information and tools on contacting The Walt Disney Internet Group, including several petitions and resources, to help try and save this online gaming community from closing.
ABOUT VIRTUAL MAGIC KINGDOM: VMK is a unique online gaming destination developed by Disney Online and Sulake Corporation Oy, designed for kids between the ages of 8-14, however is open to all Disney fans worldwide. VMK launched in June 2005 to coincide with the marketing and promotional celebration of Disneyland's 50th Anniversary. Just seven months after launch, Disney announced the game surpassed one million players and over 1.3 million personalized in-game rooms.
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If you would like further information about VMK or the campaign efforts, please contact Nicholas at press@savevmktoday.com.
You can download our press release:press_release.pdf (222kb)

Saluke nor Disney has said anything about VMK since the closure besides interviews. Getting over 10,000,000 calls and e-mails, not all concerns can be handled.