Gamertell

Webkinz is becoming more and more like a mini-massive multiplayer online (MMO) game for kids. The latest addition to Webkinz, the Webkinz eStore proves it. A premium shop now exists for the popular children and casual gamer’s browser virtual pet. Players can visit the Webkinz eStore and purchase furniture and clothing for their characters - for a premium price.

You see, unlike most MMOs, the items in the Webkinz eStore are quite expensive. Ridiculously so. The rocket and picnic basket “Super Beds” both cost $9. Other costly items include a $8 pool, $7 waterfall or suit of armor or 2 $6 modular sofa packs. Players can purchase a train set, fridge or stove for $5.

The cheapest item is a $4 chair, but it may just be the most expensive item of all. Even though all transactions involve Ganz just emailing you a code for the items you’ve purchased after you give your Visa/Mastercard/Amex card information, there is a minimum order of $5. So if someone just wanted to buy the $4 chair, they couldn’t. They would have to either buy two chairs, or a chair and another item, to break the $5 barrier.

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On April 29, 2008, the Webkinz web-based virtual pet game for kids celebrates it’s third anniversary. While real world events were held on April 25-27, 2008 at various Webkinz toy retailers in the US and Canada, a special event in the virtual world was planned for the actual anniversary. Users logging in on the day are greeted by a pop-up announcement saying a special gift has been placed in their docks, and the front page ‘newspaper’ has a news story celebrating the day.

The package is filled with rare items. There is a slice of Webkinz Day 2008, a Webkinz Day 2008 group picture, a Webkinz Day 2008 trophy and a wish token. The cake can be fed to a pet, the token can be used in the wish factory for an exclusive item, and the trophy and picture can be used as decorations in rooms.

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Webkinz has disappointed countless players yet again. The game’s latest ‘blessing’ has become a curse. On April 3, 2008, a stadium was added to the Webkinz online world, where members would be able to gather to enter their pets in contests for large kinz cash prizes. The stadium events are usually held in the evenings, and users must pay a kinzcash entrance fee and register for an event two hours ahead of time. It sounds like a fun concept for the kids who play the game, right? Wrong. Instead of bringing joy, it brings up a new problem for users.

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A Spring Festival is coming to the Webkinz world on March 23, 2008. Like previous festivals, a gift will be delivered to the dock of each Webkinz user who takes the time to log in on that specific date. Like most of the festivals for the internet game, there will also be items flying by that, when clicked, provide users with a random treat. WebKinzBlog already has reported that Ganz has put users on the alert for flying eggs. Users with quick reflexes can click on the floating eggs to receive chocolate eggs.

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An interesting move has been made by Ganz, the creators of the popular online web-game Webkinz, and by ‘interesting’ I mean bad for the users. The company has recently revamped the game’s Curio Shop, a place where rare and discounted items can be found. Before, there was a way for fan sites to determine which rare items would be available each day, and players could then be on at that time and buy as many as they wished. Now Ganz has altered the structure so fan sites can no longer determine what will be there. It gets worse - a limit has been placed on how many rare items can be bought when they are available.

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