Moshi Monsters
| Moshi Monsters | |
|---|---|
| Developer(s) | Mind Candy |
| Platform(s) | Online |
| Release | April 2008 |
Moshi Monsters is a children's entertainment brand, targeted at children aged 7 to 12. Users can choose from six different virtual pet monsters - Furi, Katsuma, Diavlo, Zommer, Luvli and Poppet - that they can create, name and nurture. Once a pet has been customised, players can navigate their way around Monstro City, taking the daily puzzle challenge to earn 'Rox' (virtual currency), playing games, solving Super Moshi Missions, personalising their room, reading stories and communicating with friends in a safe environment.[1][2][3]
The game was developed in 2007 by the British entertainment company Mind Candy and launched in April 2008.[4] In June 2011 it was announced that there were 50 million users.[5] The game that is supposedly played by one in three British children, makes revenue through the sale of paid membership options as well as licensed merchandise.[6] The game is free to play, though users can become paying members to receive full access to additional features, such as an Underground Disco, Gift Island and Super Moshi Missions.
The site has sometimes been referred to as "Facebook for kids";[7][8] however, the game presents a number of differences to Facebook. As of July 2009, revenues were "many thousands of pounds per month", according to Mind Candy CEO Michael Acton Smith.[8] Investors have included Index Ventures, which backed Last.fm, and Accel Partners, which has invested in Facebook.[9] As of June 2011, the British company behind Moshi Monsters (Mind Candy) has been estimated to be worth U.S $200 million.[10]
In 2011, Moshi Monsters launched a range of physical products including books, toys, trading cards and a magazine[11]. In February 2011, Moshi Magazine launched and now has the largest circulation of any UK children's magazine.[12].
References
- ^ Chafer, Camilla. (November 17, 2007). "The digital life: Social networking for pre-teens: Set your little monsters loose online: kids social networks are booming in the US. So, can they be made to work over here?", The Daily Telegraph, p. 19.
- ^ (May 1, 2008). "Pit yourself against Moshi Monsters", Computeractive (266).
- ^ (May 2, 2008). "Online World Atlas: Moshi Monsters – Pt. 1, Overview", Worlds in Motion. Retrieved October 23, 2010.
- ^ Chafer, Camilla. (November 17, 2007). "The digital life: Social networking for pre-teens: Set your little monsters loose online: kids social networks are booming in the US. So, can they be made to work over here?", The Daily Telegraph, p. 19.
- ^ Barnett, Emma (June 7, 2011). "Moshi Monsters hits 50 million members", The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
- ^ "Moshi Monsters". Retrieved 2011-03-21.
- ^ Richardson, Anne (March 25, 2010). "Moshi please: UK 'Facebook for kids' that's a Monster smash", The Sun, p. 36.
- ^ a b Moules, Jonathan (July 8, 2009). "The schoolboy dream grows up: Michael Smith's first venture, Firebox, sold novelty gifts and was a dotcom success. His second, Mind Candy, gives children food for thought", Financial Times, p. 14.
- ^ Wray, Richard (April 25, 2010). "Creating the next dotcom boom could be child's play: As Facebook wrestles with safety issues, a surge in social networks specifically for kids is enticing major investors", The Observer, p. 49.
- ^ "Moshi Monsters". Retrieved 2011-04-23.
- ^ TheSun.co.uk
- ^ National Federation of Retail Newsagents Online