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MiniMonos
The virtual world for kids who love to play and love the planet.
Developer(s)Melissa Clark-Reynolds
Greg Montgomery
Publisher(s)MiniMonos LLC.
EngineAdobe Flash
Platform(s)Online
Release1 April 2011
Genre(s)MMORPG
Mode(s)Multiplayer

MiniMonos was a virtual world for children six and above. Players create a monkey avatar on MiniMonos, socialize with other monkeys, and play mini games. The game incorporates themes of environmentalism and encourages "green" activities among its players, both online and offline. The game is popular with kids around the world, particularly in the UK, US, Australia and New Zealand, where the game was originally invented. The game closed on 12 May 2013.

History

Inventor Melissa Clark-Reynolds came up with the idea for an environmentally-themed virtual world in 2008, based on her perceived lack of such a game. Taking her daughter swimming with turtles, she realised that one day her daughter could possibly tell her own children "There used to be turtles". This prompted Clark-Reynolds to create an online place for children where fun came first, but which taught them the values of looking after the planet.[1]

Clark-Reynolds worked with noted interactive media producer Deborah Todd and game designer Noah Falstein to create MiniMonos. After a beta phase, the site officially launched on 1 April 2011. By June 2012, the site had attracted close to 1 million players, and had raised over ₤1 million in capital.[2]

MiniMonos launched an in-real-life game card system on 26 October 2011.[3] This system put Gold Membership cards into Sainsbury's stores across the United Kingdom. These cards gave user who obtained them, and used them, the ability to gain: 1 month, or 6 months of premium membership to their monkey, and the 6 month option came at a reduced-on-card price. The cards, along with the membership, give the user special xPowers (a MiniMonos creation) which they can use in game. Gold Membership cards have been released in New Zealand and Australia.

Melissa Clark Reynolds, the founder of MiniMonos, unfortunately revealed the closure of MiniMonos on 29 April 2013. The site was closed down on 12 May 2013.

Features

Avatars

Players create avatars for themselves that are of monkeys.[4]

Mini games

MiniMonos has a wide variety of mini games, each having something to do with helping the environment, such as recycling trash, cleaning up a lagoon, or growing fresh strawberries. A few examples can be seen below.

Monkey Flight

The first mini game to appear on MiniMonos was "Monkey Flight". The objective of Monkey Flight is to collect wind clouds as an energy source to keep on flying. Avoid black clouds, smog, and collect the clean white clouds to win. If you hit the ground and can't get up via one of the trampolines, the game is over. The collected wind clouds power a windmill at the player's tree house.

R.A.T.S.

"R.A.T.S." stands for ‘Recycle All That Stuff". This is a simple game where rubbish falls from a conveyor belt and players throw it, using a monkey catapult, into the appropriate recycling bin, while avoiding the mischievous bird. You can click on the metal tube at the top to make rubbish come down instantly. You will receive recycled material that you can use to build robot pets and swap with each other on MiniMonos.

Grow

"Grow" is a game of skill, where the goal is to clear all 100 plots of land in 22 clicks or less. The fewer clicks, the more berries are grown. Players can also engage in games of "Tic Tac Poo" to win compost to aid their gardens. The amount of berries that grow if you win depends on how many moves you took and if you used compost.

Monkey Fist

"Monkey Fist" is a high-thrill game on MiniMonos Island where users go head-to-head against up to 10 players. The goal of the game is to be the last monkey standing, while knocking everybody else out. Wu Lee creates a pose every round, and your goal is to not match his pose, as you cannot be the master; he is. If you manage to be the last monkey remaining, you will advance through the ranks in your arm band colours.

Items

MiniMonos offers players the opportunity to find objects, such as trash and jewels, and to find or earn game currency (in the form of Banana Chips and Shells) which they can use to buy other objects (such as costume elements for their avatars) at the game's store, Traderz. Themed activities and events call for different costumes and items. The purchase of some items is restricted to members who have purchased (using real-life money) premium memberships.[5][6][7]

Users are permitted to own one (1) of any type of clothing item which can change colour.

Top Caps

MiniMonos has created an in-game feature, in which users can do tasks, (ranging from simple to difficult), to earn "Top Caps."

Top Caps can be earned by: beating an opponent in a battle, meeting new friends, getting a high score, doing a real life project, and many other ways.

Top Caps can be referred to as "badges" which players can collect and show off, through their player card/journal.

Currently, the game has about 100 Top Caps that can be earned multiple ways.

Child safety

MiniMonos is aimed at children, so several safety features have been incorporated into the site:[5]

  1. An adult's email address is required to register and activate the child's account.
  2. All inter-user communication is monitored in real time. Any violations of the site's policies (such as requesting personal information) are handled by escalating levels of warnings until the violator is banned from the site. This is unless it is deemed that the violator poses a risk to player safety, in which case they are removed immediately and steps taken to prevent them coming back onto MiniMonos.
  3. The game is also monitored by real human moderators and a unique and strong chat filtration system.
  4. Parents are informed in cases of any personal details being shared or incidents of ‘dating’ talk.

Social action

MiniMonos founder Clark-Reynolds keeps her company in line with the ideals being taught in her game. The MiniMonos server is taken offline during Earth Hour,[8] and the company donates clean drinking water to children in India for every new paid membership.[8] MiniMonos players have also adopted Orangutans,[4] and donated to WWF through the purchase of costumes and campaigned to save tigers.[6][7]

The popular EcoMonkey program has seen players create over 900 real-life eco-projects,[9] giving an online reward on MiniMonos for offline sustainability actions.

Reviews

Common Sense Media gives MiniMonos four stars, citing its environmental theme and attention to child safety.[5] DIY Father praised MiniMonos for making environmentalism an integral part of the gameplay, without browbeating the players with the message.[8]

The company has partnered with WWF-NZ in support of the global WWF Tiger Initiative and has adopted four orangutans through Orangutan Outreach.[6]

TechCrunch calls MiniMonos "..a fun 'Green' game for boys".[10]

ReadWriteWeb commended MiniMonos for its commitment to reward offline sustainability activities.[11]

Climate Mama gave MiniMonos its Climate Mama Seal of Approval.[12]

In a review on Elephant Journal, MiniMonos was praised for its engagement with players, sustainability and safety.[13]

References

  1. ^ B1G1 (4 June 2009). "Virtual world makes a real-world difference". b1g1.com.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  2. ^ Rogers, Claire (10 April 2012). "MiniMonos heads to million members". Stuff.co.nz.
  3. ^ Deely, Andrea (26 October 2011). "MiniMonos game cards coming to Sainsbury's!". Archived from the original on 17 July 2012.
  4. ^ a b Tran, Lilian (3 September 2010). "MiniMonos Orangutans". Archived from the original on 4 August 2011.
  5. ^ a b c Brereton, Erin. "MiniMonos". Common Sense Media. Archived from the original on 14 October 2012.
  6. ^ a b c WWF. "WWF item purchase donations". wwf.org.nz.
  7. ^ a b WWF (1 December 2010). "Tiger assistance". wwf.panda.org. Archived from the original on 15 April 2013.
  8. ^ a b c Korn, Stefan (7 February 2010). "Site review: Minomonos.com". Archived from the original on 16 December 2010.
  9. ^ Clark-Reynolds, Melissa. "MiniMonos Eco Projects". minimonos.com.
  10. ^ Butcher, Mike (29 July 2011). "..A fun "Green" game for boys".
  11. ^ Watters, Audrey (19 June 2011). "MiniMonos: Linking Kids' Virtual World and Real World Actions". Archived from the original on 30 May 2012. Retrieved 1 July 2012.
  12. ^ "3 Online Environmental Games to Engage and Empower Your Kids – Climate Change and Playing games". 13 June 2011. Archived from the original on 28 March 2012. Retrieved 1 July 2012.
  13. ^ Hasselberger, Lynn (1 December 2010). "Finally—an engaging, safe, virtual world for kids".

Further reading

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