Disney Debuts its First Multiplayer Online Game

[mkt]

Disney Debuts its First Multiplayer Online Game

(Hollywood Reporter) -- Disney is taking a small step into the world of multiplayer online games, a genre that has proven popular, and profitable, for other companies. The Internet division of The Walt Disney Co. this week began testing a three-dimensional online game called "Toontown." Online games, commonly called "massively multiplayer," or MMPs, have proven popular with adults. Games such as "Everquest" and "Ultima Online" provide role playing experiences in real time. Such games usually charge a flat fee for the software and a monthly subscription to play. Disney's entry into the field was developed by Walt Disney Imagineering, which creates immersive rides for the company's theme parks.

 

[Pioneer Hall]

So where can you find this game?

 

[MKCustodial]

And what's it all about?

 

[Monorail Lime]

They didn't begin testing Toontown this week... the demo has been out for months! They took down the download a while ago but the server has still been working for those that already had it.

Toontown is pretty boring because you can't talk to the other players very much. They want it to be kid friendly but that makes it very uninteresting for older people.

 

[MKCustodial]

Originally posted by Monorail Lime
They didn't begin testing Toontown this week... the demo has been out for months! They took down the download a while ago but the server has still been working for those that already had it.

Toontown is pretty boring because you can't talk to the other players very much. They want it to be kid friendly but that makes it very uninteresting for older people.

OK, but what's it like? What's the purpose of the game?

 

[pisco]

The basic premise is pretty funny. Toontown (the home of all of your favorite classic Disnye characters) is being taken over by the evil robot Cogs. Cogs have no sense of humor and can be destroyed by gags. Your job is to run around and destroy Cogs using jokes like a pie in the face or a squirting lapel flower.

The great thing about it is that the whole thing is a rip on corporate America. The cogs have names like Sellbot and Cashbot and attack with weapons like doubletalk and telemarketing phone calls. Even though it is set up to be kid friendly, the anti-corporate theme would only really be funny to adults.

The unfortunate part is the it is dumbed down so much that it becomes repetitive and somewhat boring pretty quickly. It was fun to beta test but I don't think I'd actually pay for it.