Webkinz
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Webkinz are plush animals toys developed by the Ganz gift company in 2005.[1] The toy itself is similar to many other small soft toys, however they come with a special code in their label allowing the owner access to the Webkinz World website to "adopt" a virtual version of their pet for virtual interaction. There are smaller versions of the toys called Lil' Kinz.[2] The toys have been marketed in similar fashion to Ty beanie babies with some being retired after some time, which encourages high secondary selling prices.
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Gameplay
When a user adopts their first Webkinz pet, they are given basic items such as a room, a welcome balloon, a food item, a piece of furniture for their pet, and 2000 in Kinzcash. Kinzcash is the Webkinz World version of currency. Each pet has levels of happiness, health, and hunger that decrease as time is spent with that Webkinz. They can be increased by feeding, playing with, exercising, and bathing the pet.
Much of the gameplay involves the making and spending of Kinzcash. Earning Kinzcash involves playing multiple games, including quizzes and arcade games. This virtual currency can then be used to purchase items for the virtual pet at the W shop or Curio Shop.
The online game is free to use for one year, then a person must purchase another toy to continue playing. There is a grace period of 14 days where users can still access their account after which their account will be deactivated. Members then have a minimum of 30 days to renew their account before deletion. Adopting a new pet will give the user another year of access.
Safety Information
As Webkinz was designed for children Ganz has taken steps to insure online safety. The chat system in Webkinz is constructed so that users cannot type in whatever they want. Nothing inappropriate can be typed, and there is no way to exchange any personal information. Users can only chat with other members they have on their friends list and a player must give someone their Username personally to be added, as there is no way to discover other players while online. [3]
