Disney has been getting its feet wet in online entertainment ever since they made their first impressions in the internet. Disney Blast, a subscription-based Internet entertainment site for children to safely surf the web was Disney?s first foray into online games. Since Disney Blast was first introduced, Disney?s online presence has grown, and it has since introduced a broadband version of Disney Blast as well as making huge revisions to its free web based entertainment sites.
Now, Disney is once again embarking on a new territory. A massively multiplayer online game, Toontown Online, will bring Disney?s family oriented strategies to a massive scale. The daunting task of Toontown Online is to produce an enticing multiplayer world where parents and children do not have to fear introduction to violence or mature content. Whether Disney will be successful in their venture will only be determined when Toontown Online goes live.
An evil group of business robots called the cogs have taken Toontown under siege. Originally, these robots were created by Scrooge McDuck to help Toontown, but something went awry. The cogs have started to replace all of Toontown?s colorful buildings with dull, monochromatic skyscrapers. It is up to Toontown Online?s citizens to join forces and overtake the cog-controlled buildings to keep Toontown colorful.
Incorporating toon-like avatars and cartoon names, Toontown Online seems like a very engaging and realistic entrance into the cartoon world. Furthermore, Disney has taken some efforts to ensure children?s safety while playing in Toontown Online. A specialized communication system, called ?speed chat? makes certain all the communication in the game is free from vulgarity. Players cannot type directly through the game. Instead, they must navigate a series of menus to create expressions and requests. The formulation, however, is not very tedious, and most standard communication can be performed effortlessly. Players may be capable of speaking directly to each other through the use of ?Secret Friends.? By obtaining another player's activation code, which can only be done outside of the game, players can then communicate through a standard peer-to-peer chat model inside Toontown Online.
Disney is doing everything they can to ensure players of Toontown Online have a fun, yet safe experience. It is virtually impossible to act negatively, which makes Toontown Online a sure thing for parents concerned for their children?s exposure. With cameo appearances of popular Disney characters such as Mickey Mouse and an intriguing story, Disney fans of all ages should be attracted to the game.
