"You Can't Fight City Hall" - Another Idea to Help Save VMK

[Jeeps]

Dear Friends,

I, like you, am of course extremely upset with Disney decision to close the Virtual Magic Kingdom for good. While I realize that there are other online-Disney-gaming options available; for example, Toontown and Pirates, I do not see these as "substitutes" for VMK in any way.

Ultimately, I love VMK because of what it is: a way to enjoy some of the magic of Disney resorts without being in Florida/California or paying for $40 pizzas. Honestly, I believe that the Disney team did a spectacular job of catching the essence of the park, and making it into a less realistic virtual park.

For that reason, Toontown/Pirates/Penguin doesn't really appeal to me. While these games are loosely related to Disney symbols/products, they are, by no means, meant to simulate the fun and excitement of visiting a Disney resort.

However, the decision to eliminate VMK entirely was clearly meant to send gamers in the "pay-to-play" direction. Financially, it seems to make sense.

Why would a corporation (driven by profit) continue to work on a product (even if it is highly popular) that doesn't seem to make that much money? Of course, considering the depth of the VMK world, I am sure it costs a fortune to develop the game, provide the necessary bandwith, etc. So, I guess Disney had two options:
a) Continue to pay for a very popular game that, at most, may attract a few people to the parks who probably would have gone anyway (since many of us are Disney fanatics)...
b) After pushing thousands of players to Disney-game addiction, close the money losing game and push them to money-gaining games (i.e. Pirates).

Sadly it seems that Disney has chosen the second option.

To that end, there is only ONE way we can battle back. The Disney corporation is not worried about losing park attendance, merchandising revenue, etc. Let's face it. The Magic Kingdom is the most visited amusement park in the entire world, and VMK users make up an insignificant fraction of the attendance.

All we can do is, as "The Who" would say, show that "we aren't going to take it." Success, at this point, for Disney would be to see massive jumps in the number of players on Pirates, Penguin, etc.

I firmly believe that if they do not see this effect work out, Disney will be forced to reconsider the closing of VMK. Again, Disney wants to make money. The corporation is not a Fortune 500 one for nothing. In the end, if we can demonstrate that their strategy to help their other games DOES NOT WORK, Disney will have two options:
a) Accept that a highly developed and funded game (VMK) was pointless financially
b) Consider making the game like Club Penguin or Pirates, and use the Disney investment in the game to finally make a profit.

Of course, there are no guarantees. However, when dealing with a cold, heartless corporation, the only strategy that could potentially work will be finance. Moreover, I believe that we can, possibly, win that battle.

Thanks for reading. Please post thoughts/concerns. I would love for this to generate some discussion.

One more thing.

This argument does not advocate stopping the fight to show Disney how much we care; for example, through the petition or the letter writing campain. Rather, I think we need a combination of both strategies.

It is just important that we show Disney we won't give up on VMK as Disney understanding we won't join the other games.

[BaldEagleBob]

Great points! I have no interest in the other online games. I came to VMK because it is what the title says: It's a virtual version of the Magic Kingdom.

I want a game taking place in Disneyland and Walt Disney World. Not that other stuff.

(By the way, the phrase: "You Can't Fight City Hall" means that it is futile to fight against the government. It just does not make apply in this case!)

[MrMonorail]

This is a great post Jeeps, but there is just one thing wrong; while VMK itself as an online game didn't make money, everything else associated with it did! I'm not talking about just the trading cards and pins, but everything else that Disney tied into the VMK promotion. How many people bought (or got their parents to buy) Kellogg's cereal for codes? Disney DVD's for Movie Reward points for exclsuive online VMK items? In park quests and tours? And while those VMK players were in the parks doing quests, taking tours, or buying cards or pins odds are that they (or their parents) were buying a lot of other things. Booking a trip to the parks on your own or through Disney so you could get a Stitch hat? I'm sure there are plenty of other examples as well. So while VMK wasn't earning any money on it's own as a pay-to-play game, it sure was bringing money into the Walt Disney Company. A LOT of money for just a "promotion".

[Jeeps]

Sure, I understand that. But in all honesty, it was surely not the promotions that drove Disney profits, at least not significantly.

I think there are about 15,000 signatures right now on the petition to save VMK. Let's say that is how many people are so devoted to the game that, in the past, they have purchased a product due to the game's presence (however, I believe this is a very liberal estimate). Ultimately, videos, cereals, and the like are marketed to be bought by 10s of 1,000s of people. Even if one third of the 15k bought a product, we'll call it Corn Pops, for VMK, it still isn't that big of a financial gain.

My point is, if Disney felt that they were legitimately making enough money off the game, we would surely not be in this predicament. No company gives up on products that are turning a profit.

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Also, I think someone questioned the name of the thread. I just called it that because there have been (justifiably) a lot of pessimistic estimates for VMK's future. I just wanted to argue that you can, in fact, fight the one who is in control.

Thanks!