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While Disney has brilliantly set up Club Penguin in a manner that allows users to select from subscription plans ranging from $5.95 per month and $57.95 (according to the above information), they completely neglected to ever offer a subscription opportunity to their already loyal VMK players, many of whom have posted on VMK-related message boards that they would happily pay a nominal monthly fee to keep their already popular virtual community (with real life people enamored with it) from its sudden proposed closure. This obvious omission has left avid-VMK players asking, "Why?!?"
Why not offer a pay-to-play option? Why not keep their virtual-funville? Why close such a wonderful on-line community?
Regarding the last question, Disney has only offered the seemingly-shallow explanation to its loyal VMK'ers that the game was only meant to be part of Disneyland's 50th Celebration which commenced in 2005 and therefore, has run it's course.
Two problems with this arguement:
1 - If this is truly the reason for VMK's looming doom, why did the entertainment giant wait a year and a half after the 50th celebrations ended to deliver the ax?
2 - Both Disneyland's Parade of Dreams and Dream Come True Fireworks show were created to celebrate Disneyland's 50th Anniversary. However, they both continue to be part of Disneyland's Year of a Million Dreams promotion which currently runs at the Happiest Place on Earth. And yet VMK is on its way to its death bed because it was only meant to be part of the very same celebration?
One would think Disney could have thought of adding a simple tag line to their amazing virtual community to justify its continued existence if this were the real reason. Maybe... Disney's Virtual Magic Kindom - Where Real Dreams Come True Daily.
Sadly, unless Disney's decision-makers choose to recognize the amazing interest that their on-line world's extremely loyal participants have in keeping their Kingdom alive (as evident from the nearly 7,000 signatures at an on-line petition at www.savevmktoday.com) these daily dreams with end on May 21, 2008, the date Disney announced rather abruptly as VMK's closure.
Of course, then VMK'ers could always turn to penguins ... until Disney decides to put Club Penguin on ice and give it the same fate VMK is currently facing.
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