Learning From VMK's Mistakes

Ranch

Well-Known Member
#1
"What went wrong for VMK?"
I would like this to NOT become a debate, but rather, theories and beliefs as to why we no longer have VMK.

What I've learned:
-Sustaining a "promotion" with no proof of revenue is very stupid. Sure, they could count our scanned park tickets that were used for quest redemption, but that doesn't say we bought our tickets in the name of VMK. In real life pins was an idea to be thrown out as well, as anybody will buy a pin, no matter what it's for or what it looks like.

-The CL Program separated us all into CL's, and everyone else. Horrible idea, and I loved it when they finally admitted it and done away with it towards the end. Anyone on my list that was a CL, I knew them before the segregation, any CL I met thereafter, I really didn't care to know at all. No offense to those who liked the program, for players like myself though, we viewed it as a HUGE negative.

-Credit Cuts (to me) were a primary reason the game lost steam. Players tried to keep up with perks in a fashion they were accustomed to, but obviously, it became twice the work, and dwindling attendance dropped. They tried to save face with double credit perks, but it was too late. Many were burnt out on the WORK it required to keep current with purchasing power, and the removal of black ears from park born accounts made weekly trips to Disney World a joke. By the last days of VMK, all we could get in the parks were pirate wells.. we were lucky if anything else was available.

What are your theories as to why VMK is gone?
 

Ranch

Well-Known Member
#3
-Cloning was a major issue, and didn't look good at all for the bottom line. When Disney reps sat with Sulake and went over the daily player attendance in contrast with the total accounts created, that was the end. If yavn and co would have reprimanded and punished cloning and muling, who knows.. the numbers might of had a more favorable and respectable proof of growth. Instead, they deleted 6 month old (inactive) accounts. That's kind of like kicking the ball around after you fumbled it.

(Again, these are not facts, just theories among the history we have lived and played.)
 
Last edited:

Geggy

Well-Known Member
#4
Seems like it was a bottom-line issue to me. For instance, they hired HOST_Harmony March 3rd, and announced the closing on April 8th. Disney never really pushed VMK through advertising, so didn't really seem to care that much. When it came time to push out other games, perhaps they thought the VMK player base would go play those money makers instead... Seth (yavn) was also off of the project, as it were, and heading in other directions. Since VMK's closing came as a surprise to the hosts (they found out through the newsletter like we did), then perhaps Seth's career change had more to do with the closing as anything else.

Ultimately, though, Disney doesn't seem to make decisions that always make sense. For instance, when the Disney Store was purchased back from Children's Place, Disney corp. decided to close down tons of stores that were in the black, in good markets, and had lots of regional support. At the same time, they kept open stores that were in the red, or were very near other stores. To me, closing VMK was another example of odd decision-making.

I'm not sure about the clones theory. They went through and deleted mule accounts once (remember the fear people had who had used lots of clones early on that they would get into trouble?). They could have deleted most clones easily enough, and installed harsh cloning rules...
 

Jasmine

Well-Known Member
#6
Personally, I've always thought this theory made the most sense.
@Tariel, from what I know, Disney hired their own graphic artists, such as Ed Haro.
 
Last edited:

Cuban

Well-Known Member
#8
They invested to much money in Club Penguin, and they needed to focus it all on that.
 

Littlebelle

Smile and the world smiles with you
#9
Disney does Parks well. Games not so well. I have started and played way to many Disney Games too see them close. Not sure what their issue is but their track record sucks.
 
#10
I just want to say I'm not even sure why CL's were in place tbh. What was the purpose of them?

I think they could have saved it with more in park rewards. For example, promotions they did after buying hats were a direct source of revenue. But overall, with no subscription like Club Penguin, where could they go from there? I could see them adding in a premium currency.
 

iamabigdisfan

Well-Known Member
#11
My thoughts on this is VMK was bringing in revenue. DVD's and those boxed pirate pins promoted VMK, but not bringing in the revenue Disney wanted. Purchasing club penguin at a cost of $700 million Disney needed to focus on getting revenue and promoting it through ad and meeting their performance target. We'll really never know why, we can only speculate.
 
Top