Getting MyVMK More Popular

[KING_COLLECTOR]

Hi Guys I have some thoughts and questions for discussion relating to MyVMK...


As someone who just recently came back to VMK (so happy it's back and grateful for the people that reopened it) I have noticed that it is very similar to VMK, however one of the differences is the lack of users.. so sad. I used to log on and meet new people everyday and there were also guest rooms that were picked with large Ques of people waiting to get into the room just to trade !, host events and rooms were nearly impossible to get into. I miss this. As much as I do enjoy seeing the same people on VMK everyday I hate walking into certain sections of game like the common areas and not even seeing one person in the rooms.


For Example when I logged back on for the first time in 10 years and explored I felt as if only a few hundred people still play.


So, can anyone let me know how it reopened?

Also can you guys give me your thoughts on...


Why it isn't as active as it used to be?
Is it because in the past VMK was a partner with Disney ? So Disney could market it and advertise it ?


How can we help to make it more known ?
I would love to see way more people playing.


Finally, What’s up with this lag??
Does anyone know why its so bad?


Thanks Guys!! Let me know any of your thoughts !!

 

[JungleCruise]

So I realize this probably isn't THAT helpful, but I just recently joined as well. I think definitely part of it is a lot of people who played the original VMK have now moved past a lot of internet communities, mostly for lack of time as most of us are older now and have much more responsibility and more commitments than we used to. I agree that I wish I did see more people on, but I do also like the small community.

One of the tough parts about making it known is a lot of other online communities don't like outside sites to be advertised/discussed such as this one. I've wondered about what might be the best way to make it more known as well.

As far as the lag goes.. When I experience lag it's mostly just my own Internet going crazy [emoji14]

Not sure if any of this was helpful but I am curious to see what others might have to say about this stuff.

 

[KING_COLLECTOR]

@JungleCruise Thanks for the reply, I see what you're saying about people moving on, for whatever reason it may be, lack of time yatta yatta, but as people grow up and lose interest, new people, who werent around at the time of the origional VMK may be interested but just dont know it exists

 

[JungleCruise]

@JungleCruise Thanks for the reply, I see what you're saying about people moving on, for whatever reason it may be, lack of time yatta yatta, but as people grow up and lose interest, new people, who werent around at the time of the origional VMK may be interested but just dont know it exists

Good point. It was a great experience for us, and I would love for others to get to experience it. And we're back to how to get the word out..

Obviously I'm SO helpful with this stuff..

 

[Mosaik]

First of all, welcome! Your observations are definitely spot on, only a limited number of people are active in this community. There used to be a whole lot more people who played, even earlier this year but in May there was kind of a lot of drama concerning different players. Honestly, that nonsense caused a lot of frustrated players to leave and never return. Also, going with what was said before about people moving on as we've grown up, a good majority of the people who play myvmk are here for the nostalgia& the ones who never played vmk in the past, well, they don't really get it. Therefore it's hard to find people who want to play and whom have time to play.

If you want to get more people to play, my best suggestion would be to tell you friends and your friends' friends. Other than that, we're kind of just left with who is here.

 

[CoralHibiscus]

First of all, welcome! Your observations are definitely spot on, only a limited number of people are active in this community. There used to be a whole lot more people who played, even earlier this year but in May there was kind of a lot of drama concerning different players. Honestly, that nonsense caused a lot of frustrated players to leave and never return. Also, going with what was said before about people moving on as we've grown up, a good majority of the people who play myvmk are here for the nostalgia& the ones who never played vmk in the past, well, they don't really get it. Therefore it's hard to find people who want to play and whom have time to play.

If you want to get more people to play, my best suggestion would be to tell you friends and your friends' friends. Other than that, we're kind of just left with who is here.

Well said AllyCatt! The drama from May has definitely taken it's toll on the number of members we have, but drama has been destroying this game for a while now. I have friends who were part of the original VMK who quit early this year because drama was taking all the fun out of the game for them.

We also can't really advertise on other sites without attention being drawn to us from Disney. If Disney knew I'm pretty sure we would be shut down quickly since this is a fan made recreation of their original product. The best way to get new people in is to invite friends.

 

[Primmy]

A lot of things DID happen in May that I don't really like to get into. It was a pretty frustrating and upsetting time for us all *tears too*. The good thing is, we're all here together and supporting one another (at least I hope we all support one another's opinion's). May was kinda a drawback for everyone, including some of my closest friends on here *miss you guys if you're reading this <3* I was surprised myself when I heard the news, but the past is in the past, and we musn't dwell on the past, or we'll just waste our futures thinking of the past. I hope that more people join in the near future, because it really is a fun game and it helps people be more understanding of each other, more social. I love to meet new people and I love showing them around. *Also the lag is probably just your internet, if you don't already, use Firefox *

 

[Bindingkey]

So much drama happened in my hiatus omg. i genuinely didn't think it would've gotten worse

to answer the op, since Disney would probably shut us down if they hear about us, the best for of promotion is telling friends and family and quiet word of mouth

 

[Foreverrose]

So, can anyone let me know how it reopened?

It a fan made game with a person who loves coding and wanted a challenge.

Why it isn't as active as it used to be?

People just don't know about this game. I wouldn't known of myvmk if my real life friend didn't tell me. Also seem like the staff don't really care if the community is big or small. To the point that disney would shut down myvmk if they found out, I think more of if the staff was making money off of the game(like monthly subscriptions or donations) then it would be a problem.

 

[Best_Blonde]

Firstly, Welcome @Jared! If you have any other questions, feel free to ask! As for these...

So, can anyone let me know how it reopened?

@Amy is the creator of this game. She likes to code things and although she never really played the original VMK, she's done a great job.

Why it isn't as active as it used to be?

Whether it be from issues that arose in the past, causing a handful of players to get frustrated and leave, or just having responsibilities in the "real world." Most of the people who play are members from the original. We're all (mostly) around the same age so a lot of us are in school or have jobs and simply don't have time to log on regularly. We are a small community but we're growing every day.

How can we help to make it more known ?

Advertising on other websites is usually frowned upon, so just word of mouth would probably be your best bet. Tell your friends! Tell your friends friends! As far as Disney finding out, I'm sure they already know. The staff aren't making a profit off this game, so there's not much harm done.

Finally, What’s up with this lag??

It might just be your internet connection. After being here for 2 years, I haven't experienced much lag unless it's in a Guest Room with a lot of items placed. Then it might take a bit to load the room.

Hope this helped!

 

[KING_COLLECTOR]

@AllyCatt @CoralHibiscus @Primmy @Bindingkey @Foreverrose @Best_Blonde


Sorry guys and gals, I’m fairly new back to the forums as well, so I am not as knowledgeable with how replying and quoting and all of that works so the easiest way for me is to tag all of you all in one big post !


I've read all of the post and thank you for all of the replies !! You guys all make some valid points and provoke some thought for me. As far as the drama goes (that I was not here for) if in fact it did drive people away from the game, I am not sure what happened to the staff, but if there was a way to find moral friendly and enthusiastic staff (I have not had a chance to meet any staff yet so I do not know their current personalities but so far the community seems very friendly) then I think the game would be more inviting to newcomers.


For the advertising...


The reason this intrigues me is because I am studying Marketing and Advertising in college and we always talk about ways to promote "products" or "branding" (for example VMK). Word of mouth will help but I don’t think it will get it back to the level of activity as the original, but that’s just my opinion.


Disney and VMK...


I’m sure Disney does know about this and as long as MyVMK is not using Disney’s Logo or image I don’t think they can shut us down. I never did understand why they shut down VMK, BUT Disney is so powerful I just don’t understand why they don’t exploit this opportunity that MyVMK provides. Disney’s target market is younger kids and I feel that they would love this game, If Disney were to partner with MyVMK they could help to improve the game and advertise the game through their social media channels and television to increase popularity.


^^^ I realize this is a little far fetched or a stretch but in a perfect world I think that would be the best bet to increase popularity. Online games are very popular right now. For example RuneScape (which I have never played but have friends that do play it) is similar and extremely popular. I just think it would bring only good things for Disney.


Finally this intrigues me so much because I enjoy playing it so much, and devote a lot of my time to it, I would hate to see it randomly disappear again one day Also thanks for the advice on the lag guys !! I'll work on it !!


- KING_COLLECTOR

 

[Elegance]

Sorry guys and gals, I’m fairly new back to the forums as well, so I am not as knowledgeable with how replying and quoting and all of that works so the easiest way for me is to tag all of you all in one big post !

To reply to one message, simply click "Reply" in the lower right corner of the post. To multi-quote, click "+Quote" on every message you want to quote, then click "Insert Quotes..." at the lower left corner of the text box at the bottom of the screen and order them as you prefer.

As far as the drama goes (that I was not here for) if in fact it did drive people away from the game, I am not sure what happened to the staff, but if there was a way to find moral friendly and enthusiastic staff (I have not had a chance to meet any staff yet so I do not know their current personalities but so far the community seems very friendly) then I think the game would be more inviting to newcomers.

First, if you haven't already, I would join the Debaters User Group (instructions for doing so can be found here) to read about what happened in May under the thread in the Debates sub-forum.

Most people would agree with you! However, what people feel is friendly others may see as playing favorites, and moral to one may be immoral to another. It's impossible to make everyone happy, but your suggestion is a great place to start!

Word of mouth will help but I don’t think it will get it back to the level of activity as the original, but that’s just my opinion.

We have a Twitter and a Facebook page. Feel free to share on social media! I don't think we can formally advertise anywhere because that would require money, which we don't really have, and can't give or else we'd run into legal trouble with Disney (making profit from players on a copyrighted game).

I’m sure Disney does know about this and as long as MyVMK is not using Disney’s Logo or image I don’t think they can shut us down. I never did understand why they shut down VMK, BUT Disney is so powerful I just don’t understand why they don’t exploit this opportunity that MyVMK provides. Disney’s target market is younger kids and I feel that they would love this game, If Disney were to partner with MyVMK they could help to improve the game and advertise the game through their social media channels and television to increase popularity.

Disney can shut us down because they own "Fantasyland" and "Tomorrowland" etc. and the Characters in the Game. HOWEVER, I'm pretty sure they aren't doing anything about it because the creator isn't making a profit from this. It's basically FREE ADVERTISING for Disney. (For example, how many of us went to DLR or WDW to get the Born in Park Badge?!?! That's a lot of money for Disney, and what did they have to do? NOTHING.) Which, is the point you made.

Our rules here are different and more lenient than that of VMK. Our economy is also, well, a thing. Items have values. In the old VMK, younger kids didn't understand that. Which is why players now are generally 18 and older.

Hope this helped!
/Elegance

P.S.- You seem interested in this subject, so I'll leave this link here for you to read up on how MyVMK came to be in 2013!

 

[Oyewole]

Why it isn't as active as it used to be?
The game started out very popular. Over time management became increasingly worse and many things have happened to push players away from the game.

Not sure about the other questions.

 

[Bindingkey]

Disney can shut us down because they own "Fantasyland" and "Tomorrowland" etc. and the Characters in the Game. HOWEVER, I'm pretty sure they aren't doing anything about it because the creator isn't making a profit from this. It's basically FREE ADVERTISING for Disney. (For example, how many of us went to DLR or WDW to get the Born in Park Badge?!?! That's a lot of money for Disney, and what did they have to do? NOTHING.) Which, is the point you made.

This is basically a major reason why, even if Disney has or would find out about us, they wouldn't shut us down. As long as the staff isn't making real world money from maintaining the game then they're not going to do anything. And besides, not taking any action also helps to ensure the game stays relatively under the radar and therefore less likely to be a public fiasco (the fact that this game is heavily Disney themed and Disney isn't making a profit from it). One other instance of this was 'Escape From Tomorrowland', an indie movie that was filmed on Disney World property without Disney's permission that covered very adult subjects. Instead of taking legal actions, Disney sort of "ignored" it (although that's an oversimplification, just a general idea of how it ended) and I've met people who have literally never heard of it. MyVMK is a very small scale thing, not local but also not too widespread, and it doesn't make any profits off of the Disney brand. Even if the game gets more attention, it's very unlikely Disney will take legal action. It's free advertising in every sense of the phrase.

 

[KING_COLLECTOR]

To reply to one message, simply click "Reply" in the lower right corner of the post. To multi-quote, click "+Quote" on every message you want to quote, then click "Insert Quotes..." at the lower left corner of the text box at the bottom of the screen and order them as you prefer.


First, if you haven't already, I would join the Debaters User Group (instructions for doing so can be found here) to read about what happened in May under the thread in the Debates sub-forum.

Most people would agree with you! However, what people feel is friendly others may see as playing favorites, and moral to one may be immoral to another. It's impossible to make everyone happy, but your suggestion is a great place to start!


We have a Twitter and a Facebook page. Feel free to share on social media! I don't think we can formally advertise anywhere because that would require money, which we don't really have, and can't give or else we'd run into legal trouble with Disney (making profit from players on a copyrighted game).


Disney can shut us down because they own "Fantasyland" and "Tomorrowland" etc. and the Characters in the Game. HOWEVER, I'm pretty sure they aren't doing anything about it because the creator isn't making a profit from this. It's basically FREE ADVERTISING for Disney. (For example, how many of us went to DLR or WDW to get the Born in Park Badge?!?! That's a lot of money for Disney, and what did they have to do? NOTHING.) Which, is the point you made.

Our rules here are different and more lenient than that of VMK. Our economy is also, well, a thing. Items have values. In the old VMK, younger kids didn't understand that. Which is why players now are generally 18 and older.

Hope this helped!
/Elegance

P.S.- You seem interested in this subject, so I'll leave this link here for you to read up on how MyVMK came to be in 2013!

This was great !! Thanks @Elegance I will look into it!![DOUBLEPOST=1445366989][/DOUBLEPOST]

This is basically a major reason why, even if Disney has or would find out about us, they wouldn't shut us down. As long as the staff isn't making real world money from maintaining the game then they're not going to do anything. And besides, not taking any action also helps to ensure the game stays relatively under the radar and therefore less likely to be a public fiasco (the fact that this game is heavily Disney themed and Disney isn't making a profit from it). One other instance of this was 'Escape From Tomorrowland', an indie movie that was filmed on Disney World property without Disney's permission that covered very adult subjects. Instead of taking legal actions, Disney sort of "ignored" it (although that's an oversimplification, just a general idea of how it ended) and I've met people who have literally never heard of it. MyVMK is a very small scale thing, not local but also not too widespread, and it doesn't make any profits off of the Disney brand. Even if the game gets more attention, it's very unlikely Disney will take legal action. It's free advertising in every sense of the phrase.

Thanks for the reply @Bindingkey If MyVMK has been here since 2013 already it does not look as if it is going anywhere soon. Hopefully overtime more and more people join. Social media is a good place to start I agree!!

 

[Oreo]

As far as the drama goes (that I was not here for) if in fact it did drive people away from the game, I am not sure what happened to the staff, but if there was a way to find moral friendly and enthusiastic staff (I have not had a chance to meet any staff yet so I do not know their current personalities but so far the community seems very friendly) then I think the game would be more inviting to newcomers.

Spoiler

 

[iMaze]

Why it isn't as active as it used to be?
Is it because in the past VMK was a partner with Disney ? So Disney could market it and advertise it ?


How can we help to make it more known ?
I would love to see way more people playing.


Finally, What’s up with this lag??
Does anyone know why its so bad?

Welcome!

So firstly I think its not as active as it originally was before because it was partnered with Disney and the fact you saw it in the parks.
Now most of us since it closed has seen some try's to get it open and have given up on it, I know I did then found out it was open. So that could be a reason.

Two, just by telling people you know who play VMK and just by word of mouth.
Another thing is that I know is that most people don't know it exists.
I use to date a guy who works for Toontown Rewritten, and they over the summer went to a con, people at the con never new it opened up again or that it shut down. Just by word of mouth there a lot of people found out and they had a lot of new people joining the game that night.
But I think that would be a little too much. <------Side fact ya'll don't need to know.

Three, the lag comes and goes. It varies, still a new development. You just got to roll with it and have fun.

 

[RockStar_PoohBear]

Everyone is correct. Whenever there's a host event or something, it gets crazy packed.

 

[Bindingkey]

Everyone is correct. Whenever there's a host event or something, it gets crazy packed.

There should be multiple versions of host events to mitigate traffic, this is partly why i love the ride-a-thons and ultimately find more value and entertainment in them than trying to get into average host events.

 

[Leannaconda]

Run while you still can. That's all I'm saying