Now that's a good question!

[calzephyr]

I was bemused at this blog post about how Webkinz should teach financial responsibility. I have tens of thousands of KinzCash that I'm in no hurry to blow on Clover the Clydesdale. She already everything a virtual pet could want, even a blender and a sandwich maker, but it got me thinking...

The most painful part in most RPGs is when you start out with jack squat. You can only afford the base weapons, base armor, the cheapest potions. If you're especialy thrifty, you'll have fun looting things and then fencing them. Then you get to that part of the game where you have too much money, even after buying the best weapons, best armor and best potions. When you go rummaging through bodies, you groan...not another [insert name of common gem here] and then soon you don't even need to loot the bodies. How is it that this never happens in real life (ahem, aside from looting bodies)? Why I have I not reached the point where I'm flush with cash? Why are game economies so darn perfect? ;-)

Comments

[quoting-mungo.livejournal.com]

But... But... But... Brain splody.
Why would they want to put a STOCK MARKET in a game marketed for kids? Did this article writer never hear of "let kids be kids"? I like some of the ideas (like doing something for charities), but making kids file freaking virtual TAX RETURNS? Watch kids stop playing that game REALLY FREAKING FAST.

I kind of like the "mini stock market" introduced in Animal Crossing in the form of "buy turnips on Sunday, and the shopkeeper will pay different amounts for the turnips on different week days after that", but anything more advanced than that would just be stupid. There's nothing I hate more than the stock market game on NeoPets.

The writer has a point about healthy eating, though, while I don't really agree with the conclusion they draw. I'd much rather see a way to cook all these healthy foods into healthy meals (Cooking minigames can be fun. Tax return minigames not so much so.) which give more hunger points.
So you'd have a balance between food like raw veggies < fast food < cooked veggies.

I've reached a point in World of Warcraft where I could certainly do with more gold but I can't be assed to work for it because I don't immediately need much of anything (on my most-played character. The others still need stuff; my other max level character still doesn't have the riding skill to ride her OMG FAST mount). (Especially since I'm allergic to spending money on the auction house for materials that I can gather on my own, so if I do need some of the more valuable crafting materials I just go out and kill the monsters that drop them instead.)


-Alexandra

[calzephyr77.livejournal.com]

LMAO, yeah, there's no Tax Return Tycoon out there for a reason :-) I like the idea of random disasters to keep the game interesting, like what Neopets does, but Webkinz is not Neopets, and it's really all about the cute and cuddly. The author really expects a lot, doesn't he?

There are cooking mini games in Webkinz...you can teach your pet to flip pancakes, and by combining healthy ingredients with the blender, you can make smoothies. I haven't unlocked a lot of the recipes.

[quoting-mungo.livejournal.com]

Webkinz is more from what I understand to be a kid-safe social networking environment anyway.

Damn you! Posting about that you made me want to get one. And they don't have a distributor in Sweden, so I'm stuck with eBay, with half the sellers not shipping over here.


-Alexandra

[calzephyr77.livejournal.com]

Yes, it totally is. That's why I like it more than Neopets - there aren't forums for wankers nor people cyberbegging. In chat and KinzPost, you can only use canned questions and answers.

Heh! I have a couple here that I bought as prizes for model horse shows. I'll ship to Sweden :-) I have the bay Arab and the grey Arab :-) I paid $15 Canadian for them, so I'm not sure what that works out to in kroner, but email me and let's make a deal! calzephyr AT gmail DOT com

[quoting-mungo.livejournal.com]

Another thought that came to me as I was poking at the RL horse: Webkinz may need a money sink (most such things do, WoW included), as eventually you do end up having too much money in the system. Best thing would be charities and letting users give the currency to newer users etc as that also teaches the one thing I think such a site has any obligation to teach: sharing. Anything else is just gravy.

The bay Arab is actually one of the ones I was eyeing on the site, as it looks a lot like my horse. :D I'll shoot you an email.


-Alexandra

[calzephyr77.livejournal.com]

Ahhhh...that could be why I'm not flush with cash in real life ;-)

There is one caveat about Webkinz that I just remembered - one toy gives you one year of access. After that, you have to keep buying a new toy each year to keep the account active.

[quoting-mungo.livejournal.com]

I wish I could be flush with cash in real life... The work trouble the boything is going through breaks my heart.

In other words, if I get a hold of either of the two retired ones I was eyeing, I should save the code for later? Then again I might grow tired of it before then, as well, it's just something that's cute enough I'd REALLY like to try it. (To be honest, it was the gardening bit that sold me... And I don't even like gardening IRL!)


-Alexandra