Interview: WeeWorld Launches Virtual World

WeeWorld started with the avatar, eventually bringing them to Skype, AIM, and Windows Live Messenger. Then it moved to open its own social network, tying the avatars to profile pages. More recently, the company opened its API to bring in new partners for similar programs to adding WeeMees to new partners' pages, as it did with USA Networks and the NHS. Throughout the expansion process, there's been one more new feature that users have wanted, and today WeeWorld announced it was meeting the demand for a virtual world, "World."

"It was consistently in our top 3 requests," said Lauren Bigelow, General Manager of North America Weeworld.com. "People get very involved, and we get lots of of feedback every day. One of the top was always ‘Can we have a world and walk around in it?’ The other was for assets—very detailed requests for clothing and items."

"We're creating a place," Bigelow continued. "We're just giving more and more options. The people are the players and create their own audience. We're just expanding the place and the props."

In the current beta, the world is limited. It's largely a chat function with graphics and limited rooms for users to visit. That's part of WeeWorld's process, though, explained Bigelow. As with the evolution from avatar to virtual world, the company plans to experiment and build along with users' requests.

"We're evolving based on the user feedback," she said. "We started out with a very strong user base that's attached to their avatar and we're expanding from there rather than coding for years and then coming out with a fully fledged product. We think it's a very mainstream avatar, the whole fun-and-friendly look and feel has attracted a mainstream crowd. In any world, there are social norms that have developed. I'd say ours is very clean and friendly."

Users

That fits with WeeWorld demographic. The company has seen 21 millions users over its history and reports 1 million unique visitors now, with a core user base ranging from 13 to 18. That doesn't stop the older demographic from visiting, though, particularly when 60% of USA Network's casual games users also visit WeeWorld. They may not be as interested in the virtual world, though. At least for now.

"The core piece is clearly the teens, and those are the ones we expect to inhabit the world," Bigelow said. "They're more into connecting, but the asynchronous experience is successful all over. There'll be more aspects evolving over time, like you'll be able to shop and do games. We expect it to evolve past the chatting. We see the world as a bigger pallet to express yourself."

That said, some users may not want to participate. WeeWorld will continue to let users interact solely with their avatars or social networking profiles if they want. For Bigelow, World just offers more options.

"I think there's a certain kind of person that enjoys this experience, asynchronous or synchronous," she said. "They can choose what they want. We've had overwhelmingly positive feedback since we launched this."

Monetization

Just as the new virtual world is a broader pallet for user activities within WeeWorld, it's a broader space for the revenue streams as well. WeeWorld already splits its revenue between advertising and virtual good sales, two things that could transition easily to its virtual world.

"We have had conversations about integrating other brands into this space," said Bigelow. "That's taken place as well. It's already a natural place to have video and billboards and integrated advertisers in gaming or the rest of the world. There are two primary revenue sources, either advertising or virtual goods. This is a larger pallet for that. Whether advertising is incorporated as part of the game or background or virtual goods are part of the stores or give you special powers in the world, it just gives us more to work  with."

Similarly, partnerships might follow the same line for "World" as for the WeeMees. Right now, an API lets parters integrate WeeMees with their sites. They funnel users back to WeeWorld, though. Eventually, parts of "World" might be available elsewhere as well.

"When you take the WeeMee and export it to Facebook, you can click it and you're back in the virtual world," said Bigelow. "For right now we're going to build out the world itself. I wouldn't rule out in the future that there's a subset of the experience we'd export with the WeeMee. Right now, we're just launching it. In the longer term, elements could be taken out."

Future Plans

Bigelow was reluctant to make other large predictions for the long term. That direction, she said, comes from the users. There are plans for the short term, though.

"I think we'll expand to add more room, add shopping elements, this has been a big request, and more quest and gaming elements," Bigelow explained. "It's a blend of a freemium model. There's some segment of the assets that are just free, others require currency and others that are advertising sponsored. All three of those will be available. It expands the real estate we have to put shopping experiences in. You can be on the beach and have a beach store to put on beach wear or club wear in a club."

Similar experiences are already in place on the social network--a Prom area, for example, promotes prom-themed virtual goods--but it sounds like games are the next necessary step. Users, however, are already taking it upon themselves to create activity inside the previously launched beta, hosting coffee shops and pizza parlors with little to work with in terms of tools or items.

"They actually are doing some innovative things," said Bigelow. "They'll stage races like who can get to this place fastest. The way that you move is a little different, you click on the mouse and hold down and slingshot your way around the world. There's lots of socializing going on and exploring and chatting. "

With users so used to playing games with their WeeMees on USA Network's casual games site, it's only a matter of time before the more formalized activities make their way to the virtual world.

"You create your avatar. You connect with other people and socialize. You can compete," said Bigelow. "There's usually entertainment involved. And you can collect things, whether it's a badge you win or virtual goods. We see that competing and collecting aspect. The virtual world gives us a rich basis to do that. It's a rich framework."

It's a crowded market for a new virtual world, though. Bigelow is optimistic, though. WeeWorld's existing user base is responding positively to the changes already, and she expects that to only continue to bolster the world's appeal.

"We've already seen the word spread by word of mouth, and it isn't slowing down," she said. We expect that to continue. Basically by responding to our user requests and evolving it as they ask, we expect they'll ask more and more of their friends to participate.  I think it's hard to break into this space. There's so many worlds. We feel very good with the user base and the avatar and layering on top with the social network and virtual world that we can continue to evolve."

Comments

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[alan]

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