Woozworld
Woozworld, is a virtual gaming community and social network service founded in 2010 and headquartered in Montreal, Quebec. Woozworld allows tweens and teens to connect with each other through customizable profiles and interactive activities.[1][2][3]
Industry | Technology |
---|---|
Founded | 2009 |
Headquarters | |
Key people | Nicolas Lee (President & CEO) |
Website | http://www.woozworld.com/ |
About
Woozworld allows users to design their own online realities where they can create their own avatar, do fun quests, set up new virtual spaces, and create their own businesses. Woozworld was mainly created for Tweens to express themselves in different ways.[4] The service is designed for tweens, the average age of users being between 8 and 14.[3]
The Canadian Innovation Exchange listed Woozworld as one of the most innovative Canadian technology companies in 2011, and About.com awarded it with the 2012 readers' choice award for Best Website for Teens: Gaming and Virtual Worlds.[2][5][6]
In late 2011, Woozworld launches Woozin, a Facebook for kids under 13.[7]
In 2012, Woozworld was nominated by The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) in the Best Website category.[8] The company ranked #5 out of 427 on a 360Kid list of highest trafficked virtual worlds in September 2012.[9]
In 2014 Woozworld announced the appointment of Simonetta Lulli as President and CEO.[10]
In 2015 Woozworld has appointed Nicolas Lee as President and Chief Executive Officer. As founder and CTO Nicolas Lee has previously ready the company for a number of enhancements in technology and growth allowing a successful transition of the service to mobile
In early 2019, Woozworld announced that it would be releasing a Beta version of the game. Players will slowly be invited to download a PC version of the game during its transition from Adobe Flash.
On July 8, 2019, it was released that the mobile gaming brand Azerion has acquired Woozworld. The gaming brand hopes to expand Woozworld across Europe.
Security
Woozworld has a strict emphasis on protecting the private information of its users and creating a safe gaming environment that parents can trust.[3] The company complies with all protective measures set forth by the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) and the company is Privo Privacy Certified. These measures protect children's privacy on the Internet and ensure parental consent before account activation. If broken, Woozworld has the right to ban the offending user.[3]
Users and About
Woozworld is free to join, while only needing to enter a parent's email and their age. There is an option to become a VIP for a certain number of months at a cost, either credit card or online cash earned on exterior websites. VIPs can earn virtual "wooz" and "beex"(the virtual currency) and has access to clothing and other items restricted to freeplay members.
All users have access to the "Woozin", a virtual community designed to appear as social media with a comment section and the ability to post and share text. They can "friend" each other, create virtual relationships, and even raise pets.
There have been multiple YouTube videos made (such as movies and tutorials), you can play certain games with other users (such as theme games where users dress up to a specific chosen theme), and even trade your own items with other people through deals, and some know how to take items from the other user away without the requested items, this is called scamming, however, Woozworld have upgraded this problem so there is less scamming occurring throughout the game. Members can use "Wooz" and "Beex" to buy items in the virtual "Shopz" and even sell items in their own store inviting users to purchase their clothes and furniture. "Wooz" is an exclusive currency which is hard to obtain unless it is bought with real money. Members can also buy and win rooms to fill with furniture, play games in, build shops in, and even decorate their own house as. Woozworld restricted inappropriate language in 2009.
References
- Oliver Chiang (10 January 2010), "Buying Celebrity Endorsement On Twitter, A Steal For Businesses", Forbes, retrieved February 3, 2013
- Peter Hadekel (31 May 2012), Venture financing looking up in Quebec and Canada, The Montreal Gazette, retrieved February 3, 2013
- Sarah Perez (13 December 2011), Woozworld Launches WoozIn, A Facebook For Kids, www.techcrunch.com, retrieved February 3, 2013
- Robin Wauters (10 May 2010), Tween Virtual World Woozworld Spins Off From Tribal Nova, Raises $3 Million, www.techcrunch.com, retrieved February 3, 2013
- Sean Stanleigh (10 November 2011), CIX lists Canada's 20 most innovative companies, The Globe and Mail, retrieved February 3, 2013
- Denise Witmer, 2012 Readers' Choice Awards, www.About.com, retrieved February 3, 2013
- Sarah Perez (13 December 2011). "Woozworld launches Woozin, a Facebook for kids". TechCrunch. Retrieved May 21, 2019.
- Children's-BAFTA-Kids'-Vote–Website in 2012, www.bafta.org, 2012, retrieved February 3, 2013
- Scott Traylor (2012), Top-Ten-Virtual-World-2011-2012-Comparison-for-Tweens-in-the-U.S.-Based-on-monthly-unique-traffic (PDF), www.360kid.com, retrieved February 3, 2013
- "Woozworld, the virtual social network for tweens, announces new CEO". February 4, 2014. Retrieved 29 January 2016.