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London - 14 December 2006 - The Walt Disney Internet Group (WDIG) today re-launched the UK website for Disney's Toontown Online, www.toontown.co.uk. The Walt Disney Company's (NYSE: DIS) Toontown Online is a critically acclaimed massively multiplayer online (MMO) game for kids and families. Recognising the importance of community, the site re-launch introduces ToonClub, an exciting, new kid-friendly community zone where guests and subscribers can find weekly news updates, special events, competitions, downloadable goodies and more. The new site also provides a simpler, easy to use interface for registering and gives subscribers more control in managing their accounts.
'The re-launched Toontown website introduces compelling new community content, as well as a refined and improved overall experience offering users a higher quality of service,' commented Myles MacBean, vice president, technology and operations, the Walt Disney Internet Group Europe. 'As an online subscription game, it's important that our customers are equipped with what they need to manage their accounts, and they now have those tools with the new site.'
ToonClub offers players the latest information about the world of Toontown through news updates and archives, and allows them to take part in special events and competitions. Players also will be able to customise their PC with downloadable items, such as screensavers and messenger icons. In 2007, ToonClub will be expanded to include 'Top Toons' player rankings, behind-the-scenes updates, detailed game guides and much more.
Disney's Toontown Online, usually known as simply Toontown and stylized as ToonTown, was one of the first kid-oriented MMORPG games. It lasted from 2003 to 2013 until being closed on September 19. Disney's Toontown Online Lost Media Archive Fandom. Liliana Mumy at the Disney's Toontown Online Takes Hollywood at the Hollywood Athletic Club in Hollywood, California on August 21, 2004. Get premium, high resolution news photos at Getty Images.
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In addition, the new online account management tools available with the re-launched site allow users to manage their Toontown subscriptions more easily. Payment and purchase screens have been completely redesigned to be more intuitive and to provide greater support online for easier and faster customer service.
Since the game's launch in 2004, over half a million Britons have passed through the virtual gates of Toontown, exploring an amazing world full of hilarious adventures, challenging quests and classic Disney magic. In Toontown, everyone gets to create their very own cartoon character, and interact and unite with other players online in a quest to defeat the Cogs, evil humourless robots intent on turning Toontown into a boring corporate metropolis. Toons must use cartoon-style gags, such as squirting flowers and falling anvils, to make the Cogs laugh and banish them from Toontown.
Disney's Toontown Online is the first MMO game for kids and families. Anyone can try Toontown free for three days at www.toontown.co.uk. Three subscription options are available (monthly, six-monthly and yearly), and subscribers receive a welcome pack and a quarterly magazine*.
*UK and European residents only
Disney Toontown Online Commercial Tax
About Walt Disney Internet Group Europe
Walt Disney Internet Group (WDIG) provides strategic leadership, business execution support and a world-class technology platform for all The Walt Disney Company's Internet properties, including 14 country-specific Disney websites across Europe, reaching five million unique visitors each month. WDIG is a market leader in developing and distributing entertainment and informational content to new platforms. The company creates and delivers products for broadband distribution including Disney Connection and Toontown Online, the world's first massive multiplayer online game for kids and families. Through relationships with some of Europe's largest mobile operators, WDIG distributes content and services to wireless users under the Disney brand.
Press contact
Disney Toontown Online Commercial Banking
Sandra van Vreedendaal
Tel: +44 208 222 1407
Email: sandra.van.vreedendaal@disney.com
Visuals are available on request.
What is Toontown Rewritten?
Toontown Rewritten is a free-to-play revival of Disney's Toontown Online. Toontown is a massively multiplayer online game built for kids, teens, and adults of all ages. Create your own Toon and join the never-ending battle against the 'Cogs', who want to turn Toontown into their latest business venture.
Disney's Toontown Online started in 2003 as the first family-oriented MMO of its kind. Unfortunately, much to the player's dismay, Disney announced the game's closure in August of 2013 due to budget cuts and changes in management at Disney Online. Toons were given one final month to have the time of their life in the Tooniverse before the game would be closed down seemingly forever... But luckily, 'forever' didn't even last for an hour.
On September 19, 2013 -- the day of Toontown Online's closure -- Toontown Rewritten announced that for the past month, a band of players known as the 'Toontown Rewritten Team' had been working on the possibility to keep Toontown alive. The seemingly impossible task became a reality, and by the end of October, Toontown Rewritten was online and allowing a small amount of Alpha testers to enter the game.
Toontown Rewritten picked up where Toontown Online left off, but the game wasn't all there quite yet. Many months were spent reverse-engineering and redeveloping the original server architecture to restore Toontown to its full former glory. The team was not only working to restore Toontown's gameplay, but the entire essence of Toontown itself. The story was developed, limited-time events continued, new features were added, and to this day the game is still actively updated with new content!
Toontown Rewritten has now grown to over 1,400,000 registered players, with thousands of players playing at almost any given time of day.
Now that you know about us, we have a question for you: Are YOU Toon Enough?
Do I have to pay to play Toontown?
None at all! Toontown Rewritten is entirely free to play with no payments whatsoever for any portion of the game. Our game, website, and all other forms of content contain no advertisements, no subscriptions, no micro-transactions, and no donations accepted. Registering for an account is simple and free -- and fun once you start playing!
Disney's Toontown Online was funded using subscriptions, and in the event that Disney ever decides to bring Toontown back (We hope that they do!) the game would likely return to a paid game under their own model. Under the Toontown Rewritten Team, however, the game is free and always will be.
Can I donate to Toontown Rewritten?
Sorry, but we don't accept any forms of payment! This is done out of respect to Disney, who originally created and distributed the game. Our goal is to preserve Toontown for players to continue experiencing the fun, not to take away any kind of profit that should be going to the Walt Disney Company.
If you're looking to give back to the game, we recommend that you donate your time! Continuing to play Toontown, create content, and interact with the community all directly benefit the game. You can also check out our Application page if you're interested in volunteering to join the Toontown Rewritten Team.
How is the game funded without payments or donations from the players?
Toontown Rewritten is entirely funded by the pockets its own team members as a service to keep the game online. Toontown Rewritten is not only non-profit, but we operate at a complete loss in order to keep Toontown alive. This game has started careers, earned scholarships,and shaped the lives of many of us -- and now, paying to keep it alive is the way that we're giving back!
Toontown is a unique game, with a unique community, and a unique story -- and that's a recipe for great things to happen. If spending a few of our own dollars allows that to happen, then we're all for it.
How can I help keep Toontown alive?
There are several ways to help secure Toontown's future, and chances are, you may already be doing them! Here are some tips to help keep the game alive:
- Play the Game, and Invite Your Friends!
The more players that Toontown has, the more secure its future can be. - Create Content!
Videos, screenshots, fan art, and other forms of content are great ways to keep Toontown alive. - Enter a Community!
Toontown players are a lively bunch, and we enjoy having fun. Join a Toontown community to make a bunch of friends, talk about the game, and keep in touch even when your Toon is offline. - Attend the ToonFest Convention!
Every summer since 2015, Toontown Rewritten has hosted a big meetup in celebration of all things Toontown. These conventions generate massive support for Toontown with hundreds of players attending! - Join the Team!
If you have what it takes, check out our Applications page to learn about how you can join the Toontown Rewritten Team to help keep the game going.
Install Disney Toontown Online
How can I help bring Toontown back for good?
We're always looking for ways to preserve Toontown's future, and the end goal is to convince Disney that Toontown is worth an official revival. Toontown deserves a team of full-time employees who can give the game the love it deserves, and we absolutely want that to happen!
If you're looking for a more tangible way to help secure Toontown's future, we recommend writing a letter to one of the companies or individuals below as per the advice given by Toontown's original Creative Director when the game was closing. These people play an important role in the future of Toontown, and they may appreciate your thoughts about why Toontown is a game worth their time (and if you'd be willing to pay money to play it!).
If you choose to write a letter, be respectful! These companies and individuals are very busy, and harassing them will do no good to bring Toontown back. Don't scold them for the closure, instead send them positivity if you want to see the game return!
Disney Consumer Products and Interactive Media
Toontown was once ran as part of Disney Online, a division of the 'Disney Interactive Media Group' (DIMG). Since Toontown's closure, DIMG has merged with Disney Consumer Products to form Disney Consumer Products and Interactive Media (DCPI). This division of Disney is most responsible for their online and mobile games, and Toontown's revival won't be possible without them.
Email:
[email protected]
Address:
Disney Interactive
500 South Buena Vista Street
Burbank, CA 91521-8139
Toontown Connections:
Mike Goslin - Vice President of Advanced Development - Former Developer of Toontown Online
Greg Wiatroski - Creative Technology Design Lead - Former Development Lead of Toontown Online
Disney Toontown Online Play Now
Schell Games
Over the years, Toontown received a number of updates from Schell Games, a company founded by Toontown Online's original Creative Director, Jesse Schell. Schell Games worked on Goofy Speedway, Toon Parties, Field Offices, and other expansions along the way. Schell Games has shown a lot of support for Toontown over the years, and is perhaps the most likely company to spark a revival.
Email:
[email protected]
Address:
Schell Games
220 W. Station Square Dr.
Suite 200
Pittsburgh, PA 15219
Toontown Connections:
Jesse Schell - CEO of Schell Games - Former Creative Director of Toontown Online
Shawn Patton - Senior Game Designer - Former Developer of Toontown Online