LPWire: Disney's Toontown Online Expands with Second Advanced Gameplay Area
Disney's Toontown Online
Expands with Second Advanced Gameplay Area
''Cashbot HQ'' Brings More Challenging Gameplay with New Action-Packed
Adventures
Disney Online, part of the Walt
Disney Internet Group, today announced a highly-anticipated expansion in
Disney's Toontown Online, the first massively multiplayer (MMP) game for kids
and families. The new area, Cashbot Cog Headquarters (HQ), is designed for
advanced players and delivers more challenging gameplay, platform style puzzles
and a completely new eight-person boss battle.
Using personalized Toon avatars, players join forces to save Toontown from the
robot Cogs - Bossbots, Lawbots, Cashbots, and Sellbots - who are attempting to
turn the colorful world of Toontown into a dark metropolis of skyscrapers and
businesses. Cog Headquarters are advanced gameplay areas within Toontown.
"Cashbot HQ is part of our plan to evolve and grow Toontown over time. The area
offers completely new challenges and environments for our players - it's really
a game within a game," said Steve Parkis, Vice President of Premium Products,
Disney Online. "Much as Disney has been able to accomplish with our theme parks,
the creative team of the VR Studio continues to bring imaginative and varied
styles of game play and enjoyment to the Toontown world. This allows families to
enjoy a shared experience, while having something different about the experience
appeal to each individual guest."
Players enter Cashbot HQ via Pajama Place, a street in Donald's Dreamland - one
of Toontown's six themed neighborhoods. Once inside Cashbot HQ, Toons must
courageously make their way through a train yard and enter the Mint, where
Cashbots manufacture Cogbucks, the Cog currency. Once inside, Toons must
complete difficult tasks in order to build a Cog disguise and earn access to the
Vault - the dangerous home to the most senior Cashbot, the Chief Financial
Officer (CFO). As a reward for defeating the CFO, Toons are granted new powers
to heal other Toons or restock other Toons' gags and jellybeans, the games'
weapons and currency.
Cashbot HQ follows the successful launch of Sellbot HQ, the first Cog
Headquarters which debuted in March 2003.
"MMPs like Toontown are able to maintain their appeal because they are ever
changing. Although we initially designed Toontown primarily for more casual
gamers, we now have a significant population of more advanced players," said
Mike Goslin, Vice President of the VR Studio, Walt Disney Internet Group, the
group that develops Toontown. "Cashbot HQ gives our advanced players new
challenges and makes the Toontown world larger and more interesting for
everyone."
Since launch in June 2003, Toontown has continued to gain momentum in the
marketplace, keeping gamers of all ages entertained and challenged. Toontown is
currently available for download at
www.toontown.com for $9.95 per month. Longer-term memberships are available
at reduced rates, and for consumers who prefer to try before they buy there is a
3-day free trial period available.
Disney Online
Disney Online (www.disney.com) produces the
number one kids' entertainment and family community destinations on the Internet
that consistently reflects the magic that has come to be expected of Disney. Its
"neighborhoods", specifically designed for each member of the family, include
Disney's Blast (www.disneyblast.com)
and Disney's Toontown Online (www.Toontown.com),
both premium subscription services, as well as Disney Store, Destinations,
Playhouse Disney, Kids Island, Entertainment, FamilyFun and Inside Disney.
Disney Online also produces FamilyFun.com (www.familyfun.com),
the premier online family resource for great ideas, practical advice and fun
stuff to do, and Movies.com (www.movies.com),
a leading site that provides a broad array of reviews and information to help
movie fans make the right choice on movie night.
Disney Online is a part of The Walt Disney Internet Group, which provides
integrated strategic and operational Internet services for The Walt Disney
Company's Internet initiatives. Disney's Virtual Reality Studio, now part of
Walt Disney Internet Group (WDIG), developed Toontown using its own PANDA3D
proprietary network game engine. The VR Studio was established as part of Walt
Disney Imagineering R&D, to drive the creativity and experience of the Disney
theme parks into the online 3D world.
--Posted February 17, 2005
Source: Disney Online