Media Freaks developing virtual world, The Travels of Wiglington and Wenks

     Singapore:Singapore based Media Freaks is developing an online virtual world called The Travels of

Wiglington and Wenks based on children's story book series by John Bittleston. Targeted at the age group 7 to 14 years, the launch of the same is slated for Christmas 2009.

    The players in the online virtual world would be able to travel to factual and mysterious places around the world, travel through time and space, meet famous people from the past, play dozens of enriching and fun games, make new friends and party with them, buy exotic islands, build culture-inspired houses, wear clothes from different countries, explore secret locations, solve mysteries and puzzles and become a legendary traveler!"

    Speaking to Animation Xpress Asia Pacific, Aldric Chang Managing Director Mediafreaks, and Creator and Executive Producer of The Travels of Wiglington and Wenks said “The virtual world is an entirely original concept which promotes the spirit of traveling and encourages the learning of geography, history and culture through online adventure. It all started when we noticed after Club Penguin’s success that there were virtual worlds sprouting up all over the internet but there were really very few virtual worlds for kids that could boast good graphics and a truly imaginative world.”

    The studio met John Bittleston and Eliza Quek and got to know more about their storybooks.
    After reading The Travels of Wiglington and Wenks which revolved around two water rats traveling around the world in search of a series of magical maps which could unlock the secrets of the universe. At once the studio thought they had a winning concept for a virtual world at the right time in the evolution of this sector.

    A team of over 20 producers, programmers, animators and artists are working on the virtual world at this moment. The virtual world is five months away from launch but most of the features and technical issues have been ironed out. The beta version will be launched soon.

    Talking about the revenue model and number of players, Aldric added “We intend to monetize through premium subscriptions, micro transactions and sponsorships of virtual locations in the virtual world. About the number of players, at the moment, we are currently carrying out closed beta tests that can support up to 100,000 users, and we are anticipating serving up to millions of users’ in the future after launch.”

    According to Aldric, the USP of The Travels of Wiglington and Wenks is its fantastic story-line. Which means the children inside the world will be immersed and engrossed in the plot at all times. So the users are not simply logging in to just play a game or chat but they’re participating in a story!
    “There is massive potential in cross platform opportunities for The Travels of Wiglington and Wenks. The background story is rich and educational, backed by a cast of well-designed and engaging characters. The virtual world will provide the perfect platform from which to create animated series, video games and publications based on the intellectual property. We welcome all interested parties to contact us for collaborative inquiries.” Concluded Aldric.