Ourworld

ourWorld is a virtual world containing a range of online games and activities. It is developed by FlowPlay, and aimed at the teen and tween demographic.

ourWorld
Developer(s)	FlowPlay
Platform(s)	Online
Release date(s)	September 2008
Genre(s)	MMORPG
Mode(s)	Multiplayer
Media/distribution	Web interface

Gameplay

ourWorld combines both an online virtual world with a range of casual gaming activities.^[1] Each player has an avatar and a condo which can be decorated. You are able to get gems by either buying them, or using a Coupon Code.

An in-game currency, "flow", is earned by talking, dancing, eating and drinking, and playing games. Flow can be exchanged for experience points and coins. ourWorld operates on a microtransaction business model which allows players to purchase in-game "gems". Coins and gems are used to buy items for their avatar such as clothing, accessories or furniture. As players earn experience, they level up. This earns them prizes such as dance moves, access to new areas, vehicles, and privileges.

Players can also talk to each other, request friendship, gift items, create groups, send and receive mail, participate in contests and give "hearts". Residents are people who have purchased or been gifted by other players, residency cards or paid to be a resident. These people have more freedom and privileges than the standard players, tourists. Some advantages are Flow boost, free gems, a bigger condo, access to restricted areas, monthly items, and if they are 13 years old or older and level 40 or higher they can be volunteers and they can be one if they were a resident before. People who are over the age of thirteen and have facebook also have further privileges.

There are some "special" items in Ourworld. These include vehicles, tattoos, mystery boxes, sprites, inventories, residency passes, potions, wings, and ears/horns. Vehicles include skates, hoverboards, cars, skateboards, and jetpacks. These can sometimes be earned by leveling up. Tattoos are, well, tattoos! Sprites are animals that follow players' avatars around. Inventories increase the number of items players can keep in their inventory and photo album. Residency passes allows players to gain residency without buying a residency card. Potions allow players to change their avatar's appearance in ways they cannot usually do(Some kinds of food also does that). Mystery boxes contain random items that belong in a certain theme. Some examples of mystery boxes are the Zodiac Mystery Box,the Bronco Mystery Box Light and Dark Mystery Boxes. In ourworld there are special characters such as Doug bot or Zoe who give quests to earn flow and prizes. Each of there characters has their own special outfits and condos. They can be found throughout ourworld to help people do different things.

Critical reception

Joystiq questioned FlowPlay's business model, as many of the games in ourWorld are available on other casual gaming sites such as Newgrounds.^[1] From the perspective of a male 20-something, Stephen Greenwell of GameZebo felt detached from the social aspect of ourWorld. He found conversation to be "dominated by netspeak and txtspeak" with all the depth "of a kiddie pool". However, the presentation was deemed to be "hip and edgy", with "Flash and Java used to create a gorgeous futuristic world." Overall, ourWorld was recommended for teenagers.^[2]

History

The game was originally designed for girls and boys between the ages of 13 to 17 years old. After beta testing in April 2008, ourWorld was released to the public in September 2008 and development on ourWorld began on January 2007. In June 2009, FlowPlay has announced an interesting partnership with PopCap Games that sees the launch of a PopCap Arcade and Bejeweled Jewelry Store. On February 10, 2009, FlowPlay announced that it has completed a long-term distribution agreement with Miniclip, resulting in ourworld's integration into Miniclip.com.

References

1. ^ ^{a b} Brennan, Seraphina (2008-05-08). "OurWorld wants casual gamers to pay and play". Massively. AOL. http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/05/08/ourworld-wants-casual-gamers-to-pay-and-play/. Retrieved 2011-03-13. 
2. ^ Greenwell, Stephen (2009-12-31). "ourWorld Review". Gamezebo. http://www.gamezebo.com/online-games/ourworld/review. Retrieved 2011-03-13. 

External links

• Ourworld! Related Wiki Page
• Official website