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| {{Italic title}}{{Infobox video game online service | {{Italic title}}{{Infobox video game online service | ||
| |name |
| name = Toontown Online | ||
| |title |
| title = ''Toontown Online'' | ||
| |image |
| image = Toontown-Logo.svg | ||
| |developer |
| developer = ]<br />]<ref name="schell games">{{Cite web |title=Games developed by Schell Games |url=http://www.schellgames.com/games/toontown/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190530153837/https://www.schellgames.com/games/toontown/ |archive-date=2019-05-30 |access-date=2021-01-22 |website=Schell Games}}</ref><br />Frogchildren Studios<ref>{{Cite web |title=Frogchildren Studios Games Artwork |url=http://www.frogchildren.com/w/distt.html |access-date=February 24, 2014}}</ref> | ||
| |type |
| type = ] | ||
| |launched |
| launched = August 2001{{citation needed|date=August 2020}} – January 16, 2002 (])<ref name="Toontown beta">{{Cite web |date=21 August 2006 |title=Release Notes Archive |url=http://test.toontown.com/oldNews.php |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060821022348/http://test.toontown.com/oldNews.php |archive-date=August 21, 2006}}</ref><br>September 10, 2002 – October 21, 2002 (Beta 2)<ref name="Toontown beta" /><br><ref name="Toontown beta">{{Cite web |date=21 August 2006 |title=Release Notes Archive |url=http://test.toontown.com/oldNews.php |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060821022348/http://test.toontown.com/oldNews.php |archive-date=August 21, 2006}}</ref><br>October 21, 2002 – June 2, 2003 (sneak preview)<ref name="Toontown beta" /><br>{{Start date|2003|06|02}} (official launch)<ref name="pressrelease" /><br/>November 28, 2006<small> (Mac OS X)<ref>{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=November 28, 2006 |title=Disney's ''Toontown Online'' Now Available For Macintosh |url=https://www.gamesindustry.biz/disneys-toontown-online-now-available-for-macintosh |access-date=March 15, 2024 |website=] |language=en}}</ref></small> | ||
| |discontinued |
| discontinued = {{End date|2013|09|19}}<ref name="cnn">{{Cite web |last=Kelly |first=Heather |date=August 23, 2013 |title=Coping with the loss of an online world |url=https://www.cnn.com/2013/08/23/tech/gaming-gadgets/closing-toontown/index.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131227184927/https://www.cnn.com/2013/08/23/tech/gaming-gadgets/closing-toontown/index.html |archive-date=December 27, 2013 |access-date=May 6, 2019 |website=]}}</ref> | ||
| |platform |
| platform = ] and ]<ref>{{Cite web |title=Search ESRB Game Ratings |url=http://www.esrb.org/ratings/search.aspx?titleOrPublisher=toontown%20online&searchType=title}}</ref> | ||
| |website |
| website = <br />(archived on August 24, 2013) | ||
| }} | }} | ||
| ⚫ | '''''Toontown Online''''', commonly known as |
||
| ⚫ | '''''Toontown Online''''', commonly known as ''Toontown'', was a 2003 ] (MMORPG) based on a ] ], developed by ] and ], and published by ].<ref name="pressrelease">{{Cite press release |title=Disney's Toontown Online to Launch June 2003 |date=May 5, 2003 |publisher=The Walt Disney Company |location=North Hollywood, CA |url=http://corporate.disney.go.com/wdig/online_releases/2003/2003_0505_wdig.html |access-date=May 30, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20041127025937/http://corporate.disney.go.com/wdig/online_releases/2003/2003_0505_wdig.html |archive-date=November 27, 2004 |url-status=dead}}</ref> | ||
| Players created characters known as Toons and used weapons referred to as Gags—commonly slapstick comedy items, such as a thrown cream pie—to fight and destroy Cogs, robot businessmen who served as the game’s antagonists. | |||
| Players played as ], known as Toons, to explore a cartoon world, complete ] ("ToonTasks"), and engage in combat against the Cogs, robot businessmen who served as the game's antagonists. Players used weapons known as "Gags"—typically ] items, such as a ]—in combat. | |||
| ⚫ | Various servers hosting ''Toontown Online'' were shut down throughout the |
||
| ⚫ | Various servers hosting ''Toontown Online'' were shut down throughout the game's tenure; the primary U.S. servers and the game itself were ultimately closed in September 2013. Various ] have since been created using most of the game's original assets; the most popular of these, ''Toontown Rewritten'', was created less than a week after ''Toontown Online''{{'}}s closure. | ||
| <!--Please read talk page before editing this section.--> | <!--Please read talk page before editing this section.--> | ||
| == Gameplay == | == Gameplay == | ||
| === Toons === | === Toons === | ||
| Players |
Players' characters were called "Toons", anthropomorphized animals in the style of Disney cartoons. Players were able to customize their Toons in various shapes, colors, clothes, and sizes, as well as their species, with choices consisting of cats, dogs, ducks, mice, pigs, rabbits, bears, horses, and monkeys.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Meet the Toons |url=http://toontown.go.com/help/players-guide/meet-the-toons |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120101073412/http://toontown.go.com/help/players-guide/meet-the-toons |archive-date=January 1, 2012 |publisher=Disney}}</ref> | ||
| === Combat === | === Combat === | ||
| Line 48: | Line 49: | ||
| == Distribution == | == Distribution == | ||
| === CD-ROM === | === CD-ROM === | ||
| Platform Publishing, a subsidiary company of ] that publishes games for third-party developers, acquired rights to publish a ] version of ''Toontown Online'' in August 2005 for the ] and their intention to bring the game to online game consoles.<ref name="cdrom">{{Cite press release |title=Disney's Toontown Goes To Retail This Fall |date=August 25, 2005 |publisher=The Walt Disney Company |location=San Diego, CA, and North Hollywood, CA |url=http://corporate.disney.go.com/wdig/online_releases/2005/2005_0825_disney.html |access-date=May 30, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051202171511/http://corporate.disney.go.com/wdig/online_releases/2005/2005_0825_disney.html |archive-date=December 2, 2005 |url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name="rights">{{Cite web |last=Sinclair |first=Brendan |date=August 25, 2005 |title=Toontown headed for consoles |url=http://www.gamespot.com/articles/toontown-headed-for-consoles/1100-6131990/ |access-date=March 30, 2014}}</ref><ref name="retail">{{Cite web |last=Raiciu |first=Tudor |date=August 26, 2005 |title=Disney's Toontown Goes To Retail This Fall |url=http://news.softpedia.com/news/Disney-s-Toontown-Goes-To-Retail-This-Fall-7010.shtml |access-date=March 30, 2014}}</ref><ref name="platforms">{{Cite web |date=August 25, 2005 |title=Sony Online Entertainment's Platform Publishing Label Bringing Disney's 'Toontown Online' to Retail This Fall |url=http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/sony-online-entertainments-platform-publishing-label-bringing-disneys-toontown-online-to-retail-this-fall-55009307.html |access-date=March 30, 2014 |publisher=PR Newswire}}</ref> ''Toontown Online'' became available on CD for the PC on October 3 |
Platform Publishing, a subsidiary company of ] that publishes games for third-party developers, acquired rights to publish a ] version of ''Toontown Online'' in August 2005 for the ] and their intention to bring the game to online game consoles.<ref name="cdrom">{{Cite press release |title=Disney's Toontown Goes To Retail This Fall |date=August 25, 2005 |publisher=The Walt Disney Company |location=San Diego, CA, and North Hollywood, CA |url=http://corporate.disney.go.com/wdig/online_releases/2005/2005_0825_disney.html |access-date=May 30, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051202171511/http://corporate.disney.go.com/wdig/online_releases/2005/2005_0825_disney.html |archive-date=December 2, 2005 |url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name="rights">{{Cite web |last=Sinclair |first=Brendan |date=August 25, 2005 |title=Toontown headed for consoles |url=http://www.gamespot.com/articles/toontown-headed-for-consoles/1100-6131990/ |access-date=March 30, 2014}}</ref><ref name="retail">{{Cite web |last=Raiciu |first=Tudor |date=August 26, 2005 |title=Disney's Toontown Goes To Retail This Fall |url=http://news.softpedia.com/news/Disney-s-Toontown-Goes-To-Retail-This-Fall-7010.shtml |access-date=March 30, 2014}}</ref><ref name="platforms">{{Cite web |date=August 25, 2005 |title=Sony Online Entertainment's Platform Publishing Label Bringing Disney's 'Toontown Online' to Retail This Fall |url=http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/sony-online-entertainments-platform-publishing-label-bringing-disneys-toontown-online-to-retail-this-fall-55009307.html |access-date=March 30, 2014 |publisher=PR Newswire}}</ref> ''Toontown Online'' became available on CD for the PC on October 3 of the same year.<ref name="pcrom">{{Cite web |date=October 3, 2005 |title=Platform Publishing Lets the Toons Out With Disney's Toontown Online |url=http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/platform-publishing-lets-the-toons-out-with-disneys-toontown-online-54869302.html |access-date=March 30, 2014 |publisher=PR Newswire}}</ref> This allowed players to play the game without downloading it onto their storage devices. This version came in a box set with two months of subscription, a poster, a game manual, and an in-game bonus.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Marriott |first=Scott Alan |title=Disney's Toontown Online |url=http://www.allgame.com/game.php?id=48468 |access-date=March 31, 2014 |publisher=AllGame}}</ref> ''Toontown Online'' chose to create a CD that could be purchased in stores, due to customer insecurity when downloading and buying things online that they could not physically hold.<ref name="gamasutra.com">{{Cite web |last=Goslin |first=Mike |title=Postmortem: Disney Online's Toontown |date=January 28, 2004 |url=http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/130440/postmortem_disney_onlines_.php?print=1 |access-date=March 9, 2014 |publisher=Gamastura}}</ref> | ||
| == Closure == | == Closure == | ||
| After ten years of operation, ''Toontown Online'' was shut down permanently on September 19, 2013.<ref name="bloomberg.com">{{Cite news |last=Palazzo |first=Anthony |title=Disney to Shutter 10-Year-Old Toontown Multiplayer Game |publisher=Bloomberg |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-08-21/disney-to-shutter-10-year-old-toontown-multiplayer-game.html |url-status=live |url-access=subscription |access-date=January 22, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130823223048/https://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-08-21/disney-to-shutter-10-year-old-toontown-multiplayer-game.html |archive-date=August 23, 2013}}</ref><ref name="closing news">{{Cite web |title=Disney's Toontown Online: About Closing |url=http://toontown.go.com/closing |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130820194414/http://toontown.go.com/closing |archive-date=August 20, 2013 |access-date=March 30, 2014 |publisher=The Walt Disney Company}}</ref> |
After ten years of operation, ''Toontown Online'' was shut down permanently on September 19, 2013.<ref name="bloomberg.com">{{Cite news |last=Palazzo |first=Anthony |title=Disney to Shutter 10-Year-Old Toontown Multiplayer Game |publisher=Bloomberg |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-08-21/disney-to-shutter-10-year-old-toontown-multiplayer-game.html |url-status=live |url-access=subscription |access-date=January 22, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130823223048/https://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-08-21/disney-to-shutter-10-year-old-toontown-multiplayer-game.html |archive-date=August 23, 2013}}</ref><ref name="closing news">{{Cite web |title=Disney's Toontown Online: About Closing |url=http://toontown.go.com/closing |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130820194414/http://toontown.go.com/closing |archive-date=August 20, 2013 |access-date=March 30, 2014 |publisher=The Walt Disney Company}}</ref> After the announcement, every player was given membership for the remaining time of the game. Seasonal and holiday celebrations and special in-game events took place in the time remaining. Recurring paid memberships were automatically canceled. Memberships could no longer be purchased, and accounts could no longer be created after the fact.<ref name="closing news" /> The website was also updated with a closing FAQ.<ref name="closing faq">{{Cite web |title=Disney's Toontown Online: Closing FAQ |url=http://toontown.go.com/closing-faq |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130910101914/http://toontown.go.com/closing-faq |archive-date=September 10, 2013 |access-date=March 30, 2014 |publisher=The Walt Disney Company}}</ref> | ||
| After the game's closure, ''Toontown''{{'}}s website was updated with a new FAQ to help with billing support and inform users about the game's closure.<ref name="cnn" /> ''Toontown''{{'s}} site, toontown.go.com, now redirects to Disney's main site, ]. | After the game's closure, ''Toontown''{{'}}s website was updated with a new FAQ to help with billing support and inform users about the game's closure.<ref name="cnn" /> ''Toontown''{{'s}} site, toontown.go.com, now redirects to Disney's main site, ]. | ||
| <!-- DO NOT ADD INFORMATION ON OTHER PRIVATE SERVERS IF THERE ISN'T A THIRD PARTY SOURCE TO COVER IT, SEE WP:WEIGHT --> | <!-- DO NOT ADD INFORMATION ON OTHER PRIVATE SERVERS IF THERE ISN'T A THIRD PARTY SOURCE TO COVER IT, SEE WP:WEIGHT --> | ||
| <!-- ALSO NOTE: THE ARTICLE'S MAIN FOCUS IS ON THE ORIGINAL TOONTOWN: PLEASE DO NOT ADD EXCESSIVE DETAIL ABOUT PRIVATE SERVERS --> | <!-- ALSO NOTE: THE ARTICLE'S MAIN FOCUS IS ON THE ORIGINAL TOONTOWN: PLEASE DO NOT ADD EXCESSIVE DETAIL ABOUT PRIVATE SERVERS --> | ||
| In response to the closure, former players have created multiple private servers of ''Toontown Online'' that are free-to-play and not monetized. The most popular server, ''Toontown Rewritten'', is described by its developers as |
In response to the closure, former players have created multiple private servers of ''Toontown Online'' that are free-to-play and not monetized. The most popular server, ''Toontown Rewritten'', is described by its developers as a fan-made revival of Disney's ''Toontown Online'', created using publicly available downloads and information made freely available to the general public in September 2014. | ||
| ], the former Creative Director of the Walt Disney Imagineering Virtual Reality Studio,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Jesse Schell {{!}} Entertainment Technology Center |url=http://www.etc.cmu.edu/blog/author/jschell/ |access-date=March 24, 2020 |website=www.etc.cmu.edu}}</ref> hinted that ''Toontown Online'' closed due to becoming unsustainable in its business model (subscription-based downloadable RPG).<ref name="schellivision">{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P1a9Ue0ouC4 |
], the former Creative Director of the Walt Disney Imagineering Virtual Reality Studio,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Jesse Schell {{!}} Entertainment Technology Center |url=http://www.etc.cmu.edu/blog/author/jschell/ |access-date=March 24, 2020 |website=www.etc.cmu.edu}}</ref> hinted that ''Toontown Online'' closed due to becoming unsustainable in its business model (subscription-based downloadable RPG).<ref name="schellivision">{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P1a9Ue0ouC4 |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211222/P1a9Ue0ouC4 |archive-date=2021-12-22 |url-status=live|title=OMG!Con 2015 – Jesse Schellivision |date=June 13, 2015 |last=Jesse Schell |access-date=May 15, 2018 |medium=Online video |website=YouTube}}{{cbignore}}</ref> Schell confirmed that Disney wanted to port the game to mobile devices but was waiting for a working business model for self-sustaining, constantly-updating mobile RPGs. Schell also stated that the company has hosted internal meetings discussing the future of the game, taking the popularity of mobile games, and the payment options available on that platform into consideration for planning the next step for the ''Toontown'' license.<ref name="schellivision" /> A solution has yet to be agreed upon, but according to Schell these internal meetings continued into 2016.{{Needs update|date=June 2024}}<ref name="Schellivision2016">{{Cite web |last=Toontown Rewritten |date=June 13, 2016 |title=OMG!Con 2016: Jesse Schellivision |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iGyy8wB5JZ0&t=11m12s |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211222/iGyy8wB5JZ0 |archive-date=2021-12-22 |url-status=live|access-date=April 4, 2018 |via=YouTube}}{{cbignore}}</ref> | ||
| In June 2021, seven years after the game's closure, an unofficial archive of ''Toontown Online'' titled the "Toontown Preservation Project" was released by ''Toontown Rewritten''. The archive is hosted via ''Toontown Rewritten''<nowiki/>'s ] board and features original design documents and artwork donated by the game's developers, among promotional material such as digital downloads, merchandise, newsletters, trading cards, and websites.<ref>{{Cite web|title=The Toontown Preservation Project aims to save the history of Disney's MMO|url=https://www.pcgamesn.com/toontown/preservation-project|access-date=2021-06-03|website=PCGamesN|date=June 2, 2021 |language=en-GB}}</ref> | |||
| == ToonFest == | == ToonFest == | ||
| Disney organized two real-life gatherings for ''Toontown'' fans called ToonFest. These included themed activities and games, trivia and costume contests, previews of upcoming features for the game, and developer Q&A panels.<ref name="tf365">{{Cite web |title=Disney 365 – Toon Town Online's ToonFest |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=flTmzXzvHmQ |
Disney organized two real-life gatherings for ''Toontown'' fans called ToonFest. These included themed activities and games, trivia and costume contests, previews of upcoming features for the game, and developer Q&A panels.<ref name="tf365">{{Cite web |title=Disney 365 – Toon Town Online's ToonFest |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=flTmzXzvHmQ |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211222/flTmzXzvHmQ |archive-date=2021-12-22 |url-status=live|access-date=April 7, 2014 |publisher=The Walt Disney Company}}{{cbignore}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Toontown Online Video – Toontfest |url=http://www.gametrailers.com/videos/fyrwuc/toontown-online-toonfest |access-date=April 7, 2014 |publisher=GameTrailers}}</ref> The first gathering, ToonFest 2006, was held at the ] complex in ].<ref>{{Cite press release |title=Thousands of 'Toons' to Gather at Disney Studios in Burbank for FirstEver 'ToonFest'; Disney Channel Stars Among Attendees at August 26th Fan Event Dedicated to Disney's Toontown Online |date=August 25, 2006 |publisher=Disney Online, a division of the Walt Disney Internet Group |url=http://www.smartbrief.com/news/iab/industryBW-detail.jsp?id=90A8C966-D4F7-434C-8BF7-E4B912A3755B |access-date=August 30, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927220437/http://www.smartbrief.com/news/iab/industryBW-detail.jsp?id=90A8C966-D4F7-434C-8BF7-E4B912A3755B |archive-date=September 27, 2007 |url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name="tf">{{Cite web |last=Dobson |first=Jason |date=August 11, 2006 |title=Disney Celebrates Toontown Online With ToonFest |url=http://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/101406/Disney_Celebrates_Toontown_Online_With_ToonFest.php |access-date=April 6, 2014 |publisher=Gamasutra}}</ref> The second gathering, ToonFest 2007, was held at ] in ].<ref>{{Cite press release |title=Disney's Toontown Online Hosts ToonFest 2007 |date=August 4, 2007 |publisher=Disney Online, a division of the Walt Disney Internet Group |url=https://www.forbes.com/businesswire/feeds/businesswire/2007/08/04/businesswire20070804005025r1.html |access-date=August 30, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071102235018/http://www.forbes.com/businesswire/feeds/businesswire/2007/08/04/businesswire20070804005025r1.html |archive-date=November 2, 2007}}</ref><ref name="tf2007">{{Cite web |title=ToonFest 2007 (Video) |website = ]| date=August 5, 2007 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L_vWNTs7JOE |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211222/L_vWNTs7JOE |archive-date=2021-12-22 |url-status=live|access-date=April 7, 2014}}{{cbignore}}</ref> | ||
| == Reception == | == Reception == | ||
| Line 94: | Line 95: | ||
| | rowspan="7" | 2003 | | rowspan="7" | 2003 | ||
| | ] | | ] | ||
| | Massive Multiplayer/Persistent World Game of the Year | | ] | ||
| | ] | | ] | ||
| | {{nominated}} | | {{nominated}} | ||
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| == External links == | == External links == | ||
| <!-- Adding tons of defunct links is against Misplaced Pages's guidelines --> | <!-- Adding tons of defunct links is against Misplaced Pages's guidelines --> | ||
| * {{moby game|id=/toontown-online/|name=''Toontown Online''}} | * {{moby game|id=/toontown-online/|name=''Toontown Online''}} | ||
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| ] | ] | ||
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Latest revision as of 16:51, 8 December 2024
2003 Disney video game
 | |
| Developer | Disney's Virtual Reality Studio Schell Games Frogchildren Studios |
|---|---|
| Type | Massively multiplayer online role-playing game |
| Launch date | August 2001 – January 16, 2002 (Beta 1) September 10, 2002 – October 21, 2002 (Beta 2) October 21, 2002 – June 2, 2003 (sneak preview) June 2, 2003 (2003-06-02) (official launch) November 28, 2006 (Mac OS X) |
| Discontinued | September 19, 2013 (2013-09-19) |
| Platform(s) | Macintosh operating systems and Microsoft Windows |
| Website | toontown.go.com (archived on August 24, 2013) |
Toontown Online, commonly known as Toontown, was a 2003 massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) based on a cartoon animal world, developed by Disney's Virtual Reality Studio and Schell Games, and published by The Walt Disney Company.
Players played as anthropomorphized animals, known as Toons, to explore a cartoon world, complete quests ("ToonTasks"), and engage in combat against the Cogs, robot businessmen who served as the game's antagonists. Players used weapons known as "Gags"—typically slapstick comedy items, such as a thrown cream pie—in combat.
Various servers hosting Toontown Online were shut down throughout the game's tenure; the primary U.S. servers and the game itself were ultimately closed in September 2013. Various fan servers have since been created using most of the game's original assets; the most popular of these, Toontown Rewritten, was created less than a week after Toontown Online's closure.
Gameplay
Toons
Players' characters were called "Toons", anthropomorphized animals in the style of Disney cartoons. Players were able to customize their Toons in various shapes, colors, clothes, and sizes, as well as their species, with choices consisting of cats, dogs, ducks, mice, pigs, rabbits, bears, horses, and monkeys.
Combat
Cogs were the antagonists in-game, stylized to be corporate robots that wanted to take over the town to propagate business culture. Cogs came in four types: brown-clad Bossbots, blue-clad Lawbots, green-clad Cashbots, and maroon-clad Sellbots, each with increasing levels throughout the game that increased their health and damage.
Toons began with basic 'Gags' and a 15-point 'Laff' meter and had a maximum of 137 point Laff meter at the end of the game. Gags, rooted in old cartoon slapstick humor, were weapons used to destroy the Cogs in Cog battles. Each 'Gag track' had Gags with different properties that could be unlocked by completing 'ToonTasks' and each gag track would get progressively more powerful as Toons used their gags more. The Laff meter functioned as a health meter, representing how much damage Toons could take from the Cogs before going 'sad' – in-game defeat. Cogs were battled using a timed turn-based combat system with up to four Toons in a battle. Cogs could be fought on the streets of the game, in 'Cog Buildings' or in their own designated 'Cog HQ', with each Cog HQ having a boss that could only be fought by obtaining a full set of the HQ's Cog disguise. These include the Senior V.P. (Vice President, Sellbot HQ), C.F.O. (Chief Financial Officer, Cashbot HQ) C.J. (Chief Justice, Lawbot HQ), and C.E.O. (Chief Executive Officer, Bossbot HQ).
Non-combat activities
Playgrounds were the only areas of Toontown permanently safe from Cogs. In the playgrounds, Toons could regain lost Laff Points, receive or complete ToonTasks unique to each playground, purchase gags, play trolley games, go fishing, kart racing, or golfing. By completing ToonTasks, Toons would grow in strength through additional Laff Points or new Gags. Laff Point increases were also available through fishing, racing, and golfing challenges. There was a playground in each neighborhood of Toontown. Each playground featured one of Disney's classic animated characters as a non-player character. The main playgrounds were Toontown Central, Daisy Gardens, Donald's Dock, Minnie's Melodyland, The Brrrgh, and Donald's Dreamland, along with extra playgrounds such as Goofy Speedway and Chip 'n Dale's Acorn Acres.
Every Toontown Online account came with a player's estate. Each estate consisted of a fishing pond and six houses for each Toon on the player's account. Players could customize their Toon's appearance and home with objects ordered from the in-game catalog ('Clarabelle's Cattlelog') by using jellybeans, the in-game currency. Wardrobes and accessory trunks held clothing and accessories that were not currently being worn by the player's Toon. Other elements of estates included Doodles (pets), gardening, fishing, and the ability to purchase various types of in-game items from Clarabelle's Cattlelog.
Online safety features
Toontown Online was marketed and developed for players of all ages, which is why a chat restriction was placed on the game. Players could initially only chat using "SpeedChat", a list of pre-approved phrases set by Disney that the player could select. It included general English phrases, in-game strategy phrases, and, occasionally, seasonal phrases. Players could purchase more SpeedChat phrases using, most of the time, 100 jellybeans. "SpeedChat Plus" and "Secret Friends", later renamed to "True Friends", were introduced sometime after the game's release, which had to be enabled using a parental account if the player was under 13 years of age. SpeedChat Plus allowed the player to type their messages against a word filter developed by Disney; if a word was not allowed, it was replaced with an onomatopoeia of that player's Toon's species. True Friends allowed players to chat with a less restrictive filter with certain friends who have shared a "True Friend code" with each other.
Parties
Parties were hostable, plannable, and customizable events by Toons. Toons would use their stored jellybeans in their bank to customize and add content to their parties, such as fireworks, minigames (Tug-O-War, etc.), trampolines, party cannons, etc. To plan a party, Toons would go to a Toon Party Planner. Toons could also customize their invitations to these parties.
Distribution
CD-ROM
Platform Publishing, a subsidiary company of Sony Online Entertainment that publishes games for third-party developers, acquired rights to publish a CD version of Toontown Online in August 2005 for the PC and their intention to bring the game to online game consoles. Toontown Online became available on CD for the PC on October 3 of the same year. This allowed players to play the game without downloading it onto their storage devices. This version came in a box set with two months of subscription, a poster, a game manual, and an in-game bonus. Toontown Online chose to create a CD that could be purchased in stores, due to customer insecurity when downloading and buying things online that they could not physically hold.
Closure
After ten years of operation, Toontown Online was shut down permanently on September 19, 2013. After the announcement, every player was given membership for the remaining time of the game. Seasonal and holiday celebrations and special in-game events took place in the time remaining. Recurring paid memberships were automatically canceled. Memberships could no longer be purchased, and accounts could no longer be created after the fact. The website was also updated with a closing FAQ.
After the game's closure, Toontown's website was updated with a new FAQ to help with billing support and inform users about the game's closure. Toontown's site, toontown.go.com, now redirects to Disney's main site, disney.com. In response to the closure, former players have created multiple private servers of Toontown Online that are free-to-play and not monetized. The most popular server, Toontown Rewritten, is described by its developers as a fan-made revival of Disney's Toontown Online, created using publicly available downloads and information made freely available to the general public in September 2014.
Jesse Schell, the former Creative Director of the Walt Disney Imagineering Virtual Reality Studio, hinted that Toontown Online closed due to becoming unsustainable in its business model (subscription-based downloadable RPG). Schell confirmed that Disney wanted to port the game to mobile devices but was waiting for a working business model for self-sustaining, constantly-updating mobile RPGs. Schell also stated that the company has hosted internal meetings discussing the future of the game, taking the popularity of mobile games, and the payment options available on that platform into consideration for planning the next step for the Toontown license. A solution has yet to be agreed upon, but according to Schell these internal meetings continued into 2016.
In June 2021, seven years after the game's closure, an unofficial archive of Toontown Online titled the "Toontown Preservation Project" was released by Toontown Rewritten. The archive is hosted via Toontown Rewritten's Notion board and features original design documents and artwork donated by the game's developers, among promotional material such as digital downloads, merchandise, newsletters, trading cards, and websites.
ToonFest
Disney organized two real-life gatherings for Toontown fans called ToonFest. These included themed activities and games, trivia and costume contests, previews of upcoming features for the game, and developer Q&A panels. The first gathering, ToonFest 2006, was held at the Walt Disney Studios complex in Burbank, California. The second gathering, ToonFest 2007, was held at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida.
Reception
Reception| Aggregator | Score |
|---|---|
| GameRankings | 82% |
| Metacritic | 81% |
| Publication | Score |
|---|---|
| GameZone | 9/10 |
| PC Gamer (UK) | 83% |
| Game industry News |   |
| GamerDad | |
| PC Magazine |  |
Awards and nominations
| Year | Association | Award | Category | Result | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences | Massive Multiplayer/Persistent World Game of the Year | Games | Nominated | |
| Computer Gaming World | MMORPG Game of the Year | Online Games | Won | ||
| Game industry News | Family Game of the Year | Games | Won | ||
| Parents' Choice Foundation | Silver Honor | Online Video Games | Won | ||
| Web Marketing Association | WebAward Outstanding Website | Game Site | Won | ||
| The Webby Awards | Webby Award | Games | Nominated | ||
| Webby Award People's Voice | Youth | Won | |||
| 2004 | Web Marketing Association | WebAward Outstanding Website | Game Site | Won | |
| 2005 | Web Marketing Association | WebAward Outstanding Website | Game Site | Won | |
| The Webby Awards | Webby Award | Games | Nominated | ||
| "Webby Worthy Selection" | Games | Won | |||
| WiredKids | Safe Gaming Award | Computer Games | Won | ||
| 2006 | Web Marketing Association | WebAward Game Site Standard of Excellence | Game Site | Won | |
| The Webby Awards | Webby Award | Games | Nominated | ||
| 2007 | |||||
| Web Marketing Association | WebAward Outstanding Website | Game Site | Won | ||
| 2009 | Parent Tested Parent Approved | Seal of Approval | Website | Won |
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External links
Categories:- 2003 video games
- Disney video games
- Inactive massively multiplayer online games
- Inactive multiplayer online games
- MacOS games
- Massively multiplayer online role-playing games
- Multiplayer online games
- Products and services discontinued in 2013
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- Windows games
- Video games about robots