Today, toontown rewritten It has over 2 million registered users, with an average of 50,000 monthly users and 10,000 daily users. Ziolkowski, now 26 and a professional game designer, is still part of the team of volunteers caring for the game toontown The community is alive and growing.
A Disney spokesperson declined to comment.
toontown rewritten The team knows they work in dirty water. Without a licensing agreement from Disney, 11 years of hard work by Disney lawyers could be shut down at any time. That's why they have taken extensive steps to address any concerns the Mouse House may have, including setting up a non-profit organization to oversee the game; making the game free to play; forgoing advertising revenue; Removal of NPCs of Disney characters such as Mickey, Minnie, Goofy and Donald Duck; and implementing a strong content moderation system to protect young players.
“We're trying not to mess with their brand,” says creative media lead Elizabeth Ready. TTR“We try not to tease the bears.”
These volunteers are not only donating their time. Toons of the World, the nonprofit behind toontown rewrittenFunded entirely through voluntary donations. Server costs alone TTR That amounted to about $17,000 in 2023, according to tax filings. The remainder of Toons of the World's expenses—which total about $22,000—are spent on hosting in-person fan conventions and running an online museum dedicated to preserving the history of the original MMO.
“Whenever sports and communities close, they die,” says artistic director Maya Cohen. TTR Which was part of the early revival efforts. “Even though I don't know for sure, I like to imagine that when the people at Disney are watching us, it probably warms their hearts to see what an impact their project has had on its players and How are they keeping it alive? For so long.”
“Don't let the corporation bother you”
toontown online It is largely considered to be the first massively multiplayer online game designed for families. The brainchild of game designer Jesse Shell, it was first launched in 2003 and was inspired by Toontown. who Framed Roger Rabbit and Duckburg, the fictional hometown of Donald, Daisy and Uncle Scrooge created by artist Carl Barks.
In the game, players (customizable, cartoon animals called “Toons”) encounter the world of Toontown, which is occupied by mercenary robots who lurk in the streets and shops along with their ugly, gloomy corporate offices. Let's capture. To fight back, the Toons work together to complete tasks and use silly gags like cream pies and seltzer bottles to defeat the villains and reclaim their town.