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Personal Growth — June 7, 2011

Rags to Riches: Moshi Monsters

Two years ago, Mind Candy was just another online gaming company. In one “last roll of the dice” it created virtual kids' game Moshi Monsters, which now has 50 million users.

What’s the Latest Development?

Two years ago, Mind Candy was just another online gaming company. It had some minor success with interactive puzzles and an alternative reality game but the future wasn’t bright. CEO Michael Acton Smith made one “last roll of the dice” and created a virtual world game for kids. Moshi Monsters has just passed the 50 million registered users mark and is one of the fastest growing children’s entertainment brands in the world.

What’s the Big Idea?

Acton says the idea behind Moshi Monsters was to create not “just another bloody virtual world”, but a safe social network. “Instead of copying Club Penguin,” he said, “we focused more on Facebook and tried to re-imagine that for kids.” As such, there is pin board where friends can leave messages and a news feed, but there are also games, quizzes and virtual world activities. Part of Moshi Monsters’ exponential growth it seems is its movement into offline products, having launched toys, books, video games, trading cards, and even a “Moshi magazine” within the UK and Australia.

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