Over the past week, I've seen users in our forums concerned, upset, even outraged. There are two issues currently in Webkinz World that have been upsetting everyone, and I decided that it was time to get reliable information from the Creative Director at Ganz's Interactive Division. He quickly responded to my inquiry with some answers to the questions that many of you have been asking.
With the adoption issue, Ganz is taking it very seriously and has a team dedicated to fixing it. They want to assure you that it is just as frustrating to them as it is to us. It has been very difficult to diagnose, as it only affects some people and not others, but they are working as quickly as they can. We urge you to try your best to hold off on adopting new Webkinz until we can be sure that the issue has been resolved. For those that are locked out of your accounts, please call the following number and leave a message. Ganz has assured us that you will receive a call back -- 1-866-932-5469 ext 6848.
The second issue, which has caused quite a stir here on WI, is the Health - Hunger - Happiness dropping issue. This feature was part of Webkinz World when it was launched, but was removed in late-2006 due to performance issues. As part of their current efforts to repair glitches in Webkinz World, the code for the HHH calculations was re-written more efficiently and returned into the Webkinz World program.
Unfortunately, since it was designed some time ago, it is affecting people more than Ganz expected. Initially, some members got a larger drop than they were supposed to. Secondly, members who have a large number of pets are burdened both in time and Kinz Cash by the new feature.
The Creative Director explains that the HHH dropping is not to force people to play on the site daily, rather to make the Webkinz seem like they are more alive -- something that he believes is essential to the spirit of Webkinz World. The idea that your non-active pets get hungry when they aren't fed or miss you when you aren't with them lends itself to this belief.
The Creative Director has assured me that Ganz has heard your voice and is making changes as we speak.
The HHH drop feature has already been taken out of Webkinz World to have the numbers reworked. The feature will return, but the impact on non-active pets will be significantly reduced and will be calculated based on the number of pets you own. For members with very large accounts, non-active pets will be unaffected by the HHH dropping feature.
I hope that this answers a few questions that many of you have had and lets you know that Ganz has heard your voice and responded with action!
