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Pixie Hollow – Virtual Worlds for Girls

Pixie Hollow is a massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) aimed at girls ages 6 to 13. Tinker Bell is the guide and mascot of this online game developed by Disney. The game is based on a website, there is no need to download any files. The only important requirements are that users have Adobe Flash Player, 512MB of RAM, and a broadband Internet connection.

The design and graphics are done with typical Disney quality: clean, clear, well defined and with depth. Pixie Hollow is free to join; however, for players to experience the full functionality of the website, a paid membership is required. A monthly membership is $ 5.95; six months is $ 29.95; and an annual membership is $ 57.95. Membership cards can also be purchased in person at major toy stores. A full membership allows players to play all the games listed on the website and add accessories to their online life.

Characteristics

Each member who joins Pixie Hollow can choose a fairy to be their virtual personality. At first, members could only choose fairies. Currently, there is also a male version of a fairy called Sparrow Man. A paid membership allows players to buy; get a bigger virtual home; get clothes; play all games on the website (including all missions and adventures); have a pet; and create your own crafts.

What is good

Pixie Hollow will primarily appeal to girls under the age of 10 who are interested in the world of fantasy and fantasy. Graphics are exceptionally clean and clear with depth and detail, just like Disney cartoons and movies. There is no violence, drinking, drugs or smoking on the website or in the flash games. Pixie Hollow encourages its members to engage in creativity and imagination by submitting original material and getting lost in a fantasy world of magic and fun.

What is bad

Like many other virtual worlds for children, Pixie Hollow falls into two different categories: fun and fantasy for younger children; and risky chat for tweens and teens. Younger members who are drawn to Disney themes of innocence and fantasy won’t find much in common with older members who are more interested in socializing. Pixie Hollow has chat filters in place, but they need to realize that members will constantly bypass these filters and type words that look and sound inappropriate, even if the filters don’t detect them. It’s great that members can chat with each other, but if it’s not tightly regulated, it reduces the credibility of the entire website.

Online security

Although Pixie Hollow claims that they have strict guidelines for appropriate behavior, they need to understand that certain members will break the rules. Opening the chat so members can write in suggestive language doesn’t seem like a Disney thing. Sure, the members will be punished for doing this, but it shouldn’t have been committed in the first place. Pixie Hollow has no control over who joins its website; however, they have control over what the members say. In this regard, Pixie Hollow is not doing a good job and needs to be more vigilant.

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