Fast Food Virtual Worlds: A Deep Dive

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  • čas přidán 7. 06. 2024
  • Today, I set out to answer the question "why the heck were there so many virtual worlds operated by fast food franchises from about 2008-2011?" Truly, the phenomenon of late-aughts corporations frantically copying each others' social MMOs sprouted some bizarre and memorable games. In this retrospective, I cover the defunct kids' virtual worlds McWorld, McDonald's Happy Studio, and Club BK, as well as the single player successor apps McPlay, the Happy Meal App, and Burger King Jr. Club.
    You can now support me on Patreon! / lispeaks
    Time stamps:
    Intro: 0:00
    McWorld: 2:39
    Flashing lights/motion sickness warning: 7:04
    McWorld, cont: 9:25
    McPlay: 13:06
    Happy Studio: 17:13
    The Happy Meal App: 23:00
    Club BK: 26:49
    Burger King Jr. Club: 32:22
    The miserable revival: 35:22
    Conclusion: 37:47
    Credits: 38:18
    Eric Ravenstein's Club BK Page: ericravenstein.com/work/burger-king-club-bk/
    Steve Strauch's McWorld Page: stevestrauch.com/virtual-world
    Gameplay of McDonald's Happy Studio: • McDonalds Happy Studio 3D
    My twitter: lispeaks_
    My other channel (on hiatus until December): / gentleliasmr
    Join the Li Speaks community!
    Discord 💜 / discord 💜
    Patreon 💙 / lispeaks 💙
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Komentáře • 1K

  • @lispeaks
    @lispeaks  Před rokem +174

    discord.gg/Ydq2pvSevu My new discord has several patreon-exclusive channels but also has some public channels if you'd just like to hang out and chat. Later on, I'll probably do most of my casual chatting on the Patreon channels, but for now, while it's still really new and small I'll be active everywhere. Come and visit!

    • @Localbisexual
      @Localbisexual Před rokem +2

      It wont let me join, for some reason? Might be a problem with discord itself or the link

    • @lispeaks
      @lispeaks  Před rokem +6

      @@Localbisexual i tested it on a few devices just now and the link works, i’m not sure why it’s being difficult

    • @Almonds24768
      @Almonds24768 Před rokem +3

      @@Localbisexual is your browser safari? If it is, all you have to do is copy the link and paste it into discord.

    • @Localbisexual
      @Localbisexual Před rokem +2

      @@lispeaks IT WORKED we're good I think my browser was just being rude

    • @Sydney-Casket-Base
      @Sydney-Casket-Base Před rokem +2

      Friend, your personality is very soothing & fun, & your makeup consistently slaps, not to mention that you make awesomely informative & entertaining videos. You are very cool. ❤

  • @nightcoregirl3485
    @nightcoregirl3485 Před rokem +2219

    Happy studio almost made my parents divorce. I used up all my family's internet limit to play it and because of that my parents started arguing about who uses the most internet in our home. I was afraid to say that it was me. Eventually they made up, still funny though.

    • @peachtea7269
      @peachtea7269 Před rokem +183

      NO THATS SO FUNNY

    • @BUNNYZLIVEZONTHEMOON
      @BUNNYZLIVEZONTHEMOON Před rokem +240

      Dang imagine telling your family that like 10 years from now and is like “YEAH IT WAS ME

    • @prixe12
      @prixe12 Před rokem +57

      The drama of it all

    • @mari_zz
      @mari_zz Před rokem +70

      wdym still funny that your parents argued til possible divorce? 😭
      more like still hilarious 🤪

    • @nightcoregirl3485
      @nightcoregirl3485 Před rokem +154

      To give more context, because it got popular - I'm from Eastern Europe, slavic country and I live in the village outside of town wich basically ment little to none internet in my area in two thousand tens. It meant I could not watch youtube and could only play certain games for the certain amount of time. I kinda understood why they fought, because using up the limit meant no internet till the end of the month. Also it gradually got better because the web providing got better in my country 😊

  • @camthemam243
    @camthemam243 Před rokem +869

    the role playing in club penguin was so genuinely intense it felt like I was watching a telenovela like people were straight up having affairs and discovering they were long lost siblings in the middle of the pizza parlor

    • @xmappergamer1002
      @xmappergamer1002 Před rokem +54

      A telenova of penguins

    • @asmrdazzle
      @asmrdazzle Před rokem +38

      I had so many dates at that pizza parlor

    • @Curera291
      @Curera291 Před rokem +32

      The Club Penguin telenovelas are my soup opera

    • @alejandromonteroborbon5696
      @alejandromonteroborbon5696 Před rokem +27

      As a latino who has scarce knowledge about club penguin but has played other children’s online spaces (Like Roblox) I can already imagine how it looked.

    • @starstuffatsea
      @starstuffatsea Před rokem +23

      Why was it always the pizza parlor? I loved just lurking in there and watching the drama unfold

  • @KaitlynKatt
    @KaitlynKatt Před rokem +1030

    The weirdest thing I remember about Club Penguin were when penguins would go to the Puffle Shop and dress up like babies and try to be adopted by other players in order to fulfill a strange baby and family role play…

    • @nekonekosgiovanna10
      @nekonekosgiovanna10 Před rokem +123

      yeah freud, try to explain that

    • @NumeroLetter
      @NumeroLetter Před rokem +154

      That happened in pretty much every online world I ever played in. Toontown and VMK had it too, haha. Although in Toontown it slowly shifted from that to Warrior cats clans xD In VMK I had a "twin" who would dress up just like me all the time. I wonder what ever happened to her... :')

    • @user-me8fm5yf4n
      @user-me8fm5yf4n Před rokem +35

      @@NumeroLetter lmao, I remember doing that in animal jam years back

    • @jenniferch3ck
      @jenniferch3ck Před rokem +30

      I remember doing this in Pokemon Dream chatrooms but you would change your name to "egg" instead of baby, similar rp though

    • @crab2195
      @crab2195 Před rokem +60

      i believe they were called “pookies”😭💀

  • @superstar4662
    @superstar4662 Před rokem +271

    Some of the weirdest things I remember about club penguin?
    1) how into roleplaying we got. I remember sitting in the pizzeria just to yell at stressed out penguin-waiters for my fake pizza, or sitting in the corner by the piano and acting sad, lol.
    2) "party at my Iggy!"
    3) walking into the dance club seeing everyone wear the same clothing piece or color and dancing in sync, with a puffle to match. we had dedication to match each other for these random flash mobs.

    • @madokami03
      @madokami03 Před 8 měsíci

      You seem to have forgotten the “pookies” of the puffle shop😭

  • @Vailskibum
    @Vailskibum Před rokem +537

    I surprisingly never played McWorld, but I remember getting a CD in a happy meal and playing a McDonald's skiing game called Go Ronald.

  • @obentomagnum
    @obentomagnum Před rokem +561

    the weirdest thing i remember about club penguin has to be the whole "pookie" culture. making your penguin yellow and sitting in the petshop pretending to be a baby, trying to get adopted but ONLY by ppl with memberships lol. also i remember ppl would constantly talk about their "widdle feetsies and toesies" when being a pookie which is like.. kinda terrifying to look back on 😭

    • @souurdough
      @souurdough Před rokem +12

      FR LMAO

    • @VamiGwen500
      @VamiGwen500 Před rokem +21

      Idk if that was popular only in English server. But in Spanish servers it was a rare occurrence 😅

    • @ijiwario4715
      @ijiwario4715 Před rokem +57

      oh my god it was so weird. i'm hoping that it was just kids wanting to play family and nothing gross lol

    • @blondiemom99
      @blondiemom99 Před rokem +44

      I would try to get adopted and then just act up and piss them off lmao. It was weird as hell tho kids who played these games were on something else.

    • @shortcakeemoji
      @shortcakeemoji Před rokem +6

      oh god. i use to participate on that

  • @skyblues8848
    @skyblues8848 Před rokem +485

    McWorld was SUCH a vivid part of my childhood. There’s really not a whole lot of documentation of the game anywhere, so seeing the clips and pictures in this video really brought me back ❤️

    • @Alex-eb6je
      @Alex-eb6je Před rokem +27

      I still remember the game like it was yesterday. We've got the documentation in our minds.

    • @NewFire99
      @NewFire99 Před rokem +15

      same!! i was super upset as a kid when it got discontiuned lol, and I remember getting a trick-and-treat bucket before joining it with a cat avatar.

    • @YourOverprotectiveGachaBf
      @YourOverprotectiveGachaBf Před rokem +2

      Nice pfp

    • @iwakeupandboomimarat
      @iwakeupandboomimarat Před rokem +2

      same, i remember playing it once a month and then going to the site and seeing it was gonna close in like 2 days 😭

    • @guestpies8911
      @guestpies8911 Před rokem

      So true!!!

  • @TheNoriana26
    @TheNoriana26 Před rokem +613

    Your videos are such a fun zilennial niche and I LOOOVE them. You see a lot of stuff about the 90s and a lot of stuff about now but no one ever talks about the significant year of 2008 lol. Also shoutout for using skyward sword music at 35:22, throwback tbh

    • @zombinary3138
      @zombinary3138 Před 8 měsíci +2

      That’s sephiroths theme from final fantasy seven though isn’t it ??

    • @TheNoriana26
      @TheNoriana26 Před 8 měsíci

      You know, it very well might be lmao. I seem to remember something similar from skyward sword tho@@zombinary3138

    • @murphhhhhhh
      @murphhhhhhh Před 5 měsíci

      ​@@zombinary3138that's definitely one winged angel, yeah

  • @autumnpoobear
    @autumnpoobear Před rokem +527

    Your videos are the first ones in a while that have actually intrigued me. You know your audience🥺

    • @berketexx
      @berketexx Před rokem +22

      samee!! the topics are always seemingly niche but also something i always find interesting or interacted with myself. this channel is awesome i’m so excited to see it grow further

    • @autumnpoobear
      @autumnpoobear Před rokem +15

      @@berketexx i really haven’t felt this way about youtube videos since the bethany mota era (2012-2013).

    • @orchidposa
      @orchidposa Před rokem

      @@autumnpoobear BETHANY MOTA!! wow, she was a huge part of my life in 2013-2014. i loved her videos. i even made my mom buy a shirt from her clothing collection with aeropostale. unfortunately, that shirt somehow ripped while i was sleeping. it was the sheer orange shirt with the phrase “fly me to the moon” on it.

    • @autumnpoobear
      @autumnpoobear Před rokem +1

      @@orchidposa i knew my mom wasn’t going to buy me any of her clothes. So I skimmed through every Q, Charlotte Russe, and Forever 21 trying to replicate the skaterskirt tie in the front tank top trendiness that her clothes exerted. 😭

  • @LilyLewis771
    @LilyLewis771 Před rokem +149

    I love that you added that bit about the artists who make these creations and the value of their art, which is often overlooked and not preserved. Their art really does matter and have impact and value! I hope we get better at recognizing this, but thank you for adding in that information.

  • @Shelby-lv4jo
    @Shelby-lv4jo Před rokem +119

    BY FAR the weirdest thing about club penguin was the adoption community. You would go to the pet shop dressed as either a mom (sometimes called a “Wammy”) or a baby (“pookie”) and make a whole show of “picking” which baby penguin you were adopting to go to your igloo and basically play house. There were so many unspoken (very classist) rules about what made a good “wammy” or “pookie”, and the babies could flat out refuse if they were “picked” by a mom that didn’t seem rich enough. It was wiiiiild

    • @Razain666
      @Razain666 Před rokem +7

      This was a huge thing in a site called Zwinky. You could have a small chibi body with a big head and people would dress up looking for a mom and dad to buy them stuff

    • @iwakeupandboomimarat
      @iwakeupandboomimarat Před rokem +13

      i remember this happening in animal jam!! people would be bunnies and make up some dramatic backstory only to refuse to let people adopt them if they werent a member 😭

    • @SewerrRattz
      @SewerrRattz Před rokem +2

      @@iwakeupandboomimarat YUP.

    • @-myharlequinnsapphicarch-
      @-myharlequinnsapphicarch- Před 3 měsíci

      @@iwakeupandboomimarat 💀💀💀 aahhh the memories

  • @hayley5257
    @hayley5257 Před rokem +184

    Liv being passive aggressive to the camera operator in the mcworld game is fuckin great

  • @nullbodymusic
    @nullbodymusic Před rokem +146

    OH MY GOD THE NOSTALGIC WHIPLASH FROM THIS VIDEO- I have no idea why I was so invested in the McDonald's original virtual world as a kid but its still so great to hear someone bring these up lmao
    But god that yumivore guy brought back memories I had no idea I had 💀

  • @yolklor
    @yolklor Před rokem +67

    good LORD ur turnaround time is fast i remember u asking for mcdonalds game memories like last WEEK

  • @chickenboyluvr
    @chickenboyluvr Před rokem +216

    I love these videos so much. Could you please make a girlsgogames deep dive and talk about the drastic change of the site? I miss the pretty avatars we could make, friends list, and game comment section drama lmao before all of the really unsettling medical-element (pregnancy, dentist, feet) makeover games were so prominent

  • @PwnySparklez
    @PwnySparklez Před rokem +44

    There were no burger king's near me as a kid so I didn't ever eat there- but I do remember playing Club BK once or twice. The most memorable recollection I have of it is when they collaborated with the Jonas Brothers and you could enter their "Concert" and there were little Jonas Bro avatars on a stage and the page played their most recent song in it's entirety.

  • @chloegianna3837
    @chloegianna3837 Před rokem +70

    Oh my god your commentary on the lost designers work and how important they are to the overall feel of the game were so very well said.

  • @leahnance1185
    @leahnance1185 Před rokem +22

    The weirdest thing I remember from Club Penguin was that massive event where the polar bear managed to cover the entire island in popcorn, destroying the original Penguin Secret Agency in the process and eventually leading to the Elite Penguin Force becoming more openly available. I was never particularly interested in the social feature of CP, but the secret agent missions kept me coming back well into my teens.

  • @mechanicalhoundz
    @mechanicalhoundz Před rokem +36

    MCWORLD MY BELOVED. I think about it very very frequently. If it wasn't so centered on advertisements I may have called for a remake like there's remakes of so many other games. Anyways, my weirdest experience in Club Penguin were the surprisingly avid roleplayers. A memory that stands out very much to me in someone roleplaying slowly freezing to death during Operation Blackout lol. That was a core memory for 8 year old me.

  • @mankosdream6138
    @mankosdream6138 Před rokem +18

    i was OBSESSED with club BK. it’s the reason why i pay so much attention to the art of video games now. i think about it every so often

    • @nami-ic5nv
      @nami-ic5nv Před rokem +2

      same! the character design was especially adorable to me then and now

  • @miriammcnie
    @miriammcnie Před rokem +12

    Me sobbing rn after you talked about art being lost forever and artists in the corporate world pouring their heart into these projects 😭

  • @rach3092
    @rach3092 Před rokem +79

    I was wondering if you could do a deep dive into Disney virtual worlds? (Toontown, Pixie Hollow, that kinda stuff) I feel like those are right up your alley and I love how in depth ur videos are ❤edit: ahahahaha I didn’t see the end while I was typing that’s hilarious and I’m hyped for this one now! Hope those worlds at least get a shout out ❤

  • @owlwingisme
    @owlwingisme Před rokem +18

    i would love if you talked about the build a bear virtual world, build-a-bearville! i LOVED this game and i am still sad it shut down. i remember having my mlp build a bears with me in game, and also the music was so good!

  • @von111
    @von111 Před rokem +53

    I would *love* to see a vid about the history, chaos, and legacy of Animal Jam - that would be a hell of a video lol. I used to play on AJ and it was a nightmare due to the gambling-esque trading and intense value of some items. There was even a tine where players would purchase these virtual items on separate websites! It was nuts. The game was chaotic evil but I still miss those times.

    • @dubshelb
      @dubshelb Před rokem +8

      Izzyzzz did an awesome deep dive on Animal Jam!!

    • @j1430
      @j1430 Před rokem +4

      DO YOU REMEMBER WHEN THE PILLOW ROOM BECAME AN “adoption center” IN ANIMAL JAM
      god i started so much chaos in those 😭

    • @von111
      @von111 Před rokem +3

      @@j1430 I remember the snotty arctic wolves wearing the exact same outfits (antlers of some kind, a rare long spike, a worn blanket, a wrist, maybe a tail armor, etc) it was like mean girls lol, bittersweet days

    • @margoduchess5555
      @margoduchess5555 Před 8 měsíci +1

      I know this is like 10 months late but I've love to see this, especially since AJ classic is starting to get new updates

    • @von111
      @von111 Před 8 měsíci

      @@margoduchess5555 what kind of updates?

  • @possum_gal_
    @possum_gal_ Před rokem +9

    the weirdest thing i remember from club penguin is that i was once BANNED for two days for absolutely no reason. i remember trying to log into my account and receiving the message "you've been banned for trying to manipulate the game" or something like that, i got so sad and scared LMAO and to this day i still dont know what that meant

  • @jackreiter7291
    @jackreiter7291 Před rokem +23

    Honestly I only really went to McWorld once in a blue moon. I’d only remember it existed when I saw the code packaged with the toy on a slip of paper.
    That being said I vividly remember visiting the site while they were doing their Alvin and the Chipmunks promotion…and almost entirely because they just played a song from the movie on a loop and 7 year old me would just rock out to it.

  • @MontieAdams
    @MontieAdams Před rokem +78

    I randomly found your channel through the algorithm and I'm living for it. You're right up my alley as a viewer who also enjoys similar longer format niche interest videos, especially nostalgic stuff. You have the same vibe I enjoy from creators like Izzzyzzz. Keep up the awesome content!! (as frequent as is reasonable for your life and energy ofc)

  • @rachelh6072
    @rachelh6072 Před rokem +71

    Wasn't fast food, but Milsberry forever holds a place in my heart. I'm sad that it closed and I hope someone makes a reboot of it.

  • @justsomeguy898
    @justsomeguy898 Před rokem +21

    holy shit i remember club BK. don't think I ever chatted with anyone on there because the chat sucked, but it kept me entertained for a decent amount of time
    i hope someone does a reboot of it

  • @kierank0r0ded
    @kierank0r0ded Před rokem +60

    I love these videos! You should make a video on companies failed attempts to make spin- off games. For example, Ganz, the creator of Webkinz, made games called Webkinz jr, Webkinz friends, and Amazing World, two of which I played. I think these would be really interesting because a lot of the time these games lead to the whole companies downfall, and I'd also love to hear some one talk about these pieces of lost media.

    • @HarmonyHope7534
      @HarmonyHope7534 Před rokem +1

      They also had Nakamas, which I miss A LOT

    • @kierank0r0ded
      @kierank0r0ded Před rokem +1

      ​@@HarmonyHope7534 I remember that... i think I used to play it too

    • @nerdatello
      @nerdatello Před rokem +6

      they also made that hamster world that i ADORED for whatever reason where you could make your own maze of hamster tubes and rooms + the open exploration areas with the slides and boats

    • @kierank0r0ded
      @kierank0r0ded Před rokem

      @@nerdatello I think It's called Mazin' Hamsterz

    • @trbotunnel
      @trbotunnel Před rokem

      holy shit i remeber amazing world, i miss it

  • @everyyxy8425
    @everyyxy8425 Před rokem +12

    i love the describing of the video 😭"unfortunately our camera operator appears to be caught in a hurricane"

  • @rosaletter
    @rosaletter Před rokem +8

    At 19:57 the games with the dragon and fairy came from a CD that you got with a happy meal back in the day! I still have the fairy one it was honestly so much fun and you got an exclusive wallpaper aswell!!

  • @ocarinagirlandthestories648

    I remember spending a lot of time in happy studio’s library. They had a mini-game were you could write books and it would save them on a shelf. I can only rememer one of these books though, my “instruction manual” on how to make a paper airplane that was literally just “take a paper, and then fold it until it looks like an airplane “ 😂. I really wish I could remember more of these books because i know I made quite a lot of them.

  • @goneangels
    @goneangels Před rokem +12

    Your channel is so underrated!! I spent my childhood away on virtual words, I was even one of the founders of the Animal Jam Wiki and was a major admin (until I got demoted and banned for telling another user to die because 10 year old me was crazy and took Animal Jam very very seriously). Hearing about more obscure ones like these is super neat.
    I think something you should look into is Bearville, the Build-a-Bear virtual world. I remember there being kiosks at the shop where you could register for it. My memory of it is super foggy and content seems to be rather sparse, so I'd love to see someone deep dive into it!!
    Also I love the music choices. Lisa and Splatoon are both peak

  • @kyoyameganebereznoff
    @kyoyameganebereznoff Před rokem +6

    I’d be interested to see you cover Big Fat Awesome House Party, the Foster’s Home for Imaginary Friends MMO.

  • @theclasscalico
    @theclasscalico Před rokem +13

    I used to play a ton of virtual worlds when I was a child, yet I never did play or even hear about any of these. I only learned about McWorld later and the others just now.
    It's interesting learning about those that I never did play as a child.

    • @Alex-eb6je
      @Alex-eb6je Před rokem +2

      I played both McWorld and Club BK. McPlay still feels new to me.

  • @lunethary
    @lunethary Před rokem +85

    i love your videos so much😭they are so incredibly informative and listening to you talk about these old sites is so entertaining! If you wouldn't mind I would love a video about Bella Sara and its ancient game website. It has been years since I played it and I recently tried accessing it for the nostalgia, albeit it was sadly discontinued. I remember having so much fun with it and buying all the Bella Sara comics I could find and taping the horse pictures onto the walls in my room. It was my go-to website when I was just a small horse girl🥲

    • @iamobsessedwithshadowsight
      @iamobsessedwithshadowsight Před rokem +7

      YES!!!! A Bella Sara video would be awesome!!!

    • @berketexx
      @berketexx Před rokem +1

      @@iamobsessedwithshadowsight agree!!!

    • @123engis
      @123engis Před rokem +6

      YESSSS almost no one ive talked to knows about bella sara and i used to LOVE the collectible cards so much, id just sit and thumb through all the ones my older siblings had collected and lovingly caress my favorite horses

    • @TRIPWIR3
      @TRIPWIR3 Před rokem +4

      i played bella sara too! i used to collect the trading cards, i didn't have a lot but i do remember one other kid at school i would trade with. i still get the music that played in the stables stuck in my head sometimes, it was pretty and calming and i used to leave it on loop while i would draw. so cool to see other people who played, i figured it was pretty niche but its nice to know other people even remember it existing!

    • @user-me8fm5yf4n
      @user-me8fm5yf4n Před rokem +1

      YESSS \S THAT AND STARSTABLES

  • @laurenduncan3084
    @laurenduncan3084 Před rokem +23

    You rock my McWorld every time you post by reminding me of games I forgot I ever even played. Love your stuff (and your Stardew Valley background music)!

  • @skellbo
    @skellbo Před rokem +11

    I also didn't delve into the fast food side of the web as a kid lol. But I do remember having a weird obsession with the goldfish website with all the games on it. Hours of that and girlsgogames oriental flirting game. Also Moshi Monsters and Pixie Hollow.

  • @galaxy_fox_8415
    @galaxy_fox_8415 Před rokem +10

    19:56 wow! This just unearthed a memory from deep in my brain. The game here isn't actually made for the website, it was from the Fairies and Dragons Happy Meal toy! You would get a little plastic dragon or fairy and a CD that came with the program. It was kinda like a virtual desktop pet in a way. I loved them as a kid and I think they're one of the coolest happy meal toys the company released

  • @kreepykittiez
    @kreepykittiez Před rokem +18

    I remember Mcworld!! It was one i thought i was the only one that played as a kid XD
    I would love to see a video on build a bearville, since it was my favorite one, but i’d also love to see the obscure cereal website (the trix rabbit is one that comes to mind)!! Thank you for researching on obscure internet nostalgia!!! 💗💗💗

    • @agygy6124
      @agygy6124 Před rokem +1

      Millsberry?

    • @kreepykittiez
      @kreepykittiez Před rokem

      @@agygy6124 i think? It was another one, with the trix rabbit specifically! They have a movie theater and stuff and you got to make your own kid?

    • @eatmynutsarchmage4883
      @eatmynutsarchmage4883 Před rokem +1

      @@kreepykittiez i remember this, the map felt like a metroidvania because you had to collect items to get around it. pretty neat concept in general

  • @SquirrelKilnBTS
    @SquirrelKilnBTS Před rokem +7

    Man, I remember Club BK! So faintly but I remember going back to it plenty of times. I wish I had specific memories to recall but it was just one in my cycle of flash games when I got home from school. I remember the characters the most I think.

  • @davidzdollz
    @davidzdollz Před rokem +8

    YES we love the mcworld rep !! My memories of the game were really fuzzy, but seeing the treehouse, and some of the mingames again was so insane omg !!

  • @DashieDoesThings
    @DashieDoesThings Před rokem +7

    The mSmarts, mSpark, and mStrength stats were a kinda meta-game thing in the McWorld game. When you played the various minigames you'd earn the different types of points depending on what the game was about, like there was a superhero game that gave strength. Various codes you entered would also boost the stats. It was supposed to be that you used them to "keep your avatar happy" but it didn't matter how much you had as there was no consequence to not keeping it up from what I remember.

  • @JomasterTheSecond
    @JomasterTheSecond Před rokem +5

    I like how the Mad Balls game is just straight up the ball game from Crash Bash, like straight up, even with other players' spaces closing off when they lose all their lives.

  • @arsonmouse2511
    @arsonmouse2511 Před rokem +4

    This reminds me to the fact that i had a phase where i spent SO much time at postopia playing their games and just having fun and I didn't even liked the Post brand cerials. But the site was awesome.

  • @triangulum_mori
    @triangulum_mori Před rokem +4

    OH MY GOD JACK AND JANET
    i don’t think i ever played mcworld, but i did play minigames and such when i was suuuper little, god that just hit me right in the amygdala

  • @beebee1794
    @beebee1794 Před rokem +3

    I remember Mcworlds but my memory is so fuzzy 😭 I remember specifically the space world and being there more than anywhere else and the dots that transport you to other areas in the room instead of stairs... man I wish I remembered more

  • @shimmermilk
    @shimmermilk Před rokem +4

    I would LOVE to see a video from you on Nicktropolis
    I feel like no one remembers it anymore and it was such a huge part of my childhood online like damn that was such a good time

    • @shimmermilk
      @shimmermilk Před rokem

      @@KKHell omg yes!!! I remember this one! the chat filters were SO bad hahaha
      do you remember the dance floor?

    • @shimmermilk
      @shimmermilk Před rokem

      @@KKHell yes!! I remember this too, I can't remember which one I preferred though but I do recall it feeling like a huge deal for me at the time haha

  • @moongem4489
    @moongem4489 Před rokem +8

    I'm so happy I've found your channel! I used to love virtual worlds as a kid, and I miss them so much. I've tried to get into MMOs as a teen/adult, but I'm not interested in combat, which most of them seem to rely heavily on. I was really into School of Dragons in middle school, but the game has apparently changed a lot since then. There's an MMO called Palia that's in development now that I hope fills the hole that 2000s virtual worlds left in my heart.

  • @almi8151
    @almi8151 Před rokem +8

    Weirdest club penguin memories huh? Well flipping the iceberg finally after all those years was super iconic, dessert pizzas always looked so good, and puffle classicism was very real.

  • @featherfeathers
    @featherfeathers Před rokem +6

    Club BK is the only one of these I remember even a little, and I think that's entirely due to its memorably strange art style.

  • @james_Acheson13
    @james_Acheson13 Před rokem +4

    in club penguin I remember so many people trying to tip the iceberg and like groups and groups of people all tried for years and years and I find it acuatly rlly fulfilling how they let ppl tip the ice berg when they were sunsetting😊

  • @KrisKrossed95
    @KrisKrossed95 Před rokem +2

    This is wild, I have no memory of any of these games. I was only playing Club Penguin. I can't think of anything super weird, but the image of a penguin penguin saying "party at my iggy" is engraved in my memory. Good times.

  • @peachymunmagenta
    @peachymunmagenta Před rokem +2

    McWorld was my *earliest* experience with virtual worlds! I kept making more accounts and forgetting my username and password and I always used the cat avatar. I loved it

  • @xenocg
    @xenocg Před rokem +4

    The weirdest thing I remember about Club Penguin...others already pointed it out but it was definitely the whole pookie subcommunity that it spawned where players would roleplay as babies and parents. What makes it REALLY strange to me is that there was an insane amount of lore about it, like to the point where a whole iceberg could be made about the topic. There was a whole pookie wiki (that I recommend reading for the absolute fever dream that it is) about all the steps, growth stages, and rules about Club Penguin roleplay adoption. It was truly something else

  • @annalisei4924
    @annalisei4924 Před rokem +5

    idk how you get these out so fast but I love watching them. if you have any experience playing club penguin I would love to see a video on that

    • @annalisei4924
      @annalisei4924 Před rokem

      I posted this comment before watching the video lmao

  • @Tama-Hero
    @Tama-Hero Před rokem

    Idk where you came from suddenly with these videos but between the Katamari music and old internet stuff this is like tapping into some deep part of my psyche and I need to see more

  • @mark-breen
    @mark-breen Před rokem +1

    I had a physical, whiplash-like reaction to you saying the name and showing the logo for Living Books. What a trip those 10 seconds of remembrance were.

  • @erin4204
    @erin4204 Před rokem +3

    I love your videos! This reminds me of Millsberry, the General Mills virtual world. I used to play it all the time but I cannot remember anything you could do on the site other than dress up your character and this one trix rabbit minigame

  • @abbyxoxo48
    @abbyxoxo48 Před rokem +6

    McDonalds once had a math game site that schools in my area pushed soooo hard. McDonalds First in Math. My school was so into it and we would spend entire math and computer classes playing. At one point I was #1 in the state… makes sense because I have never met anyone else who remembers it

  • @OliviaWestmorland
    @OliviaWestmorland Před rokem +2

    Happy Studio was my childhood. Unlocked a core memory

  • @Scaredy_balloon
    @Scaredy_balloon Před rokem +9

    I tried to do a search on happy studio a while back and didn't come across much, so I'm thankful for this video, it's a shame there's not much on it
    There was a whistling sound effect that played when you wanted your character to go somewhere, and I remember the whole thing being pretty slow compared to other virtual words. I used to collect all the Yoohoo and Friends stuff, the hat shown in the video gave me a lot of memories (I also liked Happy at the time haha)

  • @ihateblueberries
    @ihateblueberries Před rokem +4

    as soon as you said you made a patreon i immediately joined! 4 videos in you’re already my new favorite youtuber, and i think you’re definitely going to make it big !! cant wait to see more content from u x -violet

  • @melf5883
    @melf5883 Před rokem +3

    i remember people bugging the hell out their igloos in club penguin so that it looked like a huge ocean with ?? puffle beds or some thing like that? and for some reason these igloos were like top of the public igloos and always had at least 10 people in them. they were really creative and some had volcano themes with fire on the walls. i just remember being jealous that they had so many people visit their igloo LMAO

  • @Sugarbunnystudios
    @Sugarbunnystudios Před rokem +2

    Words cannot begin to describe the flood of memories that came from not just this video, but from the other videos you've made as well! I had completely forgotten about McWorld. My time with it was very brief but i remember enjoying it very much as a kid.
    I wanted to add, maybe you'd consider covering the Baby Bottle Pop virtual world site they had going at some point. I can't name the years it was active, but I know it went through a few revamps in style. My earliest memories of the site are of a more island themed hub with pirates and all that jazz. And when i returned to the site later out of curiosity, it was all a big city and hip hop and pop themed. Any other versions of the site i wasn't around for, but I think it would make for an interesting video none the less! I don't think the other candy sites like ring pop/push pop and all those had virtual worlds, (I could be wrong) but they definitely had their own games from what i remember. Or at least, collaboration themed games as i particularly remember an Ice Age collaboration with push pop.
    All in all, I'm so glad you've taken the time to talk about all these sites. Not only are they so interesting to learn about, for a lot of these sites i never actually got a chance to play for the ones i did know as my parents were very protective of the information they put on the internet. (which is fair lmaooo) So you've provided my inner child with a sense of comfort that I wasn't actually missing much. Although tiny me would've just adored Happy Studio if i could've messed around with it, but ahhhh well! By all means, keep up the good work!! ♡

  • @kyuucactus4571
    @kyuucactus4571 Před rokem +2

    I think my favorite part of this video is the WATGBS and Petscop music used lol but really I love watching you're videos. You always do wonderful story telling and are just super engaging/interesting!
    Honestly though I didn't play Club Pengiun a lot myself but I do remember having a friend who was super into it had the membership and everything but always talked about it and wanted me to play. It was like no matter where I went in my early childhood people were talking about it.
    (Side note I'd love to see you do a video on TinierMe. Obviously only if you want to!!)

  • @fantage20012
    @fantage20012 Před rokem +3

    I used to love getting the codes for the McDonald's website with my happy meal. Even though I never remembered my account's login information
    They had a Rube-Goldburg like pets game I was obsessed with.

  • @maimestarz
    @maimestarz Před rokem +1

    I'm so glad I found your channel, makes me happy someone's covering so much of my childhood

  • @milk-in-the-box
    @milk-in-the-box Před rokem +2

    even now, the ghost of mcworld that lives in the back of my mind occasionally floats from my subconscious into my current thoughts.

  • @danielledeedee
    @danielledeedee Před rokem +6

    Wow, I can’t believe you didn’t go to Lebanon or Kuwait just for this video, smh (Kidding of course! All your videos are so well researched and you clearly have such a passion and love for this topic. Even with these corporate worlds, I love you how take time to appreciate and praise the artists who clearly put as much creativity, love, and effort into these projects as they could. Keep up the amazing work!!)

  • @nullbodymusic
    @nullbodymusic Před rokem +17

    38:10 probably a basic answer, but the mystery of the iceberg flipping over always had me on the edge of my seat. I remember making up conspiracies with my friends about what could be on the other side, up until it was added and revealed towards its closure. When I heard about it I was honestly disappointed it wasn't the creepypasta fuel little me was hoping for 😭 SJAHSSVSJ

  • @KaysTooSilly
    @KaysTooSilly Před rokem +2

    Totally subscribing to you. It's really nice to see someone cover virtual worlds. Especially since they were a big part of my childhood on the internet.
    Can't wait for more videos!!

  • @gabi8740
    @gabi8740 Před rokem +1

    Seeiously all of your videos feel so specifically catered to me, I’m so glad I found your channel

  • @carr0tkake
    @carr0tkake Před rokem +5

    love this kind of internet history!! i was just slightly too young to be active in these communities, but its so interesting to learn about them now. your videos are awesome!

  • @maidenhare
    @maidenhare Před rokem +5

    loved this one!! i never played these games but it reminded me how subtly they did this stuff in other games too, like collabs with neopets/gaiaonline... i was begging my mom for mcnugs when the neopets keychain plushies came out

  • @extremesubtlety
    @extremesubtlety Před rokem

    Oh my god, I have no clue how I missed out on all of these. Really great video though! Thank you for all the effort you went through researching and whatnot

  • @SolaireHighwind
    @SolaireHighwind Před 6 měsíci +2

    Great video! I did NOT expect to hear a song from Lisa in here though, lol - lots of VGM I recognize, actually.

  • @metromortem9449
    @metromortem9449 Před rokem +3

    God, I remember the McDonalds one. I spent too much time on it.
    Keep up the great work, Li!

  • @freckledfey
    @freckledfey Před rokem +3

    OMG I forgot I ever played the burger king one until I saw the birthday moon and all the memories came rushing back to me! Also cannot believe they straight up STOLE the sims 3 music and added a little McDonald's jingle.
    I was a huge Club Penguin fan back in the day. It was one of the virtual worlds i put the most time and effort into and recently I've been playing a lot of (the unfortunately named) NewCP, after the whole Club Penguin Rewritten disaster. As great as a rewritten project as NewCP is, deep down I really miss the older versions of Club Penguin that you can still see bits and pieces of in the EPF Mission Archives, yearbooks, and newspaper archives. There was a reason I stopped playing sometime around 2013-2014, and the version that NewCP uses of the original game isn't exactly an era I am nostalgic for, but rather one that reminds me how heartless the website became prior to it's closure; it's very reminiscent of Club Penguin Island in that way. I know of a lot of people who agree that most of the later additions to the game (probably starting with the puffle hotel addition and beyond) are more lackluster and cheap feeling. A lot of the changes to certain places feel so tragic, like the theater being converted to a mall, the greenhouse area becoming a school, and the EPF headquarters losing the cool initiation trial and becoming a boring office building. I really miss the golden era of Club Penguin.

    • @plastic-death
      @plastic-death Před rokem

      im pretty sure old sims music is free to use? thats why you hear a lot of sims 2/3 music on home renovation shows and stuff like dance moms

  • @Rabbitmancer
    @Rabbitmancer Před rokem

    I'm so glad I found this channel. Your voice is so soothing. 😭 I also can't believe how good the quality is for such a new channel!

  • @coriander1521
    @coriander1521 Před rokem +1

    I wanted to mention that I absolutely have been loving your channel so far! Watching some of these gameplays is giving me so much nostalgia (I was a McWorld frequenter, lol). A video covering PetPet Park would literally make my day, that game was my childhood!

  • @mccperin
    @mccperin Před rokem +7

    i was a happy studio player and i LOVED it!!! from what i remember it was mainly empty, but i wouldn't b lying if i said that my memories of it r a little muddy as well (i remembered the UI veeery differently n i remembered the graphics being a lot better). i remember i even made drawings of my avatar... surrounded by happy meal boxes 😬 all this time thought i made it up!!!! possibly due to its very poor documentation

  • @StitchedUpPunkette
    @StitchedUpPunkette Před rokem +3

    Thank goodness you made this video, the other day i thought about that one McDonald's website with tons of games that my mom found, one day my mom removed the bookmark and i was devestated because neither her or I could find it

  • @fizzfrick
    @fizzfrick Před rokem +2

    This video is the perfect thing to watch on my break considering I literally work at McDonald’s 😭😭 Thank you for once again for unearthing some more hidden memories!!

  • @Raypunzel
    @Raypunzel Před rokem +3

    The weirdest thing I remember from club penguin was seeing players with pink penguins and that very specific blonde wig begging for people to be their boyfriend and then crying about how unfair life was after the relationship ended in 10 minutes flat
    This was a regular sight

  • @ravenclawesome9093
    @ravenclawesome9093 Před rokem +4

    Oh my god I remember spending so much time on the McDonalds virtual world, I was convinced I made it up! I loved the carnival/theme park area and was always so frustrated I could never find the colored keys... only to find out after it was already shut down that I was just dumb bc they were practically out in the open 😅

  • @cyraenea2476
    @cyraenea2476 Před rokem

    i’ve been binging all your videos over the past week, and i have to say, everything you make is so engaging and well-done! i’ve never even heard of any of these virtual worlds, but god am i invested now. i also love all of the video game music as background music 😂 keep up the great work!

  • @poiuppx
    @poiuppx Před rokem +1

    So happy my wife and I stumbled across this vid on recommendations while looking for something to watch during lunch. Subscribed, and looking forward to future videos!

  • @susieboo22
    @susieboo22 Před rokem +6

    Okay, the weirdest thing I remember about Club Penguin wasn't from the game itself, but the fandom that popped up around the Secret Agent missions. Don't get me wrong, the missions slapped and had some of the best stuff in the whole game, imo, but I DEFINITELY remember Herbert the Polar Bear being a tumblr sexyman before that was even a thing. (I wonder how many kids from Club Penguin's glory days are furries now.) Also, a LOT of fanfic and fanart shipping him with Klutzy the crab, especially in "everyone's human" AUs. I also remember a very specific trend of Klutzy being made into a girl for shipping reasons, to which I say: SHIP THE PATHETIC EVIL BEAR WITH HIS TWINK SIDEKICK YOU COWARDS.

  • @videojames2929
    @videojames2929 Před rokem +6

    oh my god i remember mcworld!!! it was weird how obsessed with it i was considering mcdonalds was banned in my house. i guess thats how i built up an immunity to advertising

  • @goldsaibo
    @goldsaibo Před rokem +1

    I vaguely remember McWorld and those songs, though separately. For years I've randomly gotten the My Fave song stuck in my head... had no idea where it came from till now. I also swore that the tree looked a lot more realistic. More like wise mystical tree. I don't know why, but I also specifically remember this interactable guy, he was a superhero or something? But he was famous somehow, and you could take pictures with him, except he'd intentionally take up the whole photo and your avatar was shadowed out, since he was self centered or something I guess. Thank you for bringing back some memories!

  • @Throwmeaway69420
    @Throwmeaway69420 Před rokem +1

    Your videos make me feel a happiness I haven't felt since childhood

  • @Eatasak
    @Eatasak Před rokem +4

    love seeing a woman in this field of youtube videos, you’re def a new fav

    • @Eatasak
      @Eatasak Před rokem +1

      ALSO WHERE DID YOU GET THE BROW JEWLERY OMFGBDHD

    • @lispeaks
      @lispeaks  Před rokem +2

      got it on etsy! www.etsy.com/listing/958707644/

  • @loganmiller7827
    @loganmiller7827 Před rokem +3

    Can you please talk about the Build a Bear virtual world? This video unlocked a memory of that site and I need to know I wasn't crazy

    • @arabesque_alex
      @arabesque_alex Před rokem

      Yeesssss, that game was the best! I felt like it offered more free to play content than any of the other virtual world at that time. The only thing I remember was getting a bear to have a Cub Condo. But that’s about it.

  • @tristanmcfrosty2588
    @tristanmcfrosty2588 Před rokem +1

    13:54 Is that “New Quack City” from Fur Fighters?! Alright, I was already sold on the video itself, but now that you’ve used this absolute banger I’m immediately subbing

  • @starsonapollo5281
    @starsonapollo5281 Před rokem +1

    I first found you with the Sue video, but I am absolutely staying because your voice is so wonderful to listen to!❤

  • @Mimzy66
    @Mimzy66 Před rokem

    This is the first video I’ve seen from you, and I’m immediately subscribing! I love the way you speak and cover these topics, keep it up!

  • @fireswarmdragonp
    @fireswarmdragonp Před 8 měsíci +1

    As someone who played McWorld like twice, my most vivid memory was of a voice clip saying "McWorld World" pretty sure that was an area in the game, and the sound bite looped by hovering over something in the game