WeeWorld

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
(Redirected from WeeMee)

Template:Short description Template:DMCA Template:DMCA

Page Module:Infobox/styles.css has no content.Page Template:Infobox company/styles.css has no content.

WeeWorld
Company type
Private
ISINScript error: No such module "WikidataIB".
IndustryScript error: No such module "WikidataIB".
PredecessorScript error: No such module "WikidataIB".
IncorporatedScript error: No such module "WikidataIB".
FoundedScript error: No such module "WikidataIB".
FoundersScript error: No such module "WikidataIB".
DefunctScript error: No such module "WikidataIB".
SuccessorScript error: No such module "WikidataIB".
Headquarters
Glasgow
,
Scotland
Area served
Worldwide
Key people
Page Template:Plainlist/styles.css has no content.
  • Mike Kinsella (CEO)
  • John McGuire (COO)
  • Celia Francis (CEO)
ProductsSocial network, social game, virtual worlds, avatar
RevenueScript error: No such module "WikidataIB".
Script error: No such module "WikidataIB".
Script error: No such module "WikidataIB".
Total assetsScript error: No such module "WikidataIB".
Number of employees
Script error: No such module "WikidataIB".
ParentScript error: No such module "WikidataIB".
WebsiteScript error: No such module "WikidataIB".

Script error: No such module "Check for conflicting parameters".Script error: No such module "Check for deprecated parameters".

WeeWorld was a Scottish social networking and messaging website, originally created in 2000 by a company based in Glasgow, Scotland, with smaller offices in London and Boston, Massachusetts. The company created WeeWorld.com, which hosted a massively multiplayer online game (MMO) aimed at teens and preteens. The game was known for its brand of virtual world-based social simulation and customizable avatars known as "WeeMees". By the time of its dissolution, there were an estimated 180 million WeeMees created worldwide.

The company was run by English technology executive Celia Francis (who joined the company in 2004)[1] at the time it went into liquidation in 2014. Its joint liquidators, Tom MacLennan and Iain Fraser of FRP Advisory LLP, effectively sold the IP behind the site to Metis Partners in 2015. It was thereafter sold to Opinurate,[2] who shut down the website in 2017. As of 2026, the site redirects the visitor to an unverifiable gambling service.[3]

WeeMees

A WeeMee was an avatar that could be exported to Facebook, Twitter and e-mail. WeeMees appeared primarily on WeeWorld.com. WeeMees could be used to chat in a virtual world, play games and participate in forums. Users customized their WeeMees with trendy clothing, accessories and interests to make their WeeMee unique.

By June 2005, nearly 5 million users had created a personal WeeMee. In October 2006, Iain Bruce of the Sunday Herald reported a new WeeMee being created every 5 seconds,[4] and by April 2008 more than 21 million had been created with more than 600,000 new ones created each month. By 2012, there were 50 million WeeMees, and thousands were being created daily through the main website and the mobile app "WeeMee Avatar Creator".[5]

Background

The avatars were created in 1999 by the founder of the now-defunct website Saw-You.com,[6] Mike Kinsella[7] in Glasgow, Scotland.[8][9][10]

WeeWorld partnered with corporations such as AOL, MSN and Skype.[11] In 2003, Microsoft began offering the avatars for use to Hotmail customers via the MSN chat service.[12][13] The new service attracted 150,000 users during its first day, totaling 1.5 million hits daily.[9] In 2004, the UK's largest social network, Friendsreunited.com, introduced the WeeMee to their user base.[14] In December 2008, the virtual technology firm DA agreed to develop a 3-D version of the avatar.[15]

In the early 2010s a number of WeeMee apps were released for Android, iOS and Windows mobile devices, including "WeeMee Avatar Creator", "Talking WeeMee" and "WeeMee Vacation".[16]

Celebrity WeeMees

Along with using their own custom WeeMee on Weeworld.com, users could access the pages of celebrities who had WeeMees with their complete likeness.[17] In addition to official celebrity WeeMees, the game included "Fan Clubs", which were run through WeeWorld and allowed users to interact with other fans of particular celebrity figures.[18] Popular celebrity WeeMees included Justin Bieber, Cody Simpson, Jason Derulo, Greyson Chance, Willow Smith, Maroon 5, Snoop Dogg, Alicia Keys, Justin Timberlake, Paris Hilton, Raven-Symoné,[19] The Pussycat Dolls[20] and the Jonas Brothers.

Many celebrities had their own virtual clothing lines on WeeWorld, which users could use to dress their own avatars. Through a partnership with RCA Records, WeeWorld promoted artists such as Alicia Keys and Avril Lavigne through virtual merchandise sales and advertisement of the artists' WeeMees.[21] Only Derulo and Snoop Dogg attested to their direct involvement with the game, listing promotions for their respective avatars on Twitter.[22][23]

References

Page Template:Reflist/styles.css has no content.

  1. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Nrep appoints tech executive Celia Francis to Board of Directors".
  2. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Big bids expected for WeeWorld owned by Glasgow firm in administration". eveningtimes.co.uk. Evening Times. 4 September 2014. Retrieved 20 September 2018.
  3. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Polaroid Investor Group Named as Preferred Bidder for Online Site Blipfoto". Businesswire.com. 17 March 2015.
  4. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Bruce, Iain S (8 October 2006). "WeeWorld conquers the planet". Sunday Herald. Retrieved 25 May 2009.
  5. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Takahashi, Dave. "WeeWorld's WeeMee's gather momentum". The Standard. Retrieved 25 May 2009.
  6. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Company Details". Retrieved 26 March 2009.
  7. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Patent Document by Founder and Inventor". Retrieved 26 March 2009.
  8. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Roush, Wade (14 May 2009). "No Recession in WeeWorld: Teen Socializing Drives Growing Virtual Goods Revenues". Xconomy. Retrieved 25 May 2009.
  9. ^ a b Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Muray-Watson, Andrew (21 September 2003). "Weemee offers chance of virtual fortune". Scotland on Sunday. Retrieved 25 May 2009.
  10. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."WeeMee firm gets investment boost". Net Imperative. 9 March 2005. Retrieved 25 May 2009.
  11. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."WeeWorld forms a partnership with AOL?". TechCrunch. 29 September 2006. Retrieved 10 July 2009.
  12. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."'Weemees' move into the big time". 25 September 2003. Retrieved 28 March 2025.
  13. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Telecompaper". www.telecompaper.com. Retrieved 28 March 2025.
  14. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Saw-you.com signs Friends Reunited deal". The Scotsman. Edinburgh. 5 January 2004. Retrieved 26 March 2009.
  15. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."DA develops 3D animated avatars". accessmylibrary.com. New Media Age. 18 December 2003. Archived from the original on 28 April 2016.
  16. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.scottishgames (26 April 2012). "A Pocket Full Of Wee - Games, Gab & Griffins". The Scottish Games Network. Retrieved 22 March 2025.
  17. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."WeeWorld - WeeMee | Avatar | Games | Virtual World | Social Network | Forums". 3 September 2011. Archived from the original on 3 September 2011. Retrieved 22 March 2025.
  18. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."WeeWorld - WeeMee | Avatar | Games | Virtual World | Social Network | Forums". 3 September 2011. Archived from the original on 3 September 2011. Retrieved 22 March 2025.
  19. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Raven Symone Joins WeeWorld". Virtual Worlds News. 19 November 2008. Archived from the original on 7 July 2009. Retrieved 12 July 2009.
  20. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Industry Buzz & Snippets: 01/15/09". Marketing Vox. 15 January 2009. Archived from the original on 12 November 2011. Retrieved 6 July 2009.
  21. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."RCA Extends Relationship with WeeWorld to Promote Alicia Keys". Virtual Worlds News. Archived from the original on 25 May 2008. Retrieved 9 July 2009.
  22. ^ Script error: No such module "cite tweet".
  23. ^ https://mobile.twitter.com/jasonderulo/status/34718885890498560[permanent dead link]
Retrieved from "https://cosmopedia.co/index.php?title=WeeWorld&oldid=3704117"