What Next for Zookazoo?

Yesterday, we start our discussion on what may have happened to the website Zookazoo. To its users and visitors, all seem fine with the concept. Then it was suddenly taken off the Internet. The new evolved company, Masher Media has made announcements about a new concept (building on the Zookazoo concept) which will be more focused on what 6-13 year old kids are looking for on-line.

Masher Media released a statement to the news media and general public. Here is that release:

MASHER MEDIA’S MYMINIPEEPS.COM
A NEW CONCEPT IN ONLINE ENTERTAINMENT FOR KIDS

A revolutionary new MMOG, MyMiniPeeps.com is a unique, social and safe online virtual world and community for kids ages 6-13. The site raises the bar for innovative concept, level of interaction, and creative and aesthetic content on the web, and will define the next evolution in kids’ websites. MyMiniPeeps.com is the first fully immersive 3-D environment as well as the first truly multi-player game platform for this demographic, playable on the browser, on the hard-drive and even on the iPhone and the Nintendo Wii.

Rather than just visiting and hanging out as they do on other sites, at MiniPeeps, kids will play a fully integrated part of the online community. They will take on roles and jobs that allow them to “run,” and even create, the world with their friends. Kids will run the ice-cream shop, the bank, the factories, the newspaper and the government of the online community, and they’ll do it in a multi-player environment with their friends. They will earn currency, customize their avatars and their homes, and even build their own neighborhoods to include the features they want by pooling their currency with their friends’. They will return to continue to build their skills and reputation. MyMiniPeeps will also offer a secure environment for kids to enjoy true social networking features currently not available to this demographic. Through integrated play they will not only learn about society – jobs, careers, economy, environment and social issues, but actually participate in it. They will be empowered to know that they can make a difference not only in this fantastical simulation of the real world, but in their real life communities as well. Greening the environment will play a big part of the MiniPeeps community and encourage kids to get involved in greening their real life communities.

Sherry Gunther is the founder of the company and creater of Zookazoo. Here is some information about her:

Sherry Gunther - Founder of Zookazoo

Sherry Gunther-Founder/Chief Executive officer is a two-time Emmy award winning producer and prominent entertainment industry executive, Sherry spent the first twenty years of her career producing some of television’s biggest animated hits as well as several feature release classics. Her producer and Executive Producer credits include The Simpsons, Family Guy, Duckman, Edith Ann, Rugrats, Dexter’s Laboratory, Cow and Chicken, Johnny Bravo, and The Powerpuff Girls and Looney Tunes. Aside from being a creator and a producer, as a media executive, Sherry headed-up and launched new divisions and innovated new content and productions for such studios as Klasky Csupo, Turner’s Hanna Barbera, Warner Bros., Twentieth Century Fox Television, Viacom’s Nickelodeon, Imagine Television, Carsey-Warner, NBC Productions, and Walt Disney’s Touchstone Television and the Disney Channel.

Most recently, Sherry shifted her focus to new media where she created, co-founded, and launched www.ZooKazoo.com, an innovative virtual world for kids ages 6 to 12. ZooKazoo.com launched to critical acclaim from established media companies and was named “Best for Kids’ Destination on the Web” by Real Simple Family Magazine in the fall of 2008. Masher Media, which Sherry founded in early 2009, will allow her to build on and expand her already successful entrepreneurial efforts through MyMiniPeeps- the evolutionary new virtual world/MMOG for kids ages 6-13, which she created and is now building with the launch expected in the fall of 2010.
Through her years in entertainment, Sherry has shown a sincere dedication to quality content. In addition to many nominations, she has been honored for her outstanding work with numerous awards including two Emmy Awards, a Cable Ace award, and a Humanitas Award.

Sherry earned her BS degree from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) and her MBA from the University of Southern California (USC). She resides in Calabasas, California with her two daughters who continue to inspire and contribute to her passion for quality entertainment.

Please, Sherry, remember all of us that enjoyed Zookazoo so much. As kids, we always love new things but we would like to keep the best things from Zookazoo in your new Internet creation.

I guess we will have to wait until the later part of this year to see the all new next level of Zookazoo. Lets keep our fingers crossed for good things!

Technorati Tags: Masher Media, MyMiniPeeps, Sherry Gunther, ZooKazoo