‘Make Your Mark: Shake It Up’ Contest Kicks Off; Rocky and CeCe to Join Club Penguin
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Kids and tweens will once again have the opportunity to shake it up and break it down with the return of Disney Channel’s popular dance competition “Make Your Mark: Shake It Up Dance Off.” Last year, more than 12 million viewers watched the two-night finale event, skyrocketing it to #1 among Kids 6-11 and Tweens 9-14 for both nights. This year, kids once again will have the opportunity to compete for the Grand Prize – a performance in an episode of Disney Channel’s top-rated series “Shake It Up.”
Beginning today, viewers can visit DisneyChannel.com/Danceoff where “Shake It Up” choreographer Rosero McCoy hosts instructional dance videos that teach kids steps seen in the hit Disney Channel series. New dance tutorials will be uploaded throughout the summer and beginning June 29, with the consent of a parent, kids ages 8-16 are invited to visit DisneyChannel.com/Danceoff to create and submit their own short dance videos to be considered for a chance to compete in the on-air dance competition. Dance videos can be choreographed or freestyle and up to 45-seconds long, with a maximum of five dancers.
Also this summer, Club Penguin players will have the chance to make their mark and shake it up when Club Penguin’s annual Music Jam is transformed into the “Make Your Mark: Ultimate Jam.” Beginning July 19 through August 1, players in the Internet’s #1 virtual world will be invited to chat and dance with customized Rocky and CeCe penguins, and even unlock exclusive dance moves, just like the characters from “Shake It Up.”
In September, finalists will be announced and they’ll square off in front of celebrity judges during the “Make Your Mark: Shake It Up Dance Off” which will air on Disney Channel in October. “Shake It Up” stars Bella Thorne and Zendaya will return to the popular dance competition.
Last year’s competition garnered more than 7.5 million total site visits and nearly 30,000 online dance video submissions resulting in more than 68 million video starts in four months. Six finalist teams were chosen to compete in the two-night finale event which included celebrity judges Selena Gomez, recording artist Sean Kingston and choreographer Rosero McCoy, and a performance from Hollywood Records recording artist, China Anne McClain.
Categories: Contests, Internet, Television Tags: Bella Thorne, Club Penguin, Contests, Disney Channel, Shake it Up, Zendaya, Zendaya Coleman
VIDEO: Marvel Universe Heats Up Club Penguin in June
It was bound to happen sooner or later: universes will collide when two of Disney’s largest properties, Marvel and Club Penguin join forces later this month. Details appear to be sparse at the moment, but beginning June 14, Club Penguin members will have the ability to suit up as their favorite Marvel superheroes and villains.
Marvel released the following television ad promoting the event:
In addition, Club Penguin has set up a mini site for the event at ClubPenguin.com/Marvel which shows off many of the Marvel-inspired costumes.
Categories: Video Games Tags: Club Penguin, Marvel
Club Penguin Reveals Results of Annual ‘Coins for Change’ Program; $2M to be Donated
Club Penguin, which recently held its fifth annual ‘Coins for Change’ campaign, has doubled its charity donations to $2 Million this year as a result of players donating more than 10 billion of the in-game virtual coins.
In exchange for donating the in-game currency, Club Penguin players (predominantly children) are able to choose which of the global causes they wish to support. Kids can direct donations to provide medical help, build safe places or protect the earth. At the end of the event, the virtual donations to the three cause categories serve as votes to determine how a cash contribution from Disney Online Studios will be divided among charitable projects aimed at helping children, families and the planet.
‘Our players are always looking for ways to make a difference and help others, and over the past five years they’ve embraced the opportunity to give through “Coins For Change,”‘ says Club Penguin co-founder Lane Merrifield. ‘It was especially exciting to see kids from 191 countries participate together to help change the world.’
As a result of Coins For Change 2011, Disney Online Studios will donate
- $640,000 USD to fund medical clinics, health care, surgical treatments and nutrition programs.
- $620,000 USD for schools, libraries, playgrounds, education programs and support and a group home.
- $740,000 USD to support wetlands, rainforests and wildlife conservation programs.
Club Penguin is free to play, however special features require a membership. A portion of Club Penguin’s net proceeds support organizations working to improve the lives of children and families around the Globe. Through the ‘Coins For Change’ program alone, Club Penguin has helped in excess of a million people in more than 40 countries. To find out more, visit clubpenguin.com/global-citizenship.
Categories: Internet Tags: Charity, Club Penguin, Donations
‘Club Penguin Game Day’ Announced Exclusively for Nintendo Wii
Disney Interactive Studios today announced Club Penguin Game Day! is being developed exclusively for Wii. Scheduled for release this September, Club Penguin Game Day! will mark the franchise’s video game console debut.
Based on the snow-covered virtual world that’s captivated millions around the globe, Club Penguin Game Day! will delve into the environment, characters and storylines of the online playground of Club Penguin like never before. The game will include innovative ways to connect with ClubPenguin.com and new, interactive mini-games to challenge and engage the whole family.
“Club Penguin has always maintained a really strong emphasis on social, family fun and the value of working together,” said Lane Merrifield, co-founder of Club Penguin and executive vice president of Disney Online Studios. “Moving onto the Wii platform lets us offer parents a great opportunity to connect with their kids in the comfort of their own living room around an active game that’s participatory, cooperative and a lot of fun for everyone, and that’s something we’re really excited about.”
In Club Penguin Game Day!, players create and customize a penguin and compete in a variety of single or multiplayer sports-themed racing and performance events such as Java Sack, Fast Freeze, Sled & Slide and Sumo Smash. Each time players beat a challenge, they conquer a zone on the island. The ultimate goal is for players to work with their team and conquer as much territory as possible.
Club Penguin Game Day! will be the third video game in the franchise, following the recent release of Club Penguin: Elite Penguin Force: Herbert’s Revenge for Nintendo DS™. The highly anticipated sequel to the original DS game, Club Penguin: Elite Penguin Force, which was released in 2008 and sold more than 1.5 million units worldwide, introduced intriguing new missions and mysteries for Elite Penguin Force agents.
“As the Club Penguin phenomenon continues to grow, it makes sense to bring the brand to Wii,” said Craig Relyea, senior vice president of global marketing, Disney Interactive Studios.“ Club Penguin Game Day! combines the distinct look and feel of the Club Penguin virtual world with competitive games that are easy to pick up and play using the Wii Remote.”
Club Penguin Game Day! will allow players to transfer their customized penguins via their Wii Remote™ to a friend’s Wii for use in gameplay. Once back on the original console, high scores, coins and customization items earned will merge with the player’s profile.
As with the two DS games, players can also upload coins earned in game to ClubPenguin.com, but the new game will take the elements of online-offline connectivity even further by also allowing players to synchronize their in-game penguins and achievements with their online penguin accounts.
Published by Disney Interactive Studios, Club Penguin Game Day! is Rated E for Everyone by the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB). For more information, visit: http://www.disney.com/clubpenguingameday.
Categories: Video Games Tags: Club Penguin, Club Penguin Game Day, CP, Disney Interactive Studios, Nintendo, Wii
Club Penguin Celebrates Earth Day with Virtual Community Garden and Recycling Center
Club Penguin and its millions of animated penguin inhabitants are going green. On April 22, 2010, the 40th anniversary of Earth Day, the popular children’s virtual world will launch a special online party and new ways for its players to exercise their passion for making the world a better place.
“Our players constantly ask for ways they can improve the virtual world of Club Penguin and the world at large, and we like to encourage that spirit of global citizenship and giving back,” says Lane Merrifield, co-founder of Club Penguin and executive vice president of Disney Online Studios. “Children today are far more environmentally aware than ever before and they truly want to make a difference. It’s important that their experiences on Club Penguin reflect and reinforce those ideals.”
The Earth Day party will allow the kids who play Club Penguin to work together to make good things happen in the online community, and will include the launch of a permanent recycling depot and community garden, which players will be responsible for maintaining. In addition, players will have the opportunity to help plant and nurture a community tree, which will become a permanent fixture on the virtual island’s snow-covered landscape. In an effort to further promote sustainability and encourage environmentally friendly behavior, Club Penguin will also offer suggestions on things kids can do in the real world.
“We hope by taking an active role in caring for the virtual environment of Club Penguin, where their penguin avatars live, work and play, the kids will realize they have an important role to play, and they’ll take those lessons into their home communities and find ways to make a positive difference in the real world,” says Merrifield.
Club Penguin is available in English, French, Spanish and Portuguese, and is enjoyed by players in more than 190 countries. Word filters and live moderators monitor chat and activity on the site and work to prevent the sharing of inappropriate or personally identifiable information. Club Penguin is free to play, however paying members receive special features such as front-of-the-line access to game features, exclusive parties and opportunities to customize their penguin and igloo.
The 2010 Earth Day party is just one example of Club Penguin’s ongoing efforts to motivate its players to help change the world. A portion of the proceeds from each Club Penguin membership purchase supports organizations working to improve the lives of children and families around the globe. The annual Coins for Change online giving campaign lets players vote on where some of those donations go, including to environmental causes.
Club Penguin also supports kids or schools that want to help a village in one of the world’s poorest regions with a matching gift program, and sponsors a free speaking tour and leadership program to empower elementary school students. For more information on these and other initiatives, visit http://www.clubpenguin.com/global-citizenship/.
Categories: Conservation / Animal Programs, Internet Tags: Club Penguin, CP, Earth Day, Environment, Environmentality, MMO, Recycling
Disney Interactive Studios Announces ‘Club Penguin: Herbert’s Revenge’ for Nintendo DS
Agents of the exclusive Elite Penguin Force are being called back into action. Disney Interactive Studios officially announced today the development of Club Penguin: Elite Penguin Force: Herbert’s Revenge, the sequel to the 2008 top Nintendo DS™ title, Club Penguin: Elite Penguin Force. This follows the initial unveiling earlier this week by Lane Merrifield, co-founder of Club Penguin and executive vice president of Disney Online Studios, and Steve Wadsworth, president of Disney Interactive Media Group, during their respective keynote addresses at the Engage! Expo at Toy Fair and the D.I.C.E. Summit.
“Fans of the original DS game can expect to navigate through popular, familiar elements from the virtual world, plus numerous new adventures and gadgets unique to DS.”
The original DS game, which was released holiday 2008, offered an innovative new way to extend the adventure and storyline of Club Penguin onto a portable platform. For the first time, fans were able to experience the fun and imagination of their favorite virtual world while on the go. The game sold more than 1.5 million units worldwide and spawned a popular downloadable mission, “The Puffle Pranksters,” which has been downloaded by kids around the globe at an incredible rate since it launched this past holiday season.
“We were very pleased with the incredible response to the first DS title, and the kids have given us tremendous feedback, making it clear they want to experience even more Club Penguin adventures on DS,” said Merrifield. “Developing a sequel was a great way to meet that need while exploring more ways for fans to experience the Club Penguin virtual world offline.”
Club Penguin: Elite Penguin Force: Herbert’s Revenge follows the misadventures of Herbert – a vegetarian polar bear who can’t swim and dislikes the cold. Returning characters include Gary the Gadget Guy, Dot and Rookie. Club Penguin: Elite Penguin Force: Herbert’s Revenge will introduce new mini-games and feature mission-based gameplay that’s been embraced by kids around the world, both online at ClubPenguin.com and on DS.
“Featuring new mysteries, missions and mini-games, Club Penguin: Elite Penguin Force: Herbert’s Revenge will continue to entertain and delight kids around the world,” said Craig Relyea, senior vice president of global marketing, Disney Interactive Studios. “Fans of the original DS game can expect to navigate through popular, familiar elements from the virtual world, plus numerous new adventures and gadgets unique to DS.”
As with the original DS game, Club Penguin: Elite Penguin Force: Herbert’s Revenge allows players to earn coins that can be seamlessly uploaded to their online Club Penguin accounts or used to make purchases in-game. Fans will also be able to unlock special locations in the virtual world at ClubPenguin.com.
Club Penguin: Elite Penguin Force: Herbert’s Revenge is being developed by 1st Playable Productions and will be available by this summer.
Categories: Video Games Tags: Club Penguin, CP, DGamer, DS, Herbert's Revenge, Nintendo DS, Video Games
Club Penguin Fans Give Early Holiday Gift to Kids around the World
Record numbers of children donated virtual coins they earned playing games in the popular virtual world of Club Penguin this holiday to support charities working to improve the lives of kids and families around the globe.
The third annual Coins for Change campaign, conducted from December 11 to 21, 2009, allowed children who visited Club Penguin to help change the world by contributing to help kids who are sick, kids who are poor or the environment. The players’ donations served as votes to determine how a $1 million cash contribution would be divided amongst charitable projects in the real world.
Thanks to more than 2.9 million players who donated in excess of four billion virtual coins, Club Penguin will donate:
- $165,000 to a nutrition program to feed thousands of malnourished and at-risk children in Haiti (conducted by Partners In Health);
- $165,000 to a peace centre to educate 20,000 young children displaced by war and conflict in Sri Lanka (conducted by War Child);
- $157,500 to critical health care and treatment programs for impoverished children in Haiti (conducted by Partners In Health);
- $157,500 to build a health clinic in Kenya (conducted by Free The Children);
- $177,500 for programs to inspire kids to protect coral reefs in Indonesia, wetlands in China, and forests in South America; critical habitats for sea turtles, orangutans and other endangered species (conducted by Rare); and
- $177,500 to support scholarships and educational programs focused on protecting the African wild dog, the elephant and the snow leopard (conducted by Wildlife Conservation Network).
“We value social involvement and encourage our global community of players to do their part to make the world a better place,” says Lane Merrifield, co-founder of Club Penguin and executive vice president of Disney Online Studios. “Kids need to know they have the power to make a difference, whether it’s by participating in Coins for Change, raising money for a great cause or just doing something nice for their neighbor down the street.”
In an effort to extend the spirit of giving beyond Coins for Change and the holiday season, Club Penguin is challenging its players to do even more to help change the world. Club Penguin has announced it will support kids or schools that want to help a village in one of the world’s poorest regions by matching the money they raise up to $5,000. Club Penguin is also sponsoring a free speaking tour and leadership program for elementary school students.
Club Penguin is one of the largest and fastest-growing virtual worlds for kids. Word filters and live moderators monitor chat and activity on the site and work to prevent the sharing of inappropriate or personally identifiable information. Club Penguin is free to play, however paying members receive special benefits. A portion of the proceeds from each membership supports organizations working to improve the lives of children and families around the world.
Categories: Internet Tags: Charity, Club Penguin, Coins for Change, Community, Conservation
Club Penguin’s ‘Coins for Change’ Program Allows Players to Make a Difference
KELOWNA, British Columbia — Children who visit the snow-covered virtual world of Club Penguin can put the time they spend online to better use than ever this holiday season thanks to a unique giving program that launches this week.
The third annual Coins for Change campaign, which runs from December 11-21, 2009, allows the children who visit Club Penguin to donate the virtual coins they earn playing games in the virtual world to support a cause that matters to them.
Players can choose to support kids who are sick, kids who are poor or the environment. At the end of the campaign, the players’ donations serve as votes to determine how a $1M contribution will be divided to fund projects being conducted by charitable organizations selected by Disney Online Studios Canada.
“Since we launched Coins for Change in 2007, we’ve been blown away by the passion our players display for getting involved and doing their part to affect change and make the world a better place,” says Lane Merrifield, one of Club Penguin’s co-founders and executive vice president of Disney Online Studios Canada and Disney Online. “With millions of children and families in more than 190 countries now enjoying Club Penguin in English, Portuguese, French and Spanish, I think our audience will embrace the opportunity to make a difference through Coins for Change this year like never before.”
Players can donate virtual coins at multiple locations around the island of Club Penguin. For the first time this year they can also place a personal donation booth in their virtual igloo and host fundraising parties for their penguin friends, or attend benefit concerts at the Lighthouse. In addition, this year’s campaign will include suggestions on things children can do in their own communities to help others.
“With so many kids from around the world playing on Club Penguin, we want to continue to encourage that sense of community online and offline, and really get them thinking about their role as true global citizens who have the power to help others both where they live and around the world,” adds Merrifield.
Club Penguin is one of the largest and fastest-growing virtual worlds for children with a reputation for providing fun for kids and peace of mind for parents. Word filters and live moderators monitor chat and activity on the site and work to prevent the sharing of inappropriate or personally identifiable information.
Club Penguin is free to play, however special features such as front-of-the-line access to game features, exclusive parties and opportunities to customize your penguin and igloo require a membership.
Categories: Internet Tags: Charity, Club Penguin
Club Penguin Says “Bienvenidos” to Spanish Speakers around the Globe
MEXICO CITY — Spanish speaking fans of Club Penguin can now waddle around, interact and play games in the popular, snow-covered virtual world in their own language.
The new Spanish version of the virtual world (www.clubpenguin.com/es) is supported by native Spanish-speaking staff that understands the unique cultural references of the audience and can provide timely and responsive moderation and player support as well as local currency payment options.
Lane Merrifield, one of Club Penguin’s co-founders and executive vice president of Disney Online, was in Mexico City to announce the launch of the virtual world in Spanish.
Categories: Internet Tags: Club Penguin
Report: Meeting Captain Rockhopper at Walt Disney World
This past weekend, I had the opportunity to meet Captain Rockhopper himself at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. The Captain brought along a penguin friend as well.
Club Penguin's Captain Rockhopper and friend greet guests at Disney's Hollywood Studios from April 30 - May 13 © Stitch Kingdom. All Rights Reserved.
Categories: Disney's Hollywood Studios, Theme Parks, Walt Disney World Tags: Characters, Club Penguin, Rockhopper
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