Virtual world for kids 8-12 Dizzywood has taken $1 million Series A in a round led by Shelby Bonnie with Charles River Ventures and other individual investors also participating.
Tiburon, CA based Dizzywood aims to “inspire young people to use their imagination and have fun, while learning real-life values and skills.” Their online virtual world/ gaming platform offers creative, story-driven play with “challenging activities” that teach children to cooperate with others and develop cognitive skills.
The company has a decent pedigree among its founders. Scott Arpajian is a former SVP of CNET Download.com and Sean Kelly co-founded Wallop. Third co-founder Ken Marden is a game designer and a published children’s book author.
The company plans to use the capital to further develop and expand content and services. Dizzywood launched in November 2007.
Duncan,
I like the post. However, the value here is the adoption, right? These guys you mention with fancy titles don’t add up to dog shit. Who are the guys that are driving the application for the 8-12 year olds. That the story!
I can tell you I have a niece in this age group AND there is a HUGE opportunity here. But, if you are suggesting that these 50 ear old guys know what is cool then you are lost and these VC’s are morons. Well, most these VC’s are clueless anyway.
Love, Canada
your right…this is shit
Virtual world / social networking aimed at 8-12 olds is a bad idea and will create more problems than what it’s worth for too many parents trying to stay up to date on the kids’ online behavior.
Is it dizzyworld or dizzywood?
It’s Dizzywood…
More like a Deadwood…
This target market is getting pretty good returns these days especially after the deal that Penguin landed and some others. With all the scares of Second Life for kids, if they can establish a truly safe community, it should work.
CRV is a good firm that we covered on this story and is really active in investing in the younger demo audience.
Why is the kid in the middle dressed in Hamas garb? Is he hiding something in that giant head?
“Virtual world / social networking aimed at 8-12 olds is a bad idea and will create more problems than what it’s worth for too many parents trying to stay up to date on the kids’ online behavior.”
agreed Rodster.
Security features must be in place to keep the pedos out.
I can tell you I have a niece in this age group AND there is a HUGE opportunity here.
My 9 year old was a beta tester and loved it. But what’s with your headline proofreading, can’t even get the name of the site right?
Fantastic! This is a hugely undeserved demographic online and I think they’re on to something here. As a parent of toddlers, I hope more fun, safe and free environments spring up like this.
BTW Mr. Canada, Scott is certainly younger than 50 and, more importantly is very bright and experienced. He was launching websites at CNET 12 years ago. Plus, anything that Shelby gets behind is bound to be solid. People who know them would agree.
-Sasha
Awesome. Congratulations to the Dizzywood team.
I suppose none of the DW characters will backdate their homework?
I disagree with you Dyde, Dizzywood, is a great online gaming site aimed to children’s imagination. The graphics are fantastic and the games are made specifically for this age group. As far as internet safety is concerned, that is the risk of allowing children to play on the internet or any games for that matter. Parents should always teach and emphasize the importance of safety and not give out personal information online or basically anywhere without a parent’s permission.
Scott, Kelly, and Ken have done a wonderful job creating this site. It has already attracted quite a handful of players. It has not reached Club Penguin status yet but it does have potential and will catch up to it in time.
Dizzywood RoCkS!
We’ve been having a problem for a few weeks with Dizzywood. My daughter will have 117 coins and log on the next day and have 30 coins. 20 minutes ago she had 207 coins and was walking around and she suddenly saw the coins drop to 7! This has happened about 8 times in 2 weeks.
And the site seems to have a lot of bugs.
You try to go someplace and it takes a really long time.
Like Presto’s Grove takes forever to load on a fast machine and connection.
And pretty much every game is the same, click on the duplicate sets of symbols – it gets old fast.
Any ideas?
Interesting comments and uncordial use of profanity. Cant imagine why that is necessary in a parenting Blog for children. Not to be presumptious, but it sort of discredits your observations and complaints.
I am interested, however, in the funding of a project like this. My childen are memebers of Toontown, Pirates online, BrainBlog, and Penguins. We pay for those services. They alsso access some Free sites where the advertising is VERY Questionable for this age group.
We are looking for something to fill that game void in a safe environment. Just curious at how a site like this recieves its financial support.
plz can you upgrade me to gold club mom..
hi, umm i dont think i like this website any more because dizzywood just kicked me off for no reason!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
umm i dont think these people have the right to judge dizzywood because umm how would u no these things unless u actually play on dizzywood!!!!!some mature adults WOW!!!!
yer its not fair to judge dizzywood because its like jugeing a person on how kind they are. so just stop jugeing dizzywood!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
i got all of the crystal critters including turtle bug and i got 100,000 coins
i know all of the cheats in dizzy wood
i bout everything in dizzy wood
You guys be ashamed of youselfs! If that wasent there then young children with no brothers/sisters would be lonely!! Infact! the virtual world askes parents if they can play! so just shut up
I have twins (boy & girl 12) that play on the Dizzywood site. At first, I thought this was an innocent game. About three days of the two of them talking about it and playing on it, I went on after they went to bed.
I spent two hours on this childrens site reading
what these kids are typing to each other.
I found a vitural “dating” scene. Girls and boys are asking each other to “come to my room alone”.
Clicking hearts over each others heads as to say
love or like. Girls “running” around SCREEMING:
I NEED A BF (boyfriend). WILL ANYONE BE MY BF?
One boy is registered with the name “Masterb8″.
I reported this *kid? and never heard back.
Two girls on the site were walking around typing
“STFU” to anyone and everyone.
It was obvious that kids knew what “stfu” means,
as they were typing back that they were pigs.
The kids have a way around everything, they type in “you are an azz”, ect.
This was just one night!
My kids are no longer allowed to play on this site. I do not find it an “innocent” site as
discribe.
Maybe someone from Dizzywood should spend one night on there and read what these kids are typing and how they are getting away with typing sexual talk and swears to each other, knowing every trick around the rules, without getting booted off.
Best Regards,
A Mom
Yes u are right same with a site i know its called chobots.com i saw someone say the f word but spellt dif.
Why is this website called “dizzywood?”
lol uhm…. yeah…. this game gets boring fast even after all the stuff they added and i have the membership 2! GRRR lol
I too have two children that play on Dizzywood with a gold account.
They both really like Dizzywood , except for the new changes in membership.
Beginning March, 2009 in order to buy items with earned coins, you now have to have a membership.
I have listened to my children’ s complains that they get zapped for being Gold and that there is often remarks made to them about how DW is not as fun anymore because of them.
I understand the need to have some form of income to continue with DW, but there seems to be many online who have coins that they can no longer spend because of this new policy.
This has created a world of haves” and “Have -nots” .
I am not sure that I will continue to allow my children to be on Dizzywood. in fact many of their online buddy’s are not online much anymore. The reason: Nothing to do. What is the point of missions to earn coins when the majority cannot spend them?
This leads to boredom within the DW community, which is not a fun environment for children.
Will not be renewing membership.
Dizzywood, a place to have online friends… WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH U DINGDONGS!!???
Anyways, i’ve never tryed having gold member but i did get a month of free silver member. Before febuary everything was going great but they had to change everything. I think those kids just want to mostly be an expert at something, and sometimes they would want to show of, so they would want to finish missions and get cool items or so….. but banning them from the site just isn’t it. I find dizzywood OK to play and not just because that my parents don’t care, but this site would be better if the kids don’t do those inappropriate “things” and its a whole world to explore. focus on the exploring more than the talking non-sence.
And u kids with gold opportunities should be thankfull cuz my parents were immagrants, they dont care about “the internet and I” so they wont understand that i want to be gold too!!!!!!!!!
its now 10:27pm and my parents are sitting next to me reading newspaper and letting me on tha internet =P
Ok ok,People dizzywood is a vitural world,sorry about those people sending hearts,do not mind them,because they are teenagers now,thats why they sent hearts,but do not mind them,they are just playing with the rules,ok i heared someone is breaking up on dizzywood,i sew her,she said she want to be alone now,is that uncomfortablei guess she wants to be buds with girls,not guys anymore, i guess..
i saw a girl running around dizzy wood saying “hey come here and kiss me!”
iknow its not good so i banned her and never play dizzy wood again