MovieStarPlanet is a name shared by both the studio and the child-focused social network it has built. Among other distractions, the website allows users to create their own movie star avatar, write and direct short films in which they can cast their friends, and play a selection of minigames.
It’s built on robust educational foundations, and driven by a deeply rooted concern for the online safety of its players. We talk with founder and CEO Claus Lykke Jensen and communications manager Helene Towers to discuss the delicate art of making money while acting responsibly.
How many players does MovieStarPlanet have right now?
CLJ: We’ve just reached 100 million profiles. That doesn’t mean 100 million kids playing, but we really do have a lot of users. In the western world we are the biggest social site for this age group. Moshi Monsters is bigger in the UK, but we are much larger across the rest of Europe.
How do you convince protective parents that you can provide a safe environment for their children?
CLJ: Safety is our main priority, so we encourage parents to get involved – not just in our game, but in games in general and other social networks. Just like you have to teach kids how to cross a road, you also need to teach them how to
act on the Internet. Not every parent gets involved, of course, so we see it as our responsibility to do what we can – just like schools should be doing. It’s a joint effort, but we are a very important part of that.
HT: We were awarded PosCon membership status this year. It’s a European ’thematic network’ of 15 organisations that produce safe online content for kids.
CLJ: Our head of safety, Vernon [Jones], is actually a former social worker and has been working on Internet safety for over ten years for organisations such as Save The Children.
How do you square responsible practice with micro-transactions and the need to turn a profit?
CLJ: Because we’re targeting the kids market, as well as safety, we also think about spending money. We really want to be a responsible company, we don’t want to be one of those that exploits players – because we think it’s both wrong and a bad business decision in the long run. We have spending limits, so kids can only spend a certain amount within a given timeframe. If we want parents to know us as a safe and responsible company, we can’t ask too much.
So you actively avoid whales?
CLJ: We don’t want them at all! We’re probably one of the few companies who doesn’t! Because we have so many users, if we can get a lot of them to spend a little then we don’t need to have them spending thousands.
There’s an industry snobbery towards kids’ games – does that bother you?
CLJ: I remember once we walked into a class where the teacher hadn’t told them we were coming. These 30 kids were sat on the computers, and there were five of us going there to get feedback. When the teacher said, “These guys are from MovieStarPlanet,” they started screaming like we were celebrities! We just want to make the best products we can, that kids will enjoy the most.
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