Via: Numedeon, Inc – Numedeon Inc. and
Topsville Inc. Announce Whyville‐branded Line of T‐shirts Inspired by Children’s Own Avatar Designs
User Generated
Content in Virtual World Set to Influence Children’s Fashion Worldwide
Numedeon, Inc., the parent company of Whyville.net, and Topsville Inc, a division of the major clothing manufacturer Jaclyn
Inc, announced earlier this month the launch of a new line of children’s
clothing inspired by avatars designed by the participants of Whyville.net, the premiere
virtual world for learning.
“13 years ago, Whyville.net pioneered the concept of User Generated Content
(UGC), when we built tools for our young users to design face parts and construct
avatars”, explained Dr. James Bower, one of Whyville’s founders and CEO of Numedeon
Inc. “As a result, millions of children have developed literally millions of face
parts reflecting an enormous range of looks and styles”.
“As one of the largest manufacturers of children’s clothing in the US, we
spend considerable effort each year anticipating the fashions kids want,” says Mark
Nitzberg, CEO of Topsville Inc. “In Whyville they create what they want.”
While many virtual worlds and online games have focused on the sale of virtual
goods of little use in the real world, Numedeon and Topsville have partnered to
blend virtual and real world experience by translating the excitement and creativity
of children in virtual worlds into real world products.
The first line of product is a series of T‐shirts that feature Whyville‐style avatars inspired by the designs of Whyville’s participants. Reciprocally, by scanning a QR code on the real world Whyville T‐shirts, children can wear the avatar featured on the T‐shirt back in Whyville.
“The creative energy of the citizens of Whyville never ceases to amaze us,” says Dr. Jennifer Sun, Numedeon’s President and Managing Director of Whyville. “We designed these T‐shirts with Topsville as a tribute to their creativity and imagination.”
The “WhyTops” line of clothing is available online at Whyville.net and in real world retail outlets including select Peebles department stores.
About Whyville
Whyville is the premiere educational virtual world for children, embedding simulation‐based learning in an engaging and safe collaborative gaming environment. For thirteen years, the site has successfully created an environment that engages its "citizens" to learn about life, while having fun.
In Whyville, kids play, socialize, compete,
learn, design, eat, dance, govern and much more. Numedeon Inc., the parent company
of Whyville, was founded by scientists from the California Institute of Technology
who combined research expertise in learning and education with advanced simulation
and virtual world technology to harness the power of the Internet to engage young
learners.
At greater than 30 minutes per log in, Whyville is one of the stickiest and most engaging of all virtual worlds (ComScore Media Metrics) and recently surpassed more than 7.5 million registered accounts. A testament to Whyville’s dedication to education and safety, the site has won numerous media and parent awards, including a Gold Award for the National Parenting Publications Awards (NAPPA).
About Topsville
New York based Topsville offers retailers
a breath of children’s fashions that extends to all product categories, moving beyond
its private label expertise into Branded and Licensed collections. They develop
children’s wear for newborn through girls 7‐16 and for boys, new
born through 8‐20 size ranges. With over 35 year’s experience, Topsville prides itself with
being a leader in manufacturing and design of children’s apparel. Topsville is a
division of Jaclyn Incorporated.