VIPs World (Video Game)

Littlest Pet Shop: VIPs World was an online video game and plush toy line that was launched in mid-October 2007, and lasted until December 7 2010. The online game was developed for Hasbro by Pileated Pictures.Bober, Kathleen. "Social-Mobile Game Projects with Pileated Pictures / HappyGiant." Kathleen Bober's Blog, 26 Oct 2016. https://kathleenbober.com/social-mobile-game-projects-with-pileated-pictures-happygiant/ .Linn, Bill. "Pileated Pictures Builds Hasbro's 'LITTLEST PET SHOP VIPs' Virtual World." Global Newswire, 14 Nov 2007. https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2007/11/14/369183/131388/en/Pileated-Pictures-Builds-Hasbro-s-LITTLEST-PET-SHOP-VIPs-Virtual-World.html .
==Overview==
On September 20, 2007, Hasbro published a press release announcing the launch of a new LPS game.Internet Archive. "HASBRO’S LITTLEST PET SHOP JUMPS INTO THE PLUSH DIGITAL ARENA WITH VIRTUAL INTERACTIVE PETS," Hasbro.com. 14 Oct 2008, https://web.archive.org/web/20081014163747/http://www.hasbro.com/littlestpetshop/default.cfm?page=Entertainment/onlinegames/virtual-world/virtual-interactive-pets/News/Item&newsid=4716842A-D56F-E112-420D3F498AFF4EF7 . Coined as VIPs–short for Virtual Interactive Pets–it was an online interactive game that could only be accessed with a secret code. The secret code could be purchased in the form of VIPs plush toys, who held the code inside their collar. Upon registering for an account with their pet, players could then play a variety of mini games, decorate their home, and dress up their pets.
To promote the game's release, Hasbro hosted the VIPs pop-up boutique in New York; the statement put out regarding the event detailed the following:
"[Hasbro] will open the doors of a LITTLEST PET SHOP VIPs Boutique in New York City for eight days beginning on October 18, 2007. The "pop-up" store experience will celebrate Hasbro's newly-launched LITTLEST PET SHOP VIPs (Virtual Interactive Pets), a line of adorable plush pets that each have a unique code to unlock a rich online virtual world for girls to explore and "live" in with their VIPs pets. The LITTLEST PET SHOP VIPs Boutique will send girls on an immersive journey that blends real and virtual world activities from playing games and winning cool prizes to exploring the environment and meeting other LITTLEST PET SHOP fans. The LITTLEST PET SHOP VIPs Boutique will be located at 587 Fifth Avenue and will be open to the public from October 18-21 and October 25-28."Hasbro Staff. "Hasbro to Open Doors of the LITTLEST PET SHOP VIPs Boutique in Manhattan Allowing Girls to Step into the World of the Just-Released VIPs -- Virtual Interactive Pets." Hasbro Investors, 15 Oct 2007, https://investor.hasbro.com/static-files/097a6bd0-59ed-4d30-a550-2bbdaa1e3129 .
While major retail stores began selling VIPs after the 2007 event, the series' global launch was scheduled for early 2008.
===Pets===
In the VIPs World game, players could purchase and register multiple pets for their account. Every pet had their own room within the player's house, and could be dressed up, fed, and walked around to explore the online world. Full access to the site lasted for one year after the last VIPs pet registered; upon expiration, one would need to purchase a new plush toy and redeem its code.
Although multiplayer interaction was very limited, players could also visit their friend's pets if they were registered into their friends list.
===Activities===
VIP pets had access to an initial 16 mini games and 10 fun activities from which players could earn kibble. Kibble coins, the game's currency, was used to buy clothes, food, and decor for the pet's house.
More mini games were added throughout the course of the game's run. Of these, the following titles have been identified:
Mini Games	Mini Games
A-Mazing Ladybugs
All Paws Soccer
Breakfast Maker
Candy Cannon
Fallin Flowers
Flyin High Hang Gliding
Freeze Tap
Hop, Skip, and Jump Rope
Hopstacle Course
Horse Shoe Toss
Leapin Penguins 
LPS 500
Miniest Golf	Perfect Match
Pet Dance Party
Pet Doctor
Pets on Parade
Planting Party
Super Sundae Maker
The Great Pet Sing-Off
Track and Field
Underwater Adventure
Wacky Snack
Water Balloon Garden
Wildest Water Tubing
===Overworld===
The overworld that pets could explore consisted of 10 sections that they could travel to on foot or teleport to using the map.
Top Row (From Left to Right)
*The Dock area at the top left of the map leads to the beach where pets can play in the sand or swim in the ocean. A boat transports players to an island with more activities and shops.
*The Playground is full of fun interactive items such as the slide, merry-go-round, seesaw, and swings.
*The Vet area helps players to keep their pets healthy, and even contains a pet care class and gym.
*Your House contains the player's house.
*The player’s Garden sits next to their house, and is where they can tend to their plants.
Bottom Row (From Left to Right)
*The Village is home to all the shops that your pet can spend Kibble coins at. It takes up the two bottom left areas of the map.
*The Adoption Center is a hub for registering new pets and seeking helpful information. The Bonus Code booth is also located in this area.
*The Forest offers outdoorsy fun for your pets to explore, taking up the last two bottom sections of the map.
===Buildings===
210px|right
There are a wide variety of shops and specialty buildings where players can spend Kibble or maintain their pet’s happiness. Shops like the Pet Boutique (accessories), Department Store (decor), and Supermarket (food) offer the majority of the pet’s customization options. Some buildings like the pizza and ice cream shops served as mini-games.
Special buildings such as the Vet (Get Better Center) and Adoption Center (Biggest Littlest Pet Shop) are for managing your pet’s health, acquiring information, or registering pets.
The game makes use of many other playsets from the toy franchise. The Salon (Purr-Fection Salon) and Gym (Tail Waggin' Fitness Center), as well as the playground slide (Whirl Around Playground) are a few other examples.
===Extras===
In addition to these activities, VIPs World featured a Pet of the Day tab and The Daily Shopper, a news hub that announced new features and updates for the game.
The Bonus Code booth is another extra feature where players can input promo codes to get special items.
==Reception==
The Littlest Pet Shop VIPs series had good reception within the franchise, lending its success to the physical plush toys that made playing the game possible. The one year subscription encouraged consumers to buy more plushes, and those without access to a computer could still purchase them for their cute appeal. 
Hasbro would continue to build onto this success with the next game, Littlest Pet Shop Online, adding another line of plush toys to promote and give access to the game.
==Discontinuation==
The VIPs World closed quietly on December 7 2010,vhs. "Littlest Pet Shop VIPs Game." The Lost Media Forum, 7 Feb 2023, https://forums.lostmediawiki.com/thread/10583/littlest-pet-shop-vips-game .wolftyrs. "Step Into The Littlest Pet Shop VIP World." Squidoo, 29 Sep 2011, http://web.archive.org/web/20110929221925/http://www.squidoo.com/Littlest-Pet-Shop-VIPs . over a year after the September 2009 launch of the aforementioned MMO game, LPSO; despite the new branding, the official LPS website continued to refer to the new line as VIPs online world.
==Speculation on Development==
In Spring 2010, Scholastic Publishing advertised an upcoming book for the LPS franchise titled "Web Friends Guidebook," whose cover showed plush toys from the VIPs series. The typical logo was added onto to say "Littlest Pet Shop Online," referring to the release of LPSO. The publication of the book, however, was canceled with no updated equivalent made. Please see the book’s wiki page for its technical information.
This unreleased book, along with the use of the VIPs title to promote LPSO, may imply that the series was planned to be an expansive “update” to the original game. Creative direction likely dictated that a new perspective would be more relevant to the tween audience; its successor certainly took on a fresh take of what an LPS MMO could offer.
==VIPs World FAQ==
An extensive FAQ was published on the LPS website,<ref> which can be viewed below:
VIPs FAQ	VIPs FAQ 	VIPs FAQ
{| class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed fandom-table" width="100%"	GENERAL VIPs QUESTIONS	GENERAL VIPs QUESTIONS
Q. What are VIPs anyway?
A. VIPs are Virtual Interactive Pets. You need to purchase a cuddly LITTLEST PET SHOP VIPs pet at a retailer near you or online. Once you bring your new pet home, visit the VIPs World website. Enter the secret code found on the plush pet’s collar to “adopt” an online, animated version of your pet. The code also unlocks the VIPs virtual world for exclusive access to online games and activities.
Q. What is a “virtual world”?
A. A virtual world is an environment that “lives” on a web site. When girls enter the LITTLEST PET SHOP VIPs virtual world, they’ll be able to explore an online pet community, name and outfit their online pets, customize their pet’s home, earn Kibble points to keep their pets healthy and happy, play games and interact with other VIPs through community features and activities.
Q. Do you name your own pet?
A. Yes. You can give your pet any name you choose. Please note that names may not include “bad” words and will not be accepted into the VIPs website.
Q. What is the benefit of having multiple pets?
A. Building your collection of pets at home allows you to have multiple pets online, each with their own room!
Q. Where can I get a pet of my own?
A. LITTLEST PET SHOP VIPs are currently available at major retailers in the New York tri-state area, as well as online at major retailers web sites and hasbrotoyshop.com. They will be available nationwide after February 2, 2008.
Q. Where will they be available online?
A. LITTLEST PET SHOP VIPs are available at major retailer web sites including Amazon, eToys, KB Toys, Wal-Mart, Target and Toys R US as well as at hasbrotoyshop.com.
Q. Is there a fee to use the site?
A. No.
Q. How long does my membership last?
A. You have complete access to the site for one year after the last LITTLEST PET SHOP VIPs pet you have registered.
Q. How much kibble do you start out with?
A. One hundred.
Q. Can you try out the site without buying the product?
A. Yes. You can “borrow” an online pet to sample the web site. This feature gives you limited access, but lets you try out the site’s features.
Q. Do all the pets live in the same house?
A. Yes. Each pet will have its own room in the house.
Q. Is there anything to download to operate the virtual world?
A. No. The LITTLEST PET SHOP VIPs virtual world is browser-based so no additional software or downloads are required.
Q. Does each pet have its own kibble account?
A. No. There is one joint kibble account that each pet shares.
Q. Will you be adding to the web site?
A. Yes. Visit often! The LITTLEST PET SHOP VIPs website will be adding new games, activities and features all the time.	 	
==Trivia==
*If playing as a guest, all sections of the map are available except for the Dock, the Garden, and the rightmost area of the Forest.
*Kibble coins are the universal currency in the LPS franchise, being used in every video game the series has released.
==Gallery==
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==Citations==
Category:Littlest Pet Shop
Category:LPS
Category:Games
Category:Video Games
Category:Online Games
Category:PC
Category:VIPs (Series)
Category:VIPs World