#vmu_anakin

[virtualmagicuniverse-blog]

Community Update 4

Dear VMU family,

Thank you so much for your patience and support during the development of VMU. As you know, we are committed to building this for and by players and adhering to Disney values, most notably transparency and respect. We've been silent for quite some time and know that we owe you and the VMU community an update.

There are now only three of us working on VMU. Our other two incredible teammates, including our founder and primary Java coder, VMU_Romeo, are taking a leave of absence due to personal and work commitments. The three of us have been working on the website and developing norms and frameworks. We’ve made enormous strides and are excited to introduce a new team member very soon, but we need more help with coding and designing. In efforts to find assistance, we've reached out to well-recognized individuals who worked and/or work closely on the development of alternative recreations and, unfortunately, were unable to move forward due to lack of support.

All of us bring something amazing and helpful to the table, but we can't move forward with just the three of us. We really want VMU to become a reality for everyone and are in this for the best reasons. We are part of a wonderful community and are so passionate about the game. This is a voluntary project that we have dedicated a lot of time and heart to alongside personal, school, and work commitments, and we are reaching out in desperate need of some community love and support.

If you are interested in moving VMU forward as a coder or designer and helping us go above and beyond the potential of the game, please e-mail us at vmuniversestaff@gmail.com. We are also available via Tumblr in the Ask or via chat.

With VMU magic and hope, VMU_Toucan, VMU_Lightning, and VMU_Anakin

[virtualmagicuniverse-blog]

Community Update 5

Dear MyVMK community,

It is with heavy hearts that we write to share with you that we will be closing this project.

The past few months have been a lot of fun. It was a really wonderful experience to work together on VMU - late nights messaging on Slack, getting to know one another in game, and talking about our love for VMK and the potential for VMU. We truly believed we would help meet the needs of the MyVMK community and provide the template for a fun and inclusive online community. We explored design options, recruited team members, held in-depth discussions on the economy and how to best run VMU, and more. We lamented the trash talk and crass behavior and bullying we've seen across the community. We talked about the importance of building an inclusive, safe, and friendly community for MyVMK members. We committed to reinforcing Disney values and building a community from the ground up together.

Unfortunately, given the need for a talented Java coder, we are unable to continue building Virtual Magic Universe.  However, this isn't the permanent shuttering of the project. We are still going to continue working together in an informal manner. When anyone wants to join the VMU team, we'll welcome you with open arms. When it's time to rekindle the project, we'll brush the dust off our files and partner with anyone who is interested in our mission and values. If you ever need a place to go or want to build an alternative community in the spirit of VMK and MyVMK, we are here to support you.

Thank you for all of your support. See you around the Kingdom! ;)

With VMU magic,

VMU_Lightning, VMU_Anakin, and VMU_Toucan