Online Virtual Pet Game Moshi Monsters Reaches 50M Registered Users

UK-based developer Mind Candy revealed that Moshi Monsters has reached 50 million registered users around the world since the free virtual pet online game launched in April 2008. The browser-based title has grown rapidly in recent years, recruiting two million new players each month across more than 150 countries. Mind Candy claims more than half of all children aged 6-12 in the UK own a Moshi Monster virtual pet. And in Australia, New Zealand, and the U.S, Moshi Monsters has 15 million registered total. The developer hopes to have one in three children in the U.S. adopt its virtual pets and play the virtual world's games by the end of the year. Mind Candy has aggressively expanded the brand beyond games, too, with toys, books, trading cards, and even a British magazine. It says Moshi Monsters is on course to generate over £60 million in total gross retail sales from related products. "We’re thrilled to see Moshi Monsters experience such rapid growth across the globe" said Michael Acton Smith, CEO and founder of Mind Candy. "We’ve hit 50 million users and have even more ambitious plans ahead. Our vision is to build the largest entertainment brand in the world for this new digital generation of kids."