View source for WeeWorld

{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2015}}
{{Use British English|date=July 2015}}
{{Infobox company
| name             = WeeWorld
| type             = [[Private Limited Company|Private]]
| industry         = [[Social Network]]
| predecessor      = {{unbulleted list|WeeWorld Inc Limited}}
| area_served      = Worldwide
| key_people       = {{unbulleted list|Mike Kinsella Former ([[Chief executive officer|CEO]]), John McGuire Former ([[Chief operating officer|COO]])}}
| products         = [[Social network service|Social network]], [[Social simulation game|social game]], [[virtual world]]s, [[Avatar (computing)|avatar]]
| foundation       = [[Glasgow]], [[Scotland]]<br>{{Start date and age|df=yes|2000|03|20}}
| defunct          = {{End date and age|2017|05|11|df=y}}
| founders         = {{unbulleted list| Mike Kinsella & John McGuire}}
| location_city    = [[Glasgow]]
| location_country = [[Scotland]]
}}

'''WeeWorld''' was an online game and messaging website, originally created in 2002 with a company that was based in [[Glasgow]], [[Scotland]], with a few offices in [[London]] and [[Boston]], as well as other cities in the USA. The company had created [[WeeWorld.com]], formally known as a social networking site, to which was mostly geared towards teens and tweens. The website is also known for its brand of instant messaging and chat-based avatars, known as “WeeMees”, Which was also released on a variety of digital platforms and services. There were approximately 180 million WeeMees created worldwide, but the site was unexpectedly shut down, as of 11 May 2017. From then on, there has not been anymore information from WeeWorld or the company itself. It is said that the company could no longer profit off of WeeWorld, and the only option left was to sell it to the new owners, who had then decided to shut it down.<ref name="about us">{{cite web | url=http://www.weeworld.com/about/index.html | title= WeeWorld - About Us | website=WeeWorld.com }}</ref>

==WeeMees==
{{Main|WeeMee}}

=== Description ===
WeeMees are two-dimensional cartoon avatars that WeeWorld users are issued when first joining the community. Users can purchase virtual goods for their avatars, such as clothing, accessories, and food and drink items. As WeeWorld's target demographic is teenagers, many of the virtual goods reflect current [[pop culture]] and [[celebrity]] fashion trends.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://bub.blicio.us/teens-still-spend-on-virtual-goods-says-weeworld | title= Teens Still Spend on Virtual Goods, Says WeeWorld | publisher = Bub.blicio.us | access-date = 10 July 2009}}</ref>

==Promotions and partnership==
WeeWorld has partnered with corporations such as [[AOL]], [[MSN]] and [[Skype]].<ref>{{cite web | url=https://techcrunch.com/2006/09/29/weeworld-forms-a-partnership-with-aol/ | title= WeeWorld forms a partnership with AOL? | publisher = TechCrunch | access-date = 10 July 2009}}</ref> Through a partnership with [[RCA]], it has promoted artists such as [[Alicia Keys]] and [[Avril Lavigne]] through virtual merchandise sales and WeeMees of the respective artists.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.virtualworldsnews.com/2008/04/rca-extends-rel.html |title=RCA Extends Relationship with WeeWorld to Promote Alicia Keys |publisher=Virtual Worlds News |access-date=9 July 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080525134715/http://www.virtualworldsnews.com/2008/04/rca-extends-rel.html |archive-date=25 May 2008 }}</ref>  WeeWorld has also promoted artists such as the [[Jonas Brothers]], [[Justin Timberlake]], [[Jason Derulo]], [[Raven-Symoné]],<ref>{{cite web |url=http://thevirtualscoop.com/raven-symone-joins-weeworld/ |title=Raven Symone Joins WeeWorld |publisher=Virtual Worlds News |access-date=2009-07-12 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090707031407/http://thevirtualscoop.com/raven-symone-joins-weeworld/ |archive-date=7 July 2009 |date=2008-11-19}}</ref> the [[Pussycat Dolls]],<ref>{{cite web |date=2009-01-15 |url= http://www.marketingvox.com/industry-buzz-snippets-011509-042801/ |title= Industry Buzz & Snippets: 01/15/09 |publisher= Marketing Vox |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111112131342/http://www.marketingvox.com/industry-buzz-snippets-011509-042801/ |archive-date=2011-11-12 |access-date= 6 July 2009}}</ref> [[Justin Bieber]], and [[Taylor Swift]].

== History ==
The avatars were created in 2001 by Mike Kinsella and John McGuire, who also founded Saw-You.com,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.google.com.ar/patents/WO2001097535A2|title=Messaging system|website=Google.com.ar|access-date=8 June 2017}}</ref> in Glasgow, Scotland. In 2003, Microsoft began offering the avatars<ref>{{cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/3139754.stm|title=BBC NEWS - UK - Scotland - 'Weemees' move into the big time|website=news.BBC.co.uk|access-date=8 June 2017}}</ref> for use to their Hotmail customers via the MSN chat service.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.telecompaper.com/news/weeworld-extends-msn-partnership-to-ten-countries--517977|title=WeeWorld extends MSN partnership to ten countries|website=www.Telecompaper.com|access-date=8 June 2017}}</ref> The new service attracted 150,000 users during the first day of the avatars being launched, with the WeeMee website attracting 1.5 million hits daily. In 2004 the UK's largest social network, Friendsreunited.com, also introduced the WeeMee to their user base. In December 2008 the virtual technology firm DA agreed to develop a 3-D version of the avatar.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://econsultancy.com/nma-archive/42738-da-develops-3d-animated-avatars|title=DA develops 3D animated avatars|website=Econsultancy.com|access-date=8 June 2017}}</ref>

The company was run by Celia Francis and went into liquidation in 2014. It was then sold to Opinurate,<ref>{{cite web|title=Big bids expected for WeeWorld owned by Glasgow firm in administration|url=http://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/news/13290576.Big_bids_expected_for_WeeWorld_owned_by_Glasgow_firm_in_administration/|website=eveningtimes.co.uk|publisher=Evening Times|date=September 4, 2014|access-date=September 20, 2018}}</ref> who closed the website down in 2017. As of September 2020, the website (weeworld.com) is now listed as being for sale.

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Weeworld}}
[[Category:Companies established in 2000]]
[[Category:Companies based in Glasgow]]
[[Category:Entertainment companies of the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:Internet properties disestablished in 2017]]
[[Category:American social networking websites]]
[[Category:Virtual world communities]]