Disney had been working on VMK since 1996.

[WestCOT]

I just posted this on VMKMagic and thought you folks here on the DIS might be interested in it too:

Evidently, VMK was originally planned as much, much more than a simple free walkaround game.

3D artist Thom Schillinger was hired in 1996 to work on Art Design for Disney's then-upcoming online game VMK.

In Thom's words:

Back in 1996 I was hired on at Disney Interactive in Glendale CA. to be the 3D Art Director for the big new project in their "Entertainment" division of Disney Interactive[ DI].

I actually started out as a freelance designer, and about 6 weeks into the job, I was offered a full time position as a co-Art Director on the biggest project they had, The Virtual Magic Kingdom[ VMK].

VMK was essentially a typical Disney Theme Park where all the villan's escape at night and wreak havoc on the park, and you need to go in Land by Land and fix it. I worked with two very talented Producers who define what a producer is to be to a creative team, namely Terry Dobson, and Roger Holzberg.

The park itself was built in 3D using Alias on SGI's, and all animation was done as 2D by Karen Johnson Productions out of Racine WI on an Amiga. Coded on a Mac and designed on a PC, this was a Multi-platform-project to say the least.

Above are sketches of the destroyed Advetureland where the Natives in the Jungle Cruise and the Cowboys in the Old West area were trashing the park.


Cheers, THOM

He's been posting the art he did for VMK on his blog, which I found through John Frost's wonderful The Disney Blog.

VMK was clearly envisioned as far more ambitious a project than it became. It's still a pity that what we had closed, but seeing how its grandoise origins were tossed in favor something much simpler and cheaper does point towards Disney's plans to use VMK as a promotional tool, and nothing more. If they'd gone ahead with what they'd had Thom design, we'd surely still be playing the epic adventure VMK today, but since they had decided to downscale, it makes sense that VMK was what it was, and closed when it did.

You can read Thom's four VMK blog entries and view his gorgeous artwork here:

Part I
Part II
Part III
Part IV

Your friend,

WestCOT
(Over on VMKMagic, I'm Rafiki, and I rarely visit that site but since it was a VMK fansite I felt they oughta know)

 

[gymnastgirlflips]

That's very interesting. Now it does have me thinking. Would the original vmk be more like most online games where that's exactly what it was- a game? It seems like it would have been more about missions than making friends and just having a good time. Reminds me alot like the Disney book Kingdom Keepers as well. Thanks for sharing.

 

[LoriR]

This made me think of Kingdom Keepers too!!

I don't think Disney realized where VMK could have gone with a little love and care. This many years later and so many of us still miss the game.

 

[aengus]

also reminded me of Epic Mickey

Very interesting stuff

 

[Stitchville626]

VMK was awesome I loved playing the boards at the park as well when they had it going.. However Epic Mickey looks amazing I will be getting that for myself and children asap.

 

[SweetSammyStar]

It does sound JUST like the Kingdom Keepers!!!!!