SCOTTSDALE, AZ — Sqwishland.com is taking the online world by storm with 29 million units sold and it’s just out of Beta – making the iPad sales look sluggish.
With its very simple concept, it’s hard to know why it hasn’t been done before. Think vending machine meets virtual world. Is it an affordable Webkinz® or the new Club Penguin®? In fact, it’s both – it’s a world first and for as little as 25c, every kid can afford to be part of it. It is democracy in a capsule – for parents of the global financial crisis, it’s a social equalizer.
Sqwishlanders – they are cute, they are collectible, they are fun – a craze every parent can afford to support and you don’t have to go far to find one. Available at those ubiquitous red vending machines found in every supermarket, convenience store, arcade and malls across America, put your quarter in, crank the handle and wait and see what comes out. The surprise of the catch is just part of the fun. Once you open the capsule and see which Sqwishland® character has been dispensed, a fortune cookie style secret code will reveal yet another surprise, an unknown bounty of virtual game cash will be discovered when the code is entered on line.
“It’s these elements of serendipitous discovery which have made this an amazing hit,” said Dax Logue, cofounder of the game and owner of Brand Vending, America’s leading bulk vending supplier. In the 4 years leading to its launch, Sqwishland® sold around 47,000,000 capsule products, and since the April 2010 launch of Sqwishland.com® at the industry trade show in Florida, Brand Vending has taken over 29,000,000 orders, and shipping over 1,800,000 each week.
While every modern parent already knows how an online virtual world of avatars and games works, some questions remain standard. Is it safe? Is it engaging? Is there an educational element? The answer is YES. According to Logue, who also chairs the safety committee of the National Bulk Vendors Association, they “were keen to ensure that Sqwishland® found that delicate balance between safety, education and affordability while still maintaining a quirky attitude and a laid back sense of fun.”
“The hunt for the various Sqwishland® characters has an extra dimension,” said Logue, Every shipment of Sqwishland® capsules are a series of altLimited Edition Rare, Super Rare, Crazy Rare and Unbelievably Rare characters along with the bad guys in Sqwishland®, the Sqwabbles®. He emphasized that Sqwishland® is empowering for kids because of the hundreds of variations and there is a real sense of victory when a rare one is captured.
New Sqwishland® members receive a 30-day free premium membership, while existing members may continue playing Sqwishland® for $ 5.00 per month. Other membership schemes available are $ 25.00 for a 6-month membership and $ 45.00 for a 12-month membership.
Sqwishland.com® is a unique concept, a patented world first that links vending machine technology to the web, made possible through a partnership between FunGuy Studio®, an Arizona-based company that specializes in creating high-end Flash Games and MMO platforms and Brand Vending®, a leader in the market of bulk vending products. Graeme Warring, CEO of FunGuy Studio® says, “most parents want their children to enjoy the peer to peer interaction of an online virtual world, but for many it’s a matter of affordability. As a parent myself, I’m proud that Sqwishland.com® delivers democracy in a capsule and the staggering numbers and the feedback from the kids just proves it.”
Sqwishland, LLC© 2010
WWW.SQWISHLAND.COM
For further information please contact:
Dax Logue,President
Brand Vending Products LLC
7782 East Greenway Road
Scottsdale, Arizona 85260
Phone :: 800-967-3048
Email :: daxl@brandimports.com
About Brand Vending
Dax and Lauri Logue, a husband and wife team from Arizona, started Brand Vending in 1989 selling flat pack vending items such as stickers. In 1995, they revolutionized the flat vending market with the introduction of temporary tattoos, also sold through flat pack vending. In 2006, they introduced capsule based vending products and the character line of Zoo Mania, Sea Mania and Jungle Mania proved to be a huge hit amongst kids selling over 47,000,000 units in 4 years.
Brand Vending has won numerous awards and has earned a reputation as a leader in the market of bulk vending products, helping thousands of Americans to start and supply small businesses in tens of thousands of communities across the country.
While Brand Vending has led the market in innovation, the Logues have together led the vending industry through the creation of a Vending Industry Association of which Dax has been president and is now the Chair of the consumer safety committee.
About FunGuy Studio
Graeme Warring founded FunGuy Studio in 2006 shortly after moving to the USA from Australia and acquiring a small toy company based in Scottsdale, Arizona. The company has produced over 120 flash game titles, three major MMO titles with corresponding toy lines distributed through mass retailers and specialty stores around the USA and has been commissioned by government to develop web-based gaming and educational solutions for various agencies.
The business is based in Scottsdale Arizona and has offices in Melbourne Australia and development studio in Manila, Philippines.
