Or rather, my thoughts specifically. On one hand, it's a bit rich to claim to make any definitive conclusions about the world as I don't own a Build-A-Bear with which to unlock a significant portion of the content, but considering that I spend a short few weeks in each world as it is I have to say I don't claim to offer a definitive conclusion ever!

Sure, it might seem like my time in Build-A-Bearville might have been crippled by my lack of a "furry friend" but what is interesting about the world is that it really isn't that big a problem. There's a lot, or at least enough, content in the world to keep even users without a bear interested.

The world is very clearly aimed at children, that's for sure, and importantly, it seems to do it well. The world is attractive, almost "Disney-esque" with strong animation and a general consistency. Games are quick to find and fun to play, with rewards offered enough to make playing them seem worthwhile.

Plus for parents the world is quite safe -- not restricted enough to be too difficult for kids to socialize in, but enough to allay any fears -- and in the end the only worry you might have is the effect of allowing your kids to socialize in a world based around a brand (and increase the chance they'll want more and more Build-A-Bear stuff).

It would be hard for me to say that I have any problems, either technically or through design, with Build-A-Bearville. The world is perhaps a little small and the interface is a little idiosyncratic, but I appreciated the ability to play games against other users, the environmental or otherwise positive themes of many sections of the MMO, and the decent range of ways to modify my avatar.

I'm not going to say this is a perfect world for kids -- my inbuilt distrust of toy brands makes that unlikely -- but it is a very solid entry into the toy tie-in genre, that played in moderation and with a level of parental supervision (even interaction!) would be an enjoyable world for pre-teens who already appreciate the Build-A-Bear Workshop, and is therefore an interesting example of the format for anyone who plans to take such a project on.