Mundo Gaturro
QB9 TM Entertainment
Publisher: Grupo Clarín
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Summary
Mundo Gaturro is a digital universe created specifically for kids, allowing them to play and connect with others in a secure, moderated setting. Within this world, children can uniquely customize their gaturros, explore the city, and communicate with other players through chats or messages in a safe environment. They can also enjoy solo and multiplayer games, collect coins, and personalize their virtual homes.
Storyline
Mundo Gaturro was born from the fusion of two strong motivations: on one side, Nik had the dream of bringing his beloved character online, and on the other, Compañía de Medios Digitales (CMD, a Grupo Clarín company) envisioned a digital playground for Gaturro's youngest fans where they could connect and interact. These two visions aligned, and Mundo Gaturro emerged almost effortlessly. The project was in beta from 2009 until its official launch in March 2010, when QB9 completed the game's engine and core structure. The game and its central feature: moderation At its heart, Mundo Gaturro is a virtual world designed for children aged 4 to 12, who can join for free with the supervision of their parents, who act as account managers. Upon registration, users can select an avatar—either Gaturro or his girlfriend Agatha—and choose a name. From there, they enter a vibrant virtual universe filled with various spaces offering diverse activities like mini flash games, trivia, and quizzes. Through these, players earn coins that can be used to purchase items from in-game catalogs to dress their avatars or decorate their homes—the most important and cherished area in the game, where most of their adventures take place. Beyond completing challenges set by the game's designers, children can also interact with other users. Corsini explains: “Kids can enjoy Mundo Gaturro simply by playing, collecting coins, and trading them with others. For instance, avatars can host parties at their homes, exchanging coins for room decorations that transform their space into an airplane, a cinema, or a pirate ship. We don’t provide pre-made setups; we give them the tools, like a rasti, and let them create what they want.” Moderation is a top priority for parents, and Mundo Gaturro focuses heavily on this. The first layer of moderation comes from the users themselves, who must build trust with others to be invited to events. “Children need to be kind and supportive in the network because only those who are trusted get invited to parties. This creates a self-regulating community where kids love inviting others to their homes and customizing their spaces for special events,” says Corsini. Traditional parental controls are also in place. “Parents, who manage the accounts, can choose between high security mode, where Gaturros can't see what other kids say and only respond using pre-approved phrases, or medium mode, where they can send and receive messages in chat rooms,” he adds. To ensure user safety, Mundo Gaturro employs a dual moderation system: an automated platform that filters out inappropriate language and a 24/7 team of human moderators. Los Gaturros, as the players are known, are not allowed to exchange any personal information, including real names or phone numbers. “Our main focus on security is moderation, and we’re proud to say no major issues have occurred since Mundo Gaturro launched. We hope to keep it that way,” says the project leader, who notes that the platform now has over 2 million registered users in Latin America. What led to the game’s strong success in neighboring countries? “The key is Gaturro,” Corsini affirms. “The character has a huge following in Argentina, and we’ve successfully extended that appeal to countries like Spain, Mexico, Peru, Chile, and Colombia. The game is fun and visually tailored to our target audience. We’ve set ourselves apart from other virtual worlds with a clear and recognizable style. That’s why we reach such a broad audience—each region gets a version of the game suited to them.” For those seeking a Premium experience, Mundo Gaturro offers a Passport that grants time-limited access (three days, a week, a month, or as chosen by the user) to all catalog features not available in the free version. Meeting the demands of young users is a major challenge for Guido Corsini. “The biggest challenge with Mundo Gaturro is keeping up with the constant demand from our young users, who are always looking for new content and updates. Every week, they expect something new from Mundo Gaturro, and if we don’t deliver, they get upset and let us know. The site functions almost like a dictatorship of their desires—these kids are incredibly demanding players. We’re already working on new features and surprises.”
