<s>
YoWorld	B-Application
(	O
formerly	O
YoVille	B-Application
)	O
is	O
a	O
browser-based	O
virtual	B-Application
world	I-Application
game	O
which	O
was	O
released	O
on	O
May	O
8	O
,	O
2008	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
operates	O
on	O
the	O
freemium	O
model	O
,	O
and	O
is	O
supported	O
through	O
microtransactions	O
,	O
as	O
well	O
as	O
a	O
voluntary	O
in-game	B-Application
ad	O
program	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
itself	O
is	O
free-to-play	O
,	O
however	O
,	O
players	O
can	O
purchase	O
in-game	B-Application
currencies	I-Application
or	O
enroll	O
in	O
special	O
programs	O
and	O
offers	O
to	O
improve	O
their	O
game-play	O
experience	O
or	O
help	O
them	O
progress	O
faster	O
,	O
using	O
real	O
money	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Users	O
can	O
create	O
a	O
virtual	B-Application
avatar	I-Application
,	O
and	O
enter	O
the	O
virtual	B-Application
world	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Within	O
YoWorld	B-Application
,	O
players	O
can	O
earn	O
virtual	O
coins	O
and	O
currencies	O
(	O
like	O
YoCoins	O
and	O
YoCash	O
)	O
in-game	B-Application
by	O
completing	O
various	O
jobs	O
and	O
tasks	O
in-game	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
YoWorlders	O
can	O
then	O
use	O
these	O
funds	O
to	O
purchase	O
and	O
decorate	O
new	O
homes	O
,	O
purchase	O
more	O
clothing	O
and	O
gear	O
for	O
their	O
avatars	B-Application
,	O
adopt	O
pets	O
,	O
or	O
even	O
take	O
advantage	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
virtual	B-Application
economy	I-Application
,	O
and	O
make	O
investments	O
by	O
buying	O
,	O
selling	O
,	O
and	O
trading	O
items	O
with	O
other	O
players	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Other	O
activities	O
in-game	B-Application
include	O
mini-games	O
,	O
hosting	O
parties	O
,	O
socializing	O
and	O
chatting	O
with	O
other	O
users	O
,	O
and	O
role-play	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
That	O
same	O
year	O
,	O
the	O
game	O
was	O
purchased	O
by	O
gaming	O
giant	O
Zynga	O
,	O
inspiring	O
other	O
later	O
titles	O
like	O
FarmVille	B-Application
and	O
CityVille	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
announcement	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
closure	O
led	O
to	O
months	O
of	O
organized	O
virtual	O
in-game	B-Application
protests	O
,	O
and	O
boycott	O
threats	O
from	O
passionate	O
fans	O
towards	O
Zynga	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
acquisition	O
came	O
with	O
re-branding	O
the	O
game	O
,	O
from	O
YoVille	B-Application
to	O
YoWorld	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Within	O
the	O
virtual	B-Application
world	I-Application
,	O
users	O
can	O
do	O
a	O
variety	O
of	O
things	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
These	O
include	O
purchasing	O
new	O
homes	O
,	O
decorating	O
them	O
,	O
stylizing	O
their	O
avatar	B-Application
however	O
they	O
see	O
fit	O
,	O
adopting	O
pets	O
,	O
role-playing	O
,	O
meeting	O
new	O
people	O
,	O
and	O
socializing	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
They	O
can	O
also	O
participate	O
in	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
virtual	B-Application
economy	I-Application
by	O
buying	O
,	O
selling	O
,	O
and	O
trading	O
virtual	B-General_Concept
goods	I-General_Concept
,	O
such	O
as	O
furniture	O
and	O
clothing	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
YoWorld	B-Application
has	O
its	O
own	O
map	O
filled	O
with	O
public	O
locations	O
,	O
as	O
well	O
as	O
various	O
hangouts	O
players	O
can	O
go	O
to	O
meet	O
new	O
people	O
,	O
such	O
as	O
,	O
but	O
not	O
limited	O
to	O
,	O
a	O
vintage	O
diner	O
and	O
a	O
nightclub	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
YoWorlders	O
can	O
also	O
make	O
posts	O
and	O
participate	O
in	O
discussion	O
on	O
the	O
YoWorld	B-Application
Forums	O
,	O
where	O
they	O
can	O
give	O
feedback	O
for	O
new	O
themes	O
,	O
features	O
,	O
and	O
assets	O
they	O
'd	O
like	O
to	O
see	O
in-game	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
May	O
8	O
,	O
2008	O
,	O
YoVille	B-Application
was	O
first	O
launched	O
,	O
and	O
the	O
game	O
opened	O
its	O
doors	O
to	O
the	O
world	O
of	O
players	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
July	O
2008	O
,	O
Tall	O
Tree	O
Games	O
sold	O
YoVille	B-Application
to	O
Zynga	O
,	O
where	O
the	O
game	O
was	O
run	O
by	O
VP	O
of	O
Product	O
Kyle	O
Stewart	O
and	O
Zynga	O
co-founder	O
Justin	O
Waldron	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
2009	O
,	O
YoVille	B-Application
forums	O
,	O
the	O
official	O
forums	O
of	O
YoVille	B-Application
was	O
created	O
for	O
players	O
at	O
www.yoville.com	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
January	O
10	O
,	O
2014	O
,	O
Zynga	O
announced	O
that	O
YoVille	B-Application
will	O
be	O
closed	O
on	O
March	O
31	O
,	O
2014	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Greg	O
Thomson	O
,	O
creator	O
of	O
the	O
YoVille	B-Application
game	O
from	O
London	O
,	O
Ontario	O
,	O
Canada	O
,	O
was	O
featured	O
on	O
CBC	O
Ontario	O
Morning	O
and	O
when	O
interviewed	O
,	O
he	O
expressed	O
interest	O
in	O
buying	O
the	O
game	O
back	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
March	O
5	O
,	O
2014	O
,	O
Zynga	O
announced	O
that	O
they	O
are	O
continuing	O
the	O
YoVille	B-Application
program	O
&	O
It	O
will	O
not	O
shut	O
down	O
as	O
previously	O
planned	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Big	O
Viking	O
Games	O
announced	O
on	O
their	O
Facebook	O
page	O
that	O
they	O
had	O
successfully	O
acquired	O
and	O
'	O
saved	O
 '	O
YoVille	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
May	O
12	O
,	O
YoVille	B-Application
was	O
taken	O
offline	O
for	O
24	O
hours	O
while	O
data	O
and	O
information	O
are	O
transferred	O
to	O
Big	O
Viking	O
Game	O
's	O
servers	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Due	O
to	O
copyrights	O
YoVille	B-Application
is	O
now	O
formally	O
known	O
as	O
YoWorld	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
May	O
12	O
the	O
game	O
began	O
its	O
transformation	O
from	O
YoVille	B-Application
to	O
YoWorld	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
May	O
13	O
YoVille	B-Application
was	O
re-launched	O
as	O
YoWorld	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Since	O
the	O
Re-launch	O
of	O
Yoworld	B-Application
,	O
It	O
has	O
continued	O
to	O
thrive	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Since	O
the	O
purchase	O
of	O
YoWorld	B-Application
,	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
community	O
has	O
fallen	O
to	O
roughly	O
30,000	O
daily	O
players	O
.	O
</s>
