View source for Software:Panfu

{{Short description|2007 video game}}
{{Infobox online service
 |name                     = Panfu
 |title                    = ''Panfu - Be a Panda!''
 |image                    = Panfu-Logo.png
 |image_size               = 237px
 |developer                = Goodbeans GmbH
 |type                     = [[Massively multiplayer online game]]
 |launched                 = {{DEU|#}} {{Start date|2007|12}}<br /> {{ENG|#}} February 2008<br /> {{FRA|#}} February 2008<br /> {{ESP|#}} February 2008<br /> {{NLD|#}} February 2008<br /> {{POL|#}} April 2008<br /> {{SWE|#}} July 2008<br /> {{NOR|#}} July 2008<br /> {{FIN|#}} July 2008<br /> {{DNK|#}} July 2008<br /> {{RUS|#}} December 2008<br /> {{BRA|#}} July 2010<br /> {{UAE|#}} August 2010
 |discontinued             = {{End date|2016|11|01}}
 |platform                 =  Online ([[Software:Adobe Flash|Adobe Flash]])
 |status                   = Closed ({{End date|2016|11|01}})
 |members                  =
 |website                  = {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161029091930/http://www.panfu.com/|title=Panfu Website|date=October 29, 2016}}
}}
'''Panfu''' was a [[Massively multiplayer online game|massively multiplayer online game]] for children aged between 6 and 14, involving a [[Virtual world|virtual world]] where players could create their own panda and explore the island of ''Panfu''. Players were able to complete quests, play mini-games and chat with other pandas. According to the creators, about 15,000 players registered daily on the German Panfu.<ref>[https://meedia.de/2009/06/23/panfu-de-der-goliath-bei-den-kids/ Interview with Panfu co-founder Kay Kühne - Meedia.de]</ref> Panfu was made available to the general public on December 1, 2007 – after a [[Software testing#Beta testing|beta testing]]-phase which lasted a month.<ref name="deutschStartup">[https://www.deutsche-startups.de/2007/12/03/panfude-schickt-die-pandas-los/ Panfu.de schickt die Pandas los - Deutsche Startups]</ref>

The servers were taken offline in November 2016 after Goodbeans GmbH filed for bankruptcy in 2015.<ref name="gruenderszene">[https://www.businessinsider.de/gruenderszene/allgemein/rdrct-rocket-internet-startups-vergessenheit/ Die vergessenen Rocket-Startups - Gründerszene]</ref>

== History ==
[[File:Kay Kuehne (Movistar Innova).jpg|thumb|right|Panfu co-founder Kay Kühne.]]
The two founders of Young Internet, Kay Kühne and Moritz Hohl, first published ''Panfu'' in December 2007, after 3 months of development and a month of public [[Software testing#Beta testing|beta testing]]. ''Panfu'' is a name composed of the words "panda" and the Chinese word for happiness, "fu".<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YqLgxSIhFqY Documentary about Panfu on German television]</ref> Only 6 weeks after its launch, Panfu had more than 300,000 registered members.<ref>[https://www.finanznachrichten.de/nachrichten-2008-01/9894226-erfolgreicher-start-fuer-kinder-online-welt-panfu-nach-nur-sechs-wochen-zaehlt-panfu-de-ueber-300-000-mitglieder-taeglich-15-000-neuanmeldungen-007.htm Erfolgreicher Start für Kinder-Online-Welt Panfu / Nach nur sechs Wochen zählt Panfu.de über 300.000 Mitglieder / Täglich 15.000 Neuanmeldungen]</ref> Following this, ''Panfu'' hit one million users in April 2008,<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20101229055628/http://www.panfu.de/presse/DE/pressemitteilungen/PM_Panfu_1_Mio_User_April_2008_DE.pdf Panfu 1 Mio User April 2008 DE]</ref> and in June 2009, the website had 10 million users worldwide and stood as the biggest children's virtual world in Europe.<ref>[https://meedia.de/2009/06/23/panfu-de-der-goliath-bei-den-kids/ Panfu.de: Der Goliath bei den Kids - Meedia.de]</ref>

[[File:Panfu_video_game_screenshot.png|thumb|right|Panfu screenshot]]
The number of users eventually grew to over 15 million, and the game was translated into 12 different languages.<ref>[https://meedia.de/2010/09/06/panfu-quengelfaktor-als-erfolgsgeheimnis/ Panfu: “Quengelfaktor” als Erfolgsgeheimnis - Meedia.de]</ref> In April 2012, Young Internet was renamed to Goodbeans and shifted their focus to mobile gaming.<ref>[http://www.goodbeans.com/blog/2012-04/from-today-on-young-internet-will-be-goodbeans.html Goodbeans Blog: "From today on Young Internet will be goodbeans"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140413090329/http://www.goodbeans.com/blog/2012-04/from-today-on-young-internet-will-be-goodbeans.html |date=2014-04-13 }}</ref> With the new focus on mobile-only, their focus slowly drifted away from ''Panfu''. The last team-members were laid off in December 2014, and in February 2015 there were only two employees left.<ref>[https://www.gruenderszene.de/allgemein/haba-fox-and-sheep-exit?interstitial_click HABA Fox and Sheep-exit - Gründerszene]</ref> In January 2015 Goodbeans filed for bankruptcy, after ''Panfu'' had not been updated since December 2014. Instead of shutting ''Panfu'' down completely, the team decided to let the game remain open until the domain expired, and thus never properly announced that they were closing.<ref>[https://archive.org/details/omrpodcast-omr-174-verena-pausder OMR #174 - Verena Pausder interview]</ref> ''Panfu'' finally closed in November 2016.<ref name="verenaTweet">{{Cite web |url=https://twitter.com/VerenaDE/status/789287533561511936 |title=VerenaDE on Twitter: "It was stopped this September, but I don't know any details." |access-date=2019-02-14 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190619114635/https://twitter.com/VerenaDE/status/789287533561511936 |archive-date=2019-06-19 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="igdb">[https://www.igdb.com/games/panfu/presskit Panfu Presskit - IGDB]</ref><ref name="gruenderszene"/>

== Security in Panfu ==
According to the creators, security was the biggest priority in ''Panfu''.{{Citation needed|date=March 2022}} The chat was closed from 3 AM to 8 AM on weekdays, and from 8 PM to 11 AM on weekends. A word filter prevented verbal attacks and warned players when they didn't follow the rules. The chat was also under strict observation by moderators, who acted as safeguarders for players on the site. Parents could also opt-in to allow their child to only see the high security-chat. It allowed the child to select chats from a menu of premade greetings, questions, phrases, feelings, and options for action.<ref>[https://www.welt.de/die-welt/finanzen/article4727378/So-behalten-Eltern-den-Ueberblick.html "Die Welt" about security on the internet]</ref>

In July 2009, the first Panda sheriffs were introduced to help the moderators keep ''Panfu'' safe. They could mute other players for 30 minutes or freeze them, so they could not do anything for a minute. This worked only a few times, after which the sheriffs had to bring another sheriff or a moderator to help. Players could tell which pandas were sheriffs by the star-badge they had on their profiles.

== Membership ==
Some features in ''Panfu'' required players to purchase a membership known as "Gold Panda" in order to be used. "Gold Panda" gave players the opportunity to decorate their treehouse, purchase clothes, adopt a pet and visit the "Underwater School".<ref>[https://www.commonsensemedia.org/website-reviews/panfu Panfu Website Review - Common Sense Media]</ref>
In 2013, a lifetime Gold Panda-offer was made, which was originally intended to be limited only to the spring of that year, but instead ended up remaining until the game was closed.<ref>[https://www.facebook.com/Panfu/posts/542986062390878 Panfu's Facebook-post about lifetime-membership]</ref>

== References ==
<references/>

[[Category:Massively multiplayer online games]]
[[Category:Massively multiplayer online role-playing games]]

{{Sourceattribution|Panfu}}