Moshi mania at online games pop-up shop

Some 1,700 kids and parents swarmed to London’s Moshi Monsters pop-up shop during its first 24 hours.

Mind Candy – the developer behind the hit online virtual pets game – opened the one-off spin-off shop two weeks ago.

The firm even had to draft in extra security to cope with the store’s attendees at Whiteley’s Shopping Centre in London.

Fans came from across the UK, and there was even a coach organised by mothers in Peterborough.

The store was only scheduled to be open during Half Term, but huge popularity persuaded Mind Candy to keep the store open for another week.

And the firm has told MCV that it is likely to do this again, possibly even on a larger scale, although it has nothing to announce at this time.

At the event, children were handed free copies of the new Moshi Monsters Magazine, had the chance to meet Moshi Monsters creator Michael Acton Smith, not to mention the monsters themselves – Poppet and Furi.

In-store activities including drawing and face paintings, and Moshi Monsters merchandise – which debuted in January – was available to buy.

We were blown away by the response to the pop-up shop launch yesterday”, said Michael Acton Smith.

It’s incredible to see the kids interacting with the brand in such a positive way and hearing what they’d like to see next.”