Millsberry

Probably anyone who reads this has never even heard of Millsberry. It was an online game sponsored and run by General Mills cereal, mostly as an advertising gimmick. You would sign up, create and dress up a character, then go around a whole town of shops, arcades, et cetera.
My brother and I used to play this game a lot, mostly for the arcade mini games. We would constantly be fighting for the high score. My personal favorite game was the skiing one, Slalom..something. It was really fun!
My favorite part in the entire game, though, was decorating your house. You could add furniture, buy pets
(<3) and show off your house to other Millberry "citizens" if you unlocked your house, or became friends with a person who wanted to see it. I thought my house was pretty cool.
Mutt and I grew out of the game, and never really had the time for it anymore, so we didn't go on it anymore.  Not that it matters anymore. Millsberry is gone. It closed yesterday, or something, and it's just...gone. They apparently announced it was shutting down last winter, but I haven't been on Millsberry in AGES. I didn't know until a friend of mine mentioned it on a social website I use...
Why are all the websites I like shutting down? First it was Virtual Magic Kingdom (long story), then World of Cars Online, then Barbie Girls, now Millsberry. What's next?
Sure, Millsberry wasn't a very interactive or exciting game, but it was fun and part of my childhood. And now it's just gone? Because of what, you might ask? Toucan Sam.
Yes, they shut down Millsberry because General Mills' characters are making kids biased on wanting cereal, and making them ask their parents to buy it for them. Millsberry was basically nothing BUT Toucan Sam, Lucky Leprachan (I think I misspelled that), CooCoo the Cocoa Puffs Bird, Chef Cinnamon, etc. It sounds as if they're getting pulled. Hasn't that been the gimmick all along? Colorful character= kids want the cereal= parents buy the cereal for the kids. General Mills is blaming the characters, not the parents who don't decide for themselves whether or not to buy their kids the sugary cereal.
I played this game for years. Did it make me want the cereal more? Overall, no. Of course, there were times when I really wanted Cinnamon Toast Crunch, because of this one arcade game, but I got over it.
Well, farewell, Millsberry, you were a fun game, and will be sorely missed.