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MMO Family: What exactly is a kid-friendly MMO?
Recently, Massively's Jef Reahard seemed to revisit his inner-child with his Why I Play article on Clone Wars Adventures and a Daily Grind of a similar topic. He summed up perfectly why CWA, a kid-friendly MMO, is a lot of fun for grown-ups too. There are actually many MMOs that are marketed toward a younger audience but are fun and challenging enough to entertain adults. Meanwhile, there are plenty of kids who have no problem holding their own in "grown-up" MMOs. So what exactly makes an MMO kid-friendly? It might not be as easy to define as we think.
Wizard101 comes to Mac
Mac-users, we know you're magical as it is, but if you want to flex your wizarding muscles a bit more, KingsIsle Entertainment has a robe and wizard's hat waiting just for you. Today the studio announced that its family-oriented spellslinging MMO, Wizard101, is now available for Mac. The game is free to download and play, so if you want to get in on the action, just head on over to the Wizard101 official site. [Source: KingsIsle Entertainment press release]
MMO Family: Winter roundup of kid-friendly MMOs
Winter is always my favorite time of year for family-friendly MMOs. Holiday events tend to be the norm now in most MMOs, but they're tailor-made for games with a younger audience. Winter also seems to usher in lots of new changes and updates as well, so it's time again to revisit some popular titles to play catch up. Over the past year, we've looked at several new titles and visited veteran MMOs titles to see what's changed. From Club Penguin to Pirate101, we'll look at recent updates and upcoming news in MMO Family's winter roundup!
Wizard101, Pirate101 celebrate season with 12 days of specials
It's that time of year -- the time when the festivities lurk around every corner and good cheer permeates the air. And KingsIsle Entertianment joins in the celebration with the 12 Days of the Spiral! Starting today and going through December 19th, the studio is offering a special daily surprise for Wizard101 and Pirate101 players. Each day could reveal a special offer, a free giveaway, or a new item for one or both of the games. The first deal really gets to the heart of the spirit of giving: Every purchase of today's special, the Fa-La-La-La Llama mount, will directly benefit two children's charity organizations. This limited-edition mount is available for both games, but must be purchased separately for each.
The Soapbox: Remembering that games are games
I think it's safe to assume that we all love games. If we didn't, I wouldn't be in this crowded, noisy coffee shop writing this and you wouldn't be blowing off some sort of important responsibility reading it. We're all here together, engaged in this somewhat-anonymous internet back-and-forth, because games have touched our lives. It sounds corny, but it's true. For many of us, games have a deeply personal and specific meaning. We like the games we like not so much for their craftsmanship or content but for the way they engage our minds and spirits. Games create incredible, irreplaceable moments infused with emotional resonance, and it's only natural we would feel some sort of personal connection when a piece of digital entertainment syncs just right. It is precisely this personal connection that leads many of us to act like total morons.
Dinosaurs are now live in Wizard101's Azteca content update
Last month, KingsIsle Entertainment shared the news about an upcoming land in Wizard101 populated by intelligent dinosaurs and littered with ancient temples. Today, that lost world of Azteca has been found, and is now on the live server for players to enjoy. Besides dinosaurs, this content update includes new mounts, gear, pets, another crafting tier complete with new recipes, a higher level cap (90), and many new spells. Adventurers can also explore 13 new zones. To learn more about the update, check out Massively's Interview with Producer Leah Ruben. Don't forget about the patch notes! [Source: KingsIsle press release]
KingsIsle releases Grub Guardian satellite game for Wizard101
KingsIsle Entertainment wants you to know about Grub Guardian, its latest product that is both inspired by and accessory to Wizard101. Grub Guardian is a stand-alone guardian defense game for iOS devices and PC or Android web browsers. Players can log in using their existing Wizard101 accounts and "advance the skills and experience of their in-game pets," according to a KingsIsle press release. The company boasts of more than 30 million registered users across its free-to-play family-friendly MMOs, and it says that satellite games like Grub Guardian "represent a new frontier for game design in which standalone mobile game connect seamlessly with larger online worlds like Wizard101." [Source: KingsIsle press release]
Wizard101 invites us to the dinosaur world of Azteca
While KingsIsle has been heavily focused on Pirate101's recent launch, the studio wanted to send a strong message that it's still fully behind Wizard101 and has a dedicated team working hard to keep improving and expanding the game. In fact, the Wizard101 team is larger now than it was at launch and has a huge announcement to share. So what's the big exciting news of the day? Producer Leah Ruben was bursting at the seams to tell us in three words: "Dinosaurs are awesome!" Actually, the big news is that Wizard101 is preparing to release its ninth new world since launch, a dinosaur world named Azteca. Azteca not only will challenge players to progress through 13 areas but is going to raise the level cap. And the biggest surprise of all? It's going on test servers this week for players to try out. Keep on reading to find out what Azteca is going to do for the landscape of Wizard101!
Battle for the high skies: Hands-on with Pirate101
Her name is Reckless Roslyn Ramsey, and she is a pirate. She sails a ship, loots treasure, hangs out in seedy bars, and fights anyone who stands between her and the fame and fortune she so rightly deserves. You wouldn't be lying to say that young Ms. Ramsey has swashed a fair few buckles in her time, and the pink and white, panda and crossbones flag under which she and her crew sail is feared the world over. Such is life in Pirate101, a family-oriented MMO created by KingsIsle Entertainment and due to launch today. Placing you in the role of a young pirate at the beginning of his or her quest for glory, Pirate101 asks you to carve your own path, gather cunning crewmembers, and discover the hidden mysteries of The Spiral (a fantasy world the game shares with smash hit Wizard101). I hopped in on the Pirate101 head-start over the weekend to get an idea of what this colorful MMO has to offer and to see whether its kid-friendly design hinders its ability to be fun for those of us jaded gamers who expect a little blood with our sword slashes. What I found was an accessible game with a clear slant toward younger players as well as a robust and fun MMO with plenty to offer grown-ups seeking to step away from the grim, dark worlds of more traditional fare.
MMO Family: How kid-friendly games can treat MMO malaise
Let's face it: It hasn't been a banner year for MMOs. We've witnessed disappointing launches, studio layoffs, and even studio meltdowns. There have been reports questioning whether MMOs are a good investment, and some studios have even signaled that they're shying away from traditional MMO development in the future. With all of these dark clouds looming overhead, it's sometimes hard to stay cheerful about MMOs. But ironically, the kid-friendly genre might actually buck the trend. KingsIsle's launch of Pirate101 and SOE's recent updates to Clone Wars Adventures and Free Realms might help curb the malaise with a blend of old and new styles of gameplay. In this week's MMO Family we'll look at what's new with these titles and why kids both young and old have reason to celebrate.
Pirate101 head start begins on October 8th
If you're a fan of family-friendly MMO Wizard101 and can't wait to get a taste of KingsIsle's next project, then this is your lucky week because Pirate101 is set to begin its head start on October 8th. While the game doesn't officially hit digital shelves until October 15th, you can hop in and get to pirating beginning on the 8th by picking up specific membership types or snagging a pre-launch game bundle (beta participants are also invited). Additionally, Pirate101 game cards will be available in retail stores as of October 8th. Pirate101 is in many ways the spiritual successor to Wizard101 and marks an ambitious undertaking by KingsIsle to build another engaging and successful MMO that is also family friendly and safe. We talked to producer Jay Gordon and associate producer Mike Stone to get an idea of the challenges the team faced and what may lie in store for those looking to loot and plunder.
The Daily Grind: Which two MMOs would you like to see crossover?
I love crossovers. They're quite common in comics and in television while a little less so with movies (although crossovers happen even there). But what about MMOs? EVE Online and DUST 514 are going to share the same universe, while Pirate101 and Wizard101 take place in the Spiral with plenty of crossover possibility. That said, what if there were a true crossover between MMOs? What if characters, mobs, or events could spill over from one into another? Maybe the rifts from RIFT would suddenly start threatening Middle-earth or the gangstas from APB would decide to hijack a few starships in Star Trek Online? What if Marvel and DC would allow a limited-time interaction between their two MMOs in the future for some epic superhero throwdowns? Today, only your imagination is the limit. Which two MMOs would you like to see crossover? Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind!
The Soapbox: There's no such thing as pay-to-win
Disclaimer: The Soapbox column is entirely the opinion of this week's writer and does not necessarily reflect the views of Massively as a whole. If you're afraid of opinions other than your own, you might want to skip this column. I hate it when MMORPG players completely misrepresent this hobby. I cringe every time I find myself in the middle of a discussion about "MMOs" when most of the people chatting are pulling only from their experience as a World of Warcraft raider and nothing more. There are hundreds -- actually, thousands -- of MMOs in existence. Discussing MMOs without knowing about as many as possible is really talking about specific titles, not a genre. You wouldn't catch a group of "foodies" basing all of their passions on a few items from a handful of menus. The same should apply to MMO discussions if we ever want the genre to be taken more seriously by outsiders. MMO players love to pigeonhole titles. What are some of the worst descriptions? "Hardcore" is one. What does that even mean? Does it mean a title is hard to play? In what way is it hard? Does it mean that it takes time to play? How much time equals hardcore? "Facebook game" is another term that drives me crazy, and it's often used by many MMO fans to dismiss all sorts of titles. While I know that the term generally refers to FarmVille-style gaming, using the term literally reflects how little the person knows about the variety of games that actually appear on or are connected to Facebook. The term that drives me the craziest of all is pay-to-win.
MMO Blender: Karen's kid-friendly game with grown-up appeal
I regularly explore the good, bad, and the ugly in kid-friendly MMOs, so I was eager to have a turn with the MMO Blender to see if I could concoct a game that would be appealing for kids but also have some features that should be standard in grown-up MMOs as well. There are a lot of MMOs out there that are aimed at a young audience, but I think the industry sometimes holds back and opts to make a game that's safe. The result of going safe, though, is that it's also not that compelling. Let's take a look at a few features that would make a (nearly) perfect kid-friendly MMO, one that might even be appealing to adults.
Previously on MV TV: The week of August 18th
Ah, livestreaming. It's not for the faint of heart. Streaming a favorite title requires knowledge of technology, a solid internet pipeline, and the willingness to have your noobnessocity pushed live for all to see. It's not a thankless job, however. We livestreamers get to show viewers our favorite titles or titles that the audience might not have seen before. For me, it's a challenge to find new and interesting games, while the other streamers tend to enjoy showing off classic titles or new parts of modern hits. Variety is the keyword when it comes to our livestream lineup! So what did we show off this week? Well, let's start with MJ running through The Secret World and EverQuest II, followed by our favorite little Piggy taking on an hour's worth of Champions Online. Mike followed up with an hour in his favorites World of Tanks, EVE Online and Drakensang Online. I steered into worlds unknown by streaming some Vendetta Online and followed that up with an exclusive (first!) livestream of Pirate101, KingsIsle's soon-to-be-hit. Check it out, but be sure to bookmark our livestream page so you don't miss a thing going forward! Feel free to add suggestions in the comments section while you're here. We get a lot of our ideas from readers and always love to hear more.
MMO Family: Pirate101 and the Pixar effect
Back at the ranch, it's been a pretty busy (and off the grid) summer. We've spent the bulk of it at the grandparents' house at the beach, complete with snorkeling, beach combing, hikes to a nearby island, and lots of late nights discussing the finer points of the Harry Potter series. That made for many late nights, but a couple of weeks ago, I suddenly didn't have to struggle to get my kids to go to bed. Turns out, they wanted to play a certain game to wrap up their day, and that game was Pirate101. What's interesting is that they liked it for different reasons than I do, and I actually found myself rethinking my approach to games by watching them play. In this week's MMO Family, we'll look at some first impressions from a kid's-eye view and explore how KingsIsle is able to hit all of the right notes (again) to make a compelling game for both kids and adults.
Massively's first impressions of Pirate101
If you've been following the MMO industry for a while, you've probably been watching in near astonishment as Texas-based developer KingsIsle Entertainment grew a little-known MMO called Wizard101 from the level of "just some kids game" all the way to a very successful world for all ages. So when we heard about a new title in the works, we wondered whether it was possible for the KingsIsle team to duplicate its earlier successes. Well, after trying out new kids on the block Pirate101, I can say that it might even dwarf the success of its predecessor. Why do I say that? Well, there are many reasons. The game is in only a beta stage, but it's aiming for a launch this year. And even though it's still in beta, the current Wizard101 fanbase is going nuts over the game. If that, combined with the unique selling points of the two titles, is any indication, KingsIsle can count Pirate101 as a huge step forward. One that will make a lot of money, I'm sure. %Gallery-162820%
Pirate101 sails into closed beta
Ahoy, landlubbers! If ye be ready to get your sea legs, prepare for adventure and board Pirate101 as it leaves dock and sets sail into closed beta. Although first-round invitations to participate in the beta have already gone out to testers, more beta key giveaways are in the works and will appear over the next several weeks. You can keep up to date on all beta access promotions at the official website. Pirate101 offers rich storylines, fully voiced characters, and friendly navigation in a game with something for everyone, whether a player is casual or seeks more complex and in-depth systems. The game is set to launch later this year. [Source: KingsIsle Entertainment press release]
KingsIsle discusses Wizard101, pet upgrades, PvP, and pirates
If you've found yourself going crazy over raising pets in the hugely successful Wizard101, worry no longer! We called up Fred Howard, KingsIsle VP of Marketing, to discuss some of the upcoming changes en route to one of the most popular activities in Wizard101. These pet changes are underway thanks in large part to a very passionate, informed community of players who have been asking for specific tweaks for quite a while. Pets aren't just for looks in Wizard101; they can level, aid in combat, and be hatched from eggs. There's even a fan-made Petnome Project to break down each pet and its abilities. We also virtually twisted Fred's arm and got a few comments about Pirate101, KingsIsle's next MMO. Fans of PvP will also be pleased at what he had to say. Just click past the cut and we'll break it down for you.
Pirate101 co-creator: 'Our goal is to become the Pixar of online gaming'
KingsIsle Entertainment Vice President J. Todd Coleman sat down with Forbes to give some insight into the development process of the studio's upcoming Pirate101 -- and how the studio plans to expand its empire. "We have more plans for the 101 universe," Coleman said, "but we're also looking to expand beyond it with other properties. Our ultimate goal, to summarize it easily, is to become the Pixar of the online gaming space." Coleman went into the challenges of developing a title set in the same universe but with a different thematic bent and combat system. He also said that the Pirate101 team is twice the size of Wizard101's, mostly because the studio's follow-up MMO is bound to be compared with its eight-years-in-development predecessor. Competitors might want to think twice about taking KingsIsle on, however. Coleman notes that many have tried and failed, such as LEGO Universe. "Realistically, if you want to compete with Wizard101 at this point, you're looking at an investment of at least 5 to 6 years and well over $100 million in total cost," he said.
