world-of-cars
Latest
MMO Family: Are kid-friendly MMOs doomed to extinction?
Recently, the family-friendly segment of the MMO industry suffered a bit of a blow with the news of Disney's decision to shut down Pirates of the Caribbean Online and Toontown. These were both titles that had been around for years, and both had loyal fanbases. Toontown in particular has been around for about a decade and won several awards through the years. So when the sunsettings were announced, it raised questions about whether kid-friendly games are as successful as publishers might have hoped. In fact, these aren't the only relatively well-known kids' titles to be shut down over the past year. And while it might be premature to signal the death knell for kid MMOs, it's a good time to do an assessment on what's working and what might be hampering success. In this week's MMO Family, it's time to do a little state of the (kid-friendly) industry.
MMO Family: A parent's look at World of Cars Online
MMO Family is your resource for leveling a gaming-specced family, from tips on balancing gaming with family life to finding age-appropriate online games for everyone in the family. How could you not fall in love with a Disney/Pixar movie? I'm not sure that's even possible. Cars revved up belly laughs in the theater back in 2006, earning two Oscar nominations and raking in more than a dozen other industry awards. Kids were captivated by the feisty little car characters, and grownups chuckled at voicing from such high-octane stars as Owen Wilson, Paul Newman and even Cheech Marin. The MMO version of the franchise, which officially launched last month, pulls away from the starting line without this full tank of charisma. World of Cars Online hits on all cylinders yet somehow fails to throttle up into the type of completely engaging world we've come to expect from a Disney/Pixar creation. It's a 2-D, minigame-centric experience with lots (and we do mean lots) of point-and-click racing. Still, if you've got a young boy around the house who's hankering to burn a little online rubber, World of Cars is an inexpensive, kid-friendly way to do it.
World of Cars takes off with a full tank of gas
It's not every day that you're invited to make an anthropomorphized vehicle that you're expected to both race and comfort its feelings. Leave it to Disney Pixar, then, to make the first move in that department, which is why they've launched World of Cars for the hot-rodding set. Based on the 2006 hit animated film, World of Cars invites drivers of all ages to create their own personable car and go head-to-head with friends and strangers. There are even cameos from the movie, as Cheech Marin and Jennifer Lewis return to reprise their roles in the game. Players can explore the open world, upgrade their cars, and enter races for fame and money as they like. Right now, World of Cars is free-to-play with optional microtransactions and subscriptions, and features a full set of parental controls so your mommy or daddy can tell you when you need to stop playing and go into work. Or school. It's okay, we won't tell anyone you're actually having fun with cartoon cars if you won't tell on us too.
World of Cars Online enters open beta
Remember Cars? Lightning McQueen, Radiator Springs, and Tow Mater -- the movie spawned a million licensed bedsheets, toys, and tennis shoes. Cars was released in 2006 and the franchise is still going strong today: Disney is taking it into the MMO market now. World of Cars Online, an MMO for the younger set, has entered open beta. It's free-to-play, with the option to subscribe for access to higher levels in minigames and better items here and there. The game allows you to design your own car, have a house (garage), participate in races, and more. The monthly sub fee -- referred to as a sponsorship -- is $5.95 USD, and as with many games, if you show some support via your wallet by subscribing during beta, you'll get some goodies at launch in addition to the normal sponsorship perks, such as a special paint job and license plate.) Check out the official site for all the details.
E308: Catching up with Disney Online
Despite the craziness that is E3, Massively got a chance to talk to Mike Goslin, VP at Disney Online. We spoke to him about Pirates of the Caribbean Online's future, the launch of World of Cars (a virtual world based on Pixar's "Cars") and their plans for consoles as well as Asian markets. Read on for his answers with more after the jump.What's next for 'Pirates of the Caribbean Online'?Goslin: We have a lot of really great content in the pipeline for Pirates. One of the big upcoming expansions is Privateering, which allows players to engage in epic sea battles against each other. Players choose a side, either French or Spanish, assemble a crew, and blast away. As part of Privateering we introduced some new islands where pirate lords challenge players with special quests to prove their worth and earn some cool new rewards.What is the timeline for closed beta on the 'Cars Online' title?Goslin: The World of Cars virtual world will roll out in 2009. We have not yet announced any specific dates for beta, but we will make sure to let you know when those are confirmed!
