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Wizard 101 previews first game content expansion, Dragonspyre
KingsIsle, the makers of Wizard101, have unveiled their plans for the next big content update for their card-iconic kid's game. With players still investigating the new PvP spell arena recently added to the title, it's interesting to see new content like this announced so soon! Players who have already worked their way through the four Wizard101 worlds will have a new realm to explore: the world of Dragonspyre. The site of a once-active magical school, the new zone is now a burnt-out husk. Players will be forced to deal with dark creatures specializing in Fire Magic, and a slew of new opponents. The new content area is expected to drop sometime in January of 2009. Read into the preview from Warcry to enjoy a bevy of screenshots of the new area, or check out Tipa's writing about the game at West Karana for a player's view of Wizard101.
Kids try to get around Wizard101 language restrictions
Player 1: What can you see out your window?Player 2: A large fruit. You?Player 1: Uhh, OK... I can see Russia from my house.Player 2: What? Usually the language restrictions in MMOs consist of vulgarities and, less frequently, racial or sexual slurs. But Wizard101, a game targeted to a younger demographic, goes beyond that and disallows revealing location to other players. In fact, players under the age of 13 are not allowed to use the full chat function at all. This is to prevent kids from detailing where they are just in case.The problem is that kids get curious and ask other players where they live regardless - mind you, it has to be in a roundabout sort of way. Since many cannot answer directly, they have been trying to use features of the state or nicknames to describe their location. They may not get very far in actually depicting their state, but the effort surely must be a learning experience in speaking indirectly. With this type of skill, these players may just have futures in politics.
Are Wizard101's child protection measures too much?
As probably one of the most vocal supporters of KingsIsle Entertainment's Wizard101, Tipa over at West Karana certainly has shown us the beauty of this new free-to-play children's MMO. Her blog posts have covered several months of experiences progressing through the game, and have probably had a hand in getting many others into it as well.In a recent post, Tipa takes a retrospective look back at the game and what she thinks was done right or wrong in its development so far. One particularly interesting part is her analysis of the security measures taken to prevent children from talking to random strangers in the game. "W101 is a great game," she writes. "It's a fun game, it's an innovative game, but it's a game that has bought into the hysteria that every adult is a real or potential child abuser, completely disregarding that children are in considerably more danger from people they know in real life than from anyone they might meet playing a video game." It's certainly an interesting point on an innovation that has been showcased as a main family-friendly feature. Check out Tipa's complete blog for more of her thoughts on Wizard101.
Wizard101 lets players choose their payment method
In an innovative move by KingsIsle Entertainment, Wizard101 has just announced their new payment plan which promises to cater to a larger audience. This new plan will let players decide for themselves which game payment plan suits them best. As described in a recent press release: At the basic level, Wizard101 is free-to-play for as long as players choose. Subscriptions provide advanced gameplay access for a monthly fee. Prices start at $6.95 per account per month for multiple accounts on the family plan, or $9.95 per month for the regular subscription. All items will be available to subscribers via in-game gold or item drops. The micropayment system now allows individual streets or "zones" to be unlocked for as little as $1.00. Players purchase packages of in-game currency called Crowns to buy zones or items in the game. A volume discount is available based on the number of Crowns purchased.
The Daily Grind: MMOs for Newbies?
Wizard101 launched just yesterday, and it's enough to get us thinking about the growing field of youth-oriented MMOs. Despite their intentions, these 'kiddie' games are actually great on a number of levels. Not only do they fulfill the obvious demographic needs (games for young kids, games for teens, games parents can play with their kids) many of them are quality enough to be worth playing by adults. So we wanted to ask today: what 'kiddie' games are you playing? Do you think the new crop of kid and teen-oriented MMOs is a good thing, or a bad thing? Looking forward to SOE's Free Realms as much as the Massively crew is? And most of all, what MMOs would you suggest for folks looking to get their kids into games?
The Making of Wizard101
Interested in KingsIsle Entertainment's forthcoming Wizard101? Do you have a deep desire to learn to cast spells and summon monsters in order to save your universe -- all universes -- from the evil machinations of one rogue wizard? Do you pore through Harry Potter books taking notes on the correct way to flick the wand when casting Oculus Repairus?Yeah, we do, too. If you're lucky enough to be in the Wizard101 beta, you probably are busy dressing up your homonculous and decorating your cauldron, but for those of us still waiting to crack the ol' spell book, KingsIsle has released the documentary "The Making of Wizard 101", in four parts. We have magically gathered them together for you -- after the break. Enjoy!
Testers summoned to Wizard101 Beta
Back in late May, Massively presented an in-depth look at Wizard101, the new family-friendly MMORPG from KingsIsle Entertainment, in which players take on the role of novice wizards studying spellcraft at the Ravenwood School of Magical Arts. Notable for its emphasis on suitability for young people, Wizard101 uses an innovative card game based system to resolve combat and features several addictive mini-games. We loved the doodle-style illustrations, too - reminiscent of the Order of the Stick. The free beta test has now started, so prospective sorcerers can get in line and wait to build up their decks of spells. You can also use the online character creator on the Wizard101 website to find out which school of wizardry you ought to belong to: Fire, Ice, Myth, Storms, Life, Death or Balance.
KingsIsle casting MMO spell on kiddos with Wizard101
It seems like a day seldom goes by without news of one company or another vying for its own sliver of delicious crust from the MMO pie. The latest to take a bite is Austin-based startup KingsIsle Entertainment, which this morning officially threw its crown into the ring by announcing a new MMO titled Wizard101. Designed for the younger set in mind, the colorful game plays on such things as Harry Potter and CCGs by casting players in the role of a youngster at a wizarding school where spells and combat play out in turn-based fashion using collectible online cards. While obviously not competing with the likes of World of Warcraft or Age of Conan, the game looks to offer tweens coming off of such things as Toontown or Club Penguin a game with a slightly more serious MMO flavor when Wizard101 casts its spell in the third quarter. Gallery: Wizard101
Massively hands-on: Wizard101
KingsIsle Entertainment was founded way back in 2005 -- and since their inception, they seem to have stayed quietly sequestered in their offices, hard at work on unknown projects. With a team consisting of industry veterans from Wolfpack (creators of Shadowbane) and Ion Storm, it was hard not to be curious about their work. If you're one of the many who have been wondering what the team has been working on, you're in luck, because they've just announced their first project: Wizard101. We recently had a chance to visit KingsIsle's Austin studios (they've taken up residence in a corner of the complex formerly inhabited by Origin Systems) and enroll in the Ravenwood School for the Magical Arts for a day to get a feel for the game. Though this game is aimed at kids ("tweens" that are too old for the likes of Club Penguin but too young for their parents to feel comfortable letting them loose in Barrens chat), its turn-based combat system and trading card game elements may interest you, too. So what makes Wizard101 different from the proliferation of MMOs on the market? A few elements of the game caught our eye...%Gallery-23343%%Gallery-23433%
