Family

One of the toughest issues that game developers have to treat when it comes to kid-friendly MMOs is chat. I touched on this in a past column, but it's worth further discussion. If you're making a game where lots of players are interacting and doing stuff together, you need to allow them to communicate, otherwise you're pretty much making a single-player game with the other players as background scenery.

On the other hand, when it comes to kids MMOs, having open communication means other players can use it to harass each other. Worse is the scenario of the deranged adult abusing it to exploit young people. As a result, virtually every kid-friendly MMO has some sort of filter in place that restricts what players can say to each other. But are these chat filters really that effective? Are kids better off without them? Let's take a look in today's MMO Family.

Continue Reading

Valentine's Day is just around the corner, and aside from mad dashes to the Hallmark store for cards and boxes of chocolate, the season is also typified by various MMO events. This year is no different, and Sony Online Entertainment is queuing up a couple of noteworthy shindigs in EverQuest II and Free Realms.

Norrathians will be celebrating Erollisi Day from February 7th through the 20th, and there are plenty of contests, quests, and love-soaked goings-on to keep everyone happy. Free Realms' Festival of Hearts lasts a bit longer (February 7th through March 8th to be exact), during which time players may partake of Valentine's Day-themed environments, quests, and reward items.

Finally, Star Wars: Clone Wars Adventures is re-introducing a few Valentine's Day items to its StationCash markeplace, and you'll find more info on each game's celebration events at their respective official sites.

[Source: SOE press release]

The clock is chiming, and kids (and the young at heart) everywhere are asking for just a little more time with LEGO Universe. Unfortunately the struggling MMO has gotten no reprieve from the imaginary video game governor, and its servers will go offline tonight at midnight EST.

The shutdown FAQ encourages LEGO Universe players to share their favorite memories on the forums and ends with a heartfelt message from the team:

"Our decision to end LEGO Universe is similar to decisions we also make with LEGO Product collection, where favourite sets come and go to make space for new sets. It was time for LEGO Universe to end and hopefully new digital LEGO experiences will come in the future."

We first heard of LEGO Universe's closure last November, when the studio announced that the game's freemium model was not bringing in enough paying customers to keep the title afloat. LEGO Universe is a youngling in the MMO genre, having released in October 2010, making the game one year and three months old at the time of its shutdown.

Refunds for those who had a paid subscription on file after December 31st, 2011 will be distributed early next month. Unused LEGO game cards may also be exchanged for LEGO e-gift cards.

Right now, there's a small war going on in our house. It's winter, we're all cooped up inside, and we're interested in different games. What's particularly interesting is that my kids will tolerate most of the games I play and join in, except for one: Star Wars: The Old Republic. They aren't remotely interested in it, and any time I fire it up, they push back by demanding their favorite game, which is Minecraft.

It got me thinking about why kids would prefer a 16-bit, block-shaped world to a glitzy, voiced-over, multi-million dollar title. Adult gamers love to hash out why they love one game over another, but what makes games appealing from a kid's perspective? Furthermore, we often see differences in kid-friendly MMOs and their features compared to games for grown ups, but can those features be improved?

Continue Reading

From childhood on, I've always been a gamer. But I grew up when computers were just emerging as something that didn't just belong in the bowels of the Defense Department. My games were primarily of the board game variety, with a smattering of classic card games, and my exposure to video games didn't begin until later on.

Today, I see kids being raised on video games, and I see it as a good thing. "But board games are the good games," you might protest, and while they're still relevant today and I'm glad to see the recent revival in family board game night, a good portion of board games do not compare to what video games offer to children. This edition of MMO Family explains why!

Continue Reading

If you are perusing this column, chances are you are a fan of virtual worlds and the sandbox genre. Join the club! (Dues will be due on the third Tuesday.) The aspect that compels many aficionados to delve into a game is the ability to make an impact on the world in some small respect instead of making them into Hive Member 1593072 running a static, predetermined gauntlet. How that impact is accomplished, however, varies; there are multiple features that can facilitate it, and which ones are considered most important depends on the player.

With the loss of one of the best sandbox games just last month, some players may be feeling a void. Others still are looking/hoping for the "ultimate" sandbox that contains nearly every virtual world feature. Certainly, there are some upcoming games that make some drool-worthy promises, but what about playing something now? There are actually games out on the market that have at least one aspect of the genre, if not more.

To start off the new year, Some Assembly Required looks at some of the top features of virtual worlds and lists games that incorporate these features. While this list isn't exhaustive (considering the sheer number of games when you include all of the smaller free-to-play titles, I'd run out of column space!), it is a comprehensive enough overview to point you toward some games worth playing that perhaps you hadn't considered before.

Continue Reading

Often when the topic of video games comes up, it's followed by comments about the negatives, such as violence, antisocial behavior, or inappropriate content. But if they do have harmful effects (and it's arguable how many players really are affected in a negative way), they can also be helpful as well, yet you rarely hear a news story about the good. I've written before about how companies like IBM have studied MMO guilds in order to improve team-building and organization within their company. More recently, MMOWGLI focused on global issues, such as the future of piracy, to study what solutions players could cooperatively generate.

There are also positive benefits to children as well, and while we've touched on a few in recent columns, this week we'll focus on the impact LEGO Universe has had on autistic children. Sadly, the game will be shutting down in a few weeks, and while many parents are thankful for how much it's helped, they're also concerned about what will happen once the game is gone. Read on for a bittersweet look at how this LEGO-based game is leaving behind a legacy.

Continue Reading

If you're gearing up for Xmas, then why not invite the X-Men over for some casual MMO gaming? Gazillion has declared that December is "X-Men Month" in Super Hero Squad Online, as the title turns its attention to Professor X's extraordinary students and their action-packed outings.

Enrollment is open for the School for Gifted Youngsters, and signing up for superhero mayhem are several brand-new heroes for the game. The MMO is also unleashing four new quests -- two for Wolverine and two for Rogue -- to go with its signature card battles.

Vice President Jay Minn is (sorry) super-psyched for the theme month: "X-Men month has been a long time coming since the launch of our game. Nightcrawler, Phoenix, Angel, Iceman and Shadowcat have always topped our list of most-requested Marvel heroes. We are very excited that our fans will finally be able to show off and fight evil as the X-Men! Happy holidays everyone and Hero Up!"

[Source: Gazillion press release]

Winter is fast approaching, and that means holidays for children and parents looking for an activity to share. If you're one of those parents and you're hoping to get some time in an MMO with your kids, you may want to consider Little Space Heroes. The free-to-play browser-based game has just launched, allowing kids of all ages a chance to adventure in an online world with a strong emphasis on story and adventure.

According to the game's backstory, the evil Lord Shadowbot has stolen the Glows, the source of light in the player's galaxy. Each player must begin a quest to try to recover the Glows, restoring light and happiness and foiling Lord Shadowbot in turn. Bubble Gum Interactive has stated that its goal is to create a gaming experience fun for kids and parents alike, so if you're looking for something to try out with your little ones, this might be just the game. (You can also take a look at our first impressions of the game if you need a little more information.)

There's a growing number of great kid-friendly MMOs available, and one that I've been meaning to check out for a while now is Super Hero Squad Online. The game has only been out for eight months, yet in that short time, it's reached over a million registered users and added lots of new content and characters.

I've spent some time in the game, along with my two young testers, to find out what the buzz is all about. We formed up a squad and set off to check out missions, the card game, our headquarters, and the opportunities for exploration out in the world, and our first impressions are found below. If you've ever wanted to know what the little super heroes eat or what holiday treats are available at the Parker household, you'll definitely want to read on!

Continue Reading

Gnomes are absolutely awesome. This can never be denied, disproven, or displaced. Just because you're a tiny garden decoration doesn't mean that you aren't fearsome in large numbers (or when hit by a growth spell). So it's good to see that Wizard101 is unafraid to put its Gnomes up front on the center stage.

While Wizard101's Zafaria expansion came out a couple weeks ago, KingsIsle wants to make sure that everyone is aware of the new high-level area and all of its fun features. Hence, an official Zafaria trailer that shows off the expansion's lands, monsters, landmarks, and Gnome attack spells.

It's a mash-up of tourism, humor, and hype in one quick video application, and it's yours for the low, low price of hitting the "Continue Reading" button! Check it out. We mean it. We'd hate to have to unleash the Massively Gnome Punishment Squad on your shins.

Continue Reading

Continue Reading

Back in 2010 at DICE, game developer and Carnegie Mellon Professor Jesse Schell gave a thought-provoking talk about extrinsic motivations in games. In it, he postulated that there's a blurring of the lines, and that we're moving toward a day when our everyday actions are driven by "points" and "achievements." All too often, that's what drives gameplay in popular MMOs, particularly for children -- complete some minigames or tasks in order to accumulate points/tokens/currency that can be used for rewards of your choice. But sometimes, what gets lost is the fun of playing in a virtual world. When my son plays Wizard101, one of his favorite things to do is stopping by the hidden cave under the waterfall in Wizard City because he was so excited to have discovered it on his own. And when my kids found the vault in Free Realms, it was one of their biggest moments. Granted, the vault is closed now and partially hidden by vines, but they were still excited to have found it.

There's so much more to MMOs than achievements and points, and there are many popular children's titles that would be great settings. Some foster exploration, some teach, and some are just wonderful venues for kids to have fun. Read on for a look at what children's MMOs need to be made (and I promise that not one is Harry Potter!).

Continue Reading