Kids

By now, everyone's probably heard the strange story of Manti Te'o, the football player who had an online relationship with someone who wasn't really that person. The question that people keep asking is whether or not he was in on the hoax, but I think that's irrelevant. The real question is why people are surprised to begin with.

Ironically, gamers probably have a leg up on the Catfish scenario, since there are plenty of examples of players misrepresenting themselves through their in-game avatars. And there's often a grey area when it comes to roleplaying and honesty. In this week's MMO Family, let's look at the lessons of gaming, identity, and social media and what children should learn about all three. (And I promise I won't mention Manti again in this column.)

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It's time for another installment of my month-long look at the Samsung Chromebook, the newest in the line of all-in-one devices brought to us by Google. Everything has worked pretty well so far, but the light notebook does have its issues. I'm so used to using my Google Nexus 7 tablet for reading emails and now reading articles and magazines that I am having a hard time without the pinch-to-zoom. I love the instant zooming; it's much easier when I am reading or surfing the net. (Wait, do we still say "surfing the net"?) In fact, the main issue with the Samsung Chromebook is its size. I have to hit ctrl-+ to zoom in pages often.

Other than the smaller fonts, few other issues have cropped up -- I've found gaming has been really fun on this little guy. I've noticed that everyone who reads of gaming on the device is sort of perplexed. Why would I want to game on such a non-gaming machine? It's simple, really. As the title says, this is another attempt of mine to find the perfect device for doing all that I do using only the browser: writing, gaming, gaming, writing, watching videos, writing, and playing games.

This week, I have 10 "standard" MMOs for you. These are games that act more like a common, client-based MMOs than the MMORTS titles I covered last week, but with some exceptions. The desktop browser can handle amazing, 3-D graphics, but a Chromebook does not allow downloads like Unity or Java. Keep that in mind.

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If there's one deplorable aspect about online gaming, it's the raw underside of the clash between parent and child that often occurs (sometimes all too publicly) when said child has stayed on too long. Everyone under the age of 40 has no doubt heard the words "get off that computer now!" at some point in his or her development. And for those under the age of 15, there's a fair chance that those words were uploaded to YouTube for all the world to hear. I'm often in a weird position because I play games for a living, and yet I fight the daily struggle to make sure my kids grow up with a moderated experience in their gaming career. I'm not hoping to raise the next MLG pro; I just want to see them have fun both in game and out as they grow up.

But just when I think I've heard it all, along comes a story about a dad, his adult unemployed son, and the most unusual method ever of forcing his son to stop playing online games. Instead of battling out-of-game, one father in China decided to fight the battle in-game and hire players to hunt down and kill his son's avatar. It's an amazing story, but did it work? And what can we learn from this? (There has to be a lesson in there somewhere right?) Let's take a look!

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You know what's great about Pirate101? Every time we report on it, it's a new opportunity to use pirate-speak. So avast ye scallywags and pay attention to KingsIsle's Jay Gordon, who's got a new producer's letter for the powder monkeys who play the game.

Amid raising the flag and giving a pep talk to the crew, Gordon does slip some scuttlebutt about what's coming to Pirate101 this year: "Looking ahead, 2013 is going to offer a veritable treasure trove of all-new pirate adventures and we can't wait to unveil new worlds, quests, gameplay features, ships, equipment and the wide variety of companions and fantastic combat attacks now in the works."

In the meanwhile, players can enjoy the January newsletter that comes complete with a tip or two about the game.

It's time once again for the Frindie Awards, my attempt to shine some light on the best indie, browser-based, free-to-play, and unusual MMOs that are all-too-often ignored by press -- and players. This one is for the little guys! Well, mostly. It's also for those games that seem to have passed under the collective radar of Massively readers or that seem to be very misunderstood.

Picking the winners this year is just as hard as it was last year, maybe even harder. 2012 was an incredible year for MMOs, so I would rather have just put together an article that highlights every single favorite. In the end, it's more helpful to make myself pick out a winner. It's a rare thing for some of these games to even receive a nod on a major website, something I still can't figure out. Either way, it's best to think of all of the MMOs on this list as my favorites from 2012.

Anyway, let's get to the awards!

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It's been quite some time since we last heard anything about the mighty Power Rangers Online, but apparently it's made significant progress since then. According to the game's site, Power Rangers Online is currently hosting an open beta event in Asia until January 2nd.

Unfortunately, it's a little difficult to translate the page for more details, as it's one large graphic. Still, it looks as though there are product tie-ins and special rewards for those participating.

[Thanks to Antonio for the tip!]

A few months ago, we looked at Roblox, a kid-friendly MMO with an emphasis on user-generated content. With the help of Roblox Studio, players have made some amazing worlds, ranging from peaceful playgrounds to intense PvP battlegrounds. Recently, Roblox officially launched a free mobile app that lets fans play Roblox through their iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad.

Massively had a chance to talk with CEO David Baszucki about the new mobile app, and he gave us some insight into how it works and what it means for Roblox. He also spoke about an exciting new change to the Roblox economy and hinted at plans for the future.

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This week I had the pleasure of testing out Habbo Hotel, a social MMO that takes its art design cues from the world of 8bit and tries to attract a younger audience with bright, accessible gameplay. Really the only thing separating Habbo Hotel from a serious "adult" MMO is how it looks. The systems in-game are no different than those in other social MMOs I have found, and in fact, much of the no-frills gameplay reminds me just how bloated many standard MMOs are.

You might have heard of Habbo Hotel because of a recent controversy that resulted in major backers pulling out of the game and forced the developers to literally shut down public chat, but it seems that the worst of the controversy is behind us. I found a few examples of players trying to navigate around chat filters or rules, but that's standard behavior for younger players. Just ask Wizard101's KingsIsle about the difficulty of maintaining clean chat in a "kid's" MMO.

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So the 'rents finally came through for you this year, skipping the toaster or pair of socks and giving you gift cards for your favorite MMOs? Brilliant! Now, what do you do with all of that virtual cash? Not so fast! If you blow through that pile of pixelated dough, you're sure to regret it later. Not to worry, though; I've taken the trouble to list several methods for not only getting the most out of your internet bucks but keeping the waves of impulsive goodness washing over you for some time after.

How did I do it? Well, research really. I spent the last several years playing MMOs and spending money in cash shops. I've made plenty of buying decisions that I regretted later, so let my sufferings serve as example for you.

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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!

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Star Stable is what many would refer to as a "kid's game." More accurately, it could be described as a game for tween girls who love horses, but during my time with the game, I found that most of the players I met and talked to and most of those I saw on the official Facebook page seemed to be between the ages of 17 and 40. The players I chatted with in game and during my livestream of the game were over 19 (some well over), so it would be most accurate to describe the game as a linear world of adventure for horse-lovers to explore. While on horseback. With other players on horseback. There, perfect.

There is the slightly glaring issue of every character's being gender-locked as a female rider, but I have no issue with it. The MMO stems from single-player games about a young girl and her horse, as I understand it, so playing as a girl fits perfectly. No "sexism" banners need be waved; for every one example of a game like Star Stable I can show you 100 examples of games that force women to play as men or represent them as scantily clad weaklings.

So how much fun is it to ride around on virtual horses all day? Pretty darn fun.

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There are a few divisive topics that I can bring up in my columns that will be guaranteed to not only bring in the comments but light a fire to the comments section. I've learned that browser choice is a hot topic. PvP versus PvE will always cause players to erupt. Mac or PC? That topic will not end in civil discussion.

If I really want to hurt a reader's feelings, cause insults to be hurled at me, and provoke readers to accuse me of attempting to bring game development -- real game development -- to its knees, I can bring up graphics and gaming power. As in gaming rig. But I'll be brave this week and explain just why I prefer more primitive graphics over high-end visuals.

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In past editions of MMO Family, I've looked how games have attempted to teach and entertain -- and how challenging it is to do both. This week, I'd like to flip things around a bit and look at an educational site that, while not an MMO, does incorporate some gaming characteristics. It's a site called Khan Academy, and it offers free instructional videos on a variety of topics for students of all ages.

This week, we're replacing our virtual swords with keyboards and substituting our colorful avatars for colorfully drawn instructional videos. We're taking a week off from cute pets and monster-slaying to look at how Khan Academy is turning the current system of public education on its head.

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If big numbers and dubious milestones are your passion, then have we got a post for you! Gazillion announced that its Super Hero Squad Online just crossed the four million player line. Of course, these are registered players, so that includes actual players of the title and anyone who just signed up on the website.

Gazillion President David Brevik popped the celebratory cork anyway: "Breaking four million registered users is a tremendous achievement for Super Hero Squad Online and for Gazillion Entertainment. We love the passion that our players have shown for the game, and we are excited to continue to put out new and exciting content for them to enjoy."

The studio is working hard to expand the overall service of the game, including a redesigned website that will allow European players to access North American servers.

[Source: Gazillion press release]

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]