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The Daily Grind: Should games cut us off? [Updated]

Brianna Royce — Mon, 19 Sep 2011 08:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Culture, MMO industry, Opinion, Free-to-play, Massively Meta, The Daily Grind, Free Realms, Kids, Miscellaneous

Recently, Free Realms instituted a troubling feature for accounts belonging to minors. Parents began noticing that after they or their children played for three hours on an account flagged "minor," the interface announced that the player had entered "fatigue gaming time" and should log out to get some exercise for his health. Moreover, fatigue time reduced all in-game gains for the player by 50% and prevented him from completing quests and spinning the loot wheel.

Gamers erupted over what they saw as Sony Online Entertainment's attempt to intrude upon the parental domain, and the company has since rolled back this feature and stated it was "unintended." Still, other games have implemented similar features. What say you, Massively readers? Are you happy for games to nanny you (and your kids), or do you think they should mind their own business?

[Update: SOE contacted us to clarify that this feature is for the Chinese version only, as part of that government's Chinese Anti Indulgence System. It was accidentally included in the US version of the game briefly, hence the "unintended" statement. It's not in the US version of the game at this time.]

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 Daily Grind: Should games cut us off? [Updated] originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 19 Sep 2011 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Daily Grind: Have you ever hooked your parents on an MMO?

Brianna Royce — Thu, 01 Sep 2011 08:00:00 EST

Filed under: Culture, Opinion, Massively Meta, The Daily Grind, Miscellaneous

MMOs may be intended for kids of all ages, but that doesn't mean kids of all ages are actually playing. While we've all read about that great-grandma guild leader and the eight-year-old boy who raids alongside his father, in practice those cases seem like outliers. The stereotype, at least, is that gamers can barely keep their older relatives on the cutting edge of technology, nevermind get their parents to indulge in online gaming. My mother may have pwned my kid brother and me at Seaquest back in the '80s, but nowadays I just can't convince her to look past FarmVille for her gaming fix.

So what about you, Massively readers? You seem to be an age-diverse group. Have you had any success getting your parents -- or any older relatives -- into your MMOs of choice? And how did you pull it off?

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 Daily Grind: Have you ever hooked your parents on an MMO? originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 01 Sep 2011 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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MMO Family: A parent's look at World of Warcraft

Lisa Poisso — Tue, 30 Nov 2010 15:00:00 EST

Filed under: World of Warcraft, Fantasy, Kids, MMO Family, Family

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.

World of Warcraft? Yeah, even folks who don't play video games at all have heard of this behemoth of MMO gaming. With 12 million subscribers worldwide, the WoW phenomenon has practically come to define an entire generation's worth of MMO gaming. While it's designed for teens and up, the game is so ubiquitous that you wouldn't have to dig far to find players of all ages, including many teens but also younger children as well.

With a new expansion, World of Warcraft: Cataclysm, due for release on December 7th, plenty of kids (and grownups) will be angling for WoW in their holiday stockings. The question is: Is WoW a good fit for your kids? With good preparation and consistent parent moderation, it can be -- but if you don't play the game yourself or you take a more hands-off approach to gaming, you may want to wait until your little goblin- or worgen-to-be is well into the teen years. Join us after the break for an insider's look at WoW for younger children and teens.

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MMO Family: A parent's look at World of Warcraft originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 30 Nov 2010 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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MMO Family: Mind your massively multiplayer manners

Lisa Poisso — Tue, 16 Nov 2010 09:00:00 EST

Filed under: Horror, Kids, MMO Family, Family, Miscellaneous

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.

Kids are like sponges, sure -- old saying is old. But are online manners something you really want to leave to chance? Are the interactions your kids so intently follow online the manners you want them soaking up and using themselves? As parents, we know that the habits and attitudes that kids pick up today are what we'll find coming right back at us tomorrow. Teens who are used to trolling in games and forums will have a hard time modulating to a less strident tone in a business meeting. Kids who excuse a lack of scruples with "whatever -- it's only the internet" are due for a big surprise when a thoughtless instant message or careless lack of response to an email slams doors in their faces later in life.

As parents who game, we all have hot buttons that set us off: the guy who always shows up late to raids, beggars, you name it. The point is: Have you talked to your kids yet about these behaviors? Are you explicitly (by both word and example) helping them not to grow up to be That Guy?

I'm pretty sure we don't need a primer in online etiquette here at Massively, but I don't think it would hurt to share some of the things we wish Those Other Parents had taught their kids before turning them loose in our games. I'll share my dirty dozen after the break -- won't you share your own in the comments?

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MMO Family: Mind your massively multiplayer manners originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 16 Nov 2010 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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MMO Family: A parent's look at LEGO Universe

Lisa Poisso — Tue, 02 Nov 2010 16:00:00 EST

Filed under: Launches, LEGO Universe, Kids, MMO Family, Family

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.

Most kids who play video games have at least seen one from the LEGO franchise. There are a ton of them -- enough, in fact, for a whole page listing them. They're fun games; I'll bet you've played at least one of them, at least in bits and pieces in a demo somewhere. After all, who doesn't love LEGOs?

Still, there was a decided "ho-hum" reaction among my team of young playtesters when I announced we were going to test the ropes of the brand new LEGO Universe MMO. Oh sure, they were willing enough, but it seemed there was always something shinier and more appealing to play on any given day than the game about good ol' LEGOs.

Until they played LEGO Universe -- and had a (brick-)smashing good time.

Gallery: First Impressions: LEGO Universe

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MMO Family: A parent's look at LEGO Universe originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 02 Nov 2010 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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First Impressions: LEGO Universe

Krystalle Voecks — Thu, 21 Oct 2010 13:00:00 EST

Filed under: Game mechanics, New titles, Previews, Opinion, First Impressions, LEGO Universe, Kids, Family

Playing. It's one of our earliest lessons from childhood, and one that we as gamers hold on to with gusto. Let's face it -- in just about every gamer out there is a kid who, at least in some small way, refuses to grow up entirely. We love to play. It's that love, coupled with childhood memories of clicking tons of brightly colored LEGO blocks together, that has made the idea of LEGO videogames a huge hit. Now have a new contender to the LEGO gaming play-space: LEGO Universe. It's a game that has the potential to offer all the things we as MMO gamers would love: an open-ended world, a great known IP that reminds us of youthful days, and the social aspects many of us enjoy.

Aside from this, LEGO Universe also offers many things that parents of young gamers will value. As someone I spoke with recently asked: "What's stopping people from building offensive adult-themed content with LEGO bricks that my child might see?" The answer lies in LEGO Universe's moderation team, known as the Mythran (a shadowy group actually written into the lore of the game), which personally reviews personal free-build areas for compliance. The Mythrans also oversee character and pet names. When combined with a speedchat and whitelisted word chat system, it makes for a very workable solution to keeping kids safe online.

Curious about a look into LEGO Universe? Join me behind the break as I take a more detailed look at this colorful game, and be sure to check out the extensive gallery below!

Gallery: First Impressions: LEGO Universe

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First Impressions: LEGO Universe originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 21 Oct 2010 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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MMO Family: Parents as gaming gatekeepers

Lisa Poisso — Tue, 19 Oct 2010 18:00:00 EST

Filed under: Kids, MMO Family, Family

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.

Does your child have the emotional levels it takes to tackle certain MMOs? The idea of parents as gaming gatekeepers all too often comes down to simplistic, ESRB ratings-based rulings passed down from on high by relatively disengaged parents. Deciding what and how your child should play is far from a black-or-white decision. Last time in MMO Family, for instance, we looked at how to tell if your child is ready for MMO raiding -- yet far too many commenters missed the point, assuming (from the topic alone, we can only presume) that we advocate a laissez-faire attitude that allows kids to abandon their other activities and strands them in front of a keyboard during every free moment. Come on, folks, it's not a choice between letting kids play to the detriment of the rest of their lives vs. not playing at all. It's about gatekeeping -- and this is where you, the parent, come in.

The truth is, categorically forbidding kids who're interested in video games to play at all is no more thoughtful or balanced an approach than throwing up your hands and letting them log in during every waking moment. Your role is to help children learn to balance their interests and lives, with as light or heavy a hand as may be necessary for your kids. This week, we've brought you some thoughts from a mother and son who've been there, done that -- together.

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MMO Family: Parents as gaming gatekeepers originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 19 Oct 2010 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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MMO Family: Is your child ready for MMO raiding?

Lisa Poisso — Tue, 05 Oct 2010 16:00:00 EST

Filed under: Kids, MMO Family, Family

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.

Does your youngster have ambitions to become an MMO raider? As a seasoned gamer yourself, you may find it hard to believe that your kids are already old enough to be chomping at the bit to battle the same bosses, to pore over the same strategies, to put themselves through the same scheduling wringer that you do. That's the thing about kids, though -- they want to tackle the cool stuff just like you do, especially if that's what they've grown up watching you raid.

Is MMO raiding appropriate for your older child or teen? That's a matter only a parent can decide. The answer will be different from child to child, age to age and family to family. The best analogy I can offer is to treat this like a virtual team sport. Make sure your youngster has the bandwidth to support adding another focused activity to his schedule; from there, you'll want to help him choose the right team with a solid coach and assistants, supportive teammates and an age-appropriate challenge rating and social environment. A little direction from a tuned-in, gaming-savvy parent can help many young wannabe raiders realize their ambitions in an age-appropriate, balanced and enjoyable way.

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MMO Family: Is your child ready for MMO raiding? originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 05 Oct 2010 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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MMO Family: A parent's look at World of Cars Online

Lisa Poisso — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 19:00:00 EST

Filed under: New titles, Kids, MMO Family, Family

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.

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MMO Family: A parent's look at World of Cars Online originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 07 Sep 2010 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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MMO Family: The 10-step back-to-school gaming tuneup

Lisa Poisso — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 10:00:00 EST

Filed under: Kids, MMO Family, Family

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.

We're going to make this short and sweet, parents: You probably shouldn't try to dodge a back-to-school gaming tuneup. Sure, talking about responsibilities and setting screen time limits is no fun. Kids hate rules, and parents hate having to play traffic cop. But back-to-school time means rebalancing languid, lazy summer schedules -- and if you're going to help your kids develop time management skills and a head for how to balance their own activities and schedules, this is the perfect teaching moment.

Before we go any further, let's make it clear that hard-and-fast time limits aren't the answer for all or even many gaming families. What's important is to help young gaming devotees step back periodically for a checkup of how this compelling, sometimes time-consuming hobby is balancing out against the rest of their lives. Your goal is not to legislate from above but rather to help your kids regulate from below -- so let's take a look at 10 steps that can help them do exactly that.

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MMO Family: The 10-step back-to-school gaming tuneup originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 24 Aug 2010 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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MMO Family: Long-distance gaming with Grandma and Grandpa

Lisa Poisso — Tue, 10 Aug 2010 16:00:00 EST

Filed under: Free-to-play, Browser, Casual, Free Realms, Kids, Wizard101, MMO Family, Family

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.

Back in my day (eons before even that prehistoric era when we trudged five miles uphill through the lava to kill Lord Nagafen, after sitting in the server's text chat room so our buff timers wouldn't tick down while the rest of the group was getting prepped), kids wrote letters to keep in touch with long-distance grandparents. We struggled almost as hard to read our elders' spidery, old-fashioned cursive as we did to figure out something relevant to say to these relative strangers. Then once a month, we'd be herded into the kitchen or hall (where most people's phones were back then) for the Dreaded Phone Call of Doom, during which we'd self-consciously mumble responses to people who couldn't remember which grade we were in or which of us kids was the swimmer and which was the ballet dancer. Talk about awkward...

Today, cell phones and email make it much easier to keep a family in touch when its members are separated by miles. Still, it's hard for kids to develop a relationship of any depth with people they meet infrequently at best and with whom they share nothing in common beyond a few genetic jots and tittles.

Until gaming came along.

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MMO Family: Long-distance gaming with Grandma and Grandpa originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 10 Aug 2010 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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MMO Family: A parent's look at Fantage

Lisa Poisso — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 10:00:00 EST

Filed under: Free-to-play, Kids, MMO Family, Family

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.

Now that we've established that kids aren't gaming snobs and will dig into a good Flash game with as much relish as we grownups attack any top-rung MMO title, let's look at another up-and-coming Flash title for kids. Fantage (short for "Fantastic Age") has attracted nearly 7 million users since April 2008 almost entirely by word of mouth -- how's that for kid power?

I suspect the reason Fantage tickles my 9-year-old playtester's fancy is tied to the advancements she's been making with her real-life character this summer. The achievements are flowing: she's figured out how to use the Page Up and Page Down buttons to snag [Swimming in the Deep End], she's acquired her first epic mount [Big Brother's Hand-Me-Down Bike] and she's become fascinated with the possibilities of /dance... We're even breaking away from class-specific gear sets to farm all the mats for her [Tier 4 School Supplies] individually via hotly contested minigames all over town. So while she's still utterly captivated by the sparkling magic of a game like Pixie Hollow, this evolving little personality is hooked on Fantage's opportunities to show off her own style and personality via her avatar and accessories. Different game, different flavor -- so let's investigate the attractions.

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MMO Family: A parent's look at Fantage originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 27 Jul 2010 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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MMO Family: Parents Guide helps you choose games for the family

Lisa Poisso — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 12:00:00 EST

Filed under: Kids, MMO Family, Family, Guides

What computer systems will it run on?
How much does it cost?
What does the game look and feel like?
Who's the target audience?

You'll find answers to these questions and more for every game in our ongoing series. What's more, we'll be updating the Parents Guide every time we run a new "A parent's look at" article.

Continue reading MMO Family: Parents Guide helps you choose games for the family

MMO Family: Parents Guide helps you choose games for the family originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 13 Jul 2010 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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MMO Family: Video game violence provokes aggression in some kids but not others

Lisa Poisso — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 16:00:00 EST

Filed under: Kids, MMO Family, Family, Miscellaneous

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MMO Family: Video game violence provokes aggression in some kids but not others originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 15 Jun 2010 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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MMO Family: Screening "screen time"

Lisa Poisso — Tue, 01 Jun 2010 12:30:00 EST

Filed under: Kids, MMO Family, Family

MMO Family is your resource for leveling a gaming-specced family ... From tips on balancing gaming with family life to finding age-appropriate niches for every family member, MMO Family offers you advice on MMO gaming of the family, by the family and for the family.

One of the first topics we tackled here at MMO Family is how to tell when kids have had enough gaming time. As parents who game, we should be in a unique position to appreciate, respect and guide our children's attraction to games. But in the crush of day-to-day living, it's all too easy to let a few extra gaming minutes slip into half an hour ... past an hour ... into the evening ... into a habit that's begun eating away at family balance.

Some families keep a rein on gaming overdoses by instituting strict limits on screen time. What's considered part of the screen time quota varies from family to family; TV time is the bottom line, with movies, internet use and gaming time lumped in or added on top according to each family's habits and needs. We talked to Dr. Kourosh Dini, author of Video Game Play and Addiction: A Guide for Parents (now available completely online) and himself a gamer, for some professional perspectives on how to keep things in balance.

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MMO Family: Screening "screen time" originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 01 Jun 2010 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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MMO Family: A parent's look at Pixie Hollow

Lisa Poisso — Fri, 14 May 2010 13:30:00 EST

Filed under: Kids, MMO Family, Family

MMO Family is your resource for leveling a gaming-specced family ... From tips on balancing gaming with family life to finding age-appropriate niches for every family member, MMO Family offers you advice on MMO gaming of the family, by the family and for the family.

I wasn't planning to include a 2-D Flash game in MMO Family's initial sweep of children's games -- but then my daughter tried Disney's Pixie Hollow. Initially dismissive of the idea of slumming it in 2-D, she found herself utterly captivated by its magpie collection quests and friendly community of players. In the eyes of this 8-year-old road tester, Pixie Hollow delivers an enjoyable, social experience in an online world ... And I was forced to admit that this world suits her own interests as well as deeply immersive MMO worlds hold mine.

We're not going to get into gender wars here. Obviously, some girls won't like the fairies theme, and we're sure grownups will continue their snarky debates over the game's recently added male characters ("sparrow men"). Beyond that, what's most apparent is that Pixie Hollow successfully snares both kids who are enthralled with the Disney Fairies franchise and those who simply enjoy a glittery, web-based spot to flutter and chatter.

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MMO Family: A parent's look at Pixie Hollow originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 14 May 2010 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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MMO Family: A parent's look at Toontown Online

Lisa Poisso — Fri, 16 Apr 2010 16:00:00 EST

Filed under: Toontown Online, Kids, MMO Family

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MMO Family: A parent's look at Toontown Online originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 16 Apr 2010 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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MMO Family: The advantages of a family-friendly guild

Lisa Poisso — Fri, 02 Apr 2010 12:00:00 EST

Filed under: Kids, MMO Family, Family, Miscellaneous

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MMO Family: The advantages of a family-friendly guild originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 02 Apr 2010 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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MMO Family: Finding time to game during the family years

Lisa Poisso — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 17:00:00 EST

Filed under: Kids, MMO Family, Family, Miscellaneous

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MMO Family: Finding time to game during the family years originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 19 Mar 2010 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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MMO Family: How to lobby your parents for more gaming time

Lisa Poisso — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 18:00:00 EST

Filed under: Tips and tricks, Kids, MMO Family

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MMO Family: How to lobby your parents for more gaming time originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 05 Mar 2010 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Free Realms reaches 9 million registered players

Krystalle Voecks — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 12:00:00 EST

Filed under: News items, Free Realms, Kids

With the constant influx of things being added to the game such as player housing, soccer, new pets, and most recently mounts, Free Realms has been going strong. Now, we've gotten word that in less than a month they've managed to attract another 1 million new players to sign up and check out the game -- not too shabby!

"With Free Realms, we've been able to reflect the needs and wants of our players by keenly listening to their suggestions and feedback," said John Smedley, president of SOE. "We believe the persistent exercise of capturing in-game research inside Free Realms has been a huge contributing factor as to why we've attracted over nine million players in less than a year. It truly helps us give our players a game where they can do and be whatever they want."

With the addition of technologies like NetModerator to help keep kids safe, fun games that players of any age can enjoy, and the periodic television marketing campaign, Free Realms is in great shape to continue growing. Of course, the fun in-game parties and occasional giveaways certainly don't hurt, either.

Free Realms reaches 9 million registered players originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 05 Mar 2010 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Parents can breathe a bit easier thanks to Crisp Thinking's NetModerator

Krystalle Voecks — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 12:30:00 EST

Filed under: MMO industry, News items, Free Realms, Kids

Letting your children play MMOs can be a tricky balancing act for gamer parents. On the one hand, you want your children to have fun playing games online while gaining socialization and computer skills. On the other, you're a protective parent who wants to make sure your kids are safe -- without making them live in a bubble. You can teach them about online safety and how to protect themselves, but there's always the possibility that something will take a wrong turn.

Thankfully, it seems that a company called Crisp Thinking have developed a tool to help parents in their fight for online safety. Their system, called NetModerator, has been put into place in kid-friendly MMOs like Free Realms and FusionFall to combat against predators, bullies, and the like. It watches for certain keywords and phrases during online interactions. When detected, the system will step in and moderate the conversations -- allowing for real-time changes in potentially dangerous situations, as opposed to a reactionary method of dealing with abusive or predatory accounts after the conversations have taken place.

The entire concept is fascinating, so we're sure parents will want to pop over to VentureBeat's Games Beat and check out Dean Takahashi's great write up about this new technology. With an accuracy rate of 98.4% in terms of flagging dangerous and harmful conversations, and the ability to learn cloaked phrases, we're sure parents will be glad to hear that there's another layer protecting their kids from online danger. It's no replacement for the first line of defense -- good parenting -- but it certainly doesn't hurt.

[Thanks, Pete!]

Parents can breathe a bit easier thanks to Crisp Thinking's NetModerator originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 24 Feb 2010 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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MMO Family: A parent's look at Wizard101

Lisa Poisso — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 12:00:00 EST

Filed under: Casual, Kids, Wizard101, MMO Family

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MMO Family: A parent's look at Wizard101 originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 19 Feb 2010 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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MMO Family: A parent's look at Ether Saga Online

Lisa Poisso — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 19:00:00 EST

Filed under: At a glance, Fantasy, Free-to-play, Kids, Ether Saga Online, MMO Family

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MMO Family: A parent's look at Ether Saga Online originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 29 Jan 2010 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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MMO Family: A parent's look at Free Realms

Lisa Poisso — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 18:00:00 EST

Filed under: At a glance, Free-to-play, Free Realms, Kids, MMO Family

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MMO Family: A parent's look at Free Realms originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 15 Jan 2010 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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MMO Family: Kidproofing your favorite MMO

Lisa Poisso — Fri, 01 Jan 2010 10:00:00 EST

Filed under: Kids, MMO Family, Family, Miscellaneous

MMO Family is your resource for leveling a gaming-specced family ... From tips on balancing gaming with family life to finding age-appropriate niches for every family member, MMO Family offers you advice on MMO gaming of the family, by the family and for the family.

It's inevitable: whatever bright, shiny game you are playing, the kids will want in on the action, too. Granted, some games just aren't made for sharing with kids. (This mom saw her Age of Conan debauchery relegated to late-night sessions after the kids had gone to bed.) But most MMOs make perfectly fine sandboxes for the kids, once you've helped shape a kid-sized mini-world within.

The thing is, young children enjoy MMOs differently than older kids and adults. The things that float their little boats are likely to seem completely pedestrian to you. Kids devour character creation. They enjoy exploring starting zones and picking "their" own houses, inns and shops. They like to dress up (you did take Tailoring, didn't you?). They think killing 10 rats is grand fun -- and just as fun the next time, and the next, and the next ...

Part of the reason that these things are so enticing to them is because they're part of the game that you play. Just because your youngster isn't quite ready for the main course of your favorite game doesn't mean the game is completely unsuitable for kids. We'd never recommend buying an MMO specifically for a child who's not ready to tackle its main content. But if you're already playing a game that your kids think looks fun, why not let them join in at their level? It's not necessary to hand-hold them through every moment. Keep reading for simple ways to help younger children enjoy big MMOs in a smaller, more kid-friendly way.

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MMO Family: Kidproofing your favorite MMO originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 01 Jan 2010 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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MMO Family: Hey, this looks like a kids' game

Lisa Poisso — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 16:00:00 EST

Filed under: Kids, MMO Family

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MMO Family: Hey, this looks like a kids' game originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 18 Dec 2009 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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MMO Family: Balancing games with the rest

Lisa Poisso — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 17:00:00 EST

Filed under: Kids, MMO Family, Family, Miscellaneous

MMO Family is your resource for leveling a gaming-specced family. From tips on balancing gaming with family life to finding age-appropriate niches for every family member, MMO Family offers you advice on MMO gaming of the family, by the family and for the family.

Let's get balanced. With MMOs, that can sometimes be easier said than done. The same qualities that make MMO gaming such an easy hobby to enjoy - convenience, multiple layers of involvement, immersion, sociability - are the same qualities that make it so easy to overindulge.

After you've been at it long enough, though, you begin to realize that you can dip in and out of different games and different gaming styles as your life evolves. Dark Age of Camelot kept me in touch with my guildmates during the ragged, 24-hour days of my daughter's first months of life. I ground EQ XP like a trooper when she grew old enough to start sleeping like one (a trooper, that is). Once she became interested in handling her own nocturnal drinks and visits to the bathroom, I dove with abandon into hardcore raiding in World of Warcraft. When work began beating down my energy level more nights than not, I began dabbling with achievements and meta-gaming. And none of that touches on all the games my kids have splashed their way in and out of over the years. It's an evolving patchwork - and that's what I'm encouraging you to develop for your own gaming family.

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MMO Family: Balancing games with the rest originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 04 Dec 2009 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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MMO Family: Virtual worlds for kids

Lisa Poisso — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 18:00:00 EST

Filed under: Club Penguin, There, Habbo Hotel, Gaia Online, Barbie Girls, Kids, Moshi Monsters, MMO Family

MMO Family is your resource for leveling a gaming-specced family ... From tips on balancing gaming with family life to finding age-appropriate niches for every family member, MMO Family offers you advice on MMO gaming of the family, by the family and for the family.

Nestling somewhere in between MMOs and social networking, virtual worlds are a virtual sandlot for millions of kids worldwide. Think avatar-based chat and mini-games alongside other kids of the same age range and interests, and you'll catch the appeal of these kid-friendly destinations. While a gaming parent might consider virtual worlds mere training wheels for games still to come, kid-friendly virtual worlds seem to fit the attention spans, chatty nature and niche-y interests of kids to a T.

The sheer variety of worlds appealing to children makes it easy for kids to find a spot where they'll want to hang out. As of early 2009, kids could choose from 112 virtual worlds designed for children and teens, according to Engage Digital Media, with more than 80 new worlds under development. The numbers of kids who've found a virtual home in these worlds rivals even the fat figures of MMO big dog World of Warcraft. Research firm eMarketer estimates that in the United States alone, 8 million kids hung out in virtual worlds regularly during 2008; that number is projected to swell to more than 15 million by 2013.

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MMO Family: Virtual worlds for kids originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 13 Nov 2009 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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MMO Family: Parental control tools

Lisa Poisso — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 15:30:00 EST

Filed under: Kids, MMO Family

MMO Family is your resource for leveling a gaming-specced family ... From tips on balancing gaming with family life to finding age-appropriate niches for every family member, MMO Family offers you advice on MMO gaming of the family, by the family and for the family.

If you've been following along here at MMO Family, you'll know we keep a pretty big toolbox. What works for one family won't fit another, so we believe in offering a lot of different options. You can't possibly use every tool at once -- or maybe you could, although you probably shouldn't. You'd be one busy parent if you attempted to wield all 17 internet safety tactics at once for every child, every day. You'd never have time to actually log in and play if you ran every game screening technique known to man ... Treat all these tactics like a buffet, and load up your plate with the ideas you think fit your family's taste.

That said, we've got another big tool for the box this week: parental controls. These settings on your computer, game consoles and individual games let you limit access to game features you don't want your children to use. You can use parental controls to determine what games your kids play (and block those M-rated games borrowed from the friend at school), who they're playing them with and when they're playing them.

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MMO Family: Parental control tools originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 06 Nov 2009 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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MMO Family: When enough is enough

Lisa Poisso — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 16:00:00 EST

Filed under: Kids, MMO Family, Miscellaneous

MMO Family is your resource for leveling a gaming-specced family ... From tips on balancing gaming with family life to finding age-appropriate niches for every family member, MMO Family offers you advice on MMO gaming of the family, by the family and for the family.

Whether yours is the kind of family with "screen time" limits or the type that takes a more laissez-faire approach to logging in, there comes a point when enough is enough. Plenty of pixels and ink have been devoted to the debate over whether or not internet and gaming overuse should be considered an "addiction." What we're here to discuss is how gaming affects your family. As parents who game, we should be in a unique position to appreciate, respect and guide our children's attraction to games. But sometimes in the crush of day-to-day living, it's easy to let those last few minutes slip into half an hour ... past an hour ... into the evening ... into a habit that's begun eating away at family balance.

To help parents recognize when their children's gaming may have passed what's reasonable and productive for them as individuals, we touched base with psychiatrist Dr. Kourosh Dini (author of Video Game Play and Addiction: A Guide for Parents and himself a gamer). Statistics on gaming use, he explains, show that most gamers manage to balance gaming with their daily lives without negative consequences. "In fact ... sometimes what one can gain from a game is quite profound," he observes. "The person's mind and the video games together set the stage - either for benefit or for detriment." A gaming schedule that suffocates one child's motivation and energy might buoy another through social problems at school. Our mission: to keep the mix healthy, productive and fun.

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MMO Family: When enough is enough originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 30 Oct 2009 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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MMO Family: The family that groups together

Lisa Poisso — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 12:30:00 EST

Filed under: Kids, MMO Family, Family, Miscellaneous

MMO Family is your resource for leveling a gaming-specced family. From tips on balancing gaming with family life to finding age-appropriate niches for every family member, MMO Family offers you advice on MMO gaming of the family, by the family and for the family.

Now that we've established why and how to stay plugged into your children's gaming interests, some general internet safety rules for kids and a variety of ways to choose games that are suitable for your family, you're probably ready to log in and get some XP. But if it's the whole family we're trying to consider here, we're not quite buffed and ready to pull. Gaming for kids and gaming with kids are two different things. Have you considered the benefits of fitting both into your gaming family?

A gaming family has a lot in common with a rich, well developed MMO. You can solo. You can group. You can team or raid. You can quest, and you can craft. You can go PvP, stay PvE or tuck yourself into a quiet corner to roleplay or socialize. And just as you can cherry-pick your activities according to your interests within a single game, you can mix and match games, what you do within each game and different configurations of groups and partners within your family. There's no law that states that kids must play "children's games" and adults must play "mature" fare. Your kids may be jonesing to play the games they've grown up watching you play - or they may find your enraptured state over the economy of EVE Online utterly stultifying. Cobble together whatever mix of high/low, adult/kiddie gaming everyone finds most enjoyable.

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MMO Family: The family that groups together originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 23 Oct 2009 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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MMO Family: Con your games like a pro

Lisa Poisso — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 12:00:00 EST

Filed under: Kids, MMO Family

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MMO Family: Con your games like a pro originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 16 Oct 2009 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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MMO Family: 17 internet safety tactics for gaming families

Lisa Poisso — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 12:00:00 EST

Filed under: Kids, MMO Family, Family, Miscellaneous

MMO Family is your resource for leveling a gaming-specced family. From tips on balancing gaming with family life to finding age-appropriate niches for every family member, MMO Family offers you advice on MMO gaming of the family, by the family and for the family.

"Be careful, there's nasty stuff out there on the internet."

It's frustrating to hear this warning clarioned over and over again. We're gamers ourselves, after all. We know easily children can get in over their heads on the internet. "Be careful," intone the experts. "Watch carefully, and be very, very careful ..." But how? What must we be careful to do? To not do? What does "being careful" mean in actual practice? Specific online safety tactics - and putting them into practice without driving anyone crazy in the process - become an epic quest reward that always manages to stay two turn-ins out of reach.

As we mentioned last week, your main objective as the parent of a young MMO player is to remain figuratively logged in to their activity. When children are online, parents cannot afford to be figuratively AFK. We're not suggesting you pull up a chair and some popcorn to faithfully oversee kids' every move online. No child needs direct supervision to kill 10 rats (or pick 20 flowers or befriend 30 fairies or frag 50 enemies ...). But young gamers do need your boundaries and your guidance (as well as your feedback, your enthusiasm and your support). Just how strong the boundaries should be will depend on the age of your child and the game that they're playing. Apply common sense, based on your own MMO experience, along with these 17 tactics for safe online gaming.

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MMO Family: 17 internet safety tactics for gaming families originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 09 Oct 2009 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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MMO Family: Log in to your kids' gaming interests

Lisa Poisso — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 11:00:00 EST

Filed under: Tips and tricks, Kids, MMO Family, Family, Miscellaneous

MMO Family is your resource for leveling a gaming-specced family. From tips on balancing gaming with family life to finding age-appropriate niches for every family member, MMO Family offers you advice on MMO gaming of the family, by the family and for the family.

Are you leveling a pack of MMO gamers? Welcome to MMO Family, where we look at tips for families who love MMOs. Should you be keeping an eye on your kids while they game? (Yes!) How can you do that without seeming heavy-handed? (Stay tuned.) Are MMOs appropriate for young kids? (Sure!) Which ones? (Coming soon ...) What MMOs might your family enjoy playing all together? Should you be using parental control devices and tools? What are the best ways to quickly gauge the age-appropriateness of a game? There's a lot to cover when it comes to leveling a family of gamers, so let's breeze through the tutorial and tap our first topic.

As the parent of a young MMO player, your main strategy is to remain figuratively logged in to whatever they're doing. There's no AFKing when it comes to parenting. Every parent knows they need to get involved in their children's extracurricular hobbies. We want to know what they're doing, who they're with, whether they're safe, whether they're enjoying themselves, if what they're doing is a productive source of life lessons as well a good, old-fashioned fun ... What you might not have considered is that kids' gaming deserves the same level of scrutiny and support as, say, their karate classes or violin lessons. Whatever captivates your child's imagination should also attract your parental periscope.

We're not suggesting you plop down and dutifully watch every move as your child logs in to kill 10 rats (or pick 20 flowers or befriend 30 fairies or frag 50 enemies ...). Frankly, no gamer wants or needs a hall monitor. But young gamers do need your boundaries, your guidance, your feedback, your enthusiasm, your support - all the same things you'd bring to their piano recitals or baseball games.

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MMO Family: Log in to your kids' gaming interests originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 02 Oct 2009 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Daily Grind: Questions for the MMO parents in the house

Krystalle Voecks — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 08:00:00 EST

Filed under: Culture, Opinion, The Daily Grind

Ah the joy of kids. Packing lunches, making sure homework is done, an endless round of extra-curricular sports/groups/events, and then there's the ever-present question of what to do for free-time together outside of all of the regular things you already do. Kids love new experiences, so as a parent, you may have considered MMOs as an option of something ever-changing and fun to play with your kids. As there are only a couple of us on staff here at Massively who are parents, our experience is limited to what we and our circles of friends have experienced as gamers with kids. Thus, this morning we thought we'd ask - if you're part of the MMO parenting crowd, do your kids also play MMOs? Are you constantly on the lookout for MMO titles that you and your kids could play together? Or do you keep the kids away from MMOs, preferring to give them console games on the Wii or 360, and instead keep online worlds as your escape? Let us know!

The Daily Grind: Questions for the MMO parents in the house originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 09 Mar 2009 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Get factual with FusionFall guide for parents and gamers alike

Kyle Horner — Sun, 25 Jan 2009 12:00:00 EST

Filed under: News items, Free-to-play, FusionFall

We're definitely fans of FusionFall here at Massively. It's really easy to love an MMO that takes cartoons from your childhood and creates a wonderfully fun free-to-play experience around them. So when we saw this guide over at What They Play, we just had to share it with you, our readers.

It's a fairly thorough guide detailing just about every key aspect a concerned parent -- or really anyone in general -- would want to know about what the game is, how you play it, how you sign up for it, how much it costs and much more. They even cover what the community is like and how safe the game is for younger players in general. It's a very impressive look at the title from a parent's perspective. So check it out or send it to any curious parental figures you know who may be scratching their heads about FusionFall.

Get factual with FusionFall guide for parents and gamers alike originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 25 Jan 2009 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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A parental guide to Warhammer Online

Michael Zenke — Sat, 25 Oct 2008 19:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Guides, Warhammer Online

John Davison is a veteran of writing about 'the games'. He's a much-respected games journalist, and until a time not too long in the past he was a fixture at Ziff Davis/1up. Now he's putting his efforts in a somehow more noble direction: informing parents about videogame content by heading up the site What They Play. What They Play is a site where gamers talk to gamers and non-gamers alike about the actual content in videogames. Touching on everything from Carnival Games to Grand Theft Auto IV, it allows folks playing the ultimate mini-game (child-rearing) to make informed gameplay decisions.

It should come as no surprise that this year's MMO darling Warhammer Online got a bit of attention from the site's writers. Indeed, they have up a lengthy guide on the title, walking parents through the game. Starting with the basics like 'what is it?', the guide walks interested parties through account registration, character creation, and deals with the realities of online realtime MMO communication. It's a great resource from a generally great site, and well worth passing on to anyone that might be considering letting their kid pick up the game. Check it out.

A parental guide to Warhammer Online originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 25 Oct 2008 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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UC Irvine to compare WoW players from America, China

Samuel Axon — Sat, 13 Sep 2008 13:00:00 EST

Filed under: World of Warcraft, Fantasy, Culture, News items, Academic

The University of California at Irvine has been granted $100,000 to study the differences between Chinese and American World of Warcraft players, according to the Orange County Register. The study will mostly focus on explaining why American players are much more likely to employ modifications such as Cosmos than Chinese players are, but project lead Bonnie Nardi made some interesting observations outside the scope of this particular endeavor.

For example, she noted that Chinese players are for some reason more likely to talk about the aesthetic appearance of the game than are Americans. Whereas American players often play with their children, parents, or siblings, Chinese players are unlikely to do that. "The older generation dislikes video games," she said, and playing with siblings is obviously rare since most Chinese of the gaming generation have none.

"The vast majority of Chinese players are not gold farmers," she said. "They're ordinary players like anyone. The media has blown that story out of all proportion. Many people think Chinese play for a job. They play for fun." Enlightening stuff. We're looking forward to seeing what else comes out of her research.

[Via Ten Ton Hammer]

One of Azeroth's millions of citizens? Check out our ongoing coverage of the World of Warcraft, and be sure to touch base with our sister site WoW Insider for all your Lich King needs!

UC Irvine to compare WoW players from America, China originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 13 Sep 2008 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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How parents really feel about online gaming and their children

Shawn Schuster — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 13:30:00 EST

Filed under: Culture, Opinion, Academic, Kids

For literally generations now, we've had to endure those ongoing discussions regarding the harm of video games on children. Now with almost the entire industry being online, children are able to interact with other people across the world. This, of course brings up a whole new array of problems when it comes to protecting our children from harm.

In a recent article at Yahoo's Shine, this subject is approached in a way that keeps its distance from the usual mainstream doom and gloom we read regarding online games and parenting. Instead, readers are invited to share their own experiences with their kids and video games or online games. The comments are (mostly) interesting, and give a glimpse into how some parents are conquering this battle. Also, there's a link to a survey conducted by SOE regarding what parents think of their kids playing video games, and how it affects the children's school work and social lives.

How parents really feel about online gaming and their children originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 09 Jun 2008 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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