Notes

MMO Family: Family Night at the MMO Buffet

MMO Family is your guide to gaming-oriented families. It provides advice on everything from how to manage gaming and family life to finding age-appropriate niches.



It's not hard to see how abundant the world is of MMOs that are family-friendly. Or, perhaps it's due to the general lack of awareness and respect for them even among gamers. There are a lot of games for children available, and it's obvious. Even a year ago there were more than 200 youth-oriented virtual worlds and multiplayer games in development or on the market. A year later, as we've reported, "... Blizzard's World of Warcraft has the most players in the U.S. out of all the MMOs it tracked, just in front of NeoPets and Club Penguin. Other MMOs that are in the top five are Disney ToonTown and RuneScape." From where this writer sits in the midst of examining the list of possibilities for our ongoing Parents Guide series about family-friendly games ... It's going to be a lengthy drawn-out, tedious process, folks.



Just last month, Beau Hindman wondered whether games for children aren't being taken as seriously as they merit. "Do the experiences they provide are similar to what one could get from an adult-oriented game like Darkfall or Vanguard? Do we view children's games as just an entertainment device to be enjoyed for a while and giggling at?" Beau believes they are and we are with him.



While we wouldn't want MMO Family to turn into an information feed for children' games, we started to wonder if readers weren't aware of not just how popular but how well-developed these games actually are. Take Free Realms, which was the first game that was featured in our Parents Guide series. Free Realms is celebrating its first anniversary this week, having just crossed the 10 million registered players mark. Our look back at FR's first year -- the friendly and social atmosphere, the collectables and achievements added, the mini-games, the mounts, and of course the inexpensive subscription fees -- paints a picture of a something-for-everyone approach to kids' games that works for grownups looking for less frantic, theorycrafted gaming action, too.



Here at the home of MMO Family's brave game-testing adventurers for kids (it's slave labor, we inform you! The excitement after school is all about the new features available at Wizard101. Players are diving into new pet-themed mini-games, wing mounts that increase speed up to 40% and collecting items to craft gear, treasure cards and furniture. There's even an online puzzle mini-game that is available for iPhone. MMO Family's testing team is eager to find out what's in store for them on Wiz101's expansion. It will include a new pet system that gives players the ability to breed race, customize, and have their pets join in battles. It's the pet advancement system you've been waiting for, and it's right in a game that is geared towards kids.



Of course, nobody can deny the massive success that is RuneScape which is a game geared toward older teens. RuneScape has just released the biggest update in the game's history. What's that? Are you looking for a game that would create content quickly to test your character? You can find it in RuneScape that now has randomly generated "customized rooms" that adapt to fit the skill level and abilities of players who play.



Of course, not all kids games are able to provide this kind of depth. Games that don't provide this level of depth make up for it with well-crafted games. Kung Fu Panda World (yes it was modeled on the film) is currently in sneak preview mode. This is part of the DreamWorks Animation mission to improve the quality of browser-based games. Even Disney's Pixie Hollow, a sweet little 2-D game we've dibsed for an upcoming Parents Guide, is evolving. The inclusion of male "sparrowmen" in fairy stories is a new option, which allows for a larger audience and less controversy about the origins and the species of the creatures.



If your children are eager to play with you, but you aren't keen on the idea of putting them in an age-appropriate area in your MMO (although should they wish to play with you in the same way we suggest you try it again), don’t dismiss so-called "kids games. Some of the crafting systems are more intricate (and some are more diverse and engaging) than those of your typical adult action or fantasy MMO. There's depth of content: combat, collection/achievements, exploration, pet and housing management. Graphics aren't boring. And the company? You'll meet a lot of other adults hooked on these games also. It's not theorycrafting for Elitist Jerks -- but family fun that even a veteran gaming parent could love? Yes, indeed.



Are you the proud parent of a budding sparrow man or fairy? Keep an eye out for the next Parent's Guide to Pixie Hollow at MMO Family.



MMO Family provides tips on MMO gaming for the entire family, played by the family, and for the entire family. RSWIKI.NET We are open to your questions and comments about gaming and parenting. Send them to Lisa at massively (dot com).


Website: https://rswiki.net/