Kids

Free Realms has been going really strong, as far as I can tell, since the beginning. I definitely remember the distinct buzz that came from the beta, and I remember bloggers and podcaster friends proclaiming that the game was going to go gangbusters. We MMOers often forget just what sort of impact certain titles have made on the market. As soon as these special titles are released into the world, we become used to them and often take them for granted.

Free Realms has always been one of those special titles. But think about it: We hear from it regularly but often forget to notice just how packed with players it can be and how much variety in gameplay it offers. In fact, Free Realms is probably one of the least appreciated sandboxes in the world of MMOs right now because it has been so successfully integrated into the MMOsphere.

Yes, I said sandbox. Yes, I'm serious. I'd go so far as to say that Free Realms is almost a perfectly designed sandbox, although some of its design is not for everyone. Like Mabinogi, another underappreciated open world of a game, Free Realms might turn off the typical sandbox aficionado, who might not like its graphics or young audience. That's unfortunate because the world of Free Realms is more vast that many of us think.

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I'm always on the hunt for MMOs that are educational because I think it's a genre with enormous potential that is still largely untapped. At the same time, the skeptic in me always becomes wary of any MMO that calls itself "educational" because it usually turns out that it's mostly "game" and very little learning goes on.

So I was cautiously curious to try out Pora Ora, an educational MMO that's aimed at kids ages 5 to 13. As it turns out, the game embraces learning and has several features that make it a viable educational game not only at home but also in the classroom. This week's MMO Family is a first impressions look at Pora Ora.

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KingsIsle's Pirate101 has a launch date, sorta. It's actually more like a launch window, as the followup to Wizard101 is slated for an "early October" release.

Forbes says the free-to-play kid-friendly title will go on sale just in time for International Talk Like a Pirate Day (that's September 19th if you're curious). Pre-sale purchasers will get access to the game a week prior to its actual launch, and they'll also score a range of in-game pets, mounts, weapons, and homes.

If you're willing to fork over 89 bucks for the Boochbeard bundle, you'll get automatic beta access which will enable you play this week.

[Update]: Click past the cut for details on the two pre-order bundles.

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Knight Age is an adorable new Anime MMO brought to us by Joymax. I want to emphasize the word adorable because the game is perfectly designed to illicit a reaction that is something along the lines of "Awww, look how cute that is! My head is explo.." and it really does have that effect. In fact I love the graphics of Knight Age so much that I would give anything to see an MMO developed that looks like Knight Age yet has the hardcore ruleset of, say, a Wurm Online or Darkfall. Yes, I am entirely serious. Strange how many players tend to think that "serious" or "hardcore" titles need serious or machine-taxing graphics. That's simply not true; just ask a World of Warcraft raider.

The point is that the graphics of Knight Age are one of my favorite things in the entire universe. The characters are chunky and solid, the animations are smooth, and the game runs like butter. Does this mean I do not like more realistic graphics? No, it means that I like all sorts of graphics and all sorts of gameplay. It's possible for a writer to enjoy different things. I know, crazy huh?

But what does Knight Age offer other than amazingly awww-rific graphics? Some interesting gameplay, that's what, and a soft grind. Allow me to explain.

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I regularly explore the good, bad, and the ugly in kid-friendly MMOs, so I was eager to have a turn with the MMO Blender to see if I could concoct a game that would be appealing for kids but also have some features that should be standard in grown-up MMOs as well. There are a lot of MMOs out there that are aimed at a young audience, but I think the industry sometimes holds back and opts to make a game that's safe. The result of going safe, though, is that it's also not that compelling. Let's take a look at a few features that would make a (nearly) perfect kid-friendly MMO, one that might even be appealing to adults.

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I love the Clone Wars animated telvesion series on Cartoon Network. So when I heard that Sony Online Entertainment was making the Clone Wars Adventures MMO using the Free Realms engine, I was more excited than a tween with an unscratched Station Cash card on Christmas. Finally I would be able to play in the world of the Clone Wars without having to venture into the lower digit channels!

Recently SOE released (somewhat quietly) a new area to explore and conquer. In the Carlac zone, players are tasked with defeating piles of Death Watch baddies and Pre Vizsla. Tune in past the break, where I'll defeat Pre myself!

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Two months ago, SOE gave players their first look at the Free Realms' new Sunstone Valley zone. But there's always a difference between eyeballing static pictures and seeing a game in action, isn't there? That's why the team is excited to give players a video tour tomorrow of this upcoming area.

Starting at 7:00 p.m. EDT on Thursday, August 30th, Free Realms developers will broadcast Sunstone Valley's features on Twitch TV. You'll need to be prompt, as the webcast is only expected to take 15 minutes.

Sunstone Valley is a rocky canyon that's home to a clan of uppity dwarves, a place called Wheelie Pete's, and the awesome Rumbledome.

Sony Online Entertainment released a new set of hyperspace coordinates to its Clone Wars Adventures players, but be warned: If you take them, you'll be in for quite a scuffle. Today the game has expanded to include a new planet, Carlac. This isn't a peaceful world full of timeshare opportunities but rather a dangerous warzone with mercenaries and some dude named Pre Vizsla.

Or that could be a car. The 2012 Pre Vizsla: It'll make the Kessel run on 30 miles to the gallon.

Carlac has an impressive array of attractions for players, including four instanced missions, eight collections, two world bosses, and hundreds of enemies. SOE says that it's about the same size as CWA's Umbara.

[Source: SOE press release]

If you've been following the MMO industry for a while, you've probably been watching in near astonishment as Texas-based developer KingsIsle Entertainment grew a little-known MMO called Wizard101 from the level of "just some kids game" all the way to a very successful world for all ages. So when we heard about a new title in the works, we wondered whether it was possible for the KingsIsle team to duplicate its earlier successes. Well, after trying out new kids on the block Pirate101, I can say that it might even dwarf the success of its predecessor.

Why do I say that? Well, there are many reasons. The game is in only a beta stage, but it's aiming for a launch this year. And even though it's still in beta, the current Wizard101 fanbase is going nuts over the game. If that, combined with the unique selling points of the two titles, is any indication, KingsIsle can count Pirate101 as a huge step forward. One that will make a lot of money, I'm sure.

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Even though Clone Wars Adventures is a kid-friendly MMO, I've always been a fan of the title, partially because it sort of came out of nowhere and launched soon after it was revealed and partially because it's done a terrific job of matching content and itemization with the TV series. The Darth Maul content update was a household favorite, particularly because the pint-sized players in the family got a chance at going face to face with one of Star Wars' major baddies after seeing him on the animated show. Talk about an epic moment for a CWA fan!

The most recent update, though, left me scratching my head a bit. Clone Wars Adventures has had a trading card game called Card Commander for quite a while. Recently, though, SOE added a completely new trading card game called Card Assault. What's the new game like, and why would an MMO have not one but two card games? This week's MMO Family will take a look at the new game and theorycraft on why we're neck deep in cards!

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If you've found yourself going crazy over raising pets in the hugely successful Wizard101, worry no longer! We called up Fred Howard, KingsIsle VP of Marketing, to discuss some of the upcoming changes en route to one of the most popular activities in Wizard101. These pet changes are underway thanks in large part to a very passionate, informed community of players who have been asking for specific tweaks for quite a while. Pets aren't just for looks in Wizard101; they can level, aid in combat, and be hatched from eggs. There's even a fan-made Petnome Project to break down each pet and its abilities.

We also virtually twisted Fred's arm and got a few comments about Pirate101, KingsIsle's next MMO. Fans of PvP will also be pleased at what he had to say. Just click past the cut and we'll break it down for you.

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We're about to enter the "dog days of August," and lately, I've felt as if I'm in the dog days of kid-friendly MMOs. There are many titles to choose from, yet many of them feel all too familiar, and after a while, they start to blend together. Of course, there are some that push the boundaries and shine, and I've been trying to cover those in this column. But in this week's MMO Family, I'd like to get my rant on and look at a few characteristics of kid-friendly MMOs that really need to go. They've outlasted their welcome and are holding back the genre, so I'm calling them out!

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It might be your time up there, but it's my time -- my time -- down here! For this latest edition of Choose My Adventure, I get to hand out a selection of odd little games for you to vote on, and then for the next month and change, I will stumble my way through the title. At your direction and with your help, of course. The trouble is that I have already played darn near everything. I've downloaded and tried so many games that I simply can't remember them all. So, what to do?

Well, I decided to give a mix of games a chance at several weeks coverage here on Massively. I picked out an assortment of browser games, independent titles, and lesser-known client-based MMOs. Hopefully you will steer me the right way, and if I am lucky, I won't even have a horrible time. I chose games that I know have a robust community in the hopes that plenty of voters will turn out. The key is to get the word out there, so if you have a favorite, go tell your community!

But first, click past the cut and vote on the game you would like to see me tackle for the next several weeks. Just don't expect to see triple-A games on the list!

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This week was another stellar week in gaming, despite the fact that many of us in the Massively offices were busy spending our holiday on the beach, together, hugging and shooting fireworks and remembering old times. We have had this tradition for the last 17 years, back when many of us were only in our tweens. Ah, good times. Massively good times.

What's that? You missed some of these killer streams that we worked so hard to bring you? It's all right; just follow past the cut to catch up on some of the best moments from the week. Also, be sure to bookmark our livestream schedule to see what we are doing next! This week, we have playtime with Mike as he heads into the blackness of EVE Online and then braves the battlefields of World of Tanks. MJ takes over from there and plays some The Secret World, EverQuest II, and City of Heroes and sees some good times in Vanguard: Saga of Heroes. Richie attacks stuff in the new MOBA SMITE, and I round things out by continuing to beat up the Gloam in Free Realms. Hurry up and die already so we can see the new area, Gloam!

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Games for kids need to be safe for kids, and recent news about Habbo highlights the importance of this. In the aftermath of concerns raised in that community, Disney has decided to launch an expansive safety campaign for its popular Club Penguin title. The campaign will spend $4.7 million to target not only the children who who play the game but also parents through advertising on various media including websites, magazines, television, and in the game itself.

Club Penguin co-founder and Executive VP of Disney Online Studios Lane Merrifield emphasizes the company's stance on the importance of online safety and that education is a key element. Merrifield states, "From the very start, our vision for Club Penguin was to create a safe place for my kids and their friends to play online. The scale may now be bigger than I could ever have imagined but that philosophy has not changed. As an industry I think we can help teach kids the lessons that they need to become responsible digital citizens."