Noteworthy: Gamine Expeditions & Kid-Targeted MMOGs

I’ve been studying these early versions of kid-targeted “MMOGs” for a couple of years now, starting with Toontown, Neopets and Habbo Hotel in 2003, and more recently adding newcomers BarbieGirls.com, TheBigRip/GalaXseeds, Foster’s Big Fat Awesome House Party and Nicktropolis to my research schedule (I’ll get around to Club Penguin and Webkinz eventually…I’m doing television-themed games first, then toy-based games). Over time, and particularly with the newer games, kids’ MMOGs are finally starting to incorporate features found in more traditionally-defined MMOGs, like World of Warcraft and EverQuest. Sort of. The vast majority, however, contain certain limitations and common features that set them in a category apart when it comes to theorizing and thinking about massively multiplayer online games and all that they entail. For example…

Gamine Expedition: ToonTown, Cartoon Network Universe…More News on the Kid-Targeted MMOG Front

PLEASE PLEASE check out Sara Grime’s blog entry about Kid-targeted MMOGs.  Sara’s article talks further about:

- Kid-targeted MMOGs are highly promotional in nature

- “Safety First” puts multiplayer interaction last

- Kid-targeted MMOGs seem to forget to include the “G”

Check it out :)  I end up rambling quite often from a particular perspective.  It’s nice to have another’s thoughts on the issue from time to time too. lolz

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