Links for today

The Designer’s Notebook on hooks for users
http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/3913/the_designers_notebook_numbers_.php
Strategies for sharing UGC content
http://influence.forumone.com/archives/317-Strategies-for-Visualizing-and-Sharing-Policy-Content.html
Growing up social
http://www.mediapost.com/publications/?fa=Articles.san&art_aid=99160
The New PC Worm Spreads Havoc
http://www.netfamilynews.org/2009/01/new-pc-worm-infecting-millions.html
Social User Demographics
http://www.emarketer.com/Article.aspx?id=1006882
A Review of Danah Boyd’s Social Networking Thesis “Taken Out of Context”
http://www.netfamilynews.org/2009/01/youth-perspective-essential.html
US Retail Sales fall for the first time in 14 years
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=aL7sHljfxY64&refer=home
Geeky gaming furniture
http://weburbanist.com/2009/01/23/19-pieces-gaming-furniture/
An online start-up teaches kids math
http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/01/27/start-up-uses-online-games-to-teach-kids-math/
Teaching kids about online harassment
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/27/business/media/27adco.html?_r=1&ref=technology

The age [...]

Heads up: Freakatars

Freakatars, a new kid-targeted “creating and collecting” combo social community and interactive game online site and offline play, has launched into phase one of public beta at www.freakatars.com . Designed for K3-11, Freakatars lets users create and care for their own creations, and plan also to add limited edition parts, virtual goods and games among [...]

Reading up on Engagement

Today’s 6-to-11 year olds have grown up with the expectation that they can interact with their favorite brand whenever they want, and on whatever device they happen to have in their hands. This ease of movement between formats and technologies reflects a fundamental difference between the way we (digital immigrants) and kids (digital natives) experience [...]

A Parents Eye View of the Ole Club Penguin

In the middle of a playdate with one of his best buddies a few months ago, my then-8-year-old came over and asked me how to spell “penguin.”
“Penguin?” I asked, puzzled. “As in Mr. Popper’s Penguins?”
“No,” Jake clarified. “As in Club Penguin. We want to play, but we can’t get to the Website.” And just [...]

Dizzywood inspires all sorts of community

Helping out in your community is an important activity that’s easy and fun!
There are many ways to get involved in your local community, so that you can make a difference in bettering the world around you and lend a helping hand to those less fortunate and in need of assistance.
Here [...]

Another FusionFall Review

One of the first things I noticed about the game was the interesting, intertextual and subtly reflexive way it plays with the idea of different versions of the same character. For example, in the first level of the game, Buttercup (of the Powerpuff Girls) sends you on a mission to save Dexter from “Fusion Buttercup” [...]

Theres no end to success and no end to web edusafety

After spending a year (and who knows how much money) researching the topic, a study commissioned by 49 state attorneys general has determined that there’s no simple technological way to protect kids online. They needed a year to figure out that there’s no magic bullet, or piece of software, that could keep kids out of [...]

Wowza: FusionFall

Well, ladies & gents, the time has finally come for CN briiiiziiiiliant minds to release their much anticipated MMO of ginormity.  And ya know what?  Gorgeous.
I was lucky enough to sneak several peeks in the past, but didn’t feel right spilling any beans.
I do have a lot to say about this monster of a project [...]

What’s interesting in the news today…

Today’s Webospherical News
Thursday, January 8, 2009
Mattle’s new creative toys for kids
http://i.gizmodo.com/5126064/mattel-ucreate-music-games-capitalizes-on-your-kids-creativity
Major League Gaming’s success
http://www.mediapost.com/publications/?fa=Articles.san&s=97881&Nid=50952&p=982048
The need for better metrics in Social Networking, etc
http://www.mediapost.com/publications/?fa=Articles.san&s=97934&Nid=50952&p=982048
How would Walt Disney market in 2008?
http://www.businessweek.com/managing/content/jan2009/ca2009016_057614.htm?chan=careers_managing+index+page_top+stories
Guitar Hero gets an uber girly guitar (ugly from my girly point of view – very ‘bratz’ ish)
http://www.shinyshiny.tv/2008/12/girly_guitar_he.html
“Interesting” Insights on girl behavior (article [...]

WeeWorld claims the bridge between Virtual and Reality?

If WeeWorld.com GM Lauren Bigelow pegs this year’s virtual world trends, 2009 will go down in history as the year virtual worlds collide with social networks and video games. Not only will they increase use of “gaming elements,” but they will reflect timely real-world events, and cozy up to many more influential, hip brands.

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