Cartoon Network is no stranger to online, browser-based games focusing on the amazing array of Cartoon Network cartoons and characters. It’s only natural for the animation broadcaster to evolve the Cartoon Network online experience and develop the potential fan base.

What is surprising is they developed an MMORPG based on Cartoon Network characters and worlds.

Massively multiplayer online role playing games are extremely popular right now with millions upon millions of players around the world dedicating hours a day to a game. MMORPG’s are typically set in persistant virtual worlds populated by the players’ avatars. Players can team up to accomplish similar goals while creating and customizing their avatar to be more powerful.

The overwhelming success of World of Warcraft over the past 4 years has meant game development companies are seeing a new area to tap for more sales. It’s no wonder everyone wants in on the action when Blizzard has announced that 14 million players world-wide play World of Warcraft.

FusionFall is Cartoon Network’s answer to the MMORPG popularity and it looks like they’ve done a pretty decent job. The game takes place in the near future where teenage versions of Cartoon Network characters are banding together to stop Fuse, an interstellar bad-guy that wants to cover the Earth in green goop. Dexter, from Dexter’s Labratory, has enlisted you to travel through time and stop Fuse from taking over the world.

It’s supposed to sound adolecent. With an E10 rating — everyone 10 and up — the game is targeted to pre-teens and younger teens. Cartoon Network has pulled all the stops to ensure the safest online environment they can create. They have a quick start guide for parents who would like to learn more. Parental controls set to a master account are also available to make sure children aren’t playing when they aren’t supposed to.

Once an account is created and a character is customized, players are given a tutorial level in which to learn how to play. Moving and jumping are standard fare, although having the camera tied to the mouse’s movements is a little awkward. Combat is simple as well. Face an enemy and click to have your character swing a weapon or fire an energy gun. Since it is an RPG, however, there is plenty of strategy, math and reading involved. MMORPG’s generally aren’t forgiving to the easily distracted.

When the player is done with tutorial mode, they are plopped down into the new player area with all the other level 1 players. From this point on, the world is open to do anything the player feels like doing. Completing quests and defeating monsters will allow the player to progress, while chatting and being social will help make new friends.

The game is browser-based, meaning it is played in an internet browser. I was even able to play the game in OS X in Firefox, so compatabilty shouldn’t be an issue. The game won’t win any awards for looks, but it is lightweight enough to run on most older systems.

Initially, the game is free. Only a few areas are accessible with a free account. Those wanting to spend more time with the game and pass the free account level cap will need to pay the $5.95 a month fee. Upgrading gives access to the entire game and more character creation slots.

Having played my fair share of MMORPG’s, it will be interesting to watch FusionFall go through the hurdles most online multiplayer games face. While it isn’t the first MMORPG to be targeted solely to kids, it seems to have what it takes to thrive in today’s gaming culture.

FusionFall

Post from: techTalk

I found this story via Wired.com’s Game | Life blog in which the author focused on how much mature content was being kept from younger hands over the past years. When I began reading the story, I nearly fell out of my chair when I saw the percentiles of other forms of media.

The FTC, Federal Trade Commission, which takes the control of explicit material through commercial media and broadcast media very seriously, performed a 2008 study in which 13 to 16 year olds were asked to try to purchase R-rated movie tickets, R-rated and Unrated DVDs, Parental Advisory Label (PAL) music CDs, and M-rated video games. The FTC has performed 4 other similar studies in 2000, 2001, 2003, and 2006.

In 2008, the percentage of young teens that were able to purchase M-rated video games was 20%. In my opinion, that’s still too high (check out the original article to see which retail chains are to blame).

However, the next lowest percentile of susseccful purchases by minors is nearly double that of video game’s failure. Movie theater chains allowed 35% of the study’s minors to purchase R-rated movie tickets. However, according to the graph, the theaters have been the most successful over the years keeping mature content from minors, but they don’t seem to be making much headway for improvment.

Retail chains show apauling statistics, with 47% minors able to purchase R-rated DVDs, 51% able to purchase Unrated DVDs, and a staggering 54% able to purchase music CDs with Parental Advisory Labels on the front cover.

Thankfully, these percentages are coming down from the years of previous studies. And maybe because I am a gamer I have a cetain talent for hearing or reading the onslaught of video game bashing brought forth from the likes of Jack Thompson, FOX News, public organizations, city councils and even federal and state governements.

It has been years since I’ve heard a whisper about other violent/sexual forms of media and how to keep them out of the hands of minors. How can those with a voice continually lynch the most successful ratings system that is being enforced better than all the others?

My speculations? Some are simply trying to jumpstart a political campaign (Hilary Clinton, Jack Thompson, etc.) on a topic they know next to nothing about, OR they truly are egomanics crazy enough to label a whole demographic as “neo-nazis” deserving to spend life on deathrow.

Post from: techTalk

G4TV’s Adam Sessler interviews the two authors on his show X-Play, a show about video game news and reviews. That video can be found here.

In the interview, Kutner and Olsen explain their findings were worlds apart from popularly cited research programs that claim violent video games make a violent person. They even included non-gamers and children who play non-violent video games into the study. Their findings are very interesting.

In the end I think the only answer left to the big debate is there are good people and there are psychopathically deranged, homocidally preoccupied, should-be-locked-up bad people.

Post from: techTalk

The New York Zoos and Aquarium group has posted a fun little website for the youngsters to play with while learning about different animal parts while piquing curious minds. Build Your Wild Self lets your child, hopefully supervised, enjoy making a unique identity complete with lion feet, octopus arms or even peacock feathers. And when they’re all done, they can print their masterpiece or set it as a desktop wallpaper.

Rawr!

Post from: techTalk