Marketing and the MMO

When you think of video games what do
picture as their demographic? Fifteen to college age players that
have poor social skills and hygiene? Aging wanna-be drop-outs that
spend more time in front of a computer screen than in the sun light?
Junior high age boys clustered around the latest fight game?

Were you thinking about 12 year old
girls and their parents?

Kingsisle entertainment is.

Kingsisle is a video game developer in
Austin and Dallas, Texas. Founded in 2005 they have identified a
niche market they think will pay off – 12 year olds and their
parents. With the median age of video gamers going up every year it
makes sense these players either already have kids or will have them
in the very near future. And, well the kids got to play too so why
not make it a family affair?

To that end Kingsisle has just revealed
their latest project, Wizards 101.

The game is built around the idea the
character is a pre-adolescent enrolling in a school of magic. Not
unlike Harry Potter. However, the art for the game is far more
surreal than HP, with anthropomorphic teachers and npc residents.
There is a strong Yu-Gi-Oh/Magic the Gathering influence as the
player must collect spells printed on cards.

Yes, I can see the real world tie in
too.

Of course there are levels, and quests,
and xp. The standards of the MMO.

Kingsisle has done everything it can to
make the game as safe and secure for the kiddies as it can. Chatting
is done through pre-selected text bubbles that will cover most
situations. Combat is handled through duels with no death involved.
The game itself is bright and crisp with easy graphics load and not a
lot of clutter on the screen.

While they have said they've spent a
great deal of time making sure the content is there for adults and
kids alike, I have to wonder about it. While I'm sure they've made
an effort, I still have to wonder how much they've put in for the
parents. The game is clearly built for children. It features large
graphics that are easy in interact with. A pov that is decidedly
shorter than the adults within the game. Controls that don't require
knee-jerk speeds, and a point-click combat system leave me wondering
how much can there really be for an adult?

And as a 30-something white male with
no children I am clearly not their target demographic.

This game is not a WoW killer. But, I
don't think it was meant to be. The World of Warcraft has broad game
appeal for many reasons. And the folks of Kingsisle have taken a
page from Nintendo and Madison Avenue, and are using an asymmetrical
approach by targeting key segments of our population that may not
have a lot of gaming outlets- girls and their parents.

While the game is meant for all ages,
it is clearly aimed at the kids.

If you have kids, like to play games
yourself, I recommend swinging by their website. Check out the
screen shots, but more importantly sign up for the free beta so you
can see the game for yourself.