Disney's Toontown Online News - MMORPG "Training Wheels"

Posted by Craig McGregor on May 11, 2005 | 1 comments in our forums

Dana Massey recently had a chance to interview the VP or VR Studio - Mike Goslin and Steve Parkis - the VP of Premium Products at Disney Online. From this he has put together a nice read on this MMORPG targeted at younger players:

The majority of MMORPG gamers are adults. The games are violent, they require a credit card and typically, the uncertainty of the content in an online world has parents keep their kids away. MMOs are a paradoxical genre in an industry that many perceive, however incorrectly, as being for kids. Enter Disney's Toontown Online, the only major MMORPG aimed at children. They face an odd challenge. They need to convince children to play their games, and parents to pay for it. The game does not have the advantage of a box on a store shelf to draw a kid's attention, and it requires a monthly fee from a credit card that no child has. How then does it succeed? It has been the support of hardcore MMORPG players who wish to show their friends, family and children what draws them in has made Toontown a modest success.

Recently, MMORPG.com had a chance to chat with Steve Parkis, the VP of Premium Products at Disney Online, and Mike Goslin, the VP of VR Studio who produces Toontown Online and the recently announced Pirates of the Caribbean Online which will be designed for a somewhat older demo, about the challenges of making an MMO for kids.

To read it all - click here.

1 comments in our forums

Read more Exclusive News...

Our Rating

7.5

User Rating: 7.6

Popular Features:

The List : Five Under the Radar MMOs Column added on Tuesday November 03

MMORPG.com's Jon Wood takes over this list this week, taking a look at five MMOs... Read More

The List : Five Ways to Know You're Just Not That Into It Column added on Tuesday November 24

MMORPG.com's Jon Wood uses this week's list to explore five ways that a player can... Read More

The List : Top 5 Things Coming In WoW Patch 3.3 Column added on Tuesday November 10

We look at the top five things players should be drooling about in Patch 3.3... Read More

The List : Ten MMOs and Their Place In History Column added on Wednesday November 18

MMORPG.com's Jon Wood returns this week with another list, this time taking a look at... Read More

Star Trek Online : Exclusive Screenshots, Part Three Media added on Tuesday November 03

Cryptic provides us with three exclusive peeks at Star Trek Online. This week we get... Read More

Latest News:

Disney's Toontown Online : Available for Macs Reported on Nov 28, 2006

Disney Online has announced that their family-friendly MMORPG, Toontown Online, is now available for Macintosh... Read More

Disney's Toontown Online : Game to Launch in Southeast Asia Reported on Sep 25, 2006

Walt Disney Internet Group (WDIG) today announced that its critically acclaimed Disney's Toontown Online, hailed... Read More

Disney's Toontown Online : Gardening Expansion Reported on Sep 19, 2006

Disney's Toontown Online : Toonfest Dev Diary Reported on Sep 01, 2006

Disney's Toontown Online : Toonfest Reported on Aug 11, 2006

Latest Games Added:

Grand Fantasia

Bright Shadow

Gates of Andaron

Heroes of Gaia

Faunasphere

Search Gamelist

- Page Created in 0.422 seconds -

No Favorite GamesYou can add games to your favorite list from the gamelist, forums, or right here:

Add Game