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Toys of 2009: Online-Enabled Games for Kids

by Chad Mumm on March 12, 2009 at 12:38 PM


We spent a week at the 2009 New York Toy Fair and came away with a renewed desire to be 10 years old again. This episode of our Toy Fair series showcases what's new in kids online gaming.

Thanks to the phenomenal success of Webkinz, there is a slew of companies trying to catch up and cash in on the retail-to-Web gaming market. Each of the three companies we profile in the video have their own unique approach. Check out the company descriptions after the break.

  • Freaky Creatures- Think of it as Webkinz with monsters and you'll get the idea. This online world where players create and customize characters then interact with other players online (in tech-speak, this is referred to as a Massively Multiplayer Online Game, or MMO) is the best we saw at the Toy Fair, in terms of both features and graphics. Impress your ten year-old son by picking up a starter pack that includes two figurines and the computer game for $20. (freakycreatures.com)
  • KizPal- Kizpal is notable for its unique combination of gameplay and social networking--characters and players in the game can interact without having to fight each other. We didn't see a lot of in-game footage, but from what we saw, it looks to be centered around exploring the large world and meeting other players inside the game. The creators have gone to great lengths to make the Internet function of the game safe and anonymous for elementary-school-aged kids, which should make parents very happy indeed. (Available June 1st, $25; kizpal.com)
  • Jacabee Code- The Jacabee Code offers a collection of cross-media history lessons and is based on characters created by early 20th-century illustrator F. Luis Mora. The online portion of the game, a relatively simple side-scrolling platformer, ties into companion books and players can publish their own journal chronicling their decidedly educational adventure. This would be a good fit with late elementary-school-aged kids who have shown some interest in history, as this game is well-steeped in it. (Available June 1, $10 per book and $6 for the online subscription; jacabeecode.com)
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Tags: gifts, kids, online gaming, OnlineGaming, switchedvideo, toy fair, ToyFair, toyfair2009, toys, upcoming, web

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