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Cartoon Network, Grigon Team For Kids MMO

Turner-owned TV network and online game location Cartoon Network has announced that it is developing its first massively multi-player online game (MMOG) in a partnership ...

Simon Carless, Blogger

July 19, 2006

2 Min Read
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Turner-owned TV network and online game location Cartoon Network has announced that it is developing its first massively multi-player online game (MMOG) in a partnership with a Seoul, South Korea-based Grigon Entertainment (Seal Online). According to the company, The Cartoon Network MMOG will launch in North America in Spring 2008 and specifically target the kids' interactive gaming market, presumably in a similar way to titles such as Disney's ToonTown Online. The game will be free to download, with subscription and micro-transactions available to players to enhance the gaming experience. New areas for exploration and play are planned and will be added regularly over a span of several years. The developer, Grigon Entertainment ,is best known for successfully developing and launching several online games in Asia, including Seal Online, a "light-hearted RPG" that has been successful in Asia - localized versions are available in Korea, Japan, Taiwan, China, Indonesia and Thailand. The companies also noted that Cartoon Network's MMOG will be compliant with the Children's Online Privacy and Protection Act (COPPA) and will "offer a safe gaming environment for players", an important reassurance for any interactive online environment in today's media climate. Jim Samples, Cartoon Network executive vice president and general manager, commented: "Not only will kids be able to play with their favorite characters like Mac and Bloo, Ben 10 and the Kids Next Door, but they will also be able to develop their own online gaming personalities and interact, virtually, with other players in a safe way." He continued: "This MMOG is a key part of Cartoon Network's growth strategy, and is an important complement to our mobile, broadband and our existing online business. With the MMOG, mobile content, our Web sites and, of course, our linear network, Cartoon Network is always on for kids."

About the Author

Simon Carless

Blogger

Simon Carless is the founder of the GameDiscoverCo agency and creator of the popular GameDiscoverCo game discoverability newsletter. He consults with a number of PC/console publishers and developers, and was previously most known for his role helping to shape the Independent Games Festival and Game Developers Conference for many years.

He is also an investor and advisor to UK indie game publisher No More Robots (Descenders, Hypnospace Outlaw), a previous publisher and editor-in-chief at both Gamasutra and Game Developer magazine, and sits on the board of the Video Game History Foundation.

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