I just read this
Conquer
Player Interview, in which the interviewee has 13
family members playing an MMO, Conquer Online, together. I have
been playing the game for a few years, and heard such instances
from time to time. Parents start to play the game to keep an eye on
their young kids, but they get themselves addicted and introduce
the game to other family members.
Usually family
games are stereotyped as casual games, such as chess, cards, and
rhythm-action games; not exactly combat-focused games. However,
Conquer Online is famous for its PvP-oriented gameplay, in which
you can PK other players in most maps. So I am wondering how
Conquer could have become a family MMO?
First of all - easy to play
To be a family MMO,
it has to be easy to pick up. You might be a hardcore player and
have years of gaming experience, but it is really complicated for
house-wife moms or 8-year-old kids to master classic D&D rules.
Conquer has the most common features for a fantasy MMO, which an
MMO newbie, like Mom and Dad, can easily adapt to.
Secondly –
good for kids
To be a family MMO, it doesn’t mean
that the game has to be a fairy-tale-like world. However, a game
filled with half-naked female characters won’t be favored by
parents. Compared to the average Korean counterpart, Conquer
doesn’t have any of the more “sexy” female characters running
around in the game. On the contrary, you experience beauty in the
form of the classic Chinese art-style. Conquer is a PvP-oriented
MMO. However, thanks to its older 2.5D graphic engine, it doesn’t
contain detailed scenes of violence, either.
Last but not
least – family member interaction
To be a family MMO, it has to
provide a close interactive environment between those family
members, so that parents, kids and other relatives can stick
together during their adventures. In Conquer, various interaction
systems can help family members who are playing the game together
to level up and complete different kinds of quest. In the Guild
War, you can even fight a battle royal with your parents or kids!
Isn’t that exciting?
So do you have
the experience that playing an MMO with your family? What is your
opinion about family MMOs?