Grandma’s Got Game
PLANO, TEXAS—September 30, 2008 — A magical new virtual world game designed especially for tweens, Wizard101 is fast becoming an online hotspot where the elementary and junior high set play with friends and family after their homework is done. In response to an enthusiastic audience of kids to grandmas already playing the game, online entertainment company KingsIsle Entertainment, Inc. today introduced a family subscription plan for Wizard101 (www.wizard101.com). The $6.95 per month family subscription rate will make it more economical for siblings or (grand)parents and their (grand)children to adventure, play and chat together, each with their own customized wizard characters.
“I live 1500 miles from my grandchildren…and now this is the game we play. They both think it’s great that their grandma plays with them and like to brag about it to all their friends,” posted ‘Olivia Jadeflower’ (her in-game name) on the Wizard101 message boards.
“…of all the games out there for kids, this is the best one by far! The chat is safe, it’s exciting, and great fun for parents to play with their children,” wrote mom ‘Donna Mythcaster’ who likes to play Wizard101 with her daughter.
Wizard101 is free-to-play, with advanced play content and features available at the general subscription rate of $9.95 per month. The new family subscription plan enables family members to purchase multiple accounts charged to the same credit card at the rate of $6.95 per month for each account. Discounts to the general subscription plan are also available for six-month and one-year subscriptions. Additions to both the free-to-play and subscription game environments are planned on an ongoing basis.
Wizard101 features spell-casting adventure and card style game play. The game’s familyfriendly safety features include a collaborative play style, a chat system with many options and a character name selector. The game contains no blood, and characters don’t die if they are defeated in a duel of spells—they simply go to a safe area in the game to regain health. The Entertainment Software Ratings Board has given Wizard101 a rating of E10+.
“When all is said and done, Wizard101 is an MMO [massively multiplayer online game] made for kids that their parents will want to play,” summarized Don Shump in Wired’s geekdad blog.
