ZAM Explores Star Wars: Clone Wars Adventures
This article originally appeared on ZAM on Sept. 28, 2010.
SOE is already celebrating one million registered users for its newest browser-based game, so Editor-in-Chief Darryl Gangloff decided to travel to a galaxy far, far away and see what this Stars Wars MMO can offer to a younger audience.
Star Wars: Clone Wars Adventures launched less than two weeks ago and Sony Online Entertainment is already boasting that one million users have registered to play the browser-based, kid-friendly game. I decided to mark this early milestone by venturing into the Star Wars-themed world to see what it has to offer for young and old players alike. I immediately gravitated toward a mini-game where players use the Force to send Jar Jar Binks flying through the air. Ah, such satisfaction for older fans of the original trilogy!
All joking aside, this online game is, without a doubt, targeted toward younger gamers. Older fans can play Star Wars Galaxies or wait for the launch of Star Wars: The Old Republic, but children should find enjoyment (and even some educational value) in the mini-games of Clone Wars Adventures.
Why do I keep mentioning mini-games? Well, the entire virtual world is centered around a series of games that are based on Cartoon Network's "Star Wars: The Clone Wars" animated series. When you first log into the MMO, you will be greeted with a short cutscene featuring characters like Anakin Skywalker, Yoda, Obi-Wan Kenobi and Mace Windu. They will explain that you're a young Jedi who must help the Republic end the war. Of course, all Jedi need to have some fun from time to time, which is why there are mini-games for you to enjoy all around the temple.
The Jedi Temple is the main setting of Star Wars: Clone Wars Adventures. You can run around and show off your character, interact with other players, play games or buy items from NPCs. While we're on the topic, the graphics in the temple are surprisingly detailed for a browser-based MMO. Your actions are limited mainly to running, swinging your lightsaber and using emotes, but that's honestly all that's needed in the social hub of the game.
Aside from interacting with players, everything that can be done in the temple can be accessed through in-game menus. Do you want to buy clothing and gear for your avatar? You can either run to an NPC or simply push the shopping cart button on your interface. Do you want to play a specific mini-game? Rather than search for it in the temple, bring up the list of mini-games and click it. Do you want to rearrange the furniture in your room? You can make your way to the door in the temple or just click the big blue house icon on your toolbar. This freedom gives younger players the flexibility to make the game more immersive by exploring the temple or more straightforward by quickly giving them access to their favorite mini-games at the push of a button.
As far as the MMO aspect of the game is concerned, interacting with players in the temple is the bulk of it. Think of it as MMO-lite for kids. They have the option to interact with other players, but can have just as much fun with solo activities. The majority of the mini-games are for single players only, but they all keep track of high scores for some friendly competition. Clicking on a character in the temple will bring up their profile, which allows you to view a list of their accomplishments, read their favorite pre-written Star Wars quote, find out their favorite hero, or visit their in-game room. Each player has his or her own personal space in the game (which is surprisingly large) to decorate with furniture and show off his or her trophies. Of course, you can also add players to your buddylist and chat with them through the global chat feature or in-game messages. There is a chat filter, and other parental controls are available.
Before we talk more about the mini-games, let's discuss the game's subscription model. Star Wars: Clone Wars Adventures is technically free-to-play, but you'll quickly learn after you log into the MMO that becoming a Jedi Member for $5.99 per month (or for a lifetime membership of $49.99) will unlock a ton of new content. Paying the fee will let you customize your character and lightsaber, play as a Zabrak, buy more items, access VIP areas and events and play more games.
For younger children, the free-to-play option might actually be enough to keep them occupied. Older children, however, might get a little frustrated at the lack of options they have if they don't become a paid Jedi Member. Of the 19 mini-games that are currently available in Clone Wars Adventures, six of them can be played only if you have a subscription. Also, the higher levels of most of the mini-games can be played only if you're a Jedi Member. It's probably best to think of the free-to-play option as more of a free trial of the game. Honestly, a lifetime subscription of $49.99 is similar to the price of most console games on the market right now.
Oh, since we're on the topic of subscriptions, let's talk about the in-game currency. Actually, there are two types: Credits and Station Cash. Players earn Credits for beating mini-games, while Station Cash (as SOE fans are already aware) must be purchased with real money. Some items in the game can be bought using Credits, while others can only be purchased with Station Cash. Others require you to be a Jedi Master. For example, I purchased a small robot pet using my Credits. I can also purchase an R2-D2 pet using Credits, but I need to have a subscription to unlock it. Or I could buy a protocol droid pet (like C-3PO) with Station Cash.
All right, onto the mini-games! I must admit, most of them are fun. The controls for each game are incredibly simple and displayed each time you select a game. As I mentioned, only a handful are actually designed with multiple players in mind. For example, the Speeder Bike Racing game lets you zip around a course against other players, and the Lightsaber Duel requires you to hit a series of arrow keys faster than your opponent. Droid Programming is a puzzle game that's quite addicting, and I'd love to have it on my phone. Blaster Training lets players show off their shooting skills, while Rocket Rescue requires you to guide R2-D2 as he flies through the air collecting objects. There's even a Real Time Strategy (RTS) game called Republic Defender!
The mini-games are comprised of a good mixture of action, puzzle and strategy genres, but it's also great to see that Sony Online Entertainment added some with educational value to the list. Star Typer lets players use their typing skills to shoot at enemies, while Force Perception asks them to find the differences between photos. It's also worth noting that none of the games are incredibly violent.
Star Wars: Clone Wars Adventures is targeted at kids, and it works. The games are highly entertaining, and players can feel a sense of accomplishment by earning trophies, showing off their high scores and customizing their characters. The MMO aspect of the game is almost purely social, but that's fine for younger players who are making their first foray into the world of online gaming. The main downfall is the limitations placed on the free-to-play service, but the monthly fee is low and the price of the lifetime subscription is reasonable. Also, it would be nice if a few more multi-player games were added to the mix. Older players may not be the intended audience, but all Star Wars fans should find some enjoyment in the mini-games. I still recommend tossing Jar Jar around in the Stunt Gungan game. It's totally worth signing up for a free account.
SOE is already celebrating one million registered users for its newest browser-based game, so Editor-in-Chief Darryl Gangloff decided to travel to a galaxy far, far away and see what this Stars Wars MMO can offer to a younger audience.
Star Wars: Clone Wars Adventures launched less than two weeks ago and Sony Online Entertainment is already boasting that one million users have registered to play the browser-based, kid-friendly game. I decided to mark this early milestone by venturing into the Star Wars-themed world to see what it has to offer for young and old players alike. I immediately gravitated toward a mini-game where players use the Force to send Jar Jar Binks flying through the air. Ah, such satisfaction for older fans of the original trilogy!
All joking aside, this online game is, without a doubt, targeted toward younger gamers. Older fans can play Star Wars Galaxies or wait for the launch of Star Wars: The Old Republic, but children should find enjoyment (and even some educational value) in the mini-games of Clone Wars Adventures.
Why do I keep mentioning mini-games? Well, the entire virtual world is centered around a series of games that are based on Cartoon Network's "Star Wars: The Clone Wars" animated series. When you first log into the MMO, you will be greeted with a short cutscene featuring characters like Anakin Skywalker, Yoda, Obi-Wan Kenobi and Mace Windu. They will explain that you're a young Jedi who must help the Republic end the war. Of course, all Jedi need to have some fun from time to time, which is why there are mini-games for you to enjoy all around the temple.
The Jedi Temple is the main setting of Star Wars: Clone Wars Adventures. You can run around and show off your character, interact with other players, play games or buy items from NPCs. While we're on the topic, the graphics in the temple are surprisingly detailed for a browser-based MMO. Your actions are limited mainly to running, swinging your lightsaber and using emotes, but that's honestly all that's needed in the social hub of the game.
Aside from interacting with players, everything that can be done in the temple can be accessed through in-game menus. Do you want to buy clothing and gear for your avatar? You can either run to an NPC or simply push the shopping cart button on your interface. Do you want to play a specific mini-game? Rather than search for it in the temple, bring up the list of mini-games and click it. Do you want to rearrange the furniture in your room? You can make your way to the door in the temple or just click the big blue house icon on your toolbar. This freedom gives younger players the flexibility to make the game more immersive by exploring the temple or more straightforward by quickly giving them access to their favorite mini-games at the push of a button.
As far as the MMO aspect of the game is concerned, interacting with players in the temple is the bulk of it. Think of it as MMO-lite for kids. They have the option to interact with other players, but can have just as much fun with solo activities. The majority of the mini-games are for single players only, but they all keep track of high scores for some friendly competition. Clicking on a character in the temple will bring up their profile, which allows you to view a list of their accomplishments, read their favorite pre-written Star Wars quote, find out their favorite hero, or visit their in-game room. Each player has his or her own personal space in the game (which is surprisingly large) to decorate with furniture and show off his or her trophies. Of course, you can also add players to your buddylist and chat with them through the global chat feature or in-game messages. There is a chat filter, and other parental controls are available.
Before we talk more about the mini-games, let's discuss the game's subscription model. Star Wars: Clone Wars Adventures is technically free-to-play, but you'll quickly learn after you log into the MMO that becoming a Jedi Member for $5.99 per month (or for a lifetime membership of $49.99) will unlock a ton of new content. Paying the fee will let you customize your character and lightsaber, play as a Zabrak, buy more items, access VIP areas and events and play more games.
For younger children, the free-to-play option might actually be enough to keep them occupied. Older children, however, might get a little frustrated at the lack of options they have if they don't become a paid Jedi Member. Of the 19 mini-games that are currently available in Clone Wars Adventures, six of them can be played only if you have a subscription. Also, the higher levels of most of the mini-games can be played only if you're a Jedi Member. It's probably best to think of the free-to-play option as more of a free trial of the game. Honestly, a lifetime subscription of $49.99 is similar to the price of most console games on the market right now.
Oh, since we're on the topic of subscriptions, let's talk about the in-game currency. Actually, there are two types: Credits and Station Cash. Players earn Credits for beating mini-games, while Station Cash (as SOE fans are already aware) must be purchased with real money. Some items in the game can be bought using Credits, while others can only be purchased with Station Cash. Others require you to be a Jedi Master. For example, I purchased a small robot pet using my Credits. I can also purchase an R2-D2 pet using Credits, but I need to have a subscription to unlock it. Or I could buy a protocol droid pet (like C-3PO) with Station Cash.
All right, onto the mini-games! I must admit, most of them are fun. The controls for each game are incredibly simple and displayed each time you select a game. As I mentioned, only a handful are actually designed with multiple players in mind. For example, the Speeder Bike Racing game lets you zip around a course against other players, and the Lightsaber Duel requires you to hit a series of arrow keys faster than your opponent. Droid Programming is a puzzle game that's quite addicting, and I'd love to have it on my phone. Blaster Training lets players show off their shooting skills, while Rocket Rescue requires you to guide R2-D2 as he flies through the air collecting objects. There's even a Real Time Strategy (RTS) game called Republic Defender!
The mini-games are comprised of a good mixture of action, puzzle and strategy genres, but it's also great to see that Sony Online Entertainment added some with educational value to the list. Star Typer lets players use their typing skills to shoot at enemies, while Force Perception asks them to find the differences between photos. It's also worth noting that none of the games are incredibly violent.
Star Wars: Clone Wars Adventures is targeted at kids, and it works. The games are highly entertaining, and players can feel a sense of accomplishment by earning trophies, showing off their high scores and customizing their characters. The MMO aspect of the game is almost purely social, but that's fine for younger players who are making their first foray into the world of online gaming. The main downfall is the limitations placed on the free-to-play service, but the monthly fee is low and the price of the lifetime subscription is reasonable. Also, it would be nice if a few more multi-player games were added to the mix. Older players may not be the intended audience, but all Star Wars fans should find some enjoyment in the mini-games. I still recommend tossing Jar Jar around in the Stunt Gungan game. It's totally worth signing up for a free account.