Kung Fu Panda World (www.kungfupandaworld.com)
© 2010 Dreamworks Animation, Inc.
Kung Fu Panda World (KFPW) is a richly animated Flash-10 based online destination for children aged 8-up that is free to register and play, or available as a subscription for $6/month sans commercials. In many ways, the site resembles a "design your own avatar, explore a movie-themed world" type of experience. But it is clear the site embeds the movie theme, by increasing your Chi-level and moving up a belt rank. This and other touches make this a great example of how to take a virtual world to the next level in order to extend a movie or storybook experience. After you register, you can design your own avatar and start exploring the first levels of the game. A sponsored play game model lets you play for free, as long as you watch a commercial for a "kid friendly" sponsor like McDonalds. If you subscribe, you can skip the commercial and reach the highest levels of the game. There is no in-game commercial content. So, what is unique about the game? There's a "heat sensing" tool that makes it easy to find your friends, and a parental control panel that makes it possible to program when your child has access to the game. Parents also have the ability to control the level of chat. We also liked some of the new collaborative play techniques, such as a game of tag and the turn-based (Pokémon-like) game of Kung Fu, which is mixed in with the traditional treasure hunt model of play. Even if you didn't like the movie, you'll like the virtual world. Learn more at http://www.kungfupandaworld.com.
$6, Windows, Mac OSX, Internet Site
Teaches: strategy, typing, collaborative play
CTR Rating: 96%