Which MMOs are Kid-Safe? A Parents Guide to Massively Multiplayer Games
There is no shortage of Massively Multiplayer Online games for adults, with titles like Age of Conan, World of Warcraft, Star Trek Online, and City of Heroes. While its great that adults have a nice selection of options for their gaming dollar, what about children? Most adults would rather not have their kids playing Age of Conan, which depicts half-naked women and copious amounts of beheadings and severed limbs.
Graphic depictions of violence are only one aspect of MMOs that may concern parents, while others may be far more worried about language and predatory adults with too much time on their hands. What you will find below is a list of current MMOs that are kid-friendly. In all cases, these games were built for kids and will offer as safe a gaming environment as you can hope to have on the Internet. Nothing is perfect and no system is fool-proof, so active parental monitoring is always a good thing. Games appear in order of popularity.
The most popular MMO with kids is Poptropica. Best of all, its free, though you can buy your child credits for the purchasing of special items. Kids can create their own character, known as a Poptropican, and travel across islands. Players will use problem-solving skills as they uncover various mysteries, explore new areas, acquire digital comic books, watch movies and even compete in head-to-head competitions with other kids.
For kids between the ages of 6-13+, Webkinz is a commercial venture that ties into an existing toy-line, so know going in that you’re dealing with a gateway drug, i.e., play the game and find your kid asking for a real-life Webkinz toy. Commercialism aside, kids really enjoy Webkinz, a virtual world where they can adopt and care for pets, take part in fun activities and even decorate their own home.
RuneScape has been around for what seems like forever, boasting a mammoth player base and huge game world for kids to explore. RuneScape is more like a traditional MMO, presented from a top-down perspective. While kids under 9 may be in over their heads, older kids will find Runescape to be a great bridge to more difficult games like World of Warcraft. RuneScape is highly addictive and has a sizable adult player base. Fortunately, you can have the chat feature of RuneScape disabled until you child turns 13 years of age.
Club Penguin is published by Disney, so you know you’re in good hands right from the start. Kids will find a wide-range of activities in Club Penguin and parents can set chat limitation and amount of play time per day, ensuring your kid gets the old homework done.
Which MMOs are Kid-Safe? A Parents Guide to Massively Multiplayer Games
There is no shortage of Massively Multiplayer Online games for adults, with titles like Age of Conan, World of Warcraft, Star Trek Online, and City of Heroes. While its great that adults have a nice selection of options for their gaming dollar, what about children? Most adults would rather not have their kids playing Age of Conan, which depicts half-naked women and copious amounts of beheadings and severed limbs.
Graphic depictions of violence are only one aspect of MMOs that may concern parents, while others may be far more worried about language and predatory adults with too much time on their hands. What you will find below is a list of current MMOs that are kid-friendly. In all cases, these games were built for kids and will offer as safe a gaming environment as you can hope to have on the Internet. Nothing is perfect and no system is fool-proof, so active parental monitoring is always a good thing. Games appear in order of popularity.
The most popular MMO with kids is Poptropica. Best of all, its free, though you can buy your child credits for the purchasing of special items. Kids can create their own character, known as a Poptropican, and travel across islands. Players will use problem-solving skills as they uncover various mysteries, explore new areas, acquire digital comic books, watch movies and even compete in head-to-head competitions with other kids.
For kids between the ages of 6-13+, Webkinz is a commercial venture that ties into an existing toy-line, so know going in that you’re dealing with a gateway drug, i.e., play the game and find your kid asking for a real-life Webkinz toy. Commercialism aside, kids really enjoy Webkinz, a virtual world where they can adopt and care for pets, take part in fun activities and even decorate their own home.
RuneScape has been around for what seems like forever, boasting a mammoth player base and huge game world for kids to explore. RuneScape is more like a traditional MMO, presented from a top-down perspective. While kids under 9 may be in over their heads, older kids will find Runescape to be a great bridge to more difficult games like World of Warcraft. RuneScape is highly addictive and has a sizable adult player base. Fortunately, you can have the chat feature of RuneScape disabled until you child turns 13 years of age.
Club Penguin is published by Disney, so you know you’re in good hands right from the start. Kids will find a wide-range of activities in Club Penguin and parents can set chat limitation and amount of play time per day, ensuring your kid gets the old homework done.
Wrath of the Impromptu Book Critic
Hot on the heels of his previous gaming philosophy book, The Legend of Zelda and Philosophy (you can read our review here), editor Luke Cuddy has followed suit by assembling various members of academia and all-around gaming junkies for his next book in the gaming philosophy series, World of Warcraft and Philosophy: Wrath of the Philosopher King.
It would seem that WoW would be a perfect fit for philosophical discussion, what with the constant accusations of the game’s addictive properties as well as its real-world defying economy, and for the most part, this is true.
Like Zelda and Philosophy, WoW and Philosophy organizes itself into individually written chapters that attempt to tackle a specific topic relating to WoW using philosophical tools. For instance, WoW’s economy is studied to determine whether it is the perfect or ideal form of capitalism, and if so, whether it can be reproduced in the real world.
Though each chapter is written by a different author, often causing the quality and consistency of the book to vary, the chapters are broken down into sections to help facilitate out-of-order reading based on specific topics. The book even prefaces each section with humorous quest-based introductions, complete with aged-looking paper laying out your objectives, that claim to give you +5 Intellect! and other rewards after reading. It’s a nice little touch that’s meant to reinforce the authors’ hands-on understanding and experience with WoW and help them connect with the reader beyond an academic-based approach.
Getting down to the actual content of the chapters though, I find that the book is a bit haphazard. At times it feels like each author is attempting to appeal to a specific WoW player at the point of being boring or going over the top for other readers. For instance, Chapter 5, “A Mage in Motion,” is written from the viewpoint of a mage in game – not the player behind the keyboard. The author then unfolds a philosophical discourse between the mage and the higher power controlling said mage – the player behind the keyboard.
While the chapter’s style can at least be noted for its novel approach to discussing philosophy, the conversation between the mage and the player regarding the laws of physics just isn’t as interesting as the more straightforward chapters.
Chapter 20, “Future Pasts of Magic and Deceit,” is simply all over the place. The authors jump from one topic to another without warning or transition and at the end of the 8-page ordeal, you’re left wondering what the hell you just read.
Wrath of the Impromptu Book Critic
Hot on the heels of his previous gaming philosophy book, The Legend of Zelda and Philosophy (you can read our review here), editor Luke Cuddy has followed suit by assembling various members of academia and all-around gaming junkies for his next book in the gaming philosophy series, World of Warcraft and Philosophy: Wrath of the Philosopher King.
It would seem that WoW would be a perfect fit for philosophical discussion, what with the constant accusations of the game’s addictive properties as well as its real-world defying economy, and for the most part, this is true.
Like Zelda and Philosophy, WoW and Philosophy organizes itself into individually written chapters that attempt to tackle a specific topic relating to WoW using philosophical tools. For instance, WoW’s economy is studied to determine whether it is the perfect or ideal form of capitalism, and if so, whether it can be reproduced in the real world.
Though each chapter is written by a different author, often causing the quality and consistency of the book to vary, the chapters are broken down into sections to help facilitate out-of-order reading based on specific topics. The book even prefaces each section with humorous quest-based introductions, complete with aged-looking paper laying out your objectives, that claim to give you +5 Intellect! and other rewards after reading. It’s a nice little touch that’s meant to reinforce the authors’ hands-on understanding and experience with WoW and help them connect with the reader beyond an academic-based approach.
Getting down to the actual content of the chapters though, I find that the book is a bit haphazard. At times it feels like each author is attempting to appeal to a specific WoW player at the point of being boring or going over the top for other readers. For instance, Chapter 5, “A Mage in Motion,” is written from the viewpoint of a mage in game – not the player behind the keyboard. The author then unfolds a philosophical discourse between the mage and the higher power controlling said mage – the player behind the keyboard.
While the chapter’s style can at least be noted for its novel approach to discussing philosophy, the conversation between the mage and the player regarding the laws of physics just isn’t as interesting as the more straightforward chapters.
Chapter 20, “Future Pasts of Magic and Deceit,” is simply all over the place. The authors jump from one topic to another without warning or transition and at the end of the 8-page ordeal, you’re left wondering what the hell you just read.
Murphy’s Law: An Open World of Warcraft?
Don’t burn your credit cards or start sending recruit-a-friend notices to everyone in your address book: World of Warcraft is not going open-source. You will still have to pay a monthly fee of $14.99 for the privilege of stomping your virtual friends and NPCs into corpse dust, and you will not be permitted to split WoW off into a side project that grants anyone with your name a free pass to level 80 (and/or a fixed "I win!" button). Blizzard isn’t stupid.
WoW might not be going open-source, but the company behind it is using the 1-2-3 trick of the open-source world to encourage increased adoption and interest in its core piece of software. In what I believe is a first for the genre, you’ll soon be able to access in-game mechanics from a separate Web or mobile app. You might not be able to run your daily quests off of your iPhone, but for WoW enthusiasts looking to make a tidy profit throughout their adventures in Azeroth, Blizzard’s mobile access should give you up-to-the-minute information for your business profiteering.
So how does this exactly work?
Blizzard’s using the tried-and-true method of hooking interested parties into a service offering, but it’s hard to discern exactly where the chain begins. That statement’s a little nebulous, so allow me to clarify: A large number of World of Warcraft’s features and offerings are themed around the same kinds of techniques for adoption that you see in the open-source world.
Borrowing a Page
Take World of Warcraft as a whole. It’s a game. You pay money for it every month, analogous to a service that you would purchase based on an open-source platform running in an office. The game’s completely free to download, much as an open-source program is yours to grab from wherever it happens to be hosted. The two realities diverge a bit when it comes to the feasibility of using the program: You can always use open-source apps without their pricy service or support offerings, though you can’t do a thing with World of Warcraft unless you pony up the monthly service fee (or hack the game into an illegal private server).
Still, the principle is there. World of Warcraft allows its users to build and incorporate add-ons to further customize their overall experience. While users can’t (or are extremely discouraged to) hack the actual mechanics of the game, they can nevertheless come pretty close to expanding the game’s features to a near-cheating classification. You can tweak your Warcraft experience much like an open-source developer can build new functionality into a program at a moment’s notice (Firefox add-ons, anyone?).
The Open Auction House
The auction houses scattered throughout the land serve as vital components of the game’s economy. Consider them a service that’s been built overtop the core hack-and-slash functionality of the game–much like a support mechanism that one would normally pay for on top of an open-source piece of software. Instead of paying cash, you’re paying in-game currency to use this service. If you want to expand your business beyond your faction’s linked auction houses, you have to pay a larger cut of your profits for the added service.
The new mobile and Web app that links to the auction house takes us right back to the beginning of the cycle. In this case, you’re getting a program for free–the in-game Auction House (I’m not counting in-game currency as a fee for use, as it’s not… real). The service spinning off of that is the mobile or Web-based access to the in-game auction program. Although the basic elements of the mobile and Web-based service will be free, an addition premium feature is expected to cost something extra for access.
In doing this, Blizzard maintains complete control over the addiction factor. The auction house is a critical element of your game–the open-source software, if you will. The add-ons are the moneymaker, which you’ll be compelled to explore due to the aforementioned addiction, be it through the in-game service or the free mobile or Web-based app. (If you’re still confused… see the appendix at the bottom of this article!)
How it Really Works
Free begets paid. Even open-source software developers have to make money, and this is how they do so: offer a compelling product and supplement with additives once you’re hooked, or deliver a basic functionality that you can purchase extra tweaks for. Easy. Simple. Effective.
World of Warcraft might not be open-source, but both parties certainly share a common path when it comes to keeping users engaged… and paying.
David Murphy (@ Acererak) is a technology journalist and former Maximum PC editor. He writes weekly columns about the wide world of open-source as well as weekly roundups of awesome, freebie software. If you’re on the Black Dragonflight server… let him know!
Appendix
World of Warcraft
- Downloadable for free, need to pay for "service" or "support" to correctly access program mechanics
- Able to configure and code around set parameters to customize or tweak the program (addons)
- Can supplement core mechanics with additional "fee-based" services (auction house) or real fee-based servics (character customizations / transfers / etc.)
Auction House
- A free program that allows you to run business in a virtual setting
- Fee-based service expansions give you a larger market to choose from for selling and buying goods
- Can customize experience with coded tweaks and add-ons to ensure stronger capabilities
- Spin-off mobile and Web services increase your ability to interact with (and your dependence on) the initial program
- Fee-based service expansions offer increased access via new gateways
The Top 10 Most Dangerous World PvP Areas of WoW
Going outside. It’s quite dangerous. Just ask a World of Warcraft player. Gang fights, turf disputes, trade swindling, imposing authorities, Mr. T. – and we’re not even talking about WoW yet.
So imagine what happens when you mix those things, rampant drug and alcohol usage, internet anonymity, a cross between GTA-style violence and Harry Potter-style witchery, 13-year-olds, and good old FPS teabagging. You get a rather dangerous place called a “PvP Realm.” Roughly translated for those who haven’t yet mastered WoW-speak, it means “open season on your ass.” But since Blizzard has yet to debut its patented in-game butt cup (available soon for only $10, limit one per account) to shield your character (aka toon) from unwanted posterior intrusions, you’ll have to settle with my $5 “Don’t-even-think-about-going-there” tour guide, provided to you free of charge.
So, without further adieu, I bring you, ranging from “hunting guide for Dick Cheney” to “sparring partner for Chuck Norris,” the top 10 most dangerous world PvP areas of WoW.
[A quick note to WoW players not yet accustomed to the sheer lunacy of PvP realms:
PvEers - pretend every zone not exclusively controlled by your faction is simply one of those magical places you call a "battleground," only with flight paths.
RPers - replace "you" with "thou," and "teabagging" with "a sampling of ye olde family jewels."]
#10 – Karazhan
Above: A typical Tuesday night outside Karazhan in 2007.
The old level-70, 10-man raid instance from Burning Crusade may be responsible for many things – starting a new approach that made making raid instances more accessible, causing Blizzard to incorporate 10-man options for all of its raid content in the Wrath of the Lich King expansion – but it will always be known for giving us one startling revelation above all: meeting stones and ganking go together like hookers and the clap.
Sure, Karazhan may not be much of a hot spot anymore, what with the level cap being raised to 80 and all, but back before WoW’s second expansion launched you couldn’t hover around the instance’s meeting stone on a weekday night for more than 10 seconds (let alone during the weekend) without getting gang raped by numerous members of the opposing faction.
The fact that both Horde and Alliance had to summon their raid members face-to-face while some dickweed rogue decided to run his own Sap-a-thon would often cause an arms race that rivaled the Soviet/American nuclear weapons buildup during the Cold War. The first side to amass a full 10-man group – or simply a larger group during more pressing moments – instantly waged full-scale war on the other side.
Beer, weed, energy drinks and A.D.D. all combined with impatience over waiting on that last raid member who just wouldn’t seem to get out of Warsong Gulch no matter how many times you told him. And when more raid groups started showing up, it simply boiled down to who wanted it the most, and who simply wanted some Tier 4.
But assuming your raid somehow succeeded in neutralizing all nearby hostiles, you’d still end up waiting on that supposed second tank your resto druid said he found in trade chat over 30 minutes ago. Thankfully, you could always fall back on dueling your guildies while you waited.
Chances of teabagging: medium.
The Top 10 Most Dangerous World PvP Areas of WoW
Going outside. It’s quite dangerous. Just ask a World of Warcraft player. Gang fights, turf disputes, trade swindling, imposing authorities, Mr. T. – and we’re not even talking about WoW yet.
So imagine what happens when you mix those things, rampant drug and alcohol usage, internet anonymity, a cross between GTA-style violence and Harry Potter-style witchery, 13-year-olds, and good old FPS teabagging. You get a rather dangerous place called a “PvP Realm.” Roughly translated for those who haven’t yet mastered WoW-speak, it means “open season on your ass.” But since Blizzard has yet to debut its patented in-game butt cup (available soon for only $10, limit one per account) to shield your character (aka toon) from unwanted posterior intrusions, you’ll have to settle with my $5 “Don’t-even-think-about-going-there” tour guide, provided to you free of charge.
So, without further adieu, I bring you, ranging from “hunting guide for Dick Cheney” to “sparring partner for Chuck Norris,” the top 10 most dangerous world PvP areas of WoW.
[A quick note to WoW players not yet accustomed to the sheer lunacy of PvP realms:
PvEers - pretend every zone not exclusively controlled by your faction is simply one of those magical places you call a "battleground," only with flight paths.
RPers - replace "you" with "thou," and "teabagging" with "a sampling of ye olde family jewels."]
#10 – Karazhan
Above: A typical Tuesday night outside Karazhan in 2007.
The old level-70, 10-man raid instance from Burning Crusade may be responsible for many things – starting a new approach that made making raid instances more accessible, causing Blizzard to incorporate 10-man options for all of its raid content in the Wrath of the Lich King expansion – but it will always be known for giving us one startling revelation above all: meeting stones and ganking go together like hookers and the clap.
Sure, Karazhan may not be much of a hot spot anymore, what with the level cap being raised to 80 and all, but back before WoW’s second expansion launched you couldn’t hover around the instance’s meeting stone on a weekday night for more than 10 seconds (let alone during the weekend) without getting gang raped by numerous members of the opposing faction.
The fact that both Horde and Alliance had to summon their raid members face-to-face while some dickweed rogue decided to run his own Sap-a-thon would often cause an arms race that rivaled the Soviet/American nuclear weapons buildup during the Cold War. The first side to amass a full 10-man group – or simply a larger group during more pressing moments – instantly waged full-scale war on the other side.
Beer, weed, energy drinks and A.D.D. all combined with impatience over waiting on that last raid member who just wouldn’t seem to get out of Warsong Gulch no matter how many times you told him. And when more raid groups started showing up, it simply boiled down to who wanted it the most, and who simply wanted some Tier 4.
But assuming your raid somehow succeeded in neutralizing all nearby hostiles, you’d still end up waiting on that supposed second tank your resto druid said he found in trade chat over 30 minutes ago. Thankfully, you could always fall back on dueling your guildies while you waited.
Chances of teabagging: medium.
The Scurge of MMO Account Hacking
As MMOs increase in popularity, an alarming number of people are having their accounts hacked on a daily basis. The problem has become so epidemic that its overall weight is dragging down respective customer support centers as they attempt to placate irate and confused customers. In some cases, it can take weeks to retrieve your character and if you’re lucky, you may get your items back.
Now, the vast majority of these problems could be avoided if gamers used their heads, but with the increased casual appeal of your typical MMO, we’re finding more players who simply don’t know better until it’s too late. It’s a hell of a way to learn. How are hackers getting account information? A variety of ways:
1. You get an email that looks like it’s from the Customer Service department of the MMO in question, asking you to update account information. You click the supplied link and are taken to a site that looks legit. Unfortunately, it isn’t…and you have just supplied all relevant account information to a hacker.
I get these emails on a daily basis. Here’s what one looks like (DO NOT CLICK THE LINKS!):
Blizzard Entertainment -> Legal -> Terms of Use
A 3-hour probationary suspension is pending on this account, awaiting confirmation from a specialist. A final warning has been issued. The investigation will be continued by the Account Administration team to determine the any further suspensions. If the account in question is found in violation of the EULA and Terms of Use, further action will be taken. Be aware that any additional inappropriate actions may result in the permanent closure of the account.
Thank you for respecting our position on this matter.
================================================
** We request that you verify your legitimate ownership of the account here:
http://www.worldofwarcraft.com/login/login/
Blizzard staff will verify your account information submitted in two days, please do not modify your account information during this time . It will not affect your game uptime.
1.) WHY DID THIS HAPPEN AND HOW CAN I STOP IT FROM HAPPENING AGAIN?
which state that your Password is to be kept confidential at all times and you are solely responsible for the security of your Password. You may not disclose your Password to anyone, or allow your Password to be used by anyone other than yourself and/or your one (1) minor child. This includes, but is not limited to, compensated third parties accessing the account to advance characters in any way.
You are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your Password, and you will be responsible for all uses of your Password, whether or not authorized by you. Also, note that the security of the Account is your responsibility. Furthermore, Blizzard Entertainment does not recognize the transfer of Accounts, and any authorized transfer of the World of Warcraft software (as set forth on the worldofwarcraft.com website) will result in the permanent deletion of the Account attached to that software. You may not offer any Account for sale or trade, and any such offer is a violation of this Agreement and may result in suspension or termination of the Account.
To help ensure that no viruses are present that may threaten your account, please regularly scan all computer systems that you use to remove all viruses, including Trojan files, spy-ware and key loggers. You can find links to scanners in our article about computer and Internet security tips at http://www.blizzard.com/support/?id=msi0504p. Also be sure to change your account password regularly at
https://www.worldofwarcraft.com/account.
2.) I SENT MY SUBMISSION, NOW WHAT?
We will contact you again once your submission is received and processed. If you do not receive a reply within 48 hours of sending your submission, please resend it and notify us at http://www.blizzard.com/support/wowaa/?id=eSupport000. If you send your submission by postal mail, please allow time for delivery. Thank you in advance for your cooperation and patience.
Only Account Administration is able to assist with account retrieval issues. To learn more about how Account Administration is able to assist you, please visit us at http://www.blizzard.com/support/wowaa/.com
Thank you for your time and attention to this matter, and your continued interest in World of Warcraft.
Sincerely,
Amanda
When you receive an email with a link, hover your mouse over the link and analyze the URL that appears in your browser. Chances are extremely high the URL points to a shady site, a site that is named in such a way that it fools you into thinking it’s legitimate.
The Scurge of MMO Account Hacking
As MMOs increase in popularity, an alarming number of people are having their accounts hacked on a daily basis. The problem has become so epidemic that its overall weight is dragging down respective customer support centers as they attempt to placate irate and confused customers. In some cases, it can take weeks to retrieve your character and if you’re lucky, you may get your items back.
Now, the vast majority of these problems could be avoided if gamers used their heads, but with the increased casual appeal of your typical MMO, we’re finding more players who simply don’t know better until it’s too late. It’s a hell of a way to learn. How are hackers getting account information? A variety of ways:
1. You get an email that looks like it’s from the Customer Service department of the MMO in question, asking you to update account information. You click the supplied link and are taken to a site that looks legit. Unfortunately, it isn’t…and you have just supplied all relevant account information to a hacker.
I get these emails on a daily basis. Here’s what one looks like (DO NOT CLICK THE LINKS!):
Blizzard Entertainment -> Legal -> Terms of Use
A 3-hour probationary suspension is pending on this account, awaiting confirmation from a specialist. A final warning has been issued. The investigation will be continued by the Account Administration team to determine the any further suspensions. If the account in question is found in violation of the EULA and Terms of Use, further action will be taken. Be aware that any additional inappropriate actions may result in the permanent closure of the account.
Thank you for respecting our position on this matter.
================================================
** We request that you verify your legitimate ownership of the account here:
http://www.worldofwarcraft.com/login/login/
Blizzard staff will verify your account information submitted in two days, please do not modify your account information during this time . It will not affect your game uptime.
1.) WHY DID THIS HAPPEN AND HOW CAN I STOP IT FROM HAPPENING AGAIN?
which state that your Password is to be kept confidential at all times and you are solely responsible for the security of your Password. You may not disclose your Password to anyone, or allow your Password to be used by anyone other than yourself and/or your one (1) minor child. This includes, but is not limited to, compensated third parties accessing the account to advance characters in any way.
You are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your Password, and you will be responsible for all uses of your Password, whether or not authorized by you. Also, note that the security of the Account is your responsibility. Furthermore, Blizzard Entertainment does not recognize the transfer of Accounts, and any authorized transfer of the World of Warcraft software (as set forth on the worldofwarcraft.com website) will result in the permanent deletion of the Account attached to that software. You may not offer any Account for sale or trade, and any such offer is a violation of this Agreement and may result in suspension or termination of the Account.
To help ensure that no viruses are present that may threaten your account, please regularly scan all computer systems that you use to remove all viruses, including Trojan files, spy-ware and key loggers. You can find links to scanners in our article about computer and Internet security tips at http://www.blizzard.com/support/?id=msi0504p. Also be sure to change your account password regularly at
https://www.worldofwarcraft.com/account.
2.) I SENT MY SUBMISSION, NOW WHAT?
We will contact you again once your submission is received and processed. If you do not receive a reply within 48 hours of sending your submission, please resend it and notify us at http://www.blizzard.com/support/wowaa/?id=eSupport000. If you send your submission by postal mail, please allow time for delivery. Thank you in advance for your cooperation and patience.
Only Account Administration is able to assist with account retrieval issues. To learn more about how Account Administration is able to assist you, please visit us at http://www.blizzard.com/support/wowaa/.com
Thank you for your time and attention to this matter, and your continued interest in World of Warcraft.
Sincerely,
Amanda
When you receive an email with a link, hover your mouse over the link and analyze the URL that appears in your browser. Chances are extremely high the URL points to a shady site, a site that is named in such a way that it fools you into thinking it’s legitimate.
World of Warcraft Movie Now on Fast-Track?
All hell broke loose yesterday in the world of Spider-Man, with Sam Raimi leaving his directorial position for Spider-Man 4 and Tobe Maguire retiring from the costume. As such, Sony canned the script they were working on and are now going in a completely different direction. Unfortunately, the direction indicated by Sony’s press-release indicates we may be in for a terrible film.
“Peter Parker is going back to high school when the next Spider-Man hits theaters in the summer of 2012. Columbia Pictures and Marvel Studios announced today they are moving forward with a film based on a script by James Vanderbilt that focuses on a teenager grappling with both contemporary human problems and amazing super-human crises.”
High school? So this is going to to be Twilight with Spider-Man?
Color me completely uninterested.
On the upside, Sam Raimi is now a free man and that means he has all the time in the world to devote to the cinematic version World of Warcraft, which Mr. Raimi signed on to adapt last year. At that point, Sam indicated he would begin production of World of Warcraft after the next Spider-Man movie. With no Spider-Man movie, Sam can now accelerate his plans on Warcraft.
There is one little problem though: a small movie called Avatar. Avatar has raised the bar so high in terms of world-building and effects that Mr. Raimi will now have to at least equal, if not surpass, the visual wonders delivered by James Cameron. Sam will have to channel new abiltiies, for he has never worked on a project of this magnitude, despite the huge budgets on Spider-Man. Warcraft is a whole new beast that comes saddled with massive expectations and a fan base that will hunt you down and murder you in your sleep if you screw up this adaptation.
