What Makes a Family MMO?

[ALTO]

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?

[naomeh]

I've played La Tale, Richman Online, and Lunia with my family.

Richman Online was the best, but they dropped that. It was basically unique monopoly with characters instead of hat/shoe/dog/etc.. REALLY good for just about anyone. It was really fun, I wish they hadn't gotten rid of it..

[Roxas]

Everquest with Bros and Sisters, or RO online were my experiences. I think anything can be taught to anyone personally, just need the patience and focus to do so. My 4 Year old cousin plays Maplestory for gods sake. Lol.

[johnbw]

Richman online is a awesome game to play with your family but it's gone now D:

[anymotion]

Well I've never really played a Family MMO, but like you said I think it needs close family interaction as well as more appropriate and child-friendly things, but it needs to be interesting enough for the whole family and all ages.

[Evening]

Originally Posted by naomeh

I've played La Tale, Richman Online, and Lunia with my family.

Richman Online was the best, but they dropped that. It was basically unique monopoly with characters instead of hat/shoe/dog/etc.. REALLY good for just about anyone. It was really fun, I wish they hadn't gotten rid of it..

Hmm, I don't know... Lunia seems more like a party member type of game. I've never heard of a Lunia online family. Sounds awkward.

[shugo]

I've never played an online game with my family. I play board games and card games with my family. I play stratego with my dad whenever we get the chance (usually during the christmas holiday) and 9 out of 10 times I win (we're both dangerously good strategists, but i'm younger hehehe), but that's ok.

I used to play monopoly with my sister a lot when the both of us were younger. Usually my sister would win that game , she had a nack for roling the right dice and she is a very tough negotiator. I also played some stratego with my sister, but I would usually just wipe her army of the board in no time (women are really bad at strategy games).

Nowadays we usually play card games, mostly: 21'en (variant of blackjack), 31'en, amerikaans tachtigen (american 80's) and pesten (dutch variant of crazy eights).
When we were younger, we also played a lot of meppen (slam), zwarte pieten (black pete), ezelen (un kilo de merde) and when my grandfather was still alive we used to play hartenjagen (hearts) and klaverjassen. Mom doesn't play games tough, especially no card games (must be her protestant upbringing).

I've heard stories of families playing online games together before, but that was usually a single or divorced mom watching her young son and then trying out the game herself. I never heard of a family of 13 playing an online game before. Usually people play online games by themselves and it's mostly single men in their teens or twenties that play online games.