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SOCIAL MEDIA SPECIAL VIRTUAL WORLDS/APPS
THE NUMBER CRUNCH by Lewis Tyler MOST POPULAR KIDS GAMES
CHILD INTERNET USAGE
(Source: comScore February 2011)
(Source: Ofcom UK Children’s media Literacy 26/03/10)
Monthly Users Club Penguin Moshi Monsters Stardoll Habbo Hotel
1.224m 927,000 754,000 481,000
UK SOCIAL NETWORK SITES out with the help of the kids. Jones continues: “Our players can have an instant dialogue with us, they can let us know what they want to see in the world, the kind of parties, quests and games they’d like to play or the toys they want. As a virtual world we are in constant development and can more easily include ideas from the community into this process.” It seems like a win win situation. But, the all-important question is what makes a successful digital property in the first place? Garnham muses: “This is the million, even billion, dollar questions. Know and listen to your audience
and give them a quality product – kids deserve the best. Don’t be afraid to take some risks and continue to build on key factors to keep the brand fresh.” Jones’ theory: “The first priority has to be creating an immersive environment with great characters, an engaging story-world with lots of games and challenges.” And Baldwin believes: “It’s the same thing for all ages. It’s creating engaging characters that people connect emotionally with. The exact same thing that Disney or Pixar employ. Character first, then success will come.”
(Source: Experian Hitwise, May 2011) Share of Visits (per cent) 1 Facebook 2 YouTube 3 Twitter 4 Yahoo Answers 5 Gumtree 6 Tumblr 7 LinkedIn 8 Moshi Monsters 9 Myspace 10 Club Penguin
54.80% 20.03% 2.89% 2.19% 1.50% 0.64% 0.60% 0.53% 0.46% 0.37%
ONE IN eight children aged eight to 11 and three in ten aged 12 to 15, have internet access in their bedroom. 12 per cent of parents of children aged five to 15 with a mobile phone say their child uses it to access the internet. Seven in ten children aged 12 to 15 with the internet at home have a social networking profile, compared to five in ten in 2008. One in five eight to 11 year olds have set up a profile, which is also an increase since 2008 (16 per cent). Despite Facebook having an age limit of 13, one in five children aged eight to 12 who use the internet at home say they have a Facebook profile. 25 per cent of eight to 12 year olds using the internet say they have a profile on Facebook, Bebo or Myspace.
THE FLIP SIDE P2 GAMES is a Kent-based video game developer specialising in licensed pre-school titles. Most of the firm’s success has come in the Nintendo DS market, where its Peppa Pig titles proved popular. However, the recent drop in Nintendo sales perpetuated a move into the app space for P2 and licences have aided the eOne partner in the competitive app market. More and more parents are prepared to put their iPhones in their kids’ hands. The popularity of licensed games in the App Store kids chart shows that parents identify characters like Peppa as a way to entertain kids.
Gerry Whiteside, director of P2, explains: “The icon is key to success on iTunes and if you do not have an instantly recognisable image then the consumer is less likely to look at the app, their attention span is so limited that you have to grab consumer interest very quickly or accept they will swiftly move on to the next title in the list. “Licensing allows P2 to plan and deliver results in the market, for sure, but it also comes with it’s own challenges of having to gain approvals from the licensor who can quite rightly be very particular about the style and content of the game.”
LICENSED TO SELL WITH ONLINE audiences stretching well into the millions, virtual licences have undoubted potential. Here are some of the products on offer so far… MATTEL Angry Birds Knock on Wood Board Game Based on the app, Knock on Wood contains three Angry Birds, green pigs, one slingshot-style launcher, structure pieces and mission cards Stardolls fashion dolls are due to launch in the UK in the near future.
JAKKS PACIFIC Club Penguin Plush A coin is included with each unique penguin, which has a code to unlock items on the Club Penguin website.
JULY 2011
VIVID Moshi Monsters Collectables Each pack includes five different random Moshlings and comes with a secret code for a free in-game item. Moshi Monsters Plush Available in regular, talking and back pack buddy versions. TOPPS Moshi Monsters Mash Up The Trading Card Game comes in 80p packs and each pack of cards comes with a special code that unlocks a free virtual item at moshimonsters.com. Starter pack available.