Kotaku: Kids Games

THQ Sheds the Kid Gloves to Focus on Hardcore Games

Mike Fahey — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 09:15:00 EST

Following the failure of its uDraw tablet for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 and December's shutdown of it's children's game division, THQ has officially announced today that it's focusing on its core franchises. So Spongebob is out, UFC, Darksiders, Company of Heroes, inSANE, Saints Row and Warhammer 40,000 are in. More »

Tinkatolli May Be the First Video Game that Gives Your Kids Points for Leaving the Game to Go Outside

Joshua Rivera — Wed, 06 Jul 2011 20:00:00 EDT

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Most browser-based online games desperately want you to keep playing as much as you can—there's always another level to gain, more of your friends that need persuading to join, items to unlock and buy that will keep you in front of the screen clicking away even longer. More »

Games Even Babies Can Play

Mike Fahey — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 12:20:00 EST

How young is too young to play internet computer games? If they can move their limbs, they can play with Kneebouncers. More »

Cartoon Network Eying Chinese Market for Casual Games

Maggie Greene — Sun, 19 Oct 2008 16:30:00 EDT

Just joining the rest of the world in pursuing the magical (giant) Chinese market, Cartoon Network has announced that it is commissioning SinoTech, a Beijing firm, to create games based on CN-owned properties as well as SinoTech IPs. The games will first be targeted at the pan-Asian site and a site localized for Taiwan, and may find their way to other localized Asian sites and an in-the-pipeline portal for mainland China: More »

Talking Club Penguin, Disney, and 'Emergent Play'

Maggie Greene — Sun, 11 May 2008 12:30:00 EDT

I'm really fascinated by the success of MMOs aimed at kids — both in terms of their current (and potential) earning power, as well as the attachment people have to them. Club Penguin has been a massive success, and GamesIndustry.biz chatted with Lane Merrifield, one of the co-founders and current general manager, on Disney, the business model, MMOs for kids, and the birth of Club Penguin. Asked whether or not the success of CP was a surprise, Merrifield had this to say: More »

THQ Sells A Billion Dollars' Worth Of Nickelodeon Crap

Mike Fahey — Mon, 05 May 2008 10:40:00 EDT

Never underestimate the power of the licensed children's video game. For every one of us who laughs at the very thought of THQ's upcoming The Naked Brothers Band: The Video Game, there are ten children who would savagely tear off your limbs to get their hands on it. THQ, Nickelodeon's long-standing partner in the game-space have revealed just how lucrative the market for licensed Nick-fodder has been for them over the years, claiming sails of over $ billion and 50 million units worldwide. The 2008 lineup features said Nakie Brothers game, a concert tour sim, SpongeBob's Drawn to Life, and games based on their Avatar, Back At The Barnyard, and Tak and the Power of Juju shows. Wait, a Tak game based on the TV show based on the video game? Tak has truly gone full circle. Such is the power of the juju. More »

Great Games For Kids: Ninja Gaiden: Dragon Sword?

Maggie Greene — Sat, 19 Apr 2008 13:30:00 EDT

Chris Plante has an interesting post up on kid's games — well, sort of. Following the idea that there's no reason to patronize children with edutainment and titles aimed specifically at wee munchkins, he argues there are plenty of games that grown up gamers play and love that are appropriate for kids, including ... Ninja Gaiden: Dragon Sword for the DS? Well, yes — with a few caveats. But why a Ninja Gaiden game of all things? It's all in the mechanics: More »

Hey Kids! Exercise With Your DS

Brian Ashcraft — Tue, 13 Nov 2007 06:00:02 EST

Boy, the Japanese game industry is smart. Feed them games to fatten them up and then feed them games to slim them down. In Japan, the DS has already seen it's fair share of exercise titles with walking and yoga games. Now, Japanese kids and parents can exercise together with Hiromichi Oniichan no Oyako Taisou Navi. The title is fronted by kiddie exercise guru Hiromichi Sato. He's quite famous and popular in Japan. In the "game," Hiromichi show various exercises to keep fit, and kids can collect various in-game items. Though, call me old fashioned, but shouldn't kids go run around outside, get in fights and stuff? More »

Fascinating Yet Horrifying: The Barbie & Bratz MMOs

Maggie Greene — Sat, 11 Aug 2007 14:30:54 EDT

Barbie, everyone's favorite anatomically impossible plastic plaything now has her own MMO: BarbieGirls. Following in the footsteps of things like Club Penguin, just a lot pinker and more irritating, it's a brilliant marketing strategy and already boasts 4 million users. And they haven't even gone out of beta yet. And continue to sign up new users at the rate of 45,000 a day. Wow. Not to be left behind, Bratz - the trashier, more badly made up version of Barbie - is also opening their own Be-Bratz MMO. More »

Disney Pays A Lot of Money For Club Penguin

Maggie Greene — Sat, 04 Aug 2007 16:30:55 EDT

Club Penguin is a kid's MMO that features ridiculously cute and chubby penguins. It's gotten some press in the past couple of months, especially back in April when there was speculation over acquisition by a number of much bigger companies. Well, speculation is over - Disney has shelled out $350 million, and when the dust clears, that number could reach as high as $700 million over the next 3 years if profits increase. Not bad for a kid's MMO with limited advertising and a user base consisting entirely on kids dependent on their parents to cough up the monthly subscription fee. More »

Capcom Thinks Wii Is The Kiddy-Console

Brian Ashcraft — Tue, 13 Feb 2007 08:00:53 EST

Who are Wii owners? Old people? Kids? My boss? (He just got a Wii, he's soooo excited.) Capcom knows who they ain't: The "mature playerbase." In a post over at the Capcom Forums, Capcom's Senior Director of Strategic Planning & Research Christian Svensson types: More »

Bandai Recalls Japanese Kiddie Games

Brian Ashcraft — Wed, 31 Jan 2007 07:21:25 EST

Bandai's plug and plays are hot. No, really. The company is recalling 173,816 units from its "Let's TV Play" series. Apparently, the cords are faulty and even slightly burned a child. There have also been 17 reports of chords overheating and smoking. Last year, Bandai shipped 173, 816 units and sold 135, 816 of 'em. Unfortunate, because these plug and plays look pretty neat: Kids wear wrist straps (above) and their physical movements register in-game action. And after that, the cords heat up, fill living rooms with smoke and frighten kids. Brian Ashcraft More »

DDR For Smelly Little Girls

Brian Ashcraft — Wed, 25 Oct 2006 08:22:35 EDT

Lock up your daughters! The plug n play Dance Dance Revolution: Strawberry Shortcake is out. And so is My First Dance Dance Revolution and Dance Dance Revolution: Disney Mix. Here's the skinny: My First DDR clocks in at 19 songs and has five character and four mini-games. DDR: Disney is a reworking of the rare PS1 title and includes Disney standards like "It's A Small World." And DDR: Strawberry Shortcake includes strawberry scented stickers! To keep those little sock moppets from stinking up their mats, we guess. Brian Ashcraft More »

The Pokemon Polka

Brian Ashcraft — Fri, 18 Aug 2006 10:22:28 EDT

The man in the afro is Papaya Suzuki, who is apparently an "official disco ambassador." He's a fairly popular TV personality, best know for dancing and being on an eating show. What exactly is going on here? Got me. The refrain is something like "Want to do something? How about dance the polka?" The connection between Pokemon and the polka is beyond me and the rest of humanity, I'm sure. I've already watched this clip five times. It's making my brain bleed. Brian Ashcraft More »

"Life-Like" Pikachu Cars for Japanese Children

Brian Ashcraft — Mon, 07 Aug 2006 11:22:01 EDT

For those unable to buy the real Pokemon VW Beetle, here are Pokemon toy cars. While Hot Wheels largely makes fantasy mini cars, Japan's Tomy makes realistic toy automobiles. From Hato tour buses and Japan Post mail trucks to Nissan Skylines and Honda Fits, Tomy's toy cars (called "Tomica") depict vehicles Japanese children are most likely to come in contact with everyday. Guess that explains these Pokemon wheels that come in yellow, blue and pink. They are a few years old, but I know that these toys are based off real autos like Toyota's Vitz. For the life of me, I cannot place them. A gold star to anyone who can. Brian Ashcraft More »

All Aboard for The Pikachu Train

Brian Ashcraft — Wed, 02 Aug 2006 14:22:49 EDT

At an astounding 98 train stations in the greater Tokyo area, Japanese children can collect seven Pokemon stamps in the "East Japan Railway Pokemon Stamp Rally 2006." Out for summer vacation, moppets have endless time and patient to travel around Tokyo and get special Pokemon railway books stamped. Goody bags and sunvisors are also handed out to kids. The busy JR Yamanote train has also been covered in Pocket Monster characters. The carriages will be decked out in Pokemon Ranger until August 15th, making the morning commute way cuter than it needs to be. Brian Ashcraft More »

A Console for Pre-Pubescent Players

Brian Ashcraft — Tue, 01 Aug 2006 06:22:37 EDT

Mattel, the folks behind Nintendo's Power Glove and the Intellivision game console of yore, is back in the gaming saddle. The company is releasing a new game console called the Hyper Scan, which aimed at the "tween" (between 8 and 12 years old) market. Apparently, this bracket isn't quite ready for real hardware and needs training consoles. Um, okay. Sure. More »

Sega Responsible for Worst Show on Japanese TV

Brian Ashcraft — Thu, 27 Jul 2006 13:23:21 EDT

The above clip is from the Sega sponsored kiddy show Yuyusei no Yukorin and stars company campaign girl Yuko "Ditzy Phony" Ogura. The young cheese cake pin-up claims to have come to Earth from outer-space and speaks in a beyond irritating childish voice. Ogura, of course, actually talks nothing like that in real life (hit the jump for the manly vox proof). Regardless, her Lolita act hams it up on children's television for ~~men~~ impressionable young girls. Love Sega for the Dreamcast. Hate them for this show. Brian Ashcraft More »

The Real Mushi King

Brian Ashcraft — Mon, 24 Jul 2006 18:22:43 EDT

Say hello to the Mushi King Terry. This Lucha libre mask wearing, golden turd caped wrestler is Sega's answer to I-don't-know-what-the-fuck. At an Tokyo event for the popular card game Mushi King, the wrestler made an appearance, oversaw the kiddy competition and hung out with some dude in a green cowboy outfit. The fighter's real name is Kotaro Suzuki, has a "Mushi King" rivalry with his arch nemesis Mushi King Joker and is even getting his own figurine. Ah, the face of Mushi King. With a golden turd. Fitting. Brian Ashcraft More »

Pokemon Train Pass

Brian Ashcraft — Mon, 17 Apr 2006 09:20:43 EDT

Japanese train company JR East has teamed up with Nintendo to offer the Pokemon Suica card. Standing for Super Urban Intelligent CArd, Suica is a RFID e-money train pass. Commuters press Suica cards on the ticket wicket reader, and the train fare is charged to their accounts. To encourage children to use the cards in lieu of traditional magnetic train passes, a special Pokemon Suica card will be offered. The card can be used at places like the Pokemon Center in Yokohama to charge all sorts of goodies and also to wisk children off to the JR Pokemon Stamp Rally. The original Pokemon design Suica card will be unveiled this July, and kids will go bonkers. More »

GAMES FESTA: Japanese Game Ratings a Joke

Brian Ashcraft — Mon, 14 Nov 2005 12:22:16 EST

The man must've been forty. Carding him was like asking if he Pope was Catholic. He fished through his wallet, found his license and showed it to the Capcom jacket. The man was then ushered into a small cubicle, behind a white curtain to play the new Biohazard (Resident Evil in the U.S.) game. More »

Grade Schoolers Use Phones To Pay 4 Games

Brian Ashcraft — Thu, 10 Nov 2005 17:20:59 EST

Rejoice kiddos! Now y'all can use keitais to support yer Mushi King and Oshare Majo habit. Just swipe a cell phone on the reader, which automatically deducts e-money stored on the cellie. This is not a new service, but it is new for kiddy games. Sega will start testing to see how the customers respond in a trial run. Wait, wait, wait. What are eight year-old children doing with mobiles? Scratch that. What are eight year-old children doing with mobiles that have e-money? More »

PS3 to Have Parental Controls Says Sony

Brian Ashcraft — Fri, 21 Oct 2005 11:22:08 EDT

Earlier this week in Tokyo, the country's biggest retailers and developers (sans Nintendo) met with the Tokyo government to discuss the effects of games on children. The government is considering changing Japan's game rating system and prohibiting the sale of certain software to minors. More »

Racist Game at Wal-Mart

Brian Ashcraft — Wed, 05 Oct 2005 10:24:21 EDT

Once upon a time, there was a peaceful forest. Isolated, elves and beetles co-existed together in happiness, until one day when a hoard of foreign beetles penetrated the community. Havoc ensued, and the land was thrown into war. More »

Video Games Not For Kids (Anymore)

smizek2 — Wed, 27 Jul 2005 15:00:00 EDT

Online diarist David Tolin has a problem. Tolin is blessed with children but cursed by the impossibly hot summers that come with living in south Texas. Keeping his kids indoors to prevent death by a blazing sun is difficult without video games; and currently video games are doing their share to make things difficult too. More »