First announced in May, KingsIsle's forthcoming Wizard101 MMO is a fantasy-based 3D virtual world targeted at teens and 'tweens, where players take on the roles of wizard apprentices at the Ravenwood School of Magical Arts.
In it, players can customize their wizard character's outfits and accessories, play arcade-game inspired puzzles and mini-games, adopt magical pets, and learn from seven different schools of magic, with a heavy PVP focus on collectible cards used for card duels alongside and against other players.
Interestingly, the core of KingsIsle staff has roots not in traditional children's entertainment, but in the much darker 2003 Ubisoft MMO Shadowbane, something which development head Todd Coleman told Gamasutra could be explained by the team's more family-oriented mindset, so many years from their first post-college roles.
In this interview, Coleman takes us through inception of the game as a true card-game MMO, rather than an MMO with a card game attached, its Yu-Gi-Oh! and Final Fantasy inspiration, and how designing for teens differs from designing for an older, more hardcore set of gamers.
Recently Skewed and Reviewed got to speak with KingsIsle about Wizard 101 and what is to come for the game.
KingsIsle Entertainment and gamigo are pleased to announce the start of Wizard101’s European services transfer from Gameforge. Starting today, Wizards across the pond will be able to experience new magical updates at a much faster rate to ultimately sync up closer with their North American counterparts.
KingsIsle Entertainment and gamigo are pleased to announce European Wizard101 services will transition over from Gameforge to KingsIsle and gamigo starting the week of May 16.
