May 7, 2009 See this smiling face? Meet my goddaughter, Lara, who recently turned 12. We gifted her an Elf Island 'virtual world' membership for 'premium content' as part of her B-Day celebration. Why? 1.) It was one of the few things I KNEW she didn't have (living afar and gift-guessing is dicey) 2.) She's a VERY social only child who loves to chat and make new friends 3.) … [Read more...]
Consider This: Virtual Worlds In Institutional Settings
Filed Under: Branding & Consumerism, Consumerism, Emerging trends & STEM, Interactive Games, Marketing Shaping Youth, Media Literacy, Product Placement, Shaping Youth Tagged With: AAP, ad free, ad-creep, arcade games, blurred boundaries, brand influence, branding, CCFC, commercialism, commercialism in hospitals, commercialism in schools, consumption, Critical-thinking-skills, Disney, doing good, Dora the Explorer, Eco-Childs-Play, Electronic Pacifier, Elf-Island, entertainment industry, follow the money, gaming, gaming addiction, Georgia, GoodQuests, Great Turtle Race, hospital influence, hospitals, Immersive Worlds, infant formula, institutional precedent, institutions, licensed cartoon characters, Liz and Craig Kronenberger, media-literacy, medical marketing, Nationwide Children's Hospital, NCH, OLPC, pediatrics, plant trees, Premium Content, pro-social, schools, subscriber model, video games, Virtual-Worlds, VMK, VW, Wyland
150 Kids’ Virtual Worlds: 95 Live, 68 in R&D; How Many Are Worthy?
Seems everyone is in L.A. for the Virtual Worlds Expo except me right now, with e-mails and schmooze plans flinging back and forth like a gamer leader board. No, gang, I can’t make it to dinner, but yes, I DO wish someone would crosspost some of these fly-on-the-wall conversations on Utterz as I’m sure key connections will transpire and I want to track anyone … [Read more...]
Filed Under: Branding & Consumerism, Consumerism, EcoKids-Environment, Emerging trends & STEM, Interactive Games, Marketing Shaping Youth, Media Literacy, Mobile Media, Apps & Gaming, Nutrition & Wellness, Shaping Youth Tagged With: 150 virtual kids worlds, Avatars, Barbie World, BarbieGirl, Barry-Joseph, children, DDR, Denise Tayloe, Digital Media Learning Competition, Dizzywood, DML, Elf-Island, Game-Cheats, Gamine-Expedition, Gigglebubble media, Global Kids, Hastac, Holy Meatballs, informal-learning, Izzy-Neis, Joi Podgorny, Kids, Kids Online, Kids-Virtual-worlds, Living Folklore, MacArthur-Foundation, Me2, Me2 Universe, Michael-Carter, P4K, Pink Think, Playing for Keeps, Ruckus Nation, Safety and Fun, Sara-Grimes, Scott Arpajian, Second-Life, serious-games, simulations, SL, teen, Teen-Second-Life, Tempest in Crescent City, The Escapist, tween, Unconference, Virtual Ability, Virtual Gaming in Schools, Virtual Worlds Expo, VW, Wii Fit, Wii Healthy, Wii Sport, Willow Chillow, Young Innovator Awards, youth, Zookazoo