The online gaming industry is comprised of dozens of different companies and an even wider array of games. Despite this variety, most thoughtful players follow similar rules of gaming across the board, including the five we outlined here:
- Help each other out
All Wizard101 players know the frustration of running out of health as they are about to win a battle, or being unable to find a fourth Wizard to step on the sigil of a particularly tricky dungeon. The specifics of other gamers’ struggles may be different, but the general idea is the same: Everyone needs a hand from time to time. With this in mind, many people jump in to help when they see a fellow gamer in trouble—do you? - Don’t steal from people
Would you ever rush up behind someone during an Easter egg hunt and steal an egg from right under his or her nose? Hopefully, the answer is “No”! Snagging a reagent from another player is the virtual equivalent of being an egg thief, so think twice next time you’re tempted to do it. Remember, what goes around comes around!
- Give and take
Questing tends to be much easier with a little help from your friends, but there’s a difference between accepting assistance and taking advantage of the good nature of others. After someone helps you defeat a tough boss or track down all the reagents you need for your next big crafting project, ask if there’s any way you can return the favor, rather than jumping straight into your next quest without so much as a “Thank you.” There are no online gaming rules that say other players HAVE to lend you a hand (although it’s definitely a nice thing to do), so don’t take assistance for granted. - Once is enough
It’s cool to ask someone a question or request help once in a while, but don’t go overboard. If you don’t receive a response or the answer you get isn’t the one you wanted, you shouldn’t take that as your cue to bug the other person until you get a favorable reply—that’s just annoying! - Manners still exist in the virtual world
The “online” aspect of online gaming can make it easy to forget your manners, even if you always say “please” and “thank you” in real life. Although players are separated by screens, miles and sometimes even entire oceans, that’s no excuse not to be polite.
Do you agree with our five unspoken online gaming rules? What rules do you follow when playing games online?
When it comes down to it, successful educational strategies are all about engagement. If kids aren’t having fun, they’ll be less invested in the material, and a lack of engagement often translates to low knowledge retention. With this in mind, parents who are skeptical about the positive educational effects of online games for kids should try to look beyond the game factor and consider the important skills kids pick up while having a blast.
Let’s take a look at how free online educational games can enhance all stages of child development, from preschool through 12th grade.
Preschool
According to a June study by the National Bureau of Economic Research, the beloved television show “Sesame Street” is much more than just a fun way for its preschool audience to pass the time. In fact, NBER researchers found that kids who watched the show had more advanced literacy skills, superior social abilities and greater dietary health awareness than non-viewers. “Sesame Street” has been around since the ’60s, when many people were doubtful about the educational benefits of watching TV. Today, much of that doubt has been transferred to online educational games for kids, despite evidence to the contrary.
In just one example, a study conducted by the Education Development Center and SRI International found that young children’s literacy skills increased when their preschool classrooms used a curriculum that included computer games and videos. The positive effect was particularly pronounced on low-income children, who are often not as prepared for kindergarten as their more affluent peers.
Elementary School
Entering “big-kid school” is a big step for children. Elementary school students need to multitask, pay attention and stay organized in a way preschool simply didn’t require—and that’s where online educational games and even video games can prove helpful. As ABC News reported, studies have found that gaming can improve skills such as decision-making, paying sustained attention and juggling several tasks or concerns at once.
“If you think about it, the attentional and working memory demands of video games can be much greater than other tasks,” said psychology professor Michael Stroud of Merrimack College in Massachusetts.
Middle School
During the time they attend middle school, kids exercise skills like logic and analysis more than they did in elementary school. This comes naturally for some but presents more of a challenge for others. Many online games for kids enhance children’s critical thinking and problem-solving abilities, which may help them perform better in the classroom.
The middle-school years are also a time when children tend to develop strong preferences for some subjects, and equally strong aversions to others. A kid who avoids math homework like the plague can end up having a ton of fun playing a math-based game online, which may help him or her keep up in class.
A survey of more than 30,000 Wizard101 players conducted by researchers from Trinity University in partnership with KingsIsle found that gamers learn valuable social skills such as teamwork and cooperation—abilities that are sure to serve middle-schoolers well.
High School
In high school, teens must pick up a stream of unfamiliar concepts back to back, retaining knowledge they just learned as they move on to new information—a process known as consolidation of learning. Parents often try to steer their high-schoolers away from online gaming during the critical years before college, but this might not be the best idea. In fact, a study conducted by researchers from Brown University found that gamers exhibit quicker consolidation of learning and have better visual processing skills than non-gamers.
“It may be possible that the vast amount of visual training frequent gamers receive over the years could help contribute to honing consolidation mechanisms in the brain, especially for visually developed skills,” the researchers wrote.
The Bottom Line
Parents who have a knee-jerk negative reaction to online games for kids may not be aware of the advantages of gaming. Whether a kid is just starting school or wrapping up the grade school chapter of his or her life, a little game play can go a long way.
This past summer, “ultra” was the word of the season for fans of the Wizard101 free online game. Of course, there are also some other updates that have little to do with the “ultra” trend—except for being ultra-awesome, of course.
Ultra Dungeons
You might remember Rattlebones as one of the very first bosses you ever fought in this Wizard MMO, way back when you were a newbie tentatively navigating through Unicorn Way. At the time, his health score of a whopping 135 was enough to make you quake in your Level 1 boots, but nowadays you’re way too advanced for the likes of him, right? Wrong! In the latest update, Rattlebones is back and stronger than ever. Go toe to toe (well, toe to phalange) with the undead skeleton in his one-shot Ultra Dungeon gauntlet, then move on to battle with Krokopatra from Krokotopia, Meowiarty from Marleybone and Zeus from Mount Olympus. If you manage to vanquish these foes once and for all, they drop some sweet rewards like high-powered gear and rare pets. Of course, that’s a big “if”…
Image via Wizard101.com
Ultra Pets
The “ultra” news keeps coming! If you thought you were done leveling up your pets because they’re all at Ancient (nice job with that, by the way), then think again. Once you reach Ultra, equip your pets’ collars with Ultra Jewels and enjoy new talents and awesome bonuses galore!
Ultra Seeds
We weren’t kidding when we said “ultra” is a prominent theme in the latest update of this free online game for PC users. Not only do Ultra Seeds grow into plants that are less needy and attract fewer pesky pests, but they also give awesome rewards like housing items and pets! (Of course, you still have to keep them alive until it’s time to harvest them, and as we all know, that can sometimes be easier said than done.)
Image via Wizard101.com
Oh, and guess what, green-thumbed Wizards? Seeing your backpack all cluttered up with seeds doesn’t have to be the norm anymore! Purchase a Seed Vault from the Crown Shop or fire up your crafting table and get the recipe from Toshio in Mooshu.
School-themed mounts
Has your Wizard dressed head to toe in his or her school colors ever since you completed your Wizard101 free download? Ever stitched stats from one item of gear to another so your ensemble will still match? Did you spend forever saving up to buy the house that corresponds to your school? If that’s not enough school spirit for you, crafting a school-themed mount may be just the ticket. Make sure you’ve completed the Into the Clouds quest then earn a Mote of Transport from the new Ultra Dungeons and pay a visit to Aquila, where Khalkos Coppersmith is waiting to give you the recipe. Get ready to show your school pride like never before!
Image via YouTube
PvP 3.0
Another PvP age is upon us, and it looks like the third time’s the charm. In addition to a rank reset, this new age features cutting-edge Level 100 tournament gear and never-before-seen arena pets. For Wizards who are so pumped about PvP that they want to bring the spirit of battle into their houses, the combat music player housing item is a must-buy.
Image via Wizard101.com
Current Wizard101 fans are probably logging into the game as we speak to check out these updates for themselves. For the readers who are still with us, what are you waiting for? Play Wizard 101 for free and join the fun today!
Whether you’re forging connections in real life or trying to make friends in the worlds of fun online games like Wizard101, the same social skills apply. Are you looking to add more people to your Friends List or fill in the gold stars next to existing members’ names to identify them as best friends? You can’t go wrong if you keep these social skills in mind!
Be polite
When you’re asking a family member to pass the salt at dinner or imploring a Life Wizard to heal you in the heat of battle while enjoying online games with friends, politeness is key. If you and the person you’re talking to both have Text Chat privileges, you have the freedom to choose your words carefully—but make sure “please” and “thank you” are among them! Meanwhile, the more restrictive Menu Chat still has plenty of polite options, from “Can you help me please?” to “Thanks for the help.” Think about leading with those rather than the more stern “I need more Health” and “Hurry up.”
Offer compliments
A compliment can make someone’s day in real life, and the same thing is true of addicting online games. If you’ve been in The Commons lately, you’ll know what an astonishing array of gear, mounts and pets are available. If one of these catches your eye, it costs nothing but a few seconds of your time to compliment its owner. If you and the other player have Text Chat, go right on up and let the person know that you think his or her Fennec Fox pet has cute ears, or that the new Evil Sandman pet is too cool for school. Menu Chat requires you to be a little less specific, but you can still say “I like your pet.”
Give and take
As with any relationship, a Wizard101 friendship requires give and take. Don’t ask people to teleport into your battle against a fearsome boss or help you find Fire Blossoms for your crafting project if you’re not prepared to do the same for them.
Be reliable
Don’t you hate when a friend commits to something and then flakes out? Whether you were supposed to meet at the mall after school or fight Malistaire together in Dragonspyre, one thing’s for sure—being left hanging doesn’t feel good. If you commit to helping someone out, be sure to honor that promise in both the real world and the Spiral!
In terms of online games to play with friends, Wizard101 is a great choice. Being polite, complimentary, reliable and prepared to give and take will go a long way when you’re trying to make in-game friends.
Finishing up on our favorite memories post from the past two days, we have a final few KingsIsle employee memories of Wizard101 to share with you today. Be sure to check out Part I and Part II of the series if you missed it. Thanks again to our fan, Helenie Nightseer, for this request.
Dave Timoney, Senior Game Designer
I play to level up (as do most KI employees!). I’ve also been lucky enough to make online friends that have stuck with me through the worlds. So one day I’m with an online friend in Marleybone, in combat. Another player asks to joins. He turned out to be pretty amusing. It was a long battle and he got most of the attacks as he attacked more often than we did – he was lower level. He started saying “Not me, kill them, kill them.” whenever he was attacked. Meaning us, of course, but it was so silly we got a big kick out of that. For a week or so after that, we used that phrase whenever we were in battle together.
As employees, we get a jump-start on some of the purchasable goodies. I was (probably) one of the first 5 people to go online with the Griffon mount. So I pop into The Commons riding the griffon and head down the road to the bazaar after a quick look around, like usual, to unload last night’s loot drops. Just before I enter the tunnel, behind me I hear “Holy cow, after her!” When I get to the bazaar door, I look around as a herd of people come pouring out of the tunnel all charging towards me. They only wanted to ask about the mount but – for a split-second – I was wishing the griffin could really fly.
Over the years, I’ve run wizards through every school – sometimes more than once. I’ve kinda played Wizard101 a good deal. But, probably about every 10th time I’ve played, I’ll just stop for a while when I’m in the Commons. I love watching the players charging around, going off on quests, heading to the shops/bazaars or teleporting in after a fight and discussing what happened – sometimes sad and sometimes happy. Not to mention those who offer to help others get through a tough battle. It never gets old and continues to make me glad that I work here, where I can actually see people having fun playing the game my company makes.
Jay Gordon, Pirate Producer 2010-2014
I downloaded Wizard the week before my interview at KI with no prior familiarity – it was simply attached with the company to which a friend had forwarded my resume.
I was not an MMO gamer, generally preferring frantic, violent First-person Shooter Console games or Strategy games on PC. Within moments of choosing and naming my Wizard avatar and standing in my school’s Classroom (Balance) with iconic theme music looping in background, I felt a connection and I had the distinct feeling that this was a game, and a company I would want to be a part of.
The look, the feel, the subject, the music, the approachability combined in that classroom scene and that was “the moment”. A very subtle moment, not flashy compared to my ensuing appreciation for the fun, whimsical art style of Spells in combat and/or seeing masses of players flying around the fountain on Brooms and fantastical Mounts in Wizard City. But, for me it was seeing my Wizard created and attached to a specific school (Balance) that foretold of a magical experience I knew I was going to love, and I did. And I got the job!
Evan Calderaro, Principal Artist
My favorite Wizard moment as a KI employee was the very first time I summoned a Frost Giant.
I’ll never forget the art team’s initial combat playtest together. I don’t think we cared one bit (for the first 20-30 duels, at least) if there were bugs or if things weren’t playing as intended — we got to drop massive HumungoFrogs from the sky and swing giant frozen hammers at each other’s puny little Wizards!
The Frost Giant was special for me because our Art Director had begun letting me Model and Texture characters (I was an Animator at the time) and he was the first one I had made.
The moment I summoned him hit me pretty hard that we were really making something special. Not because of the Frost Giant exactly (even though it was awesome to finally see him in action) but because we were all excited to play the game and were legitimately having fun. I’d say it was magical – but that’s a corny thing to say, and I won’t do it!
Jeff Toney, Principal Artist
I have a personal fondness for the Gobblers in Wizard City and I have two good stories to tell about their creation and a plot that never happened.
We wanted to create an enemy that, on its face, was not that threatening in appearance, but because of their way of thinking, became a big threat to Wizard City. The idea of an enemy that naturally wanted to consume everything around it was born. We wanted them to be thin to start out with, but as they consumed more and more objects around them, they grew bigger and rounder until they became the size of the current Gobbler King, able to eat towers and castles for lunch. They hailed from another land that was comprised completely from candy, so it was just a natural thing for them to want to consume everything around them. I guess they wondered why everything in this land tasted blander than what they were used to, but the intelligence of a Gobbler was never a thing Wizards had to worry about.
An early quest that was scrapped was to have your Wizard collect certain baubles and trinkets around Wizard City for the Gobbler Princess. A button here, a bow there, the Wizard was lead to believe these were all things that the Gobbler Princess loved to collect. What they were really doing was finding all the missing pieces of a Gobbler Princess doll that the Gobblers (because they were a bit dumb) thought was their real princess, instead of a dressed up sack of potatoes with a mop wig and some fake lips.
Leah Ruben, Senior Producer
I moved over 1000 miles to work on this game, not knowing the title or subject matter. Once I got to the KI studios, my first question was “what am I working on?” William Haskins (at the time, the Producer, now the Executive Producer) sat me down and told me to go ahead and play for a while. I created a Pyromancer, and was INSTANTLY hooked. Even months before the alpha test, I spent the first week playing, and then the next eight years (plus some) just in love with this whimsical, fun, witty, and funny Spiral.
As a player, I think my favorite moment so far was in Khrysalis, boarding the Great Beast for transportation. It was impressive, unique, and just a huge WOW moment.
That’s it from us for now, but we liked doing this so much, that we may make this a tradition! Thanks again and Happy Birthday Wizard101! See you next year with more fun and excitement.
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