Last night, I got my beta invitation to Kingsisle Entertainment’s new mmo for kids: Wizard 101 and although I’m still a mere Novice Conjurer who hasn’t explored much beyond Unicorn Way, I am impressed with the game so far.

Wizard 101 answers the question: What would happen if you put World of Warcraft, Harry Potter, any of the Final Fantasy games and the CCG of your choice (Yu Gi Oh will do) in a blender and set it to puree? (I don’t know about you, but I ask myself that question at least once a week.) The result is a quest structure and game controls that mirrors WoW, npcs and settings that capture the feel of Hogwarts and a turn-based, trading card combat system that has spin off CCG sets written all over it. In terms of a fun, safe online space for kids I think all these features make Wizard 101 a positive addition to the kid mmo landscape. Where the commodification of this space will lead, I’m not sure, but so far I’ve seen little of the holy trinity of games-coins-stuff that prop up many other virtual worlds for kids.

There are mini-games in Wizard 101, but the reward for playing them is mana regeneration that will allow your wizard to cast spells. I’ve yet to play any of the games, but I definitely need to as my wizardy butt got kicked by a pair of cute (but nasty) skeleton pirates just before I logged off last night.

Wizard 101 also has one of the most creative character generation systems I’ve encountered. Instead of merely choosing your class for your avatar, users are asked a series of personality questions (ie “Which is more powerful? A volcano. A tornado. An earthquake.” or “Which do you like best? Exploring on your own. Working at part of a team.”) that will define their school of magic and the spells they’ll have access to. To me, this shows Wizard 101 as a well thought out mmo that aims to be a positive addition to kids’ entertainment and isn’t trying to cash in on the recent “kids vws = bags of money” hype.

The only caveat I would add is that I am merely a lowly apprentice with an adequate wand and have yet to see all that Wizard 101 has to offer. I will be exploring the world much more in the weeks to come and I’ll be keeping my spell-slinging fingers crossed that the magic of Wizard 101 continues to grow.