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Fantage: a fantastic online world for kids
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Fantage/Fantage Inc.
According to a recent report from the FTC, over 14% of United States children are online. As parents, it's important to know what websites your children are visiting, what games they are playing, and what dangers may be present in any online communities they participate in. In a struggle to monitor your children's online gaming, knowledge is the best weapon you can have.
Fantage is a children's online game and virtual world that's becoming increasingly popular. Found at fantage.com, there are already over three million users playing in Fantage's world. I recently had the opportunity to sit down with Peter Bae, co-founder of Fantage, as well as Nicole Conley, who handles their press relations, and learn about Fantage in detail.
The History of Fantage
Peter Bae, and co-founder David Hwang, decided about 4 years ago that they wanted to start a business around online education. Edutainment is a hard business to approach, though, and after a year, Peter and David transformed their idea into something new: they decided to provide a virtual world for fun, where kids could express themselves and make virtual friends.
In 2007, Fantage started with a lot of trial and error. In fact, a focus group threw away almost six months worth of work! The founders continued on, however, and launched the beta version of Fantage in 2008. Now, a little over a year and a half later, Fantage has become a successful virtual world for kids. Fantage is located in New Jersey, and hires about 20 employees on its staff.
How does Fantage work?
Fantage is a browser-based online game. This means that it works in whatever Internet browser you use (Internet Explorer, Firefox, etc.) with absolutely no downloads. The only thing that Fantage requires besides an Internet browser is Adobe Flash, which is commonly used for many websites and is a safe download for your computer.
Fantage is free to play, but does have a premium level which requires a subscription. Subscriptions cost $5.99 per month (with a discount if you buy a multi-month plan), and offer players additional benefits. These benefits include premium member only items, stickers, rooms, access to rare items, and the ability to show off medals.
What kind of game is Fantage?
Fantage is a virtual world with many games inside of it. It is a peaceful game; there is no combat, weapons, or violence to be found. This comes around to two key aspects that Peter says build the foundation for Fantage.
The first of these aspects is an emphasis on character. Fantage focuses a great deal on children's self-expression, seeking to relate to its young audience in an emotional way. Fantage also seeks to convey positive messages, encouraging children to be good Samaritans, friends of nature, and to be helpful and kind to everyone. In fact, the community has a very giving nature.
The second aspect is a reflection of the voice of its players. The Fantage staff is very tuned into what players are doing and what they like. A great example of this is one of the most popular games: the Top Models Inc. Fashion Show. Originally, players were putting together their own themed fashion shows just for fun - and now, an actual game has been made out of it. Fantage also hosts regular creative contests, a special page for fan art and comics, and lots of events to bring the community together.
It's very important to note that the staff is very enthusiastic and proud of Fantage. Peter and Nicole were very eager to show me as much of the game as they could, both their favorite parts and the favorite parts of their players, and everything they showed me was given the same excitement a kid might have when showing off the game to their own parent. Their children play and love Fantage, and I have no doubts that the entire team is full of the same passion and joy for the game.
Is the chat system safe?
Chat systems can be one of the greatest dangers to children online, and Fantage has taken that into consideration. There are a few major rules with chatting: users cannot ask about, or mention, personal information (names, phone numbers, addresses, etc.), or use any language that is sexual or violent in nature.
For parents who want to be very safe, there is a [No Chat] option. Players who are set to [No Chat] will see absolute no chat from other players; the only messages they will receive are from Fantage administrators. Want to give your child a little more freedom? Choose [Safe Chat], which allows players to select pre-made phrases from a menu. Players can only use and see these phrases in chat.
Children can also be given full chat permissions. They must abide by the rules mentioned above, and the chat filter is very strict, including not allowing the use of numbers or even "hello" because of its inclusion of the word "hell." Any abuse can be reported to Fantage staff. In addition, Fantage staff regularly reviews chat logs for any abuse, and will retroactively warn players if they were out of line. Warnings are strict, too - it's a three strikes, you're out policy.
What are some of Fantage's features?
There is a lot to do in Fantage, but let me touch on the major things that kids can do.
Customize their looks: When players begin, they choose a boy or girl avatar that fits their style. From there, they can buy clothes, costumes, hoverboards (yep, everyone flies around on a hoverboard!), all capable of being mixed and matched, worn at any time, to express themselves. They can also buy "moodies," which are little emoticons that appear above their character's head.
Express themselves through the IDFone: Not an actual phone, but designed to look like one, the IDFone is a user's way of showing off who they are. The IDFone shows the level, current avatar, the medals the player has earned, and their sticker pages. Kids can collect virtual stickers, and plop them on their own sticker pages, or share them with friends and even strangers.
Decorate their own Room: Every player gets their own room, which they can decorate with special looks, furniture, and more. Best of all, their friends can come hang out!
Play Games: There are over 30 games available to play on Fantage. Many of these games are very familiar to classic games like Bejeweled or Space Invaders, but are tuned to an easier level for kids. Even though these games are easier, they're still fun - even for an adult!
Do Missions: A 'secret' mission center offers several missions that allow players to help out the inhabitants of the Fantage world. Each teaches good behavior messages, and involves several steps which players must complete. Completing these missions earns medals, too.
There's a lot more to do in the Fantage world. It's fun, bright, and good spirited. I encourage you to let your kids play and try it out; more importantly, try it out yourself! You might be surprised at how wonderful - how fantastic - Fantage really is.
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