Mind Candy, the online games company best known for developing the ground-breaking, global treasure hunt Perplex City, announces a dynamic new virtual pet, gaming and networking community for children. Debuting today in beta, Moshi Monsters are adoptable, customizable pet monsters brought to life online through rich animations and unprecedented levels of interactivity.
Participation in the beta launch will be limited to those who receive invitations or purchase Moshi Monsters MoPods, which are cell phone accessories available in a variety of different monster characters that light up and spin when calls or text messages are placed and received. However, MoshiMonsters.com will be free and open to the public following the full-scale launch in early 2008.
"Kids can adopt, care for, feed, play with, accessorize, customize and interact with their pet monsters through highly complex animations that present a rich, life-like experience unprecedented in this market," says Michael Acton Smith, CEO of Mind Candy. "The social networking aspect of Moshi Monsters will make it especially appealing to children, allowing them to connect with friends and show off their Moshi Monsters in a safe environment."
Once adopted, a Moshi Monster and its home can be customized and continually updated. In Monstro City, the home of Moshi Monsters, pet owners earn Rox by solving daily puzzle games. These Rox can then be used to buy weird and wonderful items from the shop to support the happiness and health of their monsters. Monsters are also able to explore Monstro City, make new monster friends, and communicate with each other. The game will incorporate safe, child-friendly social networking features such as friend lists, inter- monster mail, news feeds, and a monster blog.
Mind Candy has developed innovative technology and superior graphics to bring the virtual pet market a completely unique offering. Using a sophisticated behavior engine within the game that determines how a monster's personality will evolve over time, the game allows players to develop strong emotional connections with their pets. A well cared for Moshi Monster will develop a well-rounded personality, but a neglected Moshi Monster will have a grumpy demeanor.
Moshi Monsters is the perfect environment for children to learn about safe modes of online interaction, develop cognitive ability through the varied puzzles games and cultivate responsibility by caring for pets.
