Ridemakerz, a retailer of custom-built toy cars, has launched a virtual world for boys with the help of Gamelab and The Electric Sheep Company. Ridemakerz could fill a virtual world niche for kissed missed by more cutesy virtual worlds like Club Penguin and Webkinz.
Ridemakerz Founder and ZEO Larry Andreini says Ridemakerz, "does not draw a distinction between on- and off-line activities, but rather integrates them into a best-of-both-worlds experience. We believe this is particularly important for boys, especially those up to the age of 12, who before Ridemakerz have been overlooked in both real and virtual environments such as American Girl, Build-A-Bear Workshop Buildabearville.com, Club Penguin and Webkinz. Ridemakerz is in a unique position to connect with boys virtually just as we do in the real world - through cars and authentic car culture. Our online experience is an extension of the interactive, off-line experience that boys have customizing RIDEZ and learning about cars at home or in one of our SHOPZ. And while the boys are having fun playing, what they're also doing is being creative, making choices, collaborating with friends and family, and building confidence."
Here's some of what they are promising in the Ridemakerz online universe.
Larger play area - providing a fully immersive look and feel
More sophisticated - improving quality of game play
Higher-quality graphics - increasing authenticity and taking on
movie-like qualities
Console game attributes - a dynamic driving experience that puts
players in the action
Advanced effects - smoke, flames and other particle effects (including farts!)
Yes, they are really promising virtual farts. The virtual world move is probably a smart one for a company like Ridemakerz. It is starting to feel like most toy brands are going to have a virtual counterpart. TechCrunch has more details on the virtual world in this article form earlier this month.
