Batter said it took time to work out how to make the world intricate while keeping it technologically easy, or at least apparently easy. For those unfamiliar with the film - a sequel is on the way - an underdog kung fu fighter, Po the Panda, finds his inner hero with the help of some oddball friends. “With ‘Kung Fu Panda’ we actually had a property that lent itself very well to this medium,” he said. He is confident in his site’s chances in part because DreamWorks took its time. John Batter, a former executive at the video game giant Electronic Arts, managed the Kung Fu Panda World project for DreamWorks, where he is co-president of production for feature animation. (Disney is expected to introduce another entry into this market in the coming months, a world built around “Cars.”) A lavish “Pirates of the Caribbean” world, an attempt by Disney to attract children 10 and older, has been a failure. DreamWorks spent two years and $10 million creating the site, which opens on Monday. Kung Fu Panda World is aimed at children age 8 to 12.ĭreamWorks has been notably absent from virtual worlds for children, a business that has expanded rapidly in recent years by serving as part online role-playing game and part social scene.Īn image from Kung Fu Panda World. A player can come back day after day with this option, but membership is required to unlock more advanced settings. Membership will cost $5.95 a month - on par with other virtual worlds for children - although DreamWorks has also devised a free option: children can play free for one day if they watch a 15-second ad.
The site, which has taken two years to develop, is centered on the company’s hit movie “Kung Fu Panda,” which had $632 million in global ticket sales in 2008. On Monday, DreamWorks will formally enter this crowded realm with Kung Fu Panda World, a $10 million Web site that will allow children to play elaborate games, chat with friends, learn kung fu styles and get a pet. LOS ANGELES - Can DreamWorks Animation revitalize the cooling business of virtual worlds?