Interview: Dean Cheshire, Head of Production, 10VOX
Some of you may remember 10VOX's recent announcement—that they'd be entering the virtual world market with a pair of new toy/virtual world combos, KooKeys and Tracksters.
KooKeys are to be plush animals while Tracksters are to be die-cast vehicles, and both are to feature in quite disparate virtual worlds; with Tracksters in particular to be a MMO racing title that includes trading card aspects.
Entering such a crowded market with wildly differing properties sounds like a challenge to us, so we talked to Dean Cheshire, Head of Production at 10VOX to find out why they decided to enter the market and more.
Why enter the combined toy/virtual world market?
Dean Cheshire: Simply put, this market is ripe for innovation. Young players are tired of seeing the same old, tired concepts of yesteryear. 10VOX Entertainment t is deeply committed to introducing products that not only redefine this segment, but also provide a benchmark of quality. With Tracksters and KooKeys, we aim to do exactly that.
Isn't it kind of risky? It's the kind of market I kind of thing of as sewn up by things like Webkinz.
DC: I think the greatest risk is to the owners of these more established companies that are failing to change the way they see things. Children are changing—players are changing—and it’s our goal to be the epicenter of the solution. Anyone remember AltaVista? Probably not—the “originators” are rarely the innovators; through a combination of fresh ideas and thoughtful execution, 10VOX will re-cast a market that is clamoring for change.
But why tie your virtual worlds to a toy at all? Doesn't that limit your virtual world's user base?
DC: Currently, all of 10VOX’s developments are product-based. However, we have some very interesting developments that will deviate from the original model. I think it is safe to say that we’re going to rattle the cages of some very established competitors.
I've noticed that a lot of these virtual worlds tied to toys can be very lame and limited; what are you doing to make sure they're high quality with KooKeys and Tracksters?
DC: This is a great question—how do you distinguish yourself from a market defined by mediocrity? We’ve had some of the most talented game-theory minds in the industry working to make sure Tracksters and KooKeys offer distinct features and play value, and also attracted new talent with a fresh perspective.
Our goal is infinite customization. What is it players want to do—play games? No problem, there is always an expanding selection. Perhaps players want to interact, brag, compete, or even exercise their own creativity. All of this is there for them too.
10VOX also affords players the opportunity for real, quantifiable learning. This isn’t merely answering random trivia questions—instead, we offer tens of thousands of age specific, grade-appropriate questions, directly tied to national education standards.
With both KooKeys and Tracksters, we’re taking a very diverse approach to play value. With KooKeys, there are so many neighborhoods, environments, and gaming areas for children to explore. In Tracksters, players can not only race and customize their vehicles, but they will also be able interact with other avatars in a 3D MMOG environment as they explore the world.
Tracksters is a MMO racing game that also includes a trading card aspect. How are you balancing such an unusual combination?
DC: With Tracksters, our teams took a different approach to both design and game play—it’s something of a whimsical realism. Tracksters is designed to offer a unique racing experience that’s a substantial departure from the ultra-realistic physics of some of today’s offerings.
Overall balance of the game is something we’ve worked very hard to preserve, and the cards are really one of the most amazing aspects of the game. We’ve worked with some unbelievably talented game theorists to develop cards that not only add incredible performance benefits in-game, but also have outstanding trading value. The unique code on each card is protected by a “scratch-off” area to hide the code. This way, if a player determines they already have a certain card—or would simply like to trade for another card—they can verify if another player has already used the code before trading.
There will be plenty of exciting performance parts available in the Tracksters TrackMall—but for the ultimate performance, the cards offer an amazing performance edge.
Comments
Wow, what a bunch of BS. All those words and Dean Cheshire really didnt say anything at all.
Posted by: arnold carlson | March 3, 2009 4:36 PM
10vox has been spewing the same line for over 2 years now. Kookeys hit the market with an embarrasing thud. It had a dozen sections that never opened and site updates dried up quickly. Now they are trying to sell it again? And Tracksters? On store shelves for two months and the site is still in beta.
Anyone notice that Neopets, Club Penguin and Webkinz didn't spend months making promises? They just went ahead and made great products.
Posted by: DJK | March 12, 2009 2:07 PM
This is a company founded by the failure Alex Reece. He was the person that blew through a ton of cash and never paid vendors... opening Toyopia stores in Florida in locations where KB Toys already failed. I can't believe he got other suckers to invest in this. Back then he said candy was going to make his stores different. Now this BS. Payback would be retail stores not paying him for the product after they sell it. This company is a joke with a moron running it. The sites do not even function.
Posted by: Candy Man | April 7, 2009 11:01 PM