Associatedcontent: In November 2009, Funcom - known for its massive multiplayer online game Age of Conan- announced the formation of a new 'casual MMO' studio: Sweet Robot. Sweet Robot's first task was to create
Pets vs. Monsters, a free-to-play MMO designed for kids ages 8-12.
Eurogamer writes: "Norwegian developer Funcom usually makes games like The Longest Journey, Anarchy Online, Age of Conan and The Secret World; worlds for adults, not kids. Not, at least, until now. Because today Funcom unveiled SweetRobot, a subsidiary company set up expressly to make MMOs for a "younger audience". The first of these will be Pets vs. Monsters, a game where heroes collect, nurture and fight alongside pets. It's a bit Pokemon, but blended with a Diablo-like RPG world of loot and exploration.
It's an interesting twist for veteran developer Funcom, and one that may have wider ramifications not only for the Norwegian studio but also for the MMO industry as a whole. To find out what's afoot we sat down with Pets vs. Monsters producer Jon Wright for a chat."
GI.Biz writes: "While Funcom's Age of Conan was one of the biggest MMO launches to-date, the struggle to maintain a strong subscriber base has been a challenge it has shared with other members of the industry. But today the company is announcing the first title to be published under its new Sweet Robot label, Pets vs Monsters - an online game aimed at a much younger, more casual audience.
Here, Funcom's CEO Trond Arne Aas and Pets vs Monsters producer Jon Wright talk to GamesIndustry.biz about the thinking behind the company's expanded direction, what their hopes are for the new market and what it can bring to the business overall."
