New Rule

This showed up on Raph’s blog the other day. I can’t believe the simplicity and subtle genius of this idea. But more than a static instance bank with a cheesy LCD game that kids can play like the old Tiger toys, why not a full-fledged online MMO like Habbo Hotel or Club Penguin? Think of the possibilities!

• The game is structured around digital currency or digital item sales, with subscription-like benefits based on the child’s total savings. The theme could be literally anything, from a virtual kid-world like Habbo to a full-on fantasy RPG, like Mythos or any of the innumerable Chinese MMOs. It could even involve casual-style gaming like an MMOC — Puzzle Pirates, or whatnot.
• The software interfaces with the child’s bank account in a secure manner. It is only allowed to monitor the level of funds, never add or subtract from them. Parents monitor the amount as well, with executive control in order to enforce their own play and saving rules. Perhaps participating banks would create special “kids accounts” for this purpose as subsidiaries of the parents’ accounts.
• Based on the amount in the account and rate at which it is added, the game treats it like subscription fees or digital currency deposits. For every ten bucks added each week (for example) the player gains X experience points.
• Deposits and rate of increase should be capped to prevent parents from flooding the account at the outset and giving their kids a powerhouse avatar from the get-go. The objective would be to encourage steady savings over the time — to grow a habit of saving. Deposits would have to be regular and reasonable and sustained over significant time.

Children save to participate in the game, and the rewards are all digital. It has all the draw and production value of WebKinz or other browser-based kid MMO, but the money is retained by the child and the service supported by ad revenue or sponsorship — philanthropic organizations, grants, or even the bank itself as a promotional venture. When the child wishes to stop playing, they have the combined savings from their total play time. Can you imagine how well this could work? Kids grow the saving habit, they see the benefit of long-term saving, and they get to play an MMO while they’re at it. And can you imagine the social ramifications? Financial incompetence is one of the primary causes of poverty, suffering, depression, and suicide in our world, especially in America. People just don’t learn how to be responsible with money anymore, and the culture of credit only makes it harder to build good habits. If someone pulled this off, it could have sweeping positive effects on the lives of the people who play it — a truly mass-influential serious game! Imagine the consequences for the promotion of other serious games, and for public perception of gaming in general! Incredible! I like it so much, I would almost change my thesis to this if it weren’t way, way too late

Tags: Game Design, General //