Ridemakerz and The Electric Sheep Company, who have developed custom Second Life communities for companies, have collaborated on a new game that allows kids to build, customize, and race cars online. Previously, Ridemakerz was just a brick-and-mortar toyshop, similar to the Build-a-Bear stores (those stores in the mall that let kids create custom teddy bears), but now kids can enjoy creating and racing their Ridez online and then have them made into toys to be assembled at home. The similarity is no coincidence; Build-a-Bear founder Maxine Clark is one of the investors in Ridemakerz.
Targeted at boys from the ages of 6 to 14, the free online game offers players the chance to create their own avatars and customized vehicles, from paint jobs to engine parts, then race them online in three different levels, show them off, or participate in online adventures. The game also offers lessons on alternative fuels, automobile history, custom car culture, and much more.
One interesting feature of Ridemakerz is that there's no chatting function; instead, players communicate through pre-programmed phrases that kids select from a menu of options such as "Sweet RIDE!" and emoticons called Z-motes.
According to founder and "ZEO" Larry Andreini, "It is our intention to involve you, as parents, in your child's time spent in the RZ Virtual Experience. And, because safety is the most important issue of all, we do not have chat capabilities, so personal information cannot be shared with others. Instead, we have developed car-centric phrases and effects called Z-motes, which can be used for communication and expression." Kids under 13 will have to provide their gender, birthday, and parent's email address; the parent activates the account.
Kids and parents can sign up to play Ridemakerz at play.ridemakerz.com.
