As a computer programmer, I’m always on the lookout for cool online content – it’s a geek thing.  And so, as a new-ish member of zinc Roe team, I thought “hey, let’s see what the kids are into these days”.  Of course in my own nerdish youth, I had to suffice with a BBS and a whole wack of CocaCola.  But kids today have a myriad of cool websites that cater specifically to their interests.  And so,  my homework assignment became a crash course into the world of (today’s) tech-savvy kids – what they play with and the connection between physical “toys” and virtual worlds.

Undoubtedly there are few parents who haven’t heard of the Webkinz phenomenon. A Webkinz is a cute plush creature (virtually any species from unicorn to tropical tree frog) that is tagged with a special code that unlocks a virtual online gaming world. There, your adopted pet’s avatar can participate in a variety of educational (and some not so educational) activities. The cuddly avatars compete to win KinzCash that can be redeemed for in-game items such as the Oak Paneled Pool, coveted Lunar Moon Bed, or the glittery Webkin pet Tiara. What bejeweled pet hippopautumus wouldn’t appreciate a soak in its very own pool?

In a similar yet less cuddly fashion, Lego’s Bionicle represent a sophisticated multi-dimensional toy franchise. These Lego bionic monsters come with some basic assembly instructions but to find out more about your character’s story you’ll need to visit the Bionicle online portal. Here, background story, character biographies, and a handy online store with registered wish list are all available at your fingertips. (Not only promoting the “gotta catch-em all” phenomenon, but also as a parental aid for Birthday and Christmas time shopping!) The web portal also includes a game section where each character’s stats are carried over. By far the coolest game is the Glatorina Arena which pitts the various characters against each other. Players challenge the computer and progressively face more and more difficult opponents. The pay off: kids can achieve awards and experience points that they can distribute among the characters so as to beef up their stats. Kids are also awarded with the ability to unlock new characters as they play. All in all the entire experience is that of a very well populated, scarry post apocalyptic world that 9 year old boys adore.

In exploring the Bionicle toys, I was invariably lead to the My LEGO Network (or MLN for short) which is a special Social Networking site much like Facebook but built especially for children by the LEGO Group. It is a safe environment that lets players of all ages create their own home pages, interact with other players through pre-written mail messages, and progress through an online game by collecting, building and trading virtual LEGO items.

Generally speaking there seems to be quite a few great examples of toys that bridge both physical and online worlds. Kids are going online at a very young age – and toys that can offer the benefit of physical ownership along with aspects of computer gaming seem to be harnessing a very compelling combination.  If anyone else knows of other examples of this virtual media and physical product pair up then post a comment and let me know!