Known and adored for its vault of classic cartoons, Cartoon Network's unique properties such as Dexter's Laboratory, The Powerpuff Girls, Courage the Cowardly Dog and more have helped establish the network as more than just a portal to animation's past. Characters such as Samurai Jack and Dee Dee have become as recognizable to little tykes as Bugs Bunny, so creating an expansive video game based on Cartoon Network's universe would seem a logical step.
But to whom would such a product world be catered? As mentioned and readily acknowledged by Cartoon Network, the cartoon juggernaut's toons are technically aimed at a very young demographic, one commonly believed too young to partake in such a large world. The solution to this and other problems was recently explained by Chris Waldron, executive producer of the Grigon Entertainment Company-developed FusionFall, who also provided a brief tour of the forthcoming persistent world's more notable features.
Whether you're a fan of one Cartoon Network property or all of them, FusionFall will offer something for you. Such an all-inclusive assemblage was appealing to executive producer Chris Waldron, but also came with a few key problems that needed solving. First and foremost was the core demographic, that of six to 11-year-old viewers. Waldron and developer Grigon Entertainment wanted to appeal to the slightly older eight to 14-year-old market.
Additionally, while winning over U.S. players was a priority, FusionFall would also have to succeed overseas, especially in Seoul, South Korea, base to Grigon Entertainment. Thirdly, each cartoon employed its own distinctive art style. In order to mix all characters and worlds into one massive game, the art style would have to have a strong element of cohesiveness, yet also retain the individuality of each show.
The solution: Anime-style art, a style that has always been popular in Korea and has exploded in the United States during recent years. "When we hit on the idea of taking the characters anime-style, that solved all our problems at once," said Waldron. "We have all these different characters, some aged to appeal to older kids, and anime-style is currently popular worldwide. Finally, the style gave us a cohesive feel rather than made up of many different things."
After establishing a direction on their artistic compass, the Grigon team began creating the diverse world of FusionFall. The game's story revolves around a utopian planet governed by children that is being invaded by Fusion, an evil network of planets intent on galactic domination. Fusion initiates its conquest by transporting sentient globs of green goo to the planet, which are able to take the shape of beings they conquer. Players will encounter an evil Dexter, for example, who uses his brilliant mind for wickedness instead of good.
FusionFall is not powered by a powerful graphics engine that will bring computers to their metallic knees. The game is entirely browser-based, though playing fullscreen at impressive resolutions is an option. After installing a plug-in for the game -- something that has become standard practice for browser-based software -- players will be able to login to FusionFall via the game's official website and create new characters or resume play with favorites.
Character customization is standard MMO fare. Each character can be given a name constructed from three different words, either individually selected or completely randomized. Aesthetics such as caps, shirts, boots, and other ware is then selected before players begin their adventures.
Sector V, one of FusionFall's early areas, initially seems the perfect portrait of suburbia. Beautiful homes, flawless lawns, kids running to and fro, and a massive tree house that sits far above the ground. It appears to be a beautiful day in the neighborhood until one notices the sickly green sky, piles of slimy muck oozing along streets, and a planet looming ominously over NPCs and player characters. That would be Fusion, and it's your job to make it go away.
Additionally, while winning over U.S. players was a priority, FusionFall would also have to succeed overseas, especially in Seoul, South Korea, base to Grigon Entertainment. Thirdly, each cartoon employed its own distinctive art style. In order to mix all characters and worlds into one massive game, the art style would have to have a strong element of cohesiveness, yet also retain the individuality of each show.
The solution: Anime-style art, a style that has always been popular in Korea and has exploded in the United States during recent years. "When we hit on the idea of taking the characters anime-style, that solved all our problems at once," said Waldron. "We have all these different characters, some aged to appeal to older kids, and anime-style is currently popular worldwide. Finally, the style gave us a cohesive feel rather than made up of many different things."
After establishing a direction on their artistic compass, the Grigon team began creating the diverse world of FusionFall. The game's story revolves around a utopian planet governed by children that is being invaded by Fusion, an evil network of planets intent on galactic domination. Fusion initiates its conquest by transporting sentient globs of green goo to the planet, which are able to take the shape of beings they conquer. Players will encounter an evil Dexter, for example, who uses his brilliant mind for wickedness instead of good.
FusionFall is not powered by a powerful graphics engine that will bring computers to their metallic knees. The game is entirely browser-based, though playing fullscreen at impressive resolutions is an option. After installing a plug-in for the game -- something that has become standard practice for browser-based software -- players will be able to login to FusionFall via the game's official website and create new characters or resume play with favorites.
Character customization is standard MMO fare. Each character can be given a name constructed from three different words, either individually selected or completely randomized. Aesthetics such as caps, shirts, boots, and other ware is then selected before players begin their adventures.
Sector V, one of FusionFall's early areas, initially seems the perfect portrait of suburbia. Beautiful homes, flawless lawns, kids running to and fro, and a massive tree house that sits far above the ground. It appears to be a beautiful day in the neighborhood until one notices the sickly green sky, piles of slimy muck oozing along streets, and a planet looming ominously over NPCs and player characters. That would be Fusion, and it's your job to make it go away.
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i think fusionfall will be the coolest thing ever because it will be vey interseting. it wil also be very fun.Posted at 11:45AM on Oct 11th 2008 by tyshawna cleveland