Interview: Cartoon Network's Chris Waldron

Keen to learn more, we spoke with the firm's VP of Gaming Operations Chris Waldron about the challenges of protection and moderation, and how FusionFall's players benefit from a technology that also save's money and keeps costs down.

CG.biz: In case any of our readers aren't aware of Turner and Cartoon Network's relationship with gaming, can you tell us a little about the company's history in that regard?

Chris Waldron: Cartoon Network is a part of Turner Broadcasting Inc. Cartoon Network has been developing online and console games based on our IP for more than 10 years and it was a natural extension to enter the MMO space. We launched FusionFall in January 2009.

Can you give us a brief overview of the MMO? Where did it come from and what does it offer players?

FusionFall is a re-imagined and futuristic three-dimensional adventure set during an alien invasion of the Cartoon Network universe. Thrust into the role of a cartoon boy or girl, players will team up with other players and Cartoon Network characters to visit more than 60 different playable areas and defend the Cartoon Network universe from an alien invasion of epic proportions. The game is the first triple-A browser-based MMOG for kids playable on both Mac and PC, and currently has more than 7 million registered accounts.

What were the problems some users were causing?

The usual issues most games with active communities and forums face, but primarily, inappropriate language. As our main audience is kids, our priority is making the experience in the game and in the community safe and fun for the players.

What does the NetModerator technology do?

Again, because our audience is primarily kids, safety is one of our top priorities. We decided to partner with Crisp Thinking, utilising NetModerator as our primary tool for chat, email and forum moderation. Most moderation tools will just monitor for bad language, but NetModerator takes it to the next level and also monitors for intent.

And how do moderation tools save you money?

The tool filters out lower level issues, such as language and allows our customer service team to focus on what could be larger issues such as bullying, grooming, exchanging of personal information, and any behavior that might pose a risk to our players.

What were the alternative solutions to NetModerator, and why didn't you go with them?

We reviewed several tools available for online moderation, but felt that Crisp Thinking’s NetModerator tool was the most appropriate for our audience and our customer service needs.

What other challenges have you faced with FusionFall and how have you dealt with them?

The primary challenge for most MMOs, unlike console games, is to keep your audience engaged and coming back to your game. When we launched, there were several virtual worlds out there for kids to explore, but there weren’t any MMOs, so it was definitely a new game experience for the younger audience. Since then we have seen several MMOs for kids launch, so our goal is always to keep our players engaged with in-game events, a robust community and new content.

What are you most proud of in terms of FusionFall?

I’ve been working on FusionFall for several years now, from inception to where the game is today and I’m very proud of the dynamic world we have built for our Cartoon Network fans. I believe we've created a unique gaming experience that you can't find anywhere else. That is true both of the game play (blending platforming with MMORPG elements) as well as the content (reimagining our characters and creating the ultimate cartoon crossover).

What, in relation to games, is Turner working on now outside of FusionFall? What are you plans for the future?

Games are a big part of our digital strategy. CartoonNetwork.com currently features a roster of more than 200 free-to-play online games, which generated just under 2 billion game plays in 2009 and more than 6 million custom games created by fans to date. We also have published console and PSP games as well around our Ben 10 franchise. This year we plan to launch dozens of new online games to support our show premieres and key franchises.