In virtual worlds, kids just want to grow up

— -- While Peter Pan never wanted to grow up, it seems that today tweens (kids ages 8 to 12) are anxious to do so, at least in virtual worlds. Banking on kids' desire to play at "growing up" is a new online game called SuperSecret.

The site was created to give kids a place to go after they outgrow the mega-popular virtual worlds of Club Penguin and Webkinz but before they are ready for the more adult online games of World of Warcraft or the social networking sites Facebook and MySpace. SuperSecret entices kids with the wish fulfillment of living a virtual life that ages them a lot quicker than in real life. After playing the game for about 30 days, kids will age from the entry age of 10 years to age 15. With each birthday comes new privileges and things to do, as well as access to new parts of the virtual world.

To make sure the game would appeal to tweens, the development team at SuperSecret Inc. turned to kids for advice. Ted Barnett, co-founder and the CEO of SuperSecret, said, "This game was designed by kids. It isn't what adults thought it should be, it is what they told us they wanted." While talking to kids, Barnett heard three themes repeated often: "Make it easy to find and communicate with your real friends, make sure there are new things to do every week, and finally, let me be not a puppy or penguin but a person who can grow up and earn the privileges that come with growing up."

Tasked with creating a game about growing up, the team created a world where kids play to earn age points, which let them grow older. To earn age points, kids go on quests, play minigames and find hidden objects and collectibles. When they earn enough age points, their in-game characters have a birthday, which means that their avatars grow older visually and are granted new privileges. For example, when characters reach 11, they are allowed to own a pet. At 12, they get a dorm room. By 15 they are given an interest-earning bank account.

In addition to the overarching story line about growing up, the game also allows kids to meet and hang with friends, explore secret places, and shop for cool things like clothing, furniture and pets. For the shopping, the game has a virtual currency called "Spenders." Like age points, Spenders can be earned in a variety of ways, including playing games and completing quests.