Cartoon Network?s MMOG Unveils Playable Demo

Cartoon Network’s first massively multi-player online game (MMOG), Cartoon Network Universe: FusionFall, has its debut at Comic-Con 2007 in San Diego, beginning Wednesday, July 25. Scheduled for a summer 2008 release, the game will have playable demos at Cartoon Network’s booth on the Comic-Con show floor. In addition, a panel of FusionFall creators will provide an in-depth look at the game at Comic-Con on Thursday, July 26 at 5:00 p.m. (PT) in Room 3 of the San Diego Convention Center.

FusionFall is an MMOG set in a re-imagined Cartoon Network universe. As a kid in this world, players will team up with other players and Cartoon Network characters to defend it from an alien invasion of epic proportions. The game is a mix of all the action of a 3-D console platform game and all the customization, character development and open-ended world exploration of an MMORPG (massively multi-player online role-playing game). In addition, small, super-deformed versions of Cartoon Network characters are collected along the way and travel with players, providing powers and abilities to assist during missions.

“We’re thrilled to present a first look at FusionFall at this year’s Comic-Con,” said Paul Condolora, senior vice president and general manager of Cartoon Network New Media. “Our current offering of online games continues to be the main driver of Cartoon Network New Media’s success, and we’ve surpassed 2 billion game plays annually for the past three years. FusionFall fulfills our goal of increasing the range of game play we offer, and we expect it to significantly expand our audience.”

“One of the things we’re most excited about in FusionFall is the game play,” said Chris Waldron, executive producer of FusionFall. “With our audience and Cartoon Network characters, we knew we wanted to create a new kind of MMOG and develop a game that takes all the great action of popular console games and merges it with all the elements of MMORPGs that are so enticing to players.”

The development of FusionFall is a first for the industry. Created through a partnership with leading Korean MMOG developer, Grigon Entertainment, the game brings Cartoon Network’s beloved characters and sensibility to the fast-growing online gaming realm with an “East-meets-West” creative approach. Grigon Entertainment is best known for successfully developing and launching several online games in Asia, including Seal Online, a light-hearted role-playing game (RPG) that took the online gaming world by surprise.