📖 Episode Summary:
This episode of Player Driven, in collaboration with Community Clubhouse, dives into the future of kids' gaming and digital safety. Greg speaks with Karin Johnson, co-founder of Magic Potion Games and a former leader at Club Penguin and Fortnite, along with Kieran Donovan, founder of K-ID and a regulatory compliance expert. Together, they explore how studios can build engaging, age-appropriate games while staying ahead of global compliance challenges. From the development of Imagine Island to the regulatory maze K-ID helps developers navigate, this is a must-listen for anyone creating games for younger audiences.
🔑 Key Topics Covered:
- The rise of Imagine Island as a spiritual successor to Club Penguin
- Why building “kids-first” (not just kid-appropriate) matters
- How K-ID simplifies global compliance across age bands, chat, and monetization
- Best practices for launching safe online games with embedded trust and safety
- The business value of early compliance and community-focused design
- How emerging web game platforms are helping studios reach more players
💡 Highlight Quotes:
“We’re not just building a safe game, we’re building one our own kids would play.” – Karin Johnson
“Compliance is no longer optional. It’s a foundation for smart monetization and trust.” – Kieran Donovan
“The rules are evolving fast. One week it’s Europe, the next it’s Indonesia. Studios need to plan now.” – Greg Posner
📌 Resources & Links:
🎯 Who Should Listen:
- Game designers building for Gen Alpha
- Studio leads exploring COPPA and GDPR-K compliance
- LiveOps and trust and safety professionals
- Community managers seeking to scale safe social play
- Parents curious about the future of kid-friendly gaming
📣 Call to Action:
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