Worlds in Motion has an interesting story up about a virtual space called Handipoints, where parents and their children play together. And what better way to reinforce the fun factor than to base the gameplay around chores?

I know, I get goosebumps just thinking about it myself.

It lets parents track and organize various tasks like chore charts and kids’ weekly allowances — and has an online avatar-based game component for kids to play that corresponds to the tasks parents set for them.

The company already lays claim to over 140,000 registered users, so there’s obviously some interest. However, Handipoints is a free-to-play game with extra benefits for paying subscribers, and they haven’t revealed how many of those users are actually paying customers, which means we have no clue whether or not they actually have a profitable model in the making.

Honestly, it’s like trying to analyze the secondary market trends in Dungeon Runners.

Handipoints CEO Viva Chu went on to give a very mild notice to other casual game-based virtual spaces for children:

“Club Penguin and Webkinz are great games and very fun to play, but these games provide no value to the parents and teach kids the wrong lessons about consumerism. Kids end up spending hours in these worlds playing mindless games in order to earn enough coins to buy clothing. Handipoints is completely different. In our game kids earn points by staying healthy and active in the real world.”

The right message on consumerism…from the Handipoints website.

After that small sip from her competitor’s milkshakes, I have to point something out here. Exactly how does “playing mindless games in order to earn enough coins to buy clothing” not relate to the real world? I know quite a few folks that would say that phrase describes their daily adult life exactly.

I applaud the noble intentions of Handipoints, but the above attitude does seem like a (very polite and mild) slap at online gaming yet again. Next up, I assume we’ll have a virtual world centered on the principles of the federal tax system…you grind for 364 days, then have to complete a needlessly-complicated 300 million-person raid before the year expires, or you get hacked.

I would talk about some of the other problems I see with this concept (such as the fact that it’s been done already), but my boss has another mindless game for me to complete, so I’d better get busy since I need new shoes.

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Tags: games, gaming, Handipoints, mmo, mmorpg