NFL Launches NFLRUSH ZONE (NFLRZ) Role-Playing Game For Young Fans

Screen shot NFLRush.com

Blogging the National Football League, Blogging the NFL

As the first major sports league to develop its own online role-playing game, the NFL has launched a new site for young fans and the young at heart called NFLRUSH ZONE (NFLRZ). If you’ve watched any football lately, you’ve seen the commercials. This virtual world is accessible on NFLRUSH.com, the NFL’s official website for kids, and gives youngsters and teenagers a chance to interact with the NFL in an innovative and entertaining way.

NFLRZ is designed for kids and teens ages 6-15, and can be played year-round by avid football fans and casual supporters alike, with no prior football knowledge required. When kids join NFLRZ, their avatar is drafted to an NFL team. Once drafted, players can visit their team Coach to collect their daily salary, play games in each Team Land, and train twice a day to earn health points and “pigskins,” the site’s virtual currency. Players must also visit the Eats area regularly to buy food for their avatars as well as their “pet” Gameballs. Throughout their journey, kids can chat with other users in real time, using a secure, filtered dictionary. The NFLRUSH ZONE world includes NFLRZ Central, a Times Square-like environment where players can exchange tips and visit the Theater to watch on-demand, streaming cartoons. NFLRZ Central also features the NFLRZ Shop, a virtual store where kids can use pigskins to purchase virtual gear to customize their avatars, including NFL Team uniforms.

As an official launch partner of NFLRZ, Upper Deck is sponsoring interactive online and off-line components for NFLRZ users, including incorporating promotional codes available on all current Upper Deck Football trading cards. Kids can enter these Upper Deck codes on NFLRZ to showcase a virtual card collection and earn online rewards. Upper Deck also features games and characters on the site.

Each NFL club is represented by a Team Land, which features team-specific characters as well as a variety of games and activities. All 32 clubs collaborated with the NFLRZ development team on the design of their Team Lands and characters to ensure that they reflect the unique spirit of each club. Clubs will continue to provide ideas and feedback as the NFLRZ Team Lands expand with new features. Team Lands include team-specific Rusherz and Gameballs that help players navigate the world, earn points and pigskins, and discover other hidden rewards.

NFLRZ is probably one of the most comprehensive RPGs in the kids’ market today. It’s got a lot of unique features and even gives kids a chance to interact online with NFL players featured in live chats and personalized avatars. I wish the NFL would’ve offered this when I was a kid.