📖 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:

• Magic Potion Games
• K-ID

🎯 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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