It features six mini-games across three categories that apparently represent everything Americans need to know in order to go to college; reading, writing, and math. It even tracks the player's progress, so you can tell early on if you need to hire a more intelligent doppleganger to take the test for you child. All this for only $29.99! No no parents, don't thank me. It's all part of my ongoing plan to ruin Christmas for children everywhere.

Aspyr Media Ships New SAT Prep Video Game, futureU™, for Nintendo DS™

Interactive Test Prep Game Based on Study Material from Kaplan Test Prep and Admissions Designed for Studying While On The Go

AUSTIN, TX - November 5, 2008 - Aspyr Media, in collaboration with Kaplan Test Prep and Admissions, announced today that futureU™, a first-of-its-kind SAT prep video game, has shipped to retail stores nationwide for Nintendo DS™. Following on the heels of the PC/Mac version of the same name, futureU represents a new medium for supplemental SAT prep by adapting test preparation material into a collection of fun interactive games.

Utilizing the touch screen capabilities of DS, futureU offers a complete interactive experience unlike any standard test taking method to date. Designed for studying at home or on the go, the game consists of six distinctive mini-games that are divided into three main categories - Math, Reading and Writing. Developed as a complement to traditional SAT study methods, the game is grounded in Kaplan curriculum and features hundreds of questions and track-able player progress.

futureU incorporates a wealth of in-game content that challenges and sharpens skills including:

* Reading: Focuses on refining players' reading skills, vocabulary, main idea identification, themes and arguments, technique, and recognizing word meanings based on context.

* Writing: Concentrates on improving players' writing skills by covering topics such as passive voice, run-on sentences, misplaced modifiers, parallelism, conjunctions, fragments, coordination and subordination, pronouns, subject-verb agreement, tenses, adverbs and adjectives, gerunds, idioms, wrong words, and double negatives.

* Math: Enable players to practice critical math areas such as algebra, geometry, data, statistics, probability, polynomials, and sequences.

futureU for Nintendo DS™ is rated "E" for Everyone by the ESRB and is available for an SRP of $29.99. For more information, please visit www.aspyr.com.

futureU is the latest supplementary test prep offering from Kaplan which adapts test preparation content into a medium relevant for today's teens. Last year, Kaplan launched SAT prep for iTunes® and a score-raising graphic novel series.

The first title, based on SAT prep curriculum, is indeed coming to DS as we heard at the first announcement, but as you can expect from Aspyr, the companies also confirmed PC and Mac versions too, all for the Fall of this year.

It's been just about ten years since I was a high school senior, and I know I took the SATs, but I have no recollection. I still remember the nooks and crannies of the video games I played in 1999, though, so maybe if my SAT prep had been a game, I'd still remember how to multiply fractions or whatever.

Actually, I'm a little surprised that it took this long for a notable game developer to hook up with a test prep company. Seems kind of like a no-brainer, right?

Full announcement follows the jump.

SAT* Prep Enters the Videogaming World

Kaplan and Aspyr Team Up to Create

Dynamic Interactive Entertainment

AUSTIN, TX – April XX, 2008 – High school teens may soon be able to play their way to a higher SAT* score, thanks to a new collaboration between Kaplan Test Prep and Admissions and videogame developer and publisher Aspyr Media.

Kaplan and Aspyr have entered into a multi-year agreement in which Aspyr will bring Kaplan-branded interactive entertainment products to market. The first game under the deal will be an engaging, visually dynamic and unconventional title that is rooted solidly in Kaplan’s SAT prep curriculum. The game marks the first ever widely-released SAT prep video game in the market.

“Students learn best when they’re engaged with the study content. While a videogame shouldn’t be seen as a substitute for a full prep course, it’s an innovative and effective way to reinforce preparatory learning,” said Anthony Manley, General Manager of Pre-College Programs for Kaplan Test Prep and Admissions. “At Kaplan, we seek to adapt our offerings to students’ lifestyle needs. In Aspyr, we found a partner with a proven track record of creating engaging, dynamic titles that appeal to today’s teens.”

“Aspyr has proven over the years that it excels in caring for huge brands and successfully extending those brands to new audiences,” said Ted Staloch, Executive Vice President for publishing at Aspyr. “We couldn’t have asked for a better partner than Kaplan, a trusted, high profile brand and a company that is the undisputed leader in its field. Aspyr will create games under this brand that will truly surprise and excite people with their originality.”

Scheduled for release in 2008, the SAT prep game is currently in development at Aspyr Studios and will be published by Aspyr Media for Nintendo DS™, PC and Mac. Additional information on Kaplan branded games from Aspyr will be announced later this year.

Last year, Kaplan introduced interactive SAT* prep programs that can be purchased and downloaded from iTunes®, as well as a unique SAT/ACT Vocabulary-Building Manga (Japanese word for comics and print cartoon) series.

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*SAT is a registered trademark of the College Entrance Examination Board, which neither sponsors nor endorses this product.

**iTunes® is a registered trademark of Apple, Inc. All rights reserved.

About Kaplan Test Prep and Admissions

Kaplan Test Prep and Admissions (www.kaptest.com), a division of Kaplan, Inc., is a premier provider of educational and career services for individuals, schools and businesses. Established in 1938, Kaplan is the world leader in the test prep industry. With a comprehensive menu of online offerings and a complete array of books and software, Kaplan offers preparation for more than 90 standardized tests, including entrance exams for secondary school, college and graduate school, as well as English language and professional licensing exams. Kaplan also provides private tutoring and college and graduate admissions consulting services.

About Aspyr Media

Aspyr Media, Inc. is a leading video game publisher that creates, packages and delivers fun to millions around the world. Hailing from Austin, Texas USA, Aspyr strives relentlessly to ensure a quality experience for consumers and industry partners.

To fall more deeply in love with Aspyr and its amazing line of products, visit www.aspyr.com and see just how much fun you can legally have.

If high school didn't represent some of the most stressful and awkward years of my life, I'd go back in a flash to play this SAT game on my DS! Think of it as Brain Age with a real tangible result. Would you be more likely to prep for the SATs on your DS than through a book or browser?

SAT Prep Game Coming to DS [GamelLife]