A good step in the right direction from breaking our kids off of shovelware and into games that actually expand their minds. I've been saying, as have many of you in Kotakuland, that games could be the greatest platform for teaching young kids. Its good to see some people are starting to really explore this idea.
Long ways to go still.
Edit: Should say, I know this isn't a "game" But its a way for kids to learn, in a multimedia format. Having links and little quizzes in books at that age would be almost like achievements for us now. No real value, but the kids want to go on just to get the satisfaction of completing something.
The typographer in me needs to see the quality of the text here. While it's fine for low resolution games to have blocky giant pixel sans serif fonts, I'd like to see a finer quality when it came to publishing novels onto that tiny screen.
Then again, I'm not seven. Maybe soon, we'll have a generation of privileged kids who've never picked up a paperback but read hundreds of books via their digital devices. That'd be... kinda cool.
@Psudonym: sadly, I think you're being way too optimistic. Kids nowadays barely read at all. If you go to any kid's profile on his youtube or myspace channel, on the part where it says "Books", usually they put something like "YEAH RIGHT", "who reads books????", "books are for losers lololol", and things like that.
It's as if they're proud of their illiterateness, or that they are afraid to be called library worms / geeks / nerds / whatever if they read books. Or that they are convinced that books are not cool, and that there's no way that a book can be better than a videogame, a TV show or a movie. Or a combination of all of the above. Really sad.
I can really appreciate EA's effort into publishing this game and trying to bring the joy of reading to modern kids (albeit in a different format), but I honestly think it's doomed.
Kids nowadays (and many teenagers and adults as well) don't have the slightest idea of the awesome experiences they're missing out on by neglecting to read books.
(PD: Sorry if my english isn't perfect, it's not my first language. I learned english all on my own, by reading books in english and with the help of a spanish / english dictionary, as a matter of fact).
Call me old-fashioned, but I like the feel of a book. The feeling of holding a book, reading it, and actually turning the pages just does more for me than reading something of a DS.
@puresewas1de: I felt the same way. However, after having some hands-on time with a Kindle, I think that works pretty well. No fast flipping to find a reference though.
@TheWP listens to Yukkuris; Takes it easy: True it's not as tactile as a book, and tub reading is fraught with danger. On the flip side, can you take 24 plus books on holiday with you? 4 DS cartridges take up much less space that's for sure.
Really nice concept EA. I think this isn't bad for those kids who are averse to reading paperback books. But seriously EA Flips is what they're selling it as to the UK market?
While paper books are always great, trying to sell books to kids in another format is still encourageable.
@hismastersvoice: Apparently, young Chris met a bear at a zoo called Winnie. And he also met a swan named Pooh. So he named his stuffed bear Winnie the Pooh.
Obviously, this was some sort of bear/swan hybrid. Like an owlbear. Must be in one of those weird Monster Manuals.
ShaggE wants to join the Egg Council. promoted this comment
TheWP listens to Yukkuris; Takes it easy was starred
TheWP listens to Yukkuris; Takes it easy was unstarred
Just to think. Buying a book is cheaper than getting this. In fact you can get a good hand full of books with the price of this. Stephen King's Dark tower series in paperback comes to mind.
@TheWP listens to Yukkuris; Takes it easy: I've always wanted to rebuild my collection of Animorphs books that I had as a teen, but I feel weird popping into the local used bookstore and poring over the Scholastic section.
Maybe I'll nip over to Amazon some day and see how much a complete set would cost.
That being said, if Flips gets more kids to read, I'm all for it. This is also the reason I want PBS to start a new Wishbone series.
@StealthMaster86: You can get 6 Artemis fowl books for less than £25, plus the extra interactive stuff? I think £4 per book is reasonable and £3 per book for the 8 book collections is even better value.
@TheWP listens to Yukkuris; Takes it easy: You start asking for those, and you'll likely end up with Where the Red Fern Grows and Island of the Blue Dolphins (yuck).
@ShaggE wants to join the Egg Council.: They are good, but Remnants I would suggest cheeking out. Same author, but make Gulliver's Travels its bitch with craziness.
@Mykalwane: Looks interesting. I'll keep an eye out.
Reading the first book again, I remember why I loved this series so much. Despite the simplistic writing style and Goosebumps-length chapters, it really is a good sci-fi yarn. Not exactly Asimov, but I'm as entertained as I was back in the 90's.
@ShaggE wants to join the Egg Council.: You just pretend you're buying them for your younger sibling or niece/nephew or something. That's the excuse I use.
10/10/09
Oh Eoin Colfer. To think I once respected you.
10/09/09
Long ways to go still.
Edit: Should say, I know this isn't a "game" But its a way for kids to learn, in a multimedia format. Having links and little quizzes in books at that age would be almost like achievements for us now. No real value, but the kids want to go on just to get the satisfaction of completing something.
10/09/09
Then again, I'm not seven. Maybe soon, we'll have a generation of privileged kids who've never picked up a paperback but read hundreds of books via their digital devices. That'd be... kinda cool.
10/09/09
It's as if they're proud of their illiterateness, or that they are afraid to be called library worms / geeks / nerds / whatever if they read books. Or that they are convinced that books are not cool, and that there's no way that a book can be better than a videogame, a TV show or a movie. Or a combination of all of the above. Really sad.
I can really appreciate EA's effort into publishing this game and trying to bring the joy of reading to modern kids (albeit in a different format), but I honestly think it's doomed.
Kids nowadays (and many teenagers and adults as well) don't have the slightest idea of the awesome experiences they're missing out on by neglecting to read books.
(PD: Sorry if my english isn't perfect, it's not my first language. I learned english all on my own, by reading books in english and with the help of a spanish / english dictionary, as a matter of fact).
10/09/09
EDIT: Oh, geez... next time I ought to RTFA. Seems like you get 6 to 8 books for that price. Good luck to them, either way!
10/09/09
10/09/09
And can you read a Kindle in the tub?
10/09/09
10/09/09
While paper books are always great, trying to sell books to kids in another format is still encourageable.
10/09/09
Also, needs more Winnie, the Pooh.
10/09/09
10/09/09
10/09/09
Obviously, this was some sort of bear/swan hybrid. Like an owlbear. Must be in one of those weird Monster Manuals.
10/09/09
10/09/09
10/09/09
Maybe I'll nip over to Amazon some day and see how much a complete set would cost.
That being said, if Flips gets more kids to read, I'm all for it. This is also the reason I want PBS to start a new Wishbone series.
10/09/09
10/09/09
Now, I just hope they're as well written (as far as kid's sci-fi can be) as I remember.
10/09/09
10/09/09
10/09/09
Reading the first book again, I remember why I loved this series so much. Despite the simplistic writing style and Goosebumps-length chapters, it really is a good sci-fi yarn. Not exactly Asimov, but I'm as entertained as I was back in the 90's.
10/10/09
10/10/09