This year’s interactive presence turned CES in McCormick North into a massive multimedia playground that tested sensory overload. But the one trend that was noticeable is kids are becoming big business. Not the wild-eyed teens in commericials who scream “Sega!” or whose heads pop off while playing 3DO. We are talking about game makers taking aim at the target market’s tiny siblings-the 3- to 8-year-olds.
Parents have been expressing concern that video games are predominated by violent titles that only exercise the thumb. Here to save the day and exercise the mind are educational and edutainment (education that entertains) titles and hardware that specifically target the tiny set.
Video game giants Sega and Nintendo have recognized this market. Sega has attained licenses for Disney characters in games of logic. Through Software Toolworks, Nintendo is using Super Mario Character to teach numbers and the alphabet. However, on the horizon are a growing number of new companies and familiar book and multimedia companies that seek to challenge youngsters on the personal computer.
Through CD-ROMs these upstarts can supply more bells and whistles than cartridge games. These discs that mimic music CDs can also pack in sound, video and animation. The newcomers also have a better idea of what little ones want, for they are the testers. Tiny critics choose bright colors, lots of sound and characters that move. Constant stimuli. But what makes these computer games more entertaining is a feature called a Hot Spot.
What makes something hot? Say you have a menu that uses a farm scene to guide you through a story. Click on a cow, and it winks. Click on a weather vane, and it spins like mad. Click on a pig, and sings like the fat lady at the opera.
The beauty of these new titles is they also grow with kids. Something as mature-sounding as Macbeth will give youngsters a head start on the classics. Many more software companies are also using female and multicultural characters in lead roles.
While loads of fun, these discs aren’t cheap, with most costing $40 to $60 a pop at suggested retail. Though there are a handful of titles as low as $30, they usually provide the least activity. CES exhibitors did caution prices are suggested retail and should drop as demand rises and as more titles become available.
Following are some of the most innovative kids CD-ROMs slated for the late summer and fall for the Mac and IBM compatibles. Look for full-blown reviews in Home Enterainment as they become available.
If you can’t wait till then, these companies have other titles on store shelves now. However, the upcoming titles are generally of a much higher quality.
The Macmillan Dictionary, Simon & Schuster Interactive, $29.95. Don’t just stop at its 12,000 words and definitions. Challenge yourself and youngsters to a spelling bee or a game of hangman. Hear every word pronounced and see 1,000 vivid illustrations.
Macbeth: The Game, Simon and Schuster Interactive, $59.95. Enter the world of a king and three evil witches. Follow the story with your child from beginning to end in picture or text form. The older set (11 to 18) may be more inclined to battle monsters on the game option.
Crayon Factory, Philips CD-i, $39.98. Families must have Philips’ CD-i player for this game (about $500 and is used with a TV). Renowned children’s entertainer Shari Lewis is the voice of Saturday the robot. Kids’ goal is to help Saturday return happiness to the factory. They learn to mix and match colors, fix equipment and check for quality control.
Freddi Fish, Humongous Entertainment, $39.99. Applause for this female marine animal who saves those in distress and fosters unity and sharing through the adventure titled Freddi the Fish and the Case of the Missing Kelp Seeds. This movie-quality title also teaches about marine life. Interestingly enough, CEO Shelley Day says young boys who have tested the first of the Freddi titles have no qualms with this female hero.
Rescue the Scientists, Compton’s New Media, $49.95. Securing the future for scientists like Galileo and Marie Curie is the goal of a rescue team that fashioned a Time Travel Machine from the family hot tub. Imagine helping great scientists who have lost their memories to make important discoveries.
Zoo-Opolis!, Compton’s New Media, $49.95. Splash the penguin, Wally Wallaby the kangaroo and Hedda Feather the ostrich take you on a tour of a real zoo. A side-splitting identification teaches kids about animals.
Nickelodeon Director’s Lab, Viacom New Media, $49.95. It’s about empowerment, says a sales rep, that’s what Nickelodeon is about. Kids play grownups as they create multimedia presentations, video greeting cards, mini-movies and mini-cartoons. Parents can use the handy help icon for the youngest in the family.
TJ Finds a Friend, IVI Publishing, $49.95. Endorsed by the National Center for Missing Children, TJ and friends learn how not to end up on a milk carton. This smart program is also signed for hearing-challenged children.
KidBoard, kidboard Inc., $99. First of its kind, kidBoard is a brightly colored keyboard for the PC that withstands bumps and bangs. In the shape of a cartoon face, the ears serve as handles and the chin as a hand rest. KidBoard includes software to get kids familiar with the alphabet and using a keyboard.
