NEWS Sony gives schools homework
LittleBigPlanet 2 Teacher Pack due May Part of bid to get PlayStation 3 used in lessons by Dominic Sacco
PLAYSTATION and playgrounds may not have much in common, but Sony is aiming to change all that with radical education plans. The platform holder is launching a LittleBigPlanet 2 Teacher Pack – courtesy of developer Media Molecule – which it hopes will be ready by the start of the summer term in May. These packs will feature instructions for teachers and demonstrations of National Curriculum-based in-game levels that other teachers have made. Students will be able to use PlayStation Move motion controllers to play these custom-made levels within LittleBigPlanet 2. It’s part of a push to get PlayStation consoles used as learning tools in schools. “The pack will be a really useful way of starting to track and develop interest and involvement in games-
based learning,” SCEE senior VP Ray Maguire told MCV. “We hope that Media Molecule will have this created by the start of the summer term in May.” Sony is also running
PlayStation Move courses for teachers, which explain how the motion accessory can be used in the
classroom for mathematics. It can track the distance objects are thrown and work out landing times to calculate speed.
NowGamer 2.0 revamp planned
by James Batchelor
IMAGINE Publishing is to update
NowGamer.comin a renewed bid to compete with the market leaders. The publisher will integrate movies into its news and features, add more HD content and improve its social networking features. “NowGamer2.0 is a complete revamp of the website,” editor-in-chief Nick Jones told MCV.“We’ll be better equipped to take on the big sites and that’s the ultimate goal.”
www.mcvuk.com
NowGamer 2.0 will contain new video and HD content
Jones added that while the site attracts 500,000 unique users every month, the target is 1m.
Imagine: 01202 586200 For more details on NowGamer, turn to page 47
Sony’s teacher packs will encourage games-based learning in schools
“
There’s no reason why you can’t play educational content through a console.
Ray Maguire, SCEE
The platform holder has its own specialist education website ConnectED over at
www.connectededucation. com. Several schools already use Sony PSPs as media devices for PowerPoint presentations and as video recorders for class projects. “Consoles don’t just play games – they are sophisticated media players,” added Maguire. “There is no reason why you can’t play open standard educational content such as videos, audio and web- based lessons through a games console like the PlayStation 3. “And it is not just video games. It is richer content too – including video, Flash and audio.
“I think there is a great case for a national Digital Curriculum to complement the existing Curriculum.” SCEE: 020 7859 5000 Read the full interview with Ray Maguire on page 39
German Monkey business bodes well for UK
by Dominic Sacco
THE BOXED edition of Tales of Monkey Islandhas taken Germany by storm, and publisher Lace Mamba Global hopes to repeat the success in the UK.
The game has become the top-selling adventure title on
Amazon.de for more than eight weeks in a row. It reaches UK shelves on April 8th. “We think this is a very good indicator for success in the UK,” Lace Mamba Global’s head of marketing Claas Wolter told MCV. “There is huge demand for a boxed release of Tales of Monkey Island, as proven by the amount of pre-orders and positive feedback. Monkey Islandis one of the top adventure game brands in the world.” A £29.99 Premium SKU and £49.99 Collector’s pack are available to order. Lace Mamba Global: 01273 202220
New look for Nintendo mag by Christopher Dring
FUTURE Publishing has redesigned Official Nintendo Magazineand its website ahead of the 3DS launch. The new-look publication arrives on Thursday, March 17th with a special 3D lenticular cover.
Officialnintendomagazine.co .uk– which will include new social features – relaunches on the same day. “3DS is a landmark
hardware launch and it’s the ideal time to re-focus our efforts,” said ONMeditor- in-chief Neil Long. “The new ONMis designed to satisfy the
needs of our huge community of Nintendo fans better than ever before. Just like 3DS, we connect with our audience in a completely unique way – there’s no better place to talk to Nintendo gamers than through ONM.
“The new magazine looks cleaner and clearer than ever before, with an authoritative yet accessible and fun editorial approach plus a brand new community section. Our site continues to go from strength to strength as well.”
The 3D cover is exclusive
to Tesco and WH Smith. Future: 01225 442244
March 11th 2011 7
A special ONM with a lenticular 3D cover will hit shelves later this month
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