At one time or another, just about everyone has created an animated cartoon using nothing more than a pad of paper and some hand-drawn stick figures. Nintendo now brings these creations to life on its Nintendo DSi^™ hand-held system with Flipnote Studio^™, an application that is available now for download at no cost from the Nintendo DSi Shop. Flipnote Studio provides users with simple tools that let them draw and save a series of images to create an animation reminiscent of flipping through a notepad. Flipnote Studio makes it easy for anyone to jump in and create animations, regardless of their artistic abilities.

Here’s how it works: Users draw an image on the touch screen of the Nintendo DSi system. When they are ready to draw the next image in the sequence, Flipnote Studio shows an outline of the previous image as a (more…)

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From Game Player to Game Developer - Summer Camps

Gamers Learn to Mod and Program their Own Video Games 

Are you bored playing your favorite video games again and again?  Tired of the same old characters exploring the same old levels, getting destroyed at the same spots?

Wouldn’t it be more fun if you could design new interactive levels, create bold new characters and give them a whole new arsenal of mind-blowing weapons and vehicles?  You could wage new wars, turn up the battle intensity and create your own unforgettable, unique experiences.

You love playing video games, so why not take a top selling hit and mod it to be your own? iD Tech Camps and the iD Gaming Academy for teens offer you the opportunity to learn these fun skills at their summer technology programs.

Unreal Tournament® 3, the world’s premier (more…)

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“The Didj handheld is the first grade-school system that lets kids ages 6-10 create the game and parents customize the learning.”

Using the included PC- and Mac- compatible LeapFrog® Connect Application, players first select and personalize an avatar. Then they design the game, choosing background scenery, color schemes or music. Most important, parents and kids can then customize content, connecting gameplay with schoolwork. (more…)

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Here is a great article about Webkinz in Knowledge @ Wharton. If you are a parent and are trying to figure out what Webkinz is all about, and wondering if it is ok for your kids to play, you should read this. It contains perspectives from parents with a variety of backgrounds including college professors and an educational psychologist. It also contains some nice vignettes of families and what the kids find to be so interesting about the Webkinz phenomenon. If you are curious about Webkinz, it’s well worth a read!

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Google just released the “Fastest Rising Search Terms” for 2007 and guess what? Children’s video games occupied two of the top 10. Webkinz and Club Penguin were the second and sixth fastest rising search terms on Google in 2007. I’ve played both of these games with my daughters, and found them to be safe, positive learning environments for them. And best of all, they are truly “fun” games.

Hmm…. I wonder if Video Games are becoming mainstream!?

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