FutureU, Meet PresentMe
A few months back, the "all things test prep" boys over at Kaplan announced a partnership with the software company Aspyr to make a collection of 'entertainment products'. Low and behold, the first product of this union is a SAT Prep 'game' called FutureU. Present me is unsure what to make of FutureU, but I'm hoping that with the 3 R's of reading, 'riting, and 'rithmetic that make up the game, the FutureU will at least be somewhat easier to make small talk with when we go out. I mean just look at the list of issues it will help PresentU deal with in each category:
- Reading: Focuses on honing players' reading skills with vocabulary building, main idea identification, attitude and tone, themes and arguments, technique, and recognizing word meaning based on context.
- Writing: Seeks to improve players' writing skills by covering topics such as passive voice, run-on sentences, misplaced modifiers, parallelism, wordiness, conjunctions, fragments, coordination and subordination, pronouns, subject-verb agreement, tenses, adverbs and adjectives, gerunds, idioms, wrong words, and double negatives.
- Math: Enables players to delve into critical areas such as algebra, geometry, data, statistics, probability, polynomials, and sequences.
Those writing skills alone could help many of the forum kiddies that post on the internets daily and if the game can help those future thems, I would be forever indebted. FutureU will be coming out on the PC and Mac, but will also be coming out on the Nintendo DS, which should be interesting to see how they incorporate the stylus into the gameplay. On the whole part of me wonders if this can truly be called a game, and the other part of me is just happy to see some educational software out there that people can use to try and better themselves (even if it is only to do well on a standardized test that's not the best assessment of a person's potential). In the end, all that matters is that FutureU makes money and that PresentKaplan makes some too. Press release after the jump.
AUSTIN, TX - July 23, 2008 - Aspyr Media, in collaboration with Kaplan Test Prep and Admissions, today announced the name and all-new details for its SAT prep game. Called futureU™, the company has revealed that the game will be divided into three main categories - Math, Reading and Writing. Designed to be an engaging and visually dynamic complement to traditional SAT programs, futureU teaches core concepts, measures player progress, and provides an accessible, interactive experience unlike any other learning program of its kind. The game is rooted in Kaplan's proven curriculum and includes original methods and specialized strategies.These details come on the heels of Aspyr and Kaplan's announcement in March that the companies have entered into a multi-year agreement in which Aspyr will bring Kaplan-branded interactive entertainment products to market. Scheduled to hit retail outlets this fall, futureU is the first title to be released under the agreement. The game is currently in development at Aspyr Studios and will be published by Aspyr Media for Nintendo DS™, PC and Mac.
Aspyr has released the following details on each of the categories:
- Reading: Focuses on honing players' reading skills with vocabulary building, main idea identification, attitude and tone, themes and arguments, technique, and recognizing word meaning based on context.
- Writing: Seeks to improve players' writing skills by covering topics such as passive voice, run-on sentences, misplaced modifiers, parallelism, wordiness, conjunctions, fragments, coordination and subordination, pronouns, subject-verb agreement, tenses, adverbs and adjectives, gerunds, idioms, wrong words, and double negatives.
- Math: Enables players to delve into critical areas such as algebra, geometry, data, statistics, probability, polynomials, and sequences.
Additionally, players can engage in a section called "Test Skills" that teaches test-taking skills such as how to spot wrong answers in a multiple choice sequence, know when to skip questions, and time management.
PixelPoet
Posted to Video Games on 23 July 2008
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