One of the games that I have been playing for the DS is Electroplankton. I have mentioned it before on my blog but after watching BBC Click this morning it got me thinking again about my initial idea.
One of the reports came from the NextFest exhibition in New York. There were some amazing inventions and ideas on display there such as full sized robots that can teach you to dance, a musical climbing wall that you play by changing the position and frequency of handholds as well as a language trainer that focuses as much on the cultural difference of gesture as much as the language.
But the one that really caught my eye was from a company called Playmotion. They have devised a series of products that they are promoting in the Additional Support Needs market. Greg Roberts from the company tells us:
"In healthcare we've put it into tests for autism and developmentally challenged children. We've got very good preliminary results that, at a young age, it really makes them more aware of stimulus. So it's a real hope from our hearts that it can do something there."
The above link takes you a number of movies from their site that showcase what they offer.
This made me think about my initial ideas about how Elecktroplankton for the DS could be used.
It's a really bizarre multi-media experience as opposed to a game but I couldn't help think of some the children with ASN that I have worked with in the past who could possibly be switched on by the cause and effect scenario, not to mention the wonderful visual imagery and musical soundtrack that is created when playing the game. I'd love to see this game on an interactive whiteboard and learners hands on the range of plankton that inhabit this world. The only problem is that it is almost impossible to get DS games presented anywhere else than on the DS. Apart from a developer kit (which is impossible to access) you are only going to get access to it via the DS. Anyway have a look at the website and the video to get an idea of how this game works.
Comments