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Namco Bandai helping to create textbooks with RPG elements
We spent a remarkable amount of our formative years doodling video game characters into the margins of our textbooks, so we appreciate Namco Bandai's initiative to cut out the middle man. According to Andriasang, the developer recently partnered with publisher Gakko Tosho to create elementary school textbooks which feature persistent storylines and other RPG elements. For instance, a "Math Adventure" book has student solving arithmetic puzzles to gain keys, which can be used to earn some form of treasure. It's certainly an interesting take on the concept of educational gaming -- and, based on our elementary school Writing class journal, which is literally filled, cover to cover, with Pokémon illustrations and fan fiction, we imagine it'll gain some traction with Japan's young people.
Several textbook publishers sign iPad deals
Back when the iPad was a rumor, many contended that a successful Apple tablet would provide an easy and cheap way to distribute textbooks. Now, the Wall Street Journal reports that several publishers have come on board. Specifically, publishers are in talks with ScrollMotion, the company behind, among other things, the very well-done Iceburg Reader for iPhone, to develop text-prep and other study guides for the iPad. McGraw-Hill, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt K-12, Pearson Education and the Washington Post Co.'s Kaplan Inc. are named in the article. John Lema, chief executive of ScrollMotion, called the iPad's introduction "...the beginning of handheld education." Of course, the iPad's reception and performance in the education market is unknown, and the device faces competition from inexpensive netbooks, systems fully entrenched in an existing system, or networks and budgets that don't allow for new purchases. Still, we imagine the average college student being able to purchase textbooks with an iPad, and carry only that device across campus. Plus, publishers would be able to dodge the resale of used books by campus bookstores -- which doesn't generate any money for them. Finally, we can imagine an app that allows professors to push notations or assignments to students' iPads or even individual books. Keep your eye on the iPad in the education market. It could push the device over the edge. [Via Macsimum News]
