History on PS3’s LBP (Little Big Planet)

LBP is a great platforming game which was famously used my a Sony exec to as a kinda scrolling slideshow where the sackboy (name of the protagonist) walked along a landscape activating buttowns and such so that facts about Sony Playstation could pop up to the viewing public and press. Since taht moment I have been thinking of doing the same in one of my history classes and now I am one large step closer to doing so with this great now Hisory Kit available for download through the Playstation Store (Sony’s PS3 Online store front). Check out the video for and info from the great Joystiq website! The KIT could also be considered as a cultural pack as the ARABIC and ASIAN elements still have much cultural resonance in the modern world. Perhaps an enterprising student might had in an assignment using LBP in the future?

clipped from playstation.joystiq.com Media Molecule has officially spilled the beans on the upcoming History Kit that was recently revealed on the Japanese LittleBigPlanet site. In addition to the cutesy, historical costumes seen above, the History Kit will come packed with new objects, decorations, stickers (140 of ‘em), sounds, music and a background, all available on August 13 for $3.99 / €3.99 / £3.19. Check out a trailer for the History Kit, and a list of its contents Watch Video 4 Objects: Chinese Bell, Egyptian Mask, Ancient Greek Vase, Gothic Gargoyle 5 Materials: Antique Maps, Islamic Tiles, Egyptian Hieroglyphs, Cave Painting, Tapestry 13 Decorations Including Roman Plaque, Persian Brooch, Laurel Wreath 140 Themed stickers Sounds: ‘Sounds of yore’ Music: ‘The Chrysalis of Eternity’ by Kenneth Young Background: The Pantheon

Brain Challenge is the most prolific multi-format Brain Training

Slowly over the years Brain Challenge has found itself on almost every single gaming platform available. Strangely enough I was first exposed to Brain Challenge when it appeared as a free game within a 2GB Memory Stick. This led me to investigate further about the game and what I found was plenty. I am impressed how Gameloft have managed to get it on so many platforms! I decided to do a write up once I noticed how the PSN or Playstation Network had updated to allow for the download of Brain Challenge for both the PS3 and PSP for £7.99. You can purchase it as a Blu-Ray for £17.99. PSN WEBSITE

If you have enjoyed the game on one platform then you are famliar with the title and there is no real divergence except for the odd exclusive mini-game. Obviously the iPhone, Touch and DS have a touch interface which allows for a more interactive experience. The mouse interface on the PC gives it an ease of use functionality as well. GAMELOFT’S WEBSITE (iPhone)

This game works with
iPhone™ 3G
iPhone,
iPod® touch
PC
Wii™ Console
Xbox 360
iPod
N-Gage
Nintendo DS™
Mobile (the game has been split into two parts)

clipped from www.gameloft.co.uk Brain Challenge™ Your ideal partner for your personal growth and well-being! Just like your body, your brain needs to exercise to stay in shape. Maintaining it simply involves completing little exercises without pain, stress, or boredom. That’s where Brain Challenge™ comes in! It’s like a real vitamin boost for your brain. More than just a game, Brain Challenge is your personal coach and an entertaining, easy solution for keeping your brain alert. For each question, simply touch or directly draw the correct answer on the screen. Enjoy turning your iPhone to arrange cubes by gravity in an additional, exclusive mini-game. With various fun exercises, train your brain whenever and wherever you want on your iPhone!

Little Big Planet Nostalgia & Physics

Below is a piece of a great blog about the crazines that is Little Big Planet. The nostalgic aspects of the authors youth are mentioned along with the physics based gameplay and creation that is on offer. Yet more evidence of how LBP can be used to promote creation of tools and the testing of both level design and physics itself.

Follow the link below to see more LBP musings. (from the http://threespeech.com/blog/)

clipped from lifeofhealey.wordpress.com The reason I like LittleBIGPlanet (I’m basing that spelling off the official website’s) is because, bizarrely, it reminds me of my childhood. On the outside, LittleBIGPlanet may seen like a simple platformer, child-like and non-threatening in appearance. And in truth: It is. Don’t let it throw you off, though. Basically, the appeal of LBP is in its user-created content. It has a, frankly, INSANE amount of potential, as its creator tools are incredibly versatile and easy to understand.

Brain Training from the DS to the PS3

Brain Training is available in various forms for the PC, Mobile and DS. Gameloft have brought the title to the PS3 and upgraded the graphics to 720p. The game is interesting on the iPhone and DS due to the touch interface. The more traditional interface of the PS3 might solidify thetitle or allow it to be dismissed.

There is plenty of value there. Many of the brain games only have four modes which are broken down to generate 12, 16 or 20 games. Brain Challenge contain 33. The longevity of the title will of course be enhanced if you can get a few friends to join in.

clipped from www.play.com Brain Challenge £17.99 BUY Due for release on 05/12/2008 Special Features Accessible to everyone with a self-adjusting difficulty system, adapting in real-time to your results! Dedicated and supportive personal trainer Personal data to enter for a personalised training Daily and overall charts of your brain activity A total of 33 minigames divided into 7 categories – Logic, Math, Visual, Concentration, Stress Management and Creativity Special modes for Kids and Adults 1-4 multiplayer mode (offline/online)

Will Parents Listen? GAME’s Family Guide

The Game website has a rather in depth guide to gaming for parents. It is somewhat buried though. You can find it through the Help section of the site. It features good information on the BBFC and PEGI rating schemes, although you should visit the sites to learn more. Its main aim is to drive worried parents to relevant games on its site. It has good links to puzzle, family and party games that are available on a variety of platforms including Sony PSP, PS2 and PS3. I have organised my PSP Store and PS3 Store so that you can purchase relevant games, whether you are a parent, teacher or student. I will continue to update the store montly.

Blogged with the Flock Browser

Little Big Planet: Canvas in Art Class

Art SackBoy

Little Big Planet is one of most anticipated games of the year. This PS3 exclusive is the set to be the most creative game ever. There are beta versions of the game out there already and many people have created very interesting levels such as a version of Tetris or the first level of Super Mario Bros. The game gives you the opportunity to create almost anything for your sackboy or sackgirl to explore.
Art, Design and Make, Design and Technology, Textiles and almost any other subject could be explored and explained through the medium of LittleBigPlanet. The environment can be made out of different materials which means the game has a dynamic physics engine.

Computer Games Boost Maths Score

Ok, this news is specific for the DS games, Brain Age but the very model can be replicate on the PSP with Mind Quiz or Hot Brain or on the PS3 with BuzzTV! Using the PSP will definately boost Maths scores and the PS3 with Buzz can assist with History, Citizenship and Geography. (Heck even Art and Fashion)

clipped from news.bbc.co.uk A daily dose of computer games can boost maths attainment, according to a study carried out in Scottish schools. Learning and Teaching Scotland – the main organisation for the development of the curriculum – analysed the effect of a “brain training” game. It also found improvements in pupils’ concentration and behaviour. The study involved more than 600 pupils in 32 schools across Scotland using the Brain Training from Dr Kawashima game on the Nintendo DS every day. A group of pupils played the game, which included reading tests, problem-solving exercises and memory puzzles, for 20 minutes at the start of their class for nine weeks. A control group continued their lessons in a more traditional manner. The pupils were tested at the beginning and then the end of the study. Researchers found that while all groups had improved their scores, the group using the game had improved by a further 50%.

Play a Sample of BuzzTV

My Quiz

Buzz The Game website is great for finding more information about the Buzz series on games on all the Playstation platform. I was successful in getting the PTA, at my previous school, to purchase the PS2 Buzz! The School Quiz game for students at Key Stage 2. This was used to make the Key Stage 2 examinations less frustrating. To find out more about the PS3 game Buzz!TV hit this link. There you can play a sample quiz and find out more. You can play my Events that Shook the 20th Century Quiz here.

Buzz: Educational! Honestly?

buzz tv

I purchased BuzzTV a few months back and I love playing the game. (PSN Name: soulsearcher17) They have issued a update and if you purchase it I heartly urge you to get the update straight away. This will allow you to allow not the one player versus 3 others online but rather 1, 2 or 3 players on one console versus others online. A special edition with the update will be out shortly.

So how can you use it in the classroom?

The game has very different sections and you can select themed areas or you can be even more selective with the new update. There are historical, technical and geographical questions available. These questions can be used in at the end of the lessons as a reward.

The better feature is the ability to go get 8 questions from an online service called MYBUZZ! There are even more catergories available there and you can go to the online portal and set up an account and create your own questions. Back in the classroom you can assure you are always linked to that series of questions. If you friend me at soulsearcher17 on your PS3 or look me up on MyBuzz! online you will find a few History quizzes and a couple of Stargate quizzes (my favourite show).You can of course do these quizzes outside of the PS3 on a normal browser or using the PS3 browser. You can create a playlist of Quizzes which means that you can have several eight question quizzes lined up.

You can also download packs from the online store. There are a few pack avaialable right now but more are on their way. There are National Geographic, UK Culture and Australian Culture Quizzes available for purchase on the Playstation Store.

MYBUZZ!