PlayStation to trial educational version of popular PS2 quiz game at BETT
Government-backed, innovative new learning game to debut at Education Trade Show.
London, 10th January 2006 - Sony Computer Entertainment Europe (SCEE) and Relentless Software today unveiled a new addition to the popular Buzz! PlayStation®2 series designed specifically for the schools market.
Buzz!: The Schools Quiz combines the BAFTA award-winning quiz format and playability of previous Buzz! titles with bespoke Key Stage 2 National Curriculum content to create a game specifically tailored for educational use in Primary Schools.
Developed by Relentless Software in partnership with the Department for Education and Skills (DfES), Buzz!: The Schools Quiz will feature over 5,000 unique questions based directly on all areas of the Key Stage 2 Curriculum, covering subjects from 'Ancient Egypt' to 'Weather'.
David Amor, Creative Director and co-founder of Relentless said, "We're incredibly excited about this project. Using the buzzers and the quiz format means the game is instantly accessible - and works on the basis that kids learn more when they're having fun. Learning games like this will, we hope, give teachers an extra tool in the classroom."
Buzz!: The Schools Quiz also introduces 'Teacher Features' - designed in response to teacher feedback and evaluation to give control and flexibility when using the game as a teaching tool:
*Create a Quiz based on any one subject area - ideal for revision or refreshing information already learnt
Pause, Skip or End any quiz as it is happening - giving the teacher full control of how the game progresses. A variety of game modes allow different classroom events to be catered for - Team Play encourages cooperation, while Fastest Finger provides a quick quiz.A preliminary version of Buzz!: The Schools Quiz will be shown on the ConnectED stand, no S84 at the BETT Show, London Olympia from the 10th - 13th January 2007, before being extensively trialed in Primary Schools before release.
"Buzz has proven itself a hugely successful family home entertainment franchise for over 750,000 UK PlayStation owners, said Ray Maguire, managing director for Sony Computer Entertainment UK. "Taking this proven format into the educational sector with brand new curriculum-relevant content created by teachers seems a potent new addition to the teacher's portfolio"
Should this trial prove successful then Buzz!: The Schools Quiz will be made available to purchase by schools in Summer 2007 through ConnectED or Boomerang IRM Ltd.
About Relentless Software
Relentless Software is a BAFTA award winning company founded in 2003 by Andrew Eades and David Amor. Each with a long track record in the industry they set out to develop new and exciting games for the mass market; games that anyone can enjoy, without a steep learning curve.
Relentless released their first title, DJ: Decks & FX (SCEE), in late 2004, which was subsequently nominated for a BAFTA. They followed up with Buzz!: The Music Quiz and Buzz!: The BIG Quiz; games which featured innovative buzzers and demonstrated Relentless' commitment to making world class videogames that appeal to everyone and are simple to play. In 2006, the studio collected three prestigious awards, jointly with SCEE, two Develop Industry Excellence Awards and a BAFTA for the creation of Buzz!.
For further information please visit the company website: www.relentless.co.uk
For further information on Relentless Software please contact:
Alison Beasley, Lincoln Beasley PR. T: +44 (0) 1608 645756
E: Alison@lincolnbeasley.co.uk M: +44 (0) 7966 449130
About Sony Computer Entertainment
Sony Computer Entertainment Europe (SCEE), based in London, is responsible for the distribution, marketing and sales of PlayStation®2 and PSP® (PlayStation®Portable) software and hardware in 102 territories across Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Oceania. SCEE also develops, publishes, markets and distributes entertainment software for these formats, and manages the third party licensing programs for the formats in these territories. Between its European debut on 24th November 2000 and the end of September 2006, over 42 million PlayStation 2 consoles have been shipped across the SCEE territories, over 111 million worldwide, making it one of the most successful consumer electronic products in history. Between its European debut on 1st September 2005 and the end of September 2006, over 8 million PSP systems have been shipped across the SCEE territories, with over 22.9 million shipped worldwide since its Japanese launch in December 2004.
For further information on PlayStation please contact:
David Wilson, Sony Computer Entertainment.
Telephone: (0207) 911 3128
E-mail: david_wilson@scee.net
Or
Jonathan Fargher, , Sony Computer Entertainment.
Telephone: (0207) 911 8195
E-mail: Jonathan_fargher@scee.net
Notes to Editors
Buzz is a trademark of Sony Computer Entertainment Europe, and PlayStation, PSP and the PlayStation logo are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc.All other trademarks are property of their respective owners.
More information about PlayStation products can be found at
www.playstation.com and www.yourpsp.com or visit the Virtual Press Office at www.sceuk-press.net.