Ideas for Kids Games/Apps etc

[wraggster]

To those of us who are non coders lets chuck some ideas or even ports of freely available games etc that would be good for this contest.

Heres my idea for one childs app

An interactive Book telling the history with pictures of the Dreamcast Scene.

another idea

A two player or more game of press the colored button to say for example make your runner run faster in a race.

come on lets have some ideas :)

[DCDayDreamer]

Nice ideas there, but an interactive book about the DC? - boring!, I think the kids would want a subject a little more entertaining than that, being a big kid myself, I can guarantee it ;D.

DCDayDreamer looks to quazar and 'DreamBook' ;).

Remember 'Simon' the homebrew game? - maybe something along the same lines, a simple puzzle game with bright colours.

One other thought I had was: if this lot is compiled into a CD, how about some freeware MP3 stories on there, maybe even short cartoons via one of the media players we have?

One last suggestion - what about those kiddie card games that were out all those years ago, maybe an onscreen representation of that?

[quzar]

Nice ideas there, but an interactive book about the DC? - boring!, I think the kids would want a subject a little more entertaining than that, being a big kid myself, I can guarantee it ;D.

DCDayDreamer looks to quazar and 'DreamBook' ;).

well, i didnt really explain my full idea for DreamBook on DCemulation. In the end i want it to not just be text on the screen, but also have an audio narration mode, a typing exericse function (type along with the story), the ability to put music playing in the background to your text and of course a visual background, and possibly a few other things. It aint gonna be like the alice in wonderland thing.

[DCDayDreamer]

It aint gonna be like the alice in wonderland thing.

I should think not too, how dare you compete with a classic! ;D.

Seriously though, the DreamBook idea sounds more interesting than I first thought, would it be themable - in the context that someone could adapt it easily for other conntent - let's just say 'an interactive Alice in Wonderlad DreamBook' (not that I want to exploit your efforts of course ;)).

[quzar]

basically my final idea would be that you could like... give it any text file and have it do a great number of things with it.

[Saoshyant]

Not bad idea, no, though understand that mp3 would be the worst choice for audio and speech codecs. Consider Ogg Vorbis for music and Speex for speech audio as both are freeware and open-source formats.

By the way, do consider the children's hands while setting keys for Kids Games/Apps. Moreover, consider also the youngest ones' lack to understand letters. Remeber the standard DC controller has different colors in the action buttons.

[MetaFox]

I think it would be fun to make a giant color controller with clicky keys for little kids.

So, we could have a game with a color on the screen, and the kids would punch the matching colors on the giant controller.

Alot of neat learning games could be made out of that - and even some rhythm or the like type of games for the adults. ;)

[Ian_micheal]

Do any kids own a dreamcast ? of that age I say most kids would have Vitec new console or a game Cube.

[MetaFox]

Well, I know that there are some kids who use the Dreamcast. Wraggster's kids have a Dreamcast at least. :P

[WHurricane16]

Do any kids own a dreamcast ? of that age I say most kids would have Vitec new console or a game Cube.

That's a very damning statement. Too many adults play video games more than kids now.

To get on the Vtec console, there was a study done recently by an education toy marketer that basically shot down the notion that kids actually learn more from education games. They learn just at the same levels as non-educational games.

[wraggster]

Ian i know plenty of friends who have kids who use the Dreamcast but this comp is aimed at more than children its aimed at those with learning difulculties (check the spelling :P) also.

Its time for coders to do something a little different :)

let those creative juices flow.

[Ian_micheal]

I have an idea for a maths times time quiz that sings it out to the child as they get the anwsers right. Be math based Get a maths problem right move on sort of like the kids version of whisper secrets but much better.

Dont know if it's wanted or not but it's some thing i could do. Bright colours little jingles and stuff.

[wraggster]

a kids version of whisper secrets would be very cool.

remember that simple is probably theway to win this comp.

[curt_grymala]

Do any kids own a dreamcast ? of that age I say most kids would have Vitec new console or a game Cube.

My kids don't own a Dreamcast, but they both certainly play it. ;D

I like the idea of some of the card games. It would be cool to see an UNO type game, or something like that. Maybe even a "Classic card game collection" or something, that could include Crazy Eights, Go Fish, etc. (of course, it would be difficult to hide your cards from your opponent, unless the VMU was used somehow).

Typing tutors are always fun. Maybe kamjin could make a typing tutor version of his bugs game (I think he might have mentioned he was already thinking of it) :D

And - there are always classic board games and stuff, too.
Chess, checkers, Yahtzee, etc.

[JMD]

A bit off topic :
I began a Theme-able Yahtzee game for DC....
Hope finish it one day ;)

[Eric]

JMD thats pretty sweet i used to play that on PC alot and hope to and cant wait to see this on dreamcast

[warsong]

Some ideas do not seem that educational but they do deal with common things.

Mayeb have a physics game that uses
gravity and math,
a color mixing game,
a memory game, or
a game that encurages moral actions than immoral actions.

[Kamjin]

Typing tutors are always fun. *Maybe kamjin could make a typing tutor version of his bugs game (I think he might have mentioned he was already thinking of it) *:D


It was originally Math Invaders.. just the playabilty part was proving tough.. I think I'm going to have to play with some toys, and come up with a better idea!!

[curt_grymala]

It was originally Math Invaders..

That's awesome. I didn't realize that. That would be really, really cool. It could have four different difficulty levels (addition, subtraction, multiplication and division). It might not prove quite as fun for a lot of adults, but it would be a blast for kids, and they'd have a great time.
Of course, it would become a keyboard-only game, most likely, if it became Math Invaders again.

[Kamjin]

That's awesome. *I didn't realize that. *That would be really, really cool. *It could have four different difficulty levels (addition, subtraction, multiplication and division). *It might not prove quite as fun for a lot of adults, but it would be a blast for kids, and they'd have a great time.
Of course, it would become a keyboard-only game, most likely, if it became Math Invaders again.

I haven't written it off yet the ideas are for it.. just back to the drawing board to see how it can be re-written to get it more kiddy friendly..


Yeah, the addition/mult/subtraction is in the gameplan.. division.. well.. Gotta figure how to work w/o fractions/remainders, and maintain some sort of randomness to it.

[WHurricane16]

Something of note: visually impaired children play games via sound ;)

There are so many different sounds in today's games, games such as Mortal Kombat: Deception can just be played via sound. I didn't know this until a co-worker was explaining her son to me.

If anyone wants to do a game for the blind, there goes your answer to the how. I was thinking of this while playing DC Squares. It could be the perfect game for this contest in many respects.

[DCDayDreamer]

That is a great idea Will!, not just for the originality of it, some coder out there would actually be bringing some fun into the lives of the children less fortunate than others - and for free.

Someone please do something like this, what a nice gesture from the community that would be!, and hopefully others might follow suit.

A little off topic - shouldn't those giants of the commercial gaming world be doing something like this via X-Box PS2 etc., instead of exploiting people with so many re-hashed games.

[WHurricane16]

A little off topic - shouldn't those giants of the commercial gaming world be doing something like this via X-Box PS2 etc., instead of exploiting people with so many re-hashed games.

Yes, that goes back to my point. I know a blind kid who plays Mortal Kombat : Deception ;) He plays the fighting part, but his mom has to play that ridiculous story mode (which is now ridiculous entwined with the fighting mode). Basically, video game companies' strive for realism also made them realize sound has helped the visually impaired play more video games compared to the previous generation.

Also, the 19-year old kid I speak of also test games intended for the blind for Duke University. Very interesting stuff I've learned the past few weeks.

[Kamjin]

Yes, that goes back to my point. *I know a blind kid who plays Mortal Kombat : Deception ;) *He plays the fighting part, but his mom has to play that ridiculous story mode (which is now ridiculous entwined with the fighting mode). *Basically, video game companies' strive for realism also made them realize sound has helped the visually impaired play more video games compared to the previous generation. *

Also, the 19-year old kid I speak of also test games intended for the blind for Duke University. * Very interesting stuff I've learned the past few weeks.

After reading the first post on this.. I had starting thinking that this is such a neglected thing. It almost
seems that a gendre of "audio games" should be created