NZ techno-toy aims to educate

PETER GRIFFIN talks to a company developing its own spin on electronic gaming for children.

A Lower Hutt software company is planning to use the internet, interactive television and Wap phones to combine its own brand of "Pokemania" with educational themes for techno-savvy children.

No1team.com's core business is providing software to overseas clients such as IBM, Coca-Cola and Time Warner Cable, but the company believes it is on to a winner with its latest concept, an interactive cartoon series called Gametoyz in which storylines unfold across the full range of print, broadcast and online media.

William Kircher, business and communications manager, said Gametoyz hoped to emulate the success of Pokemon, the Japanese cartoon TV series that spawned movies, action figures, Nintendo games and generated millions of dollars in merchandising revenue.

But Mr Kircher said Gametoyz would be better suited to a new media environment and would carry educational messages allowing children to learn as they played.

The concept has attracted the attention of United States media group Colombia Tri-Star, and No1team.com's management will travel to the US next month to discuss partnership plans.

Meanwhile, the company, which had revenue of $3.6 million last year and is forecasting $8 million for 2001, is seeking private equity to develop its concepts further. A listing on the main board of the New Zealand Stock Exchange is planned for mid-year.

Gametoyz has been designed mainly as a television cartoon series, but no1team.com creative director Rob Pacholek said the TV cartoons would link thematically to several websites expanding on storylines and introducing new characters.

"The Gametoyz websites and cartoon programmes will totally complement each other visually and educationally.

"If you're watching show number 25 on TV in New Zealand, you go online and there's a corresponding game show online," he said.

Although adapting Gametoyz to the Wap platform is in its early stages, Mr Pacholek said the cartoon could become the "first interactive TV show," as it was also being designed for markets such as Japan and North America where interactive TV services were already available.

More traditional media would also be used to deliver the games to a young audience.

No1team.com has developed CD-Roms, action figures, merchandise and comics.

Mr Pacholek said a template for Gametoyz had already been created on the Sony PlayStation console.

Local games developer Sidhe Interactive was working on a series of Gametoyz computer games.

The cartoon characters will be associated with different areas of learning.

A female character called Kung Fu Millionaire teaches kids simple maths online and a group of space-based characters pose questions about the planets and solar system.

The educational aspect of Gametoyz will be put to the test in the coming months at a few Auckland and Wellington schools.

"There's not just a teacher up there bleating at them. The kids really have to use their minds," said Mr Pacholek.

Research with 5 to 11-year-olds had shown that children were well able to get to grips with the technology used to deliver Gametoyz and that cellphone devices were unlikely to be a barrier either.

Links

Pokemon

Children's Partnership