Letting children play games on phones has been the source of some controversy, as parents have been faced with monumental IAP fuelled phone bills via titles such as Capcom's Smurfs' Village.
London and San-Francisco-based developer Mindshapes harbors a more noble aim, however - producing mobile games with the potential to help educate kids.
To that end, it has received $5 million in a series A round of investment, although the companies who invested weren't disclosed.
Virtual worlds, real education
This investment will be used to push two of Mindshapes' upcoming titles, interactive story world Magic Town and "task based, language learning virtual world" Language City.
"We are passionate about using the latest technology and contemporary educational thinking to change the way that children learn around the world," said CEO David Begg.
"This investment will accelerate our plans to become the world's most trusted digital publisher of high quality educational games, books and learning worlds as we continue to expand."
The team at Mindshapes is made up of former members of some of the most influential children's entertainment companies out there, including Playfish, Sesame Workshop, Scholastic, HarperCollins, CBeebies, Sega, and Sony.
Earlier in 2011, director of product development for mobile at Mindshapes, Jinhee Ahn Kim spoke to us about how a mix a fun and education is possible over smartphone and tablet-based platforms.
"We're trying to establish a brand that parents can trust, where they can be reassured that their kids will learn something as well as be thoroughly entertained," she said.
[source: Mindshapes]
News
When Matt was 7 years old he didn't write to Santa like the other little boys and girls. He wrote to Mario. When the rotund plumber replied, Matt's dedication to a life of gaming was established. Like an otaku David Carradine, he wandered the planet until becoming a writer at Pocket Gamer.
Related Articles
Top Stories
Feature
12 hours, 25 minutes ago
Hot Five: AppLovin revenue surges 48% Y/Y, Plarium and Big Fish up for sale, and a look inside Merge Mansion's growth
Feature
May 20th, 2024
55 top mobile games in soft launch: Squad Busters, Battle Guys: Royale, Plants vs. Zombies 3, LEGO Hill Climb Adventures, and more
Events
Digital Dragons | Europe | May 19th |
GamesBeat Summit 2024 | North America | May 20th |
Mobidictum Meetup Tallinn May 2024 | Europe | May 21st |
Nordic Game Spring 2024 | Nordic | May 21st |
Impact 2024 - Indie Games | May 23rd | |
MomoCon 2024 | North America | May 24th |
Morocco Gaming Expo | Africa | May 24th |
For The Win 2024 | Europe | May 29th |
Popular Stories
Feature
May 20th, 2024
55 top mobile games in soft launch: Squad Busters, Battle Guys: Royale, Plants vs. Zombies 3, LEGO Hill Climb Adventures, and more
Feature
May 14th, 2024