Ruckus Media Group comes to the children?s app market with a lot of experience behind it. Rick Richter, CEO, is former President and Publisher of the Simon & Schuster Children?s Division (1996 ? 2008) and co-founder Jim Young has a CV that spans NBC, News Corp, WedMD and GE?s entertainment division. They have surrounded themselves with a team of creatives with backgrounds from technology and media that you?d expect.
That counts for something. But, it doesn?t count for everything. And I?m pretty sure Ruckus knows that.
This is a new game. These devices are new. The market is new. Having chatted with Rick Richter a couple of times now, I think that is what excites him. He is part of a new brigade coming out of publishing, media and even children?s toys interested in how you tell stories and support children?s learning in new ways in this new space. Rick talks about the importance of the design process and how the team continues to talk about who their audience is for each title and how the design and interactive elements will meet the needs of that particular age group.
It is these discussions that have excited me about the apps and eBooks Ruckus is producing, despite their slow start.
I don?t understand the full story, but obviously they had some content: stories, music, illustrations from some high profile Hollywood names. The stories show a commitment to quality and strong content, but ultimately the first batch of apps that Ruckus produced were more like narrated cartoons than apps. That said, I?d still recommend their version of The Velveteen Rabbit and Tom Thumb. The quality of the work is great, with narration by the likes of Meryl Streep and John Cleese and music from B.B. King and Elvis Costello, but it makes for rather large file downloads and wasn?t what I was initially expecting. But, if you know what you are getting they are well priced tales that children will enjoy ? though I have seen some children I?ve shown these apps to trying to tap the screen and wondering why nothing is happening.
Ruckus was obviously testing the water, and has since gone on to produce some original content interactive eBooks for the iPad. This is what I think is most important. Rather than reproduce, they have now turned their attention on developing completely new content for the iPad and this is where real innovation can happen. What will interactivity and the possibilities of the device offer storytellers who begin to think outside of the confines of a book and begin imagining stories for the touch screen? Ruckus has produced A Present for Milo, which while still ?book-like,? is a very playful story without excessive interactivity, but rather well-designed engagement around the story. Children can allow a toy rocket to take off, or make a tune by playing some notes after Milo (a cat) scampers across a piano. The playfulness of the story, combined with the playful interactivity, demonstrates an understanding of the value of play-based learning and how the iPad is a device for playing with in children?s eyes.
Another original eBook release, Andrew Answers, does a similar thing, but for slightly older children. It is written by Alan Katz and the quality of the work suggests that soon we might be talking about our favorite digital book storytellers, rather than the app developers we like.
The focus of Ruckus on children?s learning and doing that in an authentic and meaningful way, rather than just a traditional market-driven approach, is obvious through their most recent release Rainforest Survival Challenge. The app was developed in partnership with the Rainforest Alliance, an international nonprofit conservation organization dedicated to advancing sustainable livelihoods, and Stepping Stones Museum for Children, an award winning museum committed to broadening and enriching the lives of children. It? aims to educate children about the interconnection between plants and animals in the Amazonian Rainforest. It is for children aged between 8 and 12, though I think younger children would still find it interesting and engaging.
Ruckus sounds like it has a lot in the pipeline that is worth keeping an eye out for. Including their next ebook written specifically for the iPad titled Spot the Dot which you should keep an eye out for. We hope that they continue to deliver playful apps and eBooks that challenge and explore the space and are well targeted to children?s age and development.
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Source: http://www.wired.com/geekdad/2011/05/causing-a-ruckus-with-childrens-ebooks/
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