Well, my brother mentioned it, and I thought it sounded fairly plausible. Why not try and make children''s games? I went ahead and looked at some at Best Buy, and they really didn''t seem all that advanced. They were all basically 2d games that taught educational things, how to type, or how to read. I would figure that alot of independent game creators could do something comparable. The only problem that I saw was that about half of them were based off of Arthur, Sesame Street, and other kid shows like that. There were still quite a few original titles though, and pretty basic at that. It really seems like you see more and more computers in children''s classrooms, and alot of them also have children''s games on them. So what do you all think? Is children''s software a viable market for independent developers?

Hi!

I am writing a game for children! I have a daughter (4 1/2) and a son (3), i hope they will enjoy my game.
I want to sell some copies as shareware, but i am sure i will not get rich (look at the download rates of games for kids). I hope i will make as much money i have spent for game development books.
Perhaps i will find a publisher.
But the game will be the entry to the shareware industry, and i think i will make some experiences for my next games (after the kids game i want learn to make 3D games).

Greetings
McMc

The market for children''s games is much smaller than that for teens/adults. That means smaller budgets which is why the technology/quality isn''t on a par with multi-million dollar console games.

Most children''s games are educational or edutainment products simply because adults wont buy the same thing for their children that they will buy for themselves. They are happy to have games software for themselves but expect computers and computer software to educate their children, rather than just entertain. A large percentage probably buy a computer because "it will help with their education".

Dan Marchant
Obscure Productions

I agree that there isn''t very big market for children games.
But think about this!
If we create educational games for children should we then have a big market for them? Other option would be that educational children games could be freeware with maybe some very little licence fee for school and such. I don''t think that in general children games are not so hard to do and big game companys could do guality freeware children games to help the children to learn.
I have considered about making a educational game or software for handicapped children and I have tought about making it freeware.
Taking little of your own time to make a game can make a lot of children very happy. Think about that!

The market for edutainment is bad.

I think there''s a market out there for kid''s games that is not being met by most of the existing software. I''ve noticed in the last few top-20 seller lists for PC games those Backyard Baseball/Football/etc. games are doing extremely well. Why? My guesses are that 1) although graphically simplistic they look like they might be quality titles (though I haven''t played them) and many children''s games seem slapped-together, 2) there don''t seem to be a lot of action/sports games for kids so these look a little more exciting than most kid titles, and 3) it looks like something that would actually be fun for a parent to play with the kids (I''m assuming at least same-screen two-player is an option).

I have a two-PC LAN at home and my 10-year-old daughter is visiting now from out of state. She''s not what I''d call a hardcore gamer (yet, anyway) and I''m scraping for fun games we can play together. I''d be happy with even same-screen multiplayer games that would be fun for both of us and appropriate for a kid. I won''t get into details but it''s inspired to me to consider developing something along those lines - a multiplayer game that''s fun for kids and adults that isn''t too difficult for the kid or too easy for the adult.

>think there''s a market out there

You think , but what I said is a fact. The market for edutainment is bad. Ask Infogrames PR Officer of the edutainment division what happened.

At the end of the day parents may buy one or two educational programs cos they think that is what the computer should be used for. But, at the end of the day parents buy what their kids nag them for and they nag for Barbie, Pokemon and all the other licensed toys/computer games. As for schools they are the worst dens of piracy out there so you wont get any sales there either. Face it it is a tiny market so the products have tiny budgets.

Dan Marchant
Obscure Productions

Anon, when did I say anything about edutainment? I''m talking pure entertainment gaming here, and those Backyard sports titles are obviously hitting some kind of viable market out there because they''re doing quite well.

>I think there''s a market out there for kid''s games that is not >being met by most of the existing software
Kid games = edutainment

>Backyard sports titles
That''s an exception!

The news: (http://www.netfamilynews.org/nl010615.html)
More lay-offs in children''s digital entertainment this week: Games starring Freddi Fish, Blue of "Blue''s Clues," and Putt-Putt the well-mannered car will no longer be created by Humongous Entertainment, according to NandoTimes.com. Only if the market "really demands them" will Humongous develop new Freddi Fish or Blue''s Clues titles, the company said. It laid off 82 people this week, Nando reports, and the remaining 117 staffers will focus on the "Backyard" series of children''s sports games.

It isn''t an easy market. It''s just as difficult like the games market.