Software:Reader Rabbit's Ready for Letters

From HandWiki
Short description: 1992 educational video game
Reader Rabbit's Ready for Letters
DOS cover art
Developer(s)The Learning Company
Publisher(s)The Learning Company
Designer(s)Lauren Elliott
SeriesReader Rabbit
Platform(s)DOS, Macintosh
Release
  • August 1992 (DOS)[1]
  • 1993 (Macintosh)
  • 1994 (Windows 3.x)
Genre(s)Edutainment
Mode(s)Single-player

Reader Rabbit's Ready for Letters is a 1992 video game and the fifth game of the Reader Rabbit franchise. Although a spin-off title, it is designed for ages 3 to 6 to teach prereaders about becoming literate and phonics.

Educational goals

The game was designed with a re-usability value, which help children develop new language skills and sharpen old ones.[2] The game allows for free exploration and offers activities that enable children to begin learning to read.[3] The modules included teach shape recognition, matching and basic word skills.[1] The digitized voices encourage direction, exercises listening comprehension and helps tie language to words. The concept of cause-and-effect is implemented.[2] The activities expose prereaders to letters, simple words, word relationships, creativity, colors, shapes and matching.[4] Music and animations add to retain interest.[5]

Gameplay

The game takes place in the house and garden of Grandma and Grandpa Rabbit. There are two modes during gameplay; the free-form mode, which allows players to do the activities are in their own way and the goal-based mode, which instructs the player what to do. The game consists of six activities:[6]

  • The Music Pond
  • Grandma's Kitchen
  • The Mix-and-Match Bedroom
  • The ABC Bathroom
  • The Picture Parlor
  • Grandpa's Workshop

Reception

Reception
Review score
PublicationScore
MacUserStarStarHalf star[7]
Award
PublicationAward
High Scope AwardBest Childhood Software[3]

The Managing Editor of PCM Magazine Sue Fomby highlighted the game for its gameplay that helped children to start reading.[3] MacUser gave the game 2 and a half stars, being suited for the youngest and lesser experienced prereaders.[7] The game was reviewed in the Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Guide Book where it was praised for its "snappy and colorful" graphics.[8]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Industry News". Computer Gaming World (Ziff Davis) (79): 94. August 1992. https://archive.org/details/Computer_Gaming_World_Issue_97/page/n93. 
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Aycock, Heidi E. H. (November 1992). "Listen to your Elders". PC Games (IDG): 34, 36. https://archive.org/details/PCGamesNov1992/page/n37. 
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 The Learning Company Product Catalog 1994
  4. ↑ Toroussian, Jasmin (December 1993). "Help Kids Key into Computers". Computer Gaming World (Ziff Davis) (113): 178. https://archive.org/details/Computer_Gaming_World_Issue_113/page/n177. 
  5. ↑ "Educational Games move Forward". Electronic Games (Decker Publications) 1 (1): 65. October 1992. https://archive.org/stream/Electronic-Games-1992-10/Electronic%20Games%201992-10#page/n63. 
  6. ↑ Eiser, Leslie (November 1992). "Reader for Letters - Gamebytes". Game Players PC Entertainment (GP Publications) 5 (6): 6. https://archive.org/details/GPPCEVol5No6/page/n7. 
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 Myslewski, Rik; Shatz-Akin, Jim (December 1994). "The Ultimate Guide to Children's Software". MacUser (Ziff Davis) 12 (9): 98. http://vintageapple.org/macuser/pdf/MacUser_9412_December_1994.pdf. 
  8. ↑ Oppenheim, Joanne and Stephanie (1993). The Best Toys, Books & Videos for Kids. Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Guide Book. 1 (1st ed.). New York: Harper Perennial. pp. 274–275. ISBN 0-06-273196-3. 
  • MobyGames is a commercial database website that catalogs information on video games and the people and companies behind them via crowdsourcing. This includes over 300,000 games for hundreds of platforms.[1] Founded in 1999, ownership of the site has changed hands several times. It has been owned by Atari SA since 2022.

Features

Edits and submissions to the site (including screenshots, box art, developer information, game summaries, and more) go through a verification process of fact-checking by volunteer "approvers".[2] This lengthy approval process after submission can range from minutes to days or months.[3] The most commonly used sources are the video game's website, packaging, and credit screens. There is a published standard for game information and copy-editing.[4] A ranking system allows users to earn points for contributing accurate information.[5]

Registered users can rate and review games. Users can create private or public "have" and "want" lists, which can generate a list of games available for trade with other registered users. The site contains an integrated forum. Each listed game can have its own sub-forum.

History

Logo used until March 2014

MobyGames was founded on March 1, 1999, by Jim Leonard and Brian Hirt, and joined by David Berk 18 months later, the three of which had been friends since high school.[6][7] Leonard had the idea of sharing information about computer games with a larger audience. The database began with information about games for IBM PC compatibles, relying on the founders' personal collections. Eventually, the site was opened up to allow general users to contribute information.[5] In a 2003 interview, Berk emphasized MobyGames' dedication to taking video games more seriously than broader society and to preserving games for their important cultural influence.[5]

In mid-2010, MobyGames was purchased by GameFly for an undisclosed amount.[8] This was announced to the community post factum , and the site's interface was given an unpopular redesign.[7] A few major contributors left, refusing to do volunteer work for a commercial website.{{Citation needed|date=June 2025} On December 18, 2013, MobyGames was acquired by Jeremiah Freyholtz, owner of Blue Flame Labs (a San Francisco-based game and web development company) and VGBoxArt (a site for fan-made video game box art).[9] Blue Flame Labs reverted MobyGames' interface to its pre-overhaul look and feel,[10] and for the next eight years, the site was run by Freyholtz and Independent Games Festival organizer Simon Carless.[7]

On November 24, 2021, Atari SA announced a potential deal with Blue Flame Labs to purchase MobyGames for $1.5 million.[11] The purchase was completed on 8 March 2022, with Freyholtz remaining as general manager.[12][13][14] Over the next year, the financial boost given by Atari led to a rework of the site being built from scratch with a new backend codebase, as well as updates improving the mobile and desktop user interface.[1] This was accomplished by investing in full-time development of the site instead of its previously part-time development.[15]

In 2024, MobyGames began offering a paid "Pro" membership option for the site to generate additional revenue.[16] Previously, the site had generated income exclusively through banner ads and (from March 2014 onward) a small number of patrons via the Patreon website.[17]

See also

  • IGDB – game database used by Twitch for its search and discovery functions

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Sheehan, Gavin (2023-02-22). "Atari Relaunches The Fully Rebuilt & Optimized MobyGames Website". https://bleedingcool.com/games/atari-relaunches-the-fully-rebuilt-optimized-mobygames-website/. 
  2. ↑ Litchfield, Ted (2021-11-26). "Zombie company Atari to devour MobyGames". https://www.pcgamer.com/zombie-company-atari-to-devour-mobygames/. 
  3. ↑ "MobyGames FAQ: Emails Answered § When will my submission be approved?". Blue Flame Labs. 30 March 2014. http://www.mobygames.com/info/faq7#g1. 
  4. ↑ "The MobyGames Standards and Practices". Blue Flame Labs. 6 January 2016. http://www.mobygames.com/info/standards. 
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Miller, Stanley A. (2003-04-22). "People's choice awards honor favorite Web sites". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. 
  6. ↑ "20 Years of MobyGames" (in en). 2019-02-28. https://trixter.oldskool.org/2019/02/28/20-years-of-mobygames/. 
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 Plunkett, Luke (2022-03-10). "Atari Buys MobyGames For $1.5 Million". https://kotaku.com/mobygames-retro-credits-database-imdb-atari-freyholtz-b-1848638521. 
  8. ↑ "Report: MobyGames Acquired By GameFly Media". Gamasutra. 2011-02-07. https://www.gamedeveloper.com/game-platforms/report-mobygames-acquired-by-gamefly-media. 
  9. ↑ Corriea, Alexa Ray (December 31, 2013). "MobyGames purchased from GameFly, improvements planned". http://www.polygon.com/2013/12/31/5261414/mobygames-purchased-from-gamefly-improvements-planned. 
  10. ↑ Wawro, Alex (31 December 2013). "Game dev database MobyGames getting some TLC under new owner". Gamasutra. https://www.gamedeveloper.com/business/game-dev-database-mobygames-getting-some-tlc-under-new-owner. 
  11. ↑ "Atari invests in Anstream, may buy MobyGames". November 24, 2021. https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2021-11-24-atari-invests-in-anstream-may-buy-mobygames. 
  12. ↑ Rousseau, Jeffrey (2022-03-09). "Atari purchases Moby Games". https://www.gamesindustry.biz/atari-purchases-moby-games. 
  13. ↑ "Atari Completes MobyGames Acquisition, Details Plans for the Site's Continued Support". March 8, 2022. https://www.atari.com/atari-completes-mobygames-acquisition-details-plans-for-the-sites-continued-support/. 
  14. ↑ "Atari has acquired game database MobyGames for $1.5 million" (in en-GB). 2022-03-09. https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/atari-has-acquired-game-database-mobygames-for-1-5-million/. 
  15. ↑ Stanton, Rich (2022-03-10). "Atari buys videogame database MobyGames for $1.5 million". https://www.pcgamer.com/atari-buys-videogame-database-mobygames-for-dollar15-million/. 
  16. ↑ Harris, John (2024-03-09). "MobyGames Offering “Pro” Membership". https://setsideb.com/mobygames-offering-pro-membership/. 
  17. ↑ "MobyGames on Patreon". http://www.patreon.com/mobygames. 
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