Splash Kids online magazine launches on the World Wide Web

Business Wire, Dec 4, 1995

REDMOND, Wash.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec. 4, 1995--Splash Studios announced today that Splash Kids(TM), an interactive online magazine for children, has launched on the World Wide Web.

Splash Kids provides a funny, fast-paced environment where new things happen every day. It is a place where kids can come to play games, expand their minds, and make new friends. Splash Kids is fulfilling a commitment to provide the best entertainment and educational value available for kids using online services.

Splash Kids debuted on The Microsoft Network, MSN, on Aug. 24, 1995. Shortly after the launch, Splash Kids received impressive critical praise from industry luminaries and users alike. Jupiter Communication's Digital Kids Report plainly stated, "Without a doubt, Splash Kids is the best of MSN's children's areas."

As a magazine that is advertiser supported, Splash Kids is free to the end user. This month's sponsors include MCA/Universal Home Video, Broderbund Software, Kodalux and HomePC Magazine. These advertisers not only help Splash to produce high-quality content, but they provide recognizable characters, branded content and cool prizes.

With this release, Splash Studios is proud to be offering exciting, dynamic content to any child in the world that has access to a modem and a Web browser. In fact, a major portion of the content within Splash Kids has been designed with a global focus in mind.

Splash Kids presents a global perspective of a kid's world. In the words of Robin Worley, editor-in-chief for the magazine, "Splash Kids provides a graphically rich and exciting Internet destination for kids around the world. The look and feel of Splash Kids appeal to kids in a way that informs and entertains like no other children's media."

Splash Kids covers over 60 pages of dynamic material that changes monthly, weekly, and even daily. Original, licensed and kid-created content is featured throughout. Splash Kids' magazine-style format categorizes the vast amount of content into six sections:

What in the World

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Showcase: highlights a story and contest every month. The featured article for December contains detailed information about the movie and the story of Apollo 13, compliments of MCA/Universal Home Video.

Virtual School: provides hot links to a number of great, informative sites for kids on the Web. Find information you didn't know existed on math, science or P.E.

Kid Connection: features letters from kids around the world. This month contains letters from Israeli students who have written about the death of Yitzhak Rabin.

Festivals of Light: contains interviews with children around the world. This month, children describe their feelings about Christmas, Santa Lucia, Kwanzaa, Diwali, and other winter holidays that they celebrate.

What's Hot & What's Not: surveys from classrooms around the world delineating what is "in" and what is "out" in their part of the world. December's survey results feature opinions from students in South Africa, Israel, Florida, and Puerto Rico.

Art Alley

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Splat Gallery: showcase for paintings, drawings and other art from children

Picture This: challenges kids to submit an entry for the photo contest theme of the month

Rhymin' Rodney: happenin' Rodney shares his poetry and provides a forum for kids to create their own

Chat and Messages

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Features message boards on a variety of topics and will soon allow real-time chatting with kids around the world

Tech Talk

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Techno Toys: futuristic products you may find under your Christmas tree this year

Ask Dr. Beta: encourages questions and provides answers about technology issues

Kid Raves: section for software reviews from HomePC Magazine's renowned children's lab

Grab Bag

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Jokes, riddles, sound effects and a directory of links to interactive games on the Web

Planet Holiday

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Each day highlights a holiday or event taking place somewhere in the world. This month also features links to Norway's Santa website, The Grinch site, and many others.

Splash Kids plans to include real-time audio, broadcast events, 3D roaming games, and, as bandwidth increases, much, much more.

Jack Turk, vice president and creative director for Splash Studios, had this to say about the new website, "Kids deserve to have quality, cutting-edge technology at their fingertips. This fact will continue to drive us to create the most compelling children's content available for the exciting world of online services. Splash Kids provides children with a place online that they can call their own."

Premium play gaming will also be featured, based upon Splash Studios' upcoming CD-ROM, Piper. Splash's upcoming CD-ROM, Piper, features the completely 3D, computer-rendered town of Midas Valley. The online game that will feature this technology has been dubbed Midas Valley Gold Rush and, for $7.95, kids can have unlimited play, touring the virtual world of Midas Valley to find clues and solve challenges.

Patrick Ford, president and CEO for Splash Studios, sees Splash Kids as a strategic element in the company's growth, stating, "This is an exciting and important step for Splash. Through Splash Kids, we have the opportunity to develop a world-wide virtual community for kids. We have surveyed the material available for kids on the Web and feel confident that this magazine represents the best to date. As the modem bandwidth increases, Splash Kids will become an increasingly vital part of our business model."