Edmark introduces Strategy Games of the World; Innovative new educational software that helps 8 to 14 year olds develop problem-solving strategies for everyday life

Business Wire, Nov 27, 1995

REDMOND, Wash.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov. 27, 1995--Edmark Corp., a leading developer of educational software for children, today announced the shipment of Strategy Games of the World, innovative new educational software designed to help 8 to 14 year olds develop a variety of problem-solving strategies they can use everyday.

Centered around three classic games that are fun and easy to learn -- Mancala, Nine Men's Morris and Go-Moku -- Strategy Games of the World features inspiring strategy-building components including interactive Strategy Coaches, Real World Videos, Multimedia Game Guides and more.

Strategy Games of the World is available on CD-ROM for Windows 95, Windows 3.1 and Macintosh computers. As a limited-time introductory offer, customers who purchase the product will receive any other award-winning Edmark title free.

"We are thrilled to offer 8 to 14 year olds an unprecedented educational software program that will help them build a rich personal set of strategies they can use to solve problems in academic subjects and throughout life," says Sally Narodick, Edmark CEO.

"Timeless games that have taught strategies for centuries provide the venue for kids to encounter and practice a variety of problem-solving strategies. Educators often say that when kids know a number of ways to solve a problem they will persist, try those strategies and greatly increase their chance of success; that is the ultimate goal of this program, to help kids learn new ways to solve problems successfully throughout their lives."

Three Classic Games That Teach Lifelong Strategies

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At the heart of this program is a collection of three fascinating and engaging games. Games offer kids highly interactive and goal-directed forms of play in a rich and motivating environment where they can encounter, practice and master strategies.

The educators at Edmark carefully selected Mancala, Nine Men's Morris and Go-Moku because these games can be learned quickly, they can be played at many levels of challenge, they do not involve chance and they've stood the test of time -- challenging players for thousands of years.

These games, and the programs additional features, help kids

learn to:

-- Identify and analyze problems

-- Look for patterns and sequences

-- Plan ahead

-- Predict outcomes

-- Eliminate options known to be incorrect

-- Test hypotheses

-- Break problems into smaller parts that can be solved

individually

Go-Moku: Brought to Japan from China almost 1,500 years ago, Go-Moku is a variation of the game Go. In Go-Moku, the first player to get five stones in a row -- horizontally, vertically or diagonally -- wins the game.

Complex and interrelated patterns emerge as skilled players learn to balance offensive and defensive moves and to create intricate webs of control. With as many as 324 pieces in play at one time, it's essential to learn which information to use and which to ignore.

Nine Men's Morris: The earliest traces of Nine Men's Morris were found in Egypt; game boards have also been found in the ruins of Troy, Sri Lanka, Stone-Age Ireland and in England, carved into cathedral pews. This game challenges kids to shift and adapt strategic frameworks.

Kids need one set of strategies when placing pieces at the beginning of the game and a very different set when they move pieces to block or capture their opponent. The game can be won in two ways: by capturing all but two of the opponent's pieces or by blocking the opponent from being able to move.

Mancala: This is the name given to a family of board games played throughout Africa, the Middle East and the South Pacific. Thousands of variations of this game are played. Mancala provides kids with a pure exercise in strategic thinking.

In this game, kids use a range of strategies to put stones in the board positions around the board. The board is simple enough to allow players to fully think through each move; however, the board state can change immediately as players open holes, capture stones and distribute stones around the board. The game is over when all the stones are gone from one player's side of the board. Whoever has the most stones wins.

Many Levels of Challenge and Strategy in Every Game

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Game Masters: Nine Game Masters challenge kids in Mancala, Nine Men's Morris and Go-Moku with different playing styles and strategies of their own.

Challenge Levels: Similar to the Grow Slides in Edmark's award-winning Thinkin' Things Series, the Challenge Levels in Strategy Games of the World automatically advance as kids win games. As they advance several levels, the screen changes to a new scene and a new opponent. There are many levels of difficulty in each game.

Strategy Coaches: If kids ever need advice, they can simply click on their Strategy Coach. Strategy Coaches provide tips, help kids learn the rules of the games and offer alternate strategies.

Applying Strategies to Everyday Life

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