Game Based Learning 2009

Publisher to unveil Horrible Histories™ videogame adaptation at the event in London

Epsom, 9th March 2009

Slitherine is once again at the forefront of the struggle to merge entertainment and education by joining this inaugural event of Game-Based Learning, as sponsors and keynote speakers.

Independent publisher Slitherine has a long history of developing and publishing history-based products, combining cultural and educational values and is proud to be present to support the conference at its opening event.

The conference will also be an opportunity to introduce to the press and educators, the videogame adaptation of the bestselling book series Horrible Histories™, written by Terry Deary and illustrated by Martin Brown. The series is present in 37 countries, has been translated into 31 languages and has sold well over 20 million copies worldwide.

The game, Horrible Histories™ Ruthless Romans, will release across Europe in May this year on the Nintendo Wii™, Nintendo DS™ and PC platforms.

Slitherine’s Marketing Director, Marco Minoli, said:

Being present at an important event such as Game-Based Learning is a source of great pride for us. We strive to release products with a heart to entertain and a soul to educate and it is great to see that, as the years go by, more and more people and organizations recognize the importance of this mission.

The Horrible Histories™ title is our first production for a target audience of youngsters and it has been the most intriguing and challenging project we have put together. We are very proud of the final result.

The conference is organized by Learning Without Frontiers, their founder Graham Brown-Martin, said:

The traditional assumption has been that learning and video games designed for entertainment don't mix and this might certainly be true if the entertainment is not truly compelling or the learning is passive and dull but in getting these elements right, by ensuring there is a great game that  pulls you into its unique universe in a way that only videogames can to a world that is factually correct provides a seamless blend between fun, engagement and powerful learning. We're delighted that Slitherine are supporting this event and excited to hear from Terry Deary as he makes this important transition to the videogame world which is, after all, a part of so many young learners’ lives.

The event will see the extraordinary presence of Terry Deary, who will be speaking about the importance of entertainment in education and how he seamlessly blended these two key elements within his many books.

Terry Deary said:

I see no difference between entertainment and learning. If you try to “teach” somebody without making it fun then the young people will not learn very efficiently – schools have been boring children to sleep for a hundred years. But if you try to “entertain” them with something pointless then they will soon grow bored. Computer games are the perfect chance to entertain AND educate. They are the future and will be there long after schools (and teachers) have crumbled to dust.