There was a time when video games were seen only as a “gaming tool.” As in, they were just to make video games with fun as the intent and nothing more. However, as both kids and teens truly threw themselves into the gaming space, people started to wonder if they could use this “addiction” to gaming to teach them something. That’s why you often saw certain education-based games pierce the marketplace so that you could have fun…while learning. Roblox may not be famous for its education-style games, but that doesn’t mean that there aren’t ones in there that do that. We’ve covered them before, actually.
The main focus of this piece, though, is that Roblox and BBC Bitesize are teaming up to make an all-new education-focused game in the universe called “Planet Planner.” The game will be about geography in many forms and allow players to test out certain “concepts” that can guide them on how geography really works.
As noted by EdTech Innovation Club, one of the executive producers over at BBC Bitesize, which, if you didn’t know, was the kids-focused version of the BBC, had this to say about making the game:
“We have always learned through play, and if you’re going to learn new skills in the sandbox that is AI, you’re going to do it through play. There is such a joyful creative challenge to be found in developing game mechanics – I’d love Planet Planner to be successful enough for us to roll out other iterations.”
One of the Roblox team had this to say about the collaboration:
“Our expertise was in the game itself, not the editorial content. BBC Bitesize is an iconic brand, and the best way for us to honor that was in allowing their expertise to show through.”
So, clearly, they’re both happy with the partnership. But you might be questioning…why do this kind of game here? The simple answer, as the BBC knows all too well, is that this gaming universe has a large community of kids and teenagers. Over 40% of the game’s population is kids under 13. Plus, in the UK region, it’s one of the most popular things around. The BBC has written numerous pieces about the game over the years, even covering its many controversies.
Yet, even with all those negatives, it’s clear they understand that kids and teens are still playing in this universe, so they have to “meet them where they are” if they want to try and teach them.
