Kids Tap into Games

From the Sunday Times, 17th December 2000

Imagine working for an innovative software company and helping to design a computer game which will be sold worldwide. Add to that the fact that you are only nine and don't even own a computer. Then you may understand how Cloverdale Primary School student Travis McQueen and some of his classmates feel.

The eight students helped Leederville based software company Fun-Ed design a fun educational computer game called eVac-U8 with Elbie Arbie, which will hit the shelves soon.

The students were in a junior advisory board set up by the company to tap into the minds of their target audience.

Each student was given a business card, a title and was asked to advise the software engineers on what was cool, fun, appealing and challenging.

They changed a boring character into a two headed, knitted doll called Elbie Arbie and an elderly female figure was turned into a tall, purple haired goddess called Great Aunt Dimensia.

Fun-Ed manager Catherine du Buisson said the youngsters had been invaluable in designing the game.