Starship launches first children’s game Playworld
Liverpool software developer Starship are to launch Playworld Superheroes, the first in the Playworld series of mobile games, available in eight languages, that the designers say will provide moral and ecological lessons for children in a safe, educational environment.
In order to make the app safe and accessible for children, the game has a flat price of £2.99 with no further in-app purchases and does not require an account or any personal information. However, it does use an anonymous statistics system designed to create a landscape for future games; allowing the developers to see which parts of the game are proving popular and which parts are presenting a challenge.
A Starship spokesperson commented:
“In terms of sales figures and targets, it’s a new IP, so we don’t have any concrete projections to share at present. Our ultimate aim is to create a brand that parents can trust with their child’s safety, while consistently delivering engaging and immersive gameplay that looks incredible.”
Starship, located in Liverpool’s Baltic Triangle area, were formed in 2013 by games entrepreneur Martin Kenwright. The team of 20 design games and apps related to health and lifestyle.
Kenwright was a founder of other games design firms Evolution and Digital Image Design, He sold Runcorn-based Evolution, the studio behind the best-selling PlayStation 3 game MotorStorm, to Sony in 2007.
Terms of the sale demanded that Kenwright not work in the games industry for five years, so Starship marks a triumphant return to the industry.
As a parent, he attributes motivation behind Playworld to the lack of quality apps and games available for his children.
He said:
“Where adults see just a cardboard box, a child sees a superhero suit.
“With the Playworld series, we want to empower that creativity by giving kids the coolest crafting package to create their ultimate alter-ego.
“That creativity is rewarded with a spectacular experience in which they act out their wildest superhero fantasies.
“Imagination truly is the greatest superpower, and with it comes a world of endless possibility. We can’t wait to see the creations our fans bring to life.”
Words: Peter Cribley