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Fisher-Price Children's game for Linux 80

Posted by CmdrTaco from the it-could-be-true dept.
Isaac-Lew noticed a bit from LinuxToday about a Fisher Price Childrens Game that actually has a Linux version. Then again it also has a DOS, a Windows 3.x version, an OS/2 version, and a PDA version, so they've either really go their bases covered, or there is a mistake. Regardless, its interesting to see such a name brand releasing a Linux port of childrens software: there sure isn't much of it right now, thats for sure. Unless you count Emacs (insert rimshot here).
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Fisher-Price Children's game for Linux More

Fisher-Price Children's game for Linux

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  • This is a hoax in my opinion.

  • There is no Linux version. (Score:3)

    by bmc ( 80269 ) on Friday November 12, 1999 @07:10AM (#1538417)
    Uh, someone already called Amazon and Fisher-Price, and the listing is incorrect. There is no Linux version of this game. It was posted at LinuxToday before this story went up.

    Nothing to see here, folks. Move along.
  • Most childrens software (at that level at least) isn't that complex or complicated. It probably didn't require that much effort for them to have it ported to several OS varieties. It only makes sense after all, if it does run on all the platforms they listed then they really aren't locked out of any market segment.
  • Unless you count Emacs (insert rimshot here).

    Is your inbox actually that empty? Now would be a good time to write up my "Slashdot-branded garter belts" idea and send it your way, then?
  • I think this is pretty clearly a data error -- For some reason, it's listing every entry Amazon.com has for "OS".

    rOD.

    --
  • Sorry to be nitpicky (really sorry), but a hoax implies that Amazon intentionally deceived. Mistake is more appropriate.

    Yes, I think it must be a mistake. PDA? C'mon! Right.

    --GnrcMan--

  • Makers? (Score:1)

    by Caine ( 784 )
    Well it's very nice to see something like this come out, but does anyone know if it's Fischer Price or some other, sub-company that's made the decision to publish on that amount of platforms?
  • Emacs is children's software... when compared to vi..

  • Anyone do *any* research on this? (Score:3)

    by Anonymous Coward on Friday November 12, 1999 @07:23AM (#1538425)
    Next time go straight to the source [fisher-pricestore.com].
    (Since they use frames, the game in question is the second one listed on the right.)

    They say it's for For Windows® 3.1 or higher & Macintosh® Quadra or better.
    ...you'd think someone would twig when the Amazon page claims it's for ALL platforms.

    -Hmm, suppose I should get around to making an account sometime...
  • I don't know what he meant, but I like to play with EMACS, too! ;)
  • Here it is [fisher-pricestore.com] directly from Fisher-Price [fisher-price.com].
  • I can't wait for the day to come, when we will be able to buy our kids a Linux versions of their software. I just can't wait for it to happen soon...
  • This would explain the loss Mattel has incurred since the acquisition of The Learning Company. They thought they were purchasing a company which would add 50 million dollars to their bottom line, but actually has taken away 150 million dollars away (ouch). I wonder how much money they spent on porting the game to the PalmOS and WinCE ? What other Unix flavors do they support ?

    Really, this whole story is a typo (i.e. Not true). It's possible that someday a company may do childrens games for Linux, but for now it's a sure money loser given the saturation of linux in the family home.

  • Well if it is true, then at least somebody is making a game to get to a prime target audience. Once you venture down the darkside, forever will it dominate your destinty. Emacs?!!!! Silly coder. Emacs is for kids. Stolen from life of Brian... Roman Legionaire:"You know what the punishment for hiding traitors is? Vi!" Jewish Conspirator:"Vi is a doggeral." Roman:"Don't say that."
  • I have a kid who is just starting to move the mouse around. I let her mess with the xpaint program.

    She hasn't figured much out yet.. ( she is only two ) But I was about to break out the Credit Card for the first time EVER on the net and order that thing.

    Childrens games for Linux is something I would like to see.
  • Emacs is great fun! M-x tetris RET, M-x blackbox RET, M-x psychoanalyze-pinhead RET, the list goes on and on...
  • All depends what you call simple. No, they aren't multi-player, networked games, it is true, but even some of the simpler ones are heavily graphic and sound enabled, often with tons of options. I know, having bought a few for my kids (ages 9 & 2).
    Mike Eckardt
    meckardt@yahoo.nospam.com
    http://www.geocities.com/meckardt
  • While this seems to have been a mistake, doesn't it make sense to write a child's game in a protable language. The graphics need to be bright and happy, not fast and fancy. The game play isn't some super duper high performance AI, it should be simple and reliable so the little ones can discern the set rules as part of the learning experience.

    Seems to me a scripting language such as Python, Perl, or TCL with a graphics toolkit like TK on top would be able to do everything but sound and be portable across a wide range of platforms. Development time should go down, thus reducing the cost of the product to a level that parents don't think twice about buying it, and they wouldn't have to worry as much about having the latest PC for the kids.

    I'm not a GUI/game development type person, but for someone that is this could be an idea to start a small company around. The first game would be most of the work. Then with a language like Python you could reuse the modules in each new game thus reducing the effort level and keeping the games coming at a significant pace. In a year I'll be in the market for something like this and I'd buy it.
  • There was a story [boston.com] in yesterday's Boston Globe [boston.com] about The Learning Company [learningco.com]. It seems that the top two officer's have abruptly resigned after losing $100M+ for the most recent reporting period.

    The story reports that

    Mattel officials issued an earnings warning in October. At the time, Bozarth said Mattel headquarters staff had been kept in the dark about problems at Learning Co. until the third quarter was nearly over. Bozarth said Mattel would launch ''a complete organizational review'' to find out how this could have happened.

    Bravery, Kindness, Clarity, Honesty, Compassion, Generosity

  • ok, so I know it's not real, but why not? My kids have lots of silly little games from Fisher-Price and whoever makes those Freddy Fish and Pajama Sam games, and these are blatently simple games. I can't imagine that it would take more than a few days to port the games. It strikes me that these games are probably 98% data with a tiny engine to play the sounds, and throw up the images.

    It kind of irritates me that something as complicated as quake has been ported to linux, but something as simple as this kids software hasn't (especially when you consider that quake is only one game and shops like Fisher-Price probably use the same "engine" in all of their kids software).
  • because if we want Linux to invade the desktop it needs to be able to play in the family-with-one-computer space.

    As it is I'm stuck with buying the kids an extra computer

    We also need support in GUIs - kind of like Apple's launcher - a way for parents to set up kid environments so that they can't break out and trash the parent's world. In Linux this is particularly easy because the normal user protection mechanisms for a logged in kid can be used to keep them from damaging stuff by accident.

    Some suggestions for kid-friendly GUI features:

    • XDM support for logging in by clicking an icon (or picture of the kid) without a password (remember little kids can't ready yet!)
    • simple visual shells (like Apple's launcher) basicly a bunch of icons on a window where adults can install games for kids
    • do something about netscape - kids love the web .... but if it keeps locking up they're going to keep turning off the computer to fix it ....
  • If nothing else maybe it'll be the first time Fisher-Price gets /.'d -- I suggest everyone who was hoping this is right go email F-P and tell them you want them to start porting their games to Linux.

  • Re:Not according to Fisher-Price web site. (Score:3)

    by Col. Klink (retired) ( 11632 ) on Friday November 12, 1999 @07:47AM (#1538443)
    Well, according to your link, it runs on "Macintosh® Quadra or better". I'd say Linux is better.

  • Even if this is a typo... (Score:1)

    by Anonymous Coward
    Even if this is a typo, why isn't Loki porting any childrens games? I know of a lot of Linux Users who would buy childrens programs for Linux. Mabye they would even add a Logo based script fu :)
  • Actually, emacs is an adventure game. Think of it as rogue that does spell checking...

  • Where are the GOOD children's games? (Score:4)

    by Frank Sullivan ( 2391 ) on Friday November 12, 1999 @08:10AM (#1538447) Homepage
    My kids have a copy of this. They actually enjoy it, but it isn't very educational, and it positively *reeks* of crufty Windows 3.1 16-bittiness. I'd be surprised if it even stays in their product line without some significant revision.

    That being said, i fervently wish and hope that the major children's game companies start working on Linux releases. A lot of children's software is really excellent - worth having Windows, if that's what it takes to use the stuff. One game i really like is Treasure MathStorm. From this game, my five-year-old son has learned to do two-digit addition and subtraction, with carries! This is something school wouldn't get around to doing for another couple of years, and would bore him silly by then.

    What i'd really love to see is Linux-based diskless workstations as cheap school networks, but it won't happen unless the children's software happens.

    ---
    Maybe that's just the price you pay for the chains that you refuse.
  • You actually serious about this? I'd sure like to help. I can code Python, but I can't do much with images/etc.

    Gimme a shout if you're serious.
    --------
    "I already have all the latest software."

  • FWIW (Score:1)

    by Isaac-Lew ( 623 )
    When I submitted, I used the term *allegedly* (meaning I questioned the veracity of the listing). It looked mighty suspicious to me (why so many platforms, for one).

  • Take a look at how many kids cd-roms are built with a "high-level multimedia" tool like Macromedia Director (my kids have a couple) or something similar. Port the tool, and I'd wager that you've ported a significant number of titles along with it.

    Macromedia for one has released Flash/Shockwave plugins for linux, so theyre not *completely* out of touch... (anyone from Macromedia listening?). Probably only a matter of time. :)

  • Maybe under WINE? (Score:3)

    by AJWM ( 19027 ) on Friday November 12, 1999 @08:24AM (#1538453) Homepage
    The Fisher-Price site says the program runs under Windows 3.1 (and up), so perhaps it works alright under WINE?

    I'd love to see more of the popular kids' educational/entertainment titles for Linux. My daughter has been playing with this stuff on the Mac since she was three, but most of the machines in the house run Linux (x86 mostly). I really should try running some of her stuff (many of the CDs have both Mac & Windows version on them) under WINE.

    Meanwhile, interested parents (uncles, aunts) might check out LinuxForKids [linuxforkids.com] and Childrens Linux Titles [skjoldebrand.org] for more. (I haven't checked out these sites very thoroughly, they seem to be fairly new).
  • given the number of kiddie "first!" posts on slashdot

  • Re:There is no Linux version. (Score:3)

    by Eccles ( 932 ) on Friday November 12, 1999 @08:34AM (#1538455) Journal
    ok, so I know it's not real, but why not? My kids have lots of silly little games from Fisher-Price and whoever makes those Freddy Fish and Pajama Sam games, and these are blatently simple games.

    I was able to get Pajama Sam running with Wine under Linux. The colors were messed up (and I think I saw a bug report for that Wine version about color probs), but it had the sound and such.

    An extra-nice thing about this is that you can "lie" to Wine about which drive is the CD. Get a big ol' 20+ gig drive, copy the games to the drive, and the kids don't need to mess with the CD-ROM. I'm planning to do just that. Add a wireless mouse (which I have -- Logitech) and there's not even the risk of cable problems. Set them up with an account and icons for each of their games, and boom Linux works *better* than Windows. The only issue is the login, and I was thinking about seeing what it would take to set up a U.are.U fingerprint scanner for that...

    (Now I just need to add some fans to the cabinet I store the computer in, to prevent overheating.
  • [...] and boom Linux works *better* than Windows.

    For kids as well as geeks, that is.
  • Unless you count Emacs (insert rimshot here).

    Why not? :-)

    My 10-year-old (step) daughter was using XEmacs to practice typing just the other night.

  • Lots of us were sceptical from the start. I sent email to both Amazon and The Learning Company about both the Fisher-Price program and Treasure Cove, the other title showing Linux compatibility. The results are all there in the Talkbacks. FWIW, I suspect someone at Amazon ticked off the "Java" box on some entry form, which then built the page listing all the Java-capable OSs.

    Doug Loss
  • Great idea. I in fact would like this, a little button they can log on with, and don't make the configuration files writable by the games user. (they can save games I suppose) Would be great for guests too, people who maybe are staying overnight and want to check email (if they can do that somehow), play a few games, browse the net. Then a week latter they are gone. Too much effort to creat an account and teach them to log in. And if they forget to log off that user doesn't have the privlages to do much damage. (damage by accident or a cracker getting into the passwordless account, though idealy you wouldn't allow remote access to this account) When the kids get older give them an account with more privlages so they can save their work and such.

  • simple visual shells (like Apple's launcher) basicly a bunch of icons on a window where adults can install games for kids

    I've found that WindowMaker with its dock is pretty good for this. Nice big buttons along the right side of the screen.

    Doug Loss

  • Loki makes agreements with other companies to port their products to Linux. Probably, no one has approached them about "edutainment" games yet. I talked to Scott Draeker last year about this, and he was quite open to the idea. Push your favorite kids game company to contact Loki!

    Doug Loss
  • I was going to buy it without even knowing what it did, just to help support more Linux games.

    Too bad it was a hoax.

    Chris
  • Now THIS is the product [fisher-price.com] I would like to see ported to Linux. Muahahaha.
  • Geez, when I saw this my day got brighter. My 7 year old daughter, raised on a Mac from age 2, typing 18 words a minute by age 4 (Mario Teaches!) and spoke her first true thoughts at age 5 (I don't like Windows) is now turning into a Linux gamester using the standard issues of Redhat. My 3 year old shows even more hand/eye dexterity, but she's still giving the Mac a run for it's money. Brings to mind the old thought "Get 'em when they're young". Too bad it's not true.........
  • thanks, I'll try this tonight.
  • Who says kids need those flashy games, anyway? Yeah, they're lots of fun, but you know what? They're not necessary, no matter how much your kids think they are. I grew up with only a RadioShack TRS-80 at home (up until about 8 years ago), and I had just as much fun with that as I have with games on my computer now, possibly even more. All my friends had computers with graphics capabilities and even (gasp) color, but whose did we play with the most? The TRS-80, because we understood how to do more than just games on it. The few games there were, were programmed in by my dad in BASIC. But even those games taught us a lot more, because they WEREN'T kids' games. They were games intended for at least highschool level intelligence.

    So what if your kids can't play a math game on the computer? Teach them how to play one they don't need the computer for... or teach them some programming so they can make their own games....

  • When saying there are almost no children games for Linux, it might be wise to check for existing toys not really perceived as games. A friend of mine used to think there's nothing for his kids on his Linux workstation at home, but when he fired up Logo for them, he found that he's not always able to pull them off the keyboard. Logo is a great tool, very intuitive even for small children and with nice educational bonus.

    I'm not sure about Squeak, but being as agile as it is, I think something could be made from it for children as well.
  • You are in a maze of twisty commands, all alike...
  • Watch out, it looks like it might be a Trojan Horse...

    --Kevin

    ObGripe: What the HELL?! Did I just see a /Java Banner/ on Slashdot?...
    Not cool, guys, not cool at all. :/

    =-=-=-=-=-=
    "The Mafia! You've got a friend in the Family!"
  • For a minute there I was expecting to find a Win, Mac, Amiga, Palm, Atari, and OS/2 version but not Linux.

    "Take that OS/2, Amiga, and Atari!"
    "Not much of a victory is it?"
    "Every little bit helps."
  • Then, um, wouldn't there probably be a 95% chance that'd it'd in run in Linux with the help of our friends in the WINE project?

    Granted it's not native....but wouldn't it?
    anyone? Beuller?

    Seems to me the "chicken and egg" thing is going to be present for a while when it comes to stuff like kids games and educational software. The development costs/money brought in on products like this are low as it is, when you've got a minimal user base, and one that tends to gripe whenever somebody wants $$ for their software, it just isn't going to happen.

    Of course I could be wrong. It has happened before....
  • especially because it runs on PDA no one would make that general of a claim. is it winCE? or palm? or da vinci? they don't say, and i doubt it runs on EVERY pda

    matisse:~$ cat .sig
  • News flash: EMACS is huge, and has HUNDREDS of strange, obfusciated commands. I've used it, but honestly I almost wish I hadn't. Then again, I've never used original vi... It's sort of an anachronism today. Vim kicks very serious ass, I do _ALL_ my coding (that's quite a stack of code too!) in Vim. There's only about a dozen commands you need to know to properly use Vim. I still don't know a TENTH of the full command-set, and I already find it the fastest editor I've ever used. (mind you, if you're forced to use a screwy keyboard layout, productivity goes down the tubes until you do some remapping... Fortunately it works out-of-the-box in RedHat, so its not usually a problem... Now if only I could get it to behave properly on Solaris... (on real Sun machines)) Oh, in case you're wondering, Vim is the smallest complete IDE you'll ever find. Syntax coloring for dozens of different languages, plus the ability to define your own. Etc. And Vim supports block-select, unlike original Vi, thank god.
  • All someone needs to do is write a kiddie game for Linux, that has no Windows counterpart. But it can't be just any kiddie game - it needs to be chock full of gimmick characters wired into children's minds by TV, like Pokémon! Just think, one ad later...

    Little Billy: "Mommy, can I reformat our hard drive and put Linux on our computer?"

    Mother: "But why? Linux is so gosh-darn complicated."

    Billy: "But they have Pokémon for Linux now, and Daddy says Linux is reelyreelyreeely good!"

    Mother: "But I like using Micorsoft Office, and Microsoft Internet Explorer, and Microsoft Windows... I don't even think I could figure out how to install it for you!"

    Billy: "But you'll learn it all anyway... for me?" (gives sad puupy look)

    Mother: "It's just too much for a silly game."

    (Billy snaps)
    Billy: "BUT I WANT POKÉMON NOW! )(#@&%#!#%#%!#$P#%()#%* #%(#_#%*#%(151%@#%"

    Mother: "Uhh.. but it's only a game..."

    (Billy starts breaking things)
    (Mother downloads Linux-Mandrake the next day)

    With the sad manipulable effect TV has on children, we could sweep Microsoft's desktop monopoly away from them, right under their nose.

    -Joe

    --
    Moderators, do your worst!
  • Damn, I was prepared to order this thing immidiately, and was very disappointed to find that it was all a mistake. The lack of children's software is one of the primary reasons that I keep Windows around. Still dreaming of the day when I can shake the microsoft monkey off my back.



    Peace,

    vilvoy
  • I already wait for four years. By the time the
    Linux kids' games will be out there, our kids
    will grow up.

  • This is my first time posting so I hope I don't blow it too badly.

    It's too bad that there aren't children's games for Linux. Maybe someone could come up with a penguin game for kids on Linux? Maybe throw in some education just for kicks.


    KiaKC
    A man only works from sun to sun,
    Yet woman's work is never done.
    Exspecially when she has children!
  • Well, although it's not very educational, Stephen Baker is working on Tux: A Quest for Herring [woodsoup.org], a Mario64-esque game. I mention this because he uses his kid as his primary beta-tester. :)
    ---
    "'Is not a quine' is not a quine" is a quine.
  • just in case someone comes back to this thread, I'll post a followup here.

    He wasn't kidding about the colors. I thought he meant a little bit messed up...NOT! they are almost inverse video, but the game played fine.

    the biggest problem I had was running setup.exe files for the game installs. I didn't get ANY of them to work for any of the games I tried. I continually ran into missing dll problems with the setup utilities and with trying to directly run the other games off the CDs. oh well.

    anyone tried WABI? what about that mac emulator for linux?

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