PlayStation 3 platformer LittleBigPlanet 2 is good at doing many things—imitating other video games, imitating classic movies, imitating operating systems—but can it actually be a good learning tool? Sony thinks so and plans to release downloadable content for the game that's designed to aid schoolteachers.
PlayStation Europe VP Ray Maguire tells MCV that LittleBigPlanet dev Media Molecule will release "teacher packs" this summer that will focus on "games-based learning." The goal is for levels based on the UK's National Curriculum to be used as demonstration tools, with students playing teacher-crafted levels with PlayStation Move controllers.
"We are going to be creating teacher packs where class teachers with a specialist subject knowledge in science, technology, engineering and maths – the stem subjects – create ‘levels' with content aligned to their specific age range," Maguire tells MCV.
It sounds like SCEE's plans are grander than just LBP2 playtime.
"There is no reason why you can't play open standard educational content such as videos, audio and web-based lessons through a games console like the PlayStation 3," Maguire says. "And it is not just video games. It is richer content too – including video, Flash and audio."