Developed by Relentless Software in partnership with the Department for Education and Skills (DfES), Buzz!™: The Schools Quiz will feature over 5,000 unique questions based directly on all areas of the Key Stage 2 Curriculum, covering subjects from 'Ancient Egypt' to 'Weather'.
David Amor, Creative Director and co-founder of Relentless said, "We're incredibly excited about this project. Using the buzzers and the quiz format means the game is instantly accessible – and works on the basis that kids learn more when they're having fun. Learning games like this will, we hope, give teachers an extra tool in the classroom."
Buzz!: The Schools Quiz also introduces 'Teacher Features' - designed in response to teacher feedback and evaluation to give control and flexibility when using the game as a teaching tool:
- Create a Quiz based on any one subject area - ideal for revision or refreshing information already learnt
- Pause, Skip or End any quiz as it is happening - giving the teacher full control of how the game progresses.
- A variety of game modes allow different classroom events to be catered for - Team Play encourages cooperation, while Fastest Finger provides a quick quiz.
A preliminary version of Buzz!: The Schools Quiz will be shown on the ConnectED stand, no S84 at the BETT Show, London Olympia from the 10th - 13th January 2007, before being extensively trialed in Primary Schools before release.
"Buzz has proven itself a hugely successful family home entertainment franchise for over 750,000 UK PlayStation owners, said Ray Maguire, managing director for Sony Computer Entertainment UK. "Taking this proven format into the educational sector with brand new curriculum-relevant content created by teachers seems a potent new addition to the teacher's portfolio"
Should this trial prove successful then Buzz!™: The Schools Quiz will be made available to purchase by schools in Summer 2007 through ConnectED or Boomerang IRM Ltd.