2017-2022 global game-based learning market
TRANSCRIPT
The 2017-2022 Global Game-based
Learning Market
Serious Game Revenues Spike to $8.1 Billion by 2022
Serious Play ConferenceJuly 18, 2017
Presented by Sam S. Adkins, CEO, Metaari
About the Analyst
• Sam S. Adkins is the Chief Researcher at Metaari. Sam has been providing
market research on the learning technology industry for over twenty years
and has been involved with electronic training for over thirty-five years.
• Sam was the co-founder and Chief Research Officer for Ambient Insight
between 2004 and 2016 before rebranding as Metaari in early 2017.
Serious Gaming Cluster in Helsinki, Finland
September 2016
About Metaari (formerly Ambient Insight)
Metaari is an ethics-based quantitative market research firm that identifies revenue
opportunities for advanced learning technology suppliers.
www.metaari.com
We track learning technology in 122 countries. We have the most complete view of
the international learning technology market in the industry.
Metaari focusses solely on advanced learning technology research on products that
utilize psychometrics, game mechanics, robotics, cognitive computing, artificial
intelligence, virtual reality, and augmented reality.
Agenda
Metaari’s Learning Technology Research Taxonomy
Investment Patterns
Global Findings by Seven Regions
Primary Catalysts and Product Trends
Pedagogical Forecast Framework for Serious Games
Q&A
Metaari’s Learning Technology
Research Taxonomy
We categorize serious games as a subset of the learning technology industry not as a subset of the video game industry.
The definition of Game-based Learning in our taxonomy is based on the research published by Alessi and Trollip in their seminal work entitled, "Computer Based Instruction: Methods and Development.”
Game-based Learning is defined as a knowledge transfer method that utilizes "game play" comprised of some form of competition (against oneself or others) and a reward/penalty system that essentially functions as an assessment method to quantify mastery.
All educational games are designed for behavior modification, pedagogical intervention, and/or cognitive remediation. The first two are well known but the third is relatively new.
Metaari’s Learning Technology Research Taxonomy
Have Six Buyer Segments
From Five Types of Suppliers
That Buy Eight Types of Digital Learning Products
Packaged
Content
Consumer PreK-12Corporations
- Businesses
Higher
EducationFederal
Government
State - Local
Government
Custom
ContentValue Added
Services
Authoring Tools
& Platforms
Seven International Regions
North
America
Latin
AmericaEastern
Europe
Western
EuropeAsia Pacific Africa
The Middle
East
Digital
Reference-
ware
Self-paced
eLearning
Courseware
Collaboration-
based
Learning
Simulation-
based
Learning
Cognitive
Learning
Mobile
Learning
Game-based
Learning
Robotic
Tutors
Legacy Learning Technology Products Next-generation Learning Technology Products
Robotic
Components
Metaari’s Learning Technology
Research Taxonomy
-10%
-5%
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5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
2017-2022 Worldwide Five-year Growth Rates for Eight
Learning Technology Product Types
Legacy Products in Decline
Longitudinal Analysis: Global Five-Year Compound Annual
Growth Rates (CAGRs) for Game-based Learning Products
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%Five-year CAGRs for Last Twelve Forecast Periods
Forecast Periods
Private Investment and M&A Patterns
Metaari views private investment activity as a leading
indicator. A leading indicator is “An economic indicator that
can be used to predict a change in the business cycle."
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
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$5,500
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$6,500
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$7,500
$8,000
1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016
1997 to 2016 Global Private Investments Made to Learning
Technology Companies (in US$ Millions)
Totals Across All Eight Learning Technology Product Types CombinedDeal Totals in
US$ Millions
$2 Billion Threshold
$3 Billion Threshold
$1 Billion Threshold
$4 Billion Threshold
$5 Billion Threshold
$6 Billion Threshold
$7 Billion Threshold
Age of Learning garnered an extraordinary $150 million in May 2016.
This is the highest amount ever obtained by a Game-based Learning
company (by a wide margin) in the history of the learning technology
industry. Their ABCmouse game generated over $100 million in 2015.
Israel-based Matific raised $45 million in in July 2016. They make
math games for children. They have raised $57 million since 2015.
Brazil-based PlayKids obtained $15 million in June 2015 and $40
million in June 2016. PlayKids consistently ranks high in app stores.
2010-2016 Global Private Investment in Game-based
Learning Companies (in US$ Millions)
Tangible Play’s Osmo displays augmented
learning content on the tablet as the child
manipulates physical objects. Osmo raised $24
million in December 2016. They have a range of
educational games for children including math,
reading, and coding. Osmo’s Mo the Monster
game was developed with Schell Games.
Tangible Play
$0
$200
$400
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$800
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$1,200
$1,400
$1,600
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$2,400
$2,600
$2,800
2014 2015 2016Deal Value in
$US Millions
Leading Indicators: 2014-2016 Private Investments by Eight
Learning Product Types (in US$ Millions)
Next-generation Products Attracting a Wave of Investment
Despite the maturity of the market for brain trainers, investors continue to fund
new cognitive edugame, brain trainer, and mental training app developers.
ATENTIVmynd Games garnered $8 million in funding in April 2013 and $3
million in 2016.
London-based Brainbow raised $7 million in April 2015. Brainbow has obtained a
total of $10.5 million since launch in 2014.
Berlin-based Memorado raised $3.3 million in March 2015, on top of the $1.3
million they raised in 2014.
2010-2016 Global Private Investment in Game-based
Learning Companies (in US$ Millions)
Akili Interactive Labs raised $30.5 million in
investment in January 2016 and another $11.9 million
in July 2016. Their product is quite sophisticated.
Their edugame is being used in clinical trials for
attention deficit and Alzheimer's. "Akili Interactive
Labs is a medical device company that makes mobile
video games—and not the other way around."
Akili Interactive Labs
$0
$100
$200
$300
$400
$500
$600
$700
$800
$900
2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 H1/2017
2010-H1/2017 Global Private Investment in Game-based
Learning Companies (in US$ Millions)
Deal Totals in
US$ Millions
$797.3 Million Went to 121 Game-based Learning Companies in 2016.
$228.9 Million Went to 38 Game-based Learning Companies in First Half of 2017
There has been a spike in acquisitions in the last two years. The
main pattern is that companies with global reach are buying the best-
selling serious game developers - validating the market.
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (HMH) acquired Curiosityville, a popular virtual world
for young children, in 2014 and relaunched it as Curious World in October 2015. At
the time of the acquisition, HMH stated in the press that they see early childhood
education as a “significant growth area for the company.” As of June 2017, they
were making over $4 million a month from the subscription-based product.
Mattel acquired early childhood learning game developer Fuhu in January 2016.
Fuhu sells the Nabi tablet for kids and sells branded Mattel tablets (Barbie, Hot
Wheels, etc.) and content in the Nabi store.
Canada-based Spin Master bought Sago Mini and Sweden’s Toca Boca in April
2016 –two of the most popular (best-selling) early childhood learning game
developers on the planet.
Global Game-based Learning Merger and Acquisition
(M&A) Patterns
In August 2016, the Khan Academy "acquired" Duck Duck Moose for one dollar. The
Khan Academy announced that the Duck Duck Moose games would be available for
free. Omidyar Network gave them $3 million to fund development for two years.
London-based Brainbow launched the Peak brain trainer in 2014 and was acquired by
France-based Hachette in December 2016. Peak is one of the best-selling mobile games
in the world.
Microsoft bought Sweden’s Mojang, the developer of the popular Minecraft game, in
2014. They bought the MinecraftEdu assets from Finland-based TeacherGaming in
January 2016. Microsoft launched Minecraft: Education Edition in late 2016 and had
over 75,000 paid users by March 2017.
NetDragon (a leading game developer in China) acquired US-based JumpStart
(MathBlaster) in early July 2017; JumpStart has 5 million active users and 90 million
registered users. NetDragon acquired UK-based Promethean in 2015.
Global Game-based Learning Merger and Acquisition
(M&A) Patterns
Key Findings: Regional Overviews of
Game-based Learning
Key Findings: The 2017-2022 Global
Game-based Learning Market
The global growth rate for Game-based Learning products is 20.2% and revenues
will more than double to $8.1 billion by 2022, up from $3.2 billion in 2017.
There are two sections in this report: a demand-side analysis and a supply-side
analysis. The demand-side analysis provides revenue forecasts for seven regions,
thirty-nine countries, and eight buying segments.
Africa has the highest growth rate of all the regions at a breathtaking 54.4%,
followed by Eastern Europe and Latin America at 37.3% and 35.1%.
The top buying countries are identified in each region: three in Africa, nine in
Asia Pacific, six in Eastern Europe, six in Latin America, four in the Middle
East, two in North America, and nine in Western Europe.
The supply-side analysis provides five-year revenue breakouts for eleven game
categories as defined by Metaari's pedagogical game framework.
0%
5%
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25%
30%
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45%
50%
55%
60%
Africa Asia Pacific Eastern
Europe
Latin
America
The Middle
East
North
America
Western
Europe
Global Report Findings: 2017-2022 Growth Rates for Game-
based Learning by Seven Regions
Regional Key Findings: Africa
Africa has the highest regional growth rate in the world for Game-based Learning
products at a breathtaking 54.5%. Revenues will surge over eight times by 2022. Five-
year revenue forecasts are provided for Nigeria, South Africa, and Kenya in the report.
Nigeria accounted for 27% of all revenues for Game-based Learning in Africa in 2017 and will
still account for 19% of all revenues by 2022.
South Africa accounted for 20% of all revenues for serious games in the region in 2017 and
will account for 17% of all revenues by 2022.
Kenya has a very high growth rate of 48.8% and revenues will spike over seven times by 2022.
Ten countries in Africa can be categorized as mobile-only countries: Mobile Learning is
the only viable learning technology in mobile-only countries.
Via Afrika
Xander
Regional Key Findings: Asia Pacific
The growth rate for serious games in Asia Pacific is 17.3% and revenues will more
than double by 2022. Revenue forecasts are provided for five of the top buying
countries in Asia Pacific: China, India, Japan, South Korea, and Indonesia.
Revenue forecasts are also provided for the highest growth countries:
Bangladesh, Myanmar (Burma), Vietnam, Nepal, and Thailand.
The revenues are heavily concentrated in China, followed by India. India will be
the top buying country in the region by 2022.
In July 2017, India’s central government school system announced sweeping
PreK-12 curriculum reforms with gaming as a core component for all grades.
There are over 1,200 schools with over 1.3 million students.
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
35%
40%
45%
50%
55%
Bangladesh Myanmar
(Burma)
Vietnam Nepal Thailand
Phenomenal Growth Rates for Game-based Learning
in Five Countries in Asia Pacific
Eastern Europe has a high growth rate for Game-based Learning at 37.3% and revenues
will more than quadruple by 2022. Revenues are provided for the Russian Federation,
Ukraine, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Belarus, and Azerbaijan in the report.
The vast majority of revenues are concentrated in the Russian Federation. In the 2017
market, the Russian Federation accounted for 41% of all revenues generated in the
region. By 2022, the Russian Federation will still account for 28% of revenues.
Ukraine is the second-largest buying country in the region, with a growth rate of
35.4%. Georgia is the third-largest buying country in the region and the growth rate is
very high at 42.7%.
An inhibitor in the region is the need to develop in alphabets such as Cyrillic or the
Georgian script. Less than 10% of the Russian population can read or speak English.
Regional Key Findings: Eastern Europe
The growth rate for serious games in Latin America is 35.1% and revenues will more than
quadruple by 2022. Revenues are provided for Brazil, Mexico, Colombia, Argentina, Peru,
and Chile in the report.
The revenues are concentrated in Brazil and Mexico and to a lesser extent in Colombia,
Argentina, Peru, and Chile. All six countries have very high growth rates.
Brazil was the top buying country in the region in 2017, despite that country's recent
economic problems. The growth rate is 25.7% and revenues will more than triple by 2022.
Regional Key Findings: Latin America
PlayKidsBrazil-based PlayKids (a subsidiary of
the media conglomerate Movile) is the
best-selling early childhood learning app
in the region and popular across the
planet.
One of the most successful serious game
developers in Mexico is Yogome,
founded in 2011. They obtained $6.6
million in May 2017 on top of the $3
million they raised in 2016.
Yogome
Revenues of serious games will more than triple in the Middle East by 2022. The
region has a high growth rate of 29.3%.
Revenues are concentrated in four countries: Turkey, Egypt, the Kingdom of
Saudi Arabia (KSA), and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). In 2017, 26% of all
serious games revenue in the region was generated in Turkey.
Turkey, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE have embarked on extensive academic
digitization efforts that include distributing massive numbers of tablets in the
schools. The initiatives have ambitious timelines.
As part of the $1.4 billion FATİH initiative, Turkey is on track to equip over 15
million students across 42,000 schools with tablets by 2021.
Educational games in Arabic are still rare in the region.
Lamsa is in Arabic and designed for kids between 1-8. It
is sold as a subscription by the MNOs Ooredoo (Qatar),
Etisalat (UAE), Saudi Telecom, and VIVA Bahrain.
Lamsa
Regional Key Findings: The Middle East
Regional Key Findings: North America
The North America region is the most mature market for Game-based
Learning, but it still has a healthy growth rate at 15.3%. Revenues will more
than double over the forecast period, which is somewhat unusual for a
mature market. Consumers are the largest buyers in both Canada and the
US.
Canada-base Spin Master acquired Sago Mini and Sweden’s Toca Roca in
2016: these two companies develop some of the most popular early
childhood learning games across the planet.
The five-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) for Game-based
Learning products in the US is 17.2% and revenues will more than double
by 2022.
The highest growth rates in the US are in the higher education (tertiary),
secondary education, and preschool segments at 29.4%, 27.9%, and
26.6%, respectively. Revenues will more than triple in all three by 2022.
The growth rate for serious games is 26.6% and revenues will more than triple by
2022. Revenues are provided for the United Kingdom (UK), Spain, France, Germany,
the Netherlands, and for the four countries in the Nordic Cluster combined.
The Nordic Cluster
The Nordic cluster (Finland, Denmark, Sweden, and Norway) is an early adopter of
Game-based Learning. The education ministries in all four countries actively promote
the use of games in the schools, particularly in the early grades.
Sweden’s Toca Boca (170 million downloads since 2011) and Norway’s
WeWantToKnow (DragonBox) are two of the best-selling learning games in the
world. Norway’s Kahoot! has over 50 million active users (32 million in the US).
Kahoot! raised private equity from the Disney Accelerator in July 2017.
Regional Key Findings: Western Europe
Rovio (Angry Birds) closed down their education
division in late 2015. The executives that worked
in the group left to create serious game startups in
Helsinki. Lightneer launched in November 2015
and Fun Academy launched in January 2016.
Lightneer
Quantifying the Revenue Opportunities:
Metaari’s Pedagogical Educational Game
Framework
The educational game framework provides suppliers with a
precise method of tapping specific revenue streams and a
concise instructional design specification for the
development of effective educational games.
Quantifying the Revenue Opportunities: Metaari’sPedagogical Framework for Game-based Learning Products
Metaari forecasts revenues for
eleven types of educational
games based on the content
domain and the primary
knowledge transfer method.
Assessment, augmented reality,
and virtual reality educational
games are new on the market
and rapidly gaining traction.
AI-based educational games hit
the market in 2017.
Pedagogical Framework for
Eleven Categories of Game-based
Learning Products
Cognitive Fitness
Games and Brain
Trainers
Knowledge-based
Edugames
Skill-based Educational
Games
Language Learning
Educational Games
Early Childhood Learning
GamesAssessment and
Evaluation Educational
Games
Role-based Educational
Games
Location-based
Educational Games
Augmented Reality
Educational Games
Virtual Reality
Educational Games
Artificial Intelligence Educational
Games
Global Versus US Game-based Learning
Growth Rates by Educational Game Type***
Global Five-
Year CAGR
2017-2022
US Five-
Year CAGR
2017-2022
Cognitive Fitness Games and Brain Trainers 10.3% 2.2%
Knowledge-based Educational Games 11.0% 8.8%
Skill-based Educational Games 17.2% 17.9%
Language Learning Games 16.1% 22.0%
Early Childhood Learning Games 21.6% 16.6%
Assessment and Evaluation Games 25.3% 21.7%
Role-based Serious Games 32.8% 25.6%
Location-based Learning 30.5% 22.9%
Augmented Reality Educational Games 25.5% 36.9%
Virtual Reality Educational Games 47.9% 49.0%
Artificial Intelligence-based Educational
Gamesn/a n/a
Total 20.2% 17.2%
*** Mobile and Non-mobile Educational Games Combined
2017-2022 Growth Rates for Eleven Categories of
Educational Games
Smart Games That Learn: Artificial Intelligence is
a Game Changer
The education industry is on the verge of extraordinary innovations in knowledge transfer using cognitive computing and artificial intelligence platforms. The most well-known cognitive computing platform is IBM's Watson.
The integration of Watson into digital learning content essentially accomplishes the "holy grail" of providing true personalized (adaptive) learning by adapting in real time to a student's cognitive abilities. The software learns.
In June 2016, IBM launched a Minecraft build called Medical Minecraft, which uses the Watson platform to teach children about infectious diseases.
In March 2017, PrepBiz, a developer of game-based disaster preparedness apps for children, announced their Watson-enabled product.
In April 2016, Sesame Street announced a three-year partnership with IBM to develop educational games
for children using Watson. They launched the first Watson game in June 2017 in a pilot phase across
PreK-12 schools in the US. It is a vocabulary game for young children. The product is the first for the
"Sesame Intelligent Play and Learning Platform".
IBM and Sesame Street
Smart Games That Learn: Artificial Intelligence is
a Game Changer
CogniToys' Dino robot for kids 5-9 is built on IBM’s Watson “CogniToys have
custom content modules such as questions and answers, storytelling, and games that
include vocabulary, math and more to engage children in educational play.“
A company called Affectiva sells an emotion recognition platform that generates what
they call "emotional intelligence". The startup recently entered the gaming industry to
enable "emotion-aware" games. They released a plug-in for Unity in October 2016.
A Hong Kong company called Artha sells an edugame for young children called Little
Dragon that uses the Affectiva platform.
CogniToys
Artha
Primary Market Catalysts and Product Trends
In March 2017, Unity announced a new toolset called the XR
Foundation Toolkit (XRFT). "It's a framework for XR
developers that allows anyone, not just programmers, but
artists and directors, to start making experiences without
needing to start from scratch.”
Primary Catalysts Driving the 2017-2022 Global
Game-based Learning Market
Booming Global Revenues for Game-based
Learning Products
Growing Global
Demand for Early
Childhood Learning
Games Resistance to Game-
based Learning
Fading Fast
Growing Availability of Easy-to-
Use Development
ToolsInnovation in
Augmented, Virtual, &
Mixed Reality
Upsurge of Next-
Generation Brain
Trainers On the Market
Rollout of 5G
Networks and the
Internet of Things (IoT)
Learning in the Bright Air: 5G Changes
Everything
Commercial fifth-generation (5G) wireless broadband networks will be
operational in the 2018-2020 timeframe.
To illustrate the breathtaking speed of 5G, consider the time it takes to
download a two-hour high definition movie. With 3G, it would take 26
hours to download a two-hour movie. With 4G, it takes six minutes. The
download will take 3.6 seconds with 5G.
The new 5G networks also have low latency rates. Latency is the time it
takes for a device to send a signal to a server and get a response. A 3G
phone has a 100-millisecond latency rate. A 4G phone has a 50-millisecond
latency rate. A 5G device has an ultra-low latency rate of one millisecond.
All four of the major US carriers are running 5G pilots in selected cities.
South Korea, Japan, and Sweden will be the first countries with national 5G
networks as early as 2018.
Organizational Resistance to Game-based
Learning Fading Fast
The use of learning games has long been a staple in military agencies.
Until recently, Game-based Learning was perceived to be incompatible
with corporate culture, time consuming, and expensive.
However, the major inhibitors that previously dampened the widespread
adoption of Game-based Learning are now fading fast.
Game-based job candidate assessment products are rapidly gaining
traction in the corporate segment and are further eroding the resistance to
Game-based Learning in the corporate segment. The corporate segment
now has the highest growth rate for serious games at 35.7%.
Arctic Shores
Game-based Learning
by Buying Segment***
Global Five
Year CAGR
2017-2022
US Five
Year CAGR
2017-2022
Consumer 16.3% 15.6%
Preschool 30.7% 26.6%
Primary Education 24.1% 18.7%
Secondary Education 23.5% 27.9%
Tertiary Education 26.5% 29.4%
Federal Government
Agencies21.8% 13.7%
State & Local
Government Agencies16.0% 8.2%
Corporate 35.7% 21.5%
Total 20.2% 17.2%
*** Mobile and Non-mobile Edugames Combined
Revenues
Concentrated in:
Mobile early childhood
learning games and
brain trainers
STEM-based serious
games on PCs/laptops
Immersive MR role
playing games for
security & public safety
Assessment games
2017-2022 Global Game-based Learning Market
by Buyer Segment
Authoring Reality: The Availability of Easy-to-Use
Development Tools
A significant catalyst is the availability of easy-to-use and cost-efficient
authoring tools. The suppliers of the tools are marketing them to non-specialists
and pricing the products at relatively low price points.
In August 2016, Immersive VR Education launched their dedicated VR education
platform called Engage. "The big idea behind Engage is that educators can bring
existing teaching materials into the software as the basis for a lesson, or entire
course, built in VR.
In early 2017, EON Reality released an upgrade of their Creator tool “that will
enable non-technical users to create Augmented Reality (AR) Knowledge Injections,
with no coding required.”
Another trend is the growing number of marketplaces that sell (or give away)
premade virtual objects and even virtual worlds. Suppliers include Lifeliqe, EON
Reality, Voxelus, WEARVR, and Odeum.
Next-generation Cognitive Fitness Games, Brain
Trainers, and Mental Training Apps Hit the Market
2015 and 2016 saw a wave of exponential innovation in brain trainers. Next-generation
brain trainers are based on Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT), cognitive science,
neuropsychology, and educational neuroscience.
These new products integrate emotion analytics, affective computing, biosensors, neuro-
sensors, attention network training (also called executive attention network), galvanic skin
response (GSR), heart rate variability (HRV), AR, VR, and, most importantly, AI.
Mobile mental training apps are new on the market and are now being marketed to the
40 million people in the US that play organized sports.
Cerevrum "is a cutting-edge software
development group with a focus on progressive
educational VR projects." Their first VR edugame
was a brain trainer. "Cerevrum helps you learn
and improve cognitive abilities in virtual reality.
Cerevrum is rethinking learning itself and
designing fun VR neuro-gaming experiences."
Cerevrum
Next-generation Cognitive Edugames, Brain Trainers,
and Mental Training Apps Hit the Market
Products designed to improve cognitive functions in relatively healthy people include:
Cognitive Edugames (Brain Trainers)
Mental Training Apps for Athletes
Mindfulness Apps
Products designed to mitigate cognitive deficiencies caused by mental health problems, addiction, disability, or traumatic injury include:
Products for Children with Special Needs
Mental Health Treatment Products
Addiction Intervention Products
and Services
Disability Therapy and Rehabilitation
Products
New Early Childhood Learning
Game Trends
Special Needs
Smart Robots
Brain Trainers for Kids
CodingSTEAM
Social Emotional
Virtual and Augmented
Reality
Kiko Labs, Kidzoom,
Kidaptive, C8 Sciences
Tynker, Toca Builder, TinyTap,
CodeMonkey, Microsoft, Apple
Minority Media, Nival,
Cerevrum, Osmo
Sphero, PrimoToys,
CongiToys, Kamibot
Injini, Strong Mind Puzzles,
Super Speak, SideKicks
Toca Boca, DragonBox,
BrainPOP, PBS KIDS, PlayKids
Artha, SmilingMinds,
Splingo, Schell Games
Serious Games for Children with Special Needs
Gain Traction Injini sells for $29.99. It is "Play-
based learning exercises and games that are well suited for children with cognitive, language and fine motor delays.”
Voice4u is a "simple application that consists numerous of fun and memorable images that can help assist and improve language." The app costs $99.
The Mobile Education Store (MES) sells individual apps from $5.99 to $19.99 and bundles for $74.99.
Sidekicks launched in June 2015. The product is designed for children with autism. Their app that has three virtual avatars. As parents or therapists speak, the words are spoken in the avatar's voice.
Injini
Voice4U
Sidekicks
The Tutoring Robots: High Demand for Next-generation
Childhood Learning Games
Several new educational robots designed to teach kids programming and related skills have
entered the market including the Vortex, the Kamibot, the Fisher-Price's Code-a-Pillar,
WowWee's Coji, Primo Toys' Cubetto, Makeblock's Codeybot, Aisoy, Scansorial’s Root, and
Ozobot. They have relatively low price points. They are also attracting the attention of investors.
Wonder Workshop raised $20 million in funding in July 2016. They have obtained $35.9 million
so far. They sell two educational robots designed to teach children coding: Dash and Dot.
A company called Sphero raised $45 million in 2015 and an additional $3.2 million in 2016.
Hanson Robotics’
Professor Einstein
WowWee Coji
Sphero
A Niche Revenue Opportunity: Children’s
Games with Embedded Authoring Tools TinyTap sells a game for autistic kids called TinyTap, Turn Moments Into Games. "it provides
parents and guardians with tools to build their own games and tailor them to a specific child.“
Tynker raised $7.1 million in May 2016. "Kids begin experimenting with visual blocks, then progress to text-based coding as they design games.“
A company called codeSpark obtained $4.1 million in funding in late 2016 on top of the $1.35 million raised in 2015. "This fully self-directed game places kids in a Mariostyle setting and gives them friendly characters to control through visual prompts and commands illustrating the fundamentals of how coding works.”
Israel-based CodeMonkey raised $1.5 million in February 2017 and launched their Game Builder Platform in June 2017.
In May 2017, Microsoft launched their Code Builder for Minecraft: Education Edition.
Tynker
CodeMonkey
Microsoft
High Demand for Mobile Early Childhood
Learning Games
PBS KIDS, Disney, LEGO, Mattel, Sesame Street, Spin Master (Toca Boca and
Sago Mini) are major brands of early childhood learning game developers.
Duck Duck Moose (acquired by Khan Academy in August 2016), PlayKids,
DragonBox, Osmo, THUP Games, Intellijoy, and Dr. Panda are also well-known.
In October 2016, Amplify Games and StoryToys announced a new joint venture
called Touch Press merging the portfolios of Amplify Games, StoryToys, and
Touchpress apps “for kids from kindergarten through middle school.”
Duck Duck Moose
Dr. Panda
Toca Boca
Popularity of Language Learning Games
Global language learning games will more than double by 2022. This product type has a growth rate of 16.1% globally and even higher at 22.0% in the US.
The vast majority of language learning games on the market are mobile and consistently rank in the top twenty best-selling educational apps in almost all the 122 countries tracked by Metaari.
In March 2016, US-based Imagine Learning announced that their Imagine Learning English and Imagine Learning Español(combined) had reached over a million downloads since the launch in late 2013.
Monkimun is a Madrid-based startup founded in 2014 and is now headquartered in the US. Their Language Learning for Kids "has more than five million installations to date."
In February 2016, Rovio announced a partnership with the
Germany-based Papagei.com to sell English language
learning games based on Angry Birds characters. The
Papagei-Rovio app launched in the US in October 2016 with
a relatively high price point of $8.99 a month.
Imagine Learning
Rovio
New Educational Game Delivery Platforms:
Native AR, VR, and MR Technology
In AR, digital information is
overlaid on the real world.
Almost all AR educational
products on the market are
mobile.
In virtual reality, the user is
immersed in a simulated
environment.
Mixed Reality (MR) is a
combination of AR and VR
digital content and objects in
the real world.
AR Flashcards
Animal4D+
Luden (formerly Nival VR)
Biophysical Environment
Augmented Objects (Triggers)
Augmented Environment
Semi-Immersive VR in 2D
Four Degrees of Freedom
VR
Six Degrees
of Freedom
VR
Metaari’s Mixed Reality Spectrum
AR and VR has been available for mobile devices for over two years, but it has not been easy or cost-effective to build content for the technologies. The barriers-to-entry are fading fast with a host of new AR and VR platforms integrated into games engines and operating systems.
Microsoft’s Windows Holographic is included in Windows Creator Update.
Google’s Daydream VR technology is now native in their new Nougat OS.
Google's Tango platform uses motion tracking, "area learning", and spatial awareness technology from Intel called RealSense 3D camera. Tango creates AR content in real time.
New Educational Game Delivery Platforms:
Native AR, VR, and MR Technology
In September 2016, Russia-based NivalVR rebranded as Luden.io. In late 2016, they launched
InMind2 VR, an advanced version of their neuroscience game ported to Google's Daydream platform.
• Immersive VR Education’s Apollo 11 VR app allows a user to experience the 1969 moon landing and
go moon walking in vivid and accurate detail taken from actual footage. It is one of the best-selling
VR games on the market. They have sold over 50,000 copies made over $500,000 in one year.
A unique (and visually stunning) VR game is Time Machine VR developed by Canada's Minority
Media. "You are a time-travelling cadet tasked with exploring the Jurassic era and the ancient
creatures that once ruled the prehistoric oceans. Use an array of advanced tech tools to track,
examine, and discover scientifically accurate creatures like mosasaurs, livyatans, and megalodons."
New Educational Game Delivery Platforms:
Native AR, VR, and MR Technology
Minority Media
Luden.io
Location-based
Learning Triggers
Location-based
Learning Objects
Proximity Perimeter
(4D Location Sphere)
4D Presence:
Location in 3D Space and Time
LBS Sensors
LBL Markers
and Anchors
Indoor Positioning Systems (IPS) Evolving Fast
Location-based Learning: Proximity Triggers
Knowledge Transfer in Space and Time
Location, Location: Location-based Learning is
by Definition Mobile
The growth rate for Location-based
Learning games is very high at 30.5%
and revenues will more that triple by
2022.
Developers are designing learning
experiences triggered at geotagged
physical locations and in time.
Location-based Learning products are
used in many venues, particularly
museums, galleries, tourist attractions,
parks, and exhibitions. There is a
cottage industry of developers that
cater to this demand.
Scavenger hunt and role play games
for children are common game types.
Animal Trackers Tennessee Aquarium
First-generation Location-based Services (LBS) emphasize the position of the object (triggers, markers, beacons, anchors).
Second-generation Indoor Positioning Systems (IPS) emphasize the position of the user via smartphone sensors including the gyroscope, compass, altimeter, and the accelerometer.
The American Museum of Natural History in New York City and the Royal BC Museum both use IPS for their exhibitions.
The Museum of Science in Boston uses ByteLight's LED system:
"Within each LED light bulb is a chip that flashes a pattern, pulsing too fast for humans to see but the perfect speed for the camera lens of a mobile device. The light tracks the user’s location with incredible accuracy.”
Sophisticated Indoor Positioning Systems Define the Next
Generation of Location-based Learning
Google’s Tango – American
Museum of Natural History
GuidiGo Tour Authoring System
