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PlayPower is a
The games are designed to run on
by Derek Lomas (2010) which allows the games to be run on very low cost computers.Old-style computers get new life in developing countries
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, February 10, 201
Wayback
/ref> For $12, families can buy a compatible computer with an 8-bit, MOS Technology 6502, 6502 Microprocessor, processor, a Computer keyboard, keyboard, a Edge connector, slot for ROM cartridge, game cartridges, a mouse (computing), mouse, and two game controllers. Lacking its own monitor, the computer plugs into a TV screen for display.$12 Computer: Playpower Wants to Save the World 8 Bits at a Time
Wired (magazine), Wired, March 11, 2009 Part of the software should be acquired as source code of commercially unavailable educational games, like Number Munchers and Lemonade Stand, and Source port, ported by the open-source community. At least three games were in production as of early 2010, "Hanuman Typing warrior", "Hanuman's Quiz Adventure" and the "Mosquito game". The project Open-source software, opened the source code for these three games, written in Assembly language, assembly. One of them teaches players how to type, which can greatly improve their earning potential in the job market. Another is a multiple choice question game, somewhat similar to that featured in the film ''Slumdog Millionaire''. And finally, a different game was created to raise awareness of malaria (which infects 1.5 million people a year in India) by allowing players to kill mosquitoes and accumulate points toward antimalarial mosquito nets.
Derek Lomas
an
Daniel Rehn
, who were students at the University of California, San Diego, University of California at San Diego at the time, an
Jeremy Douglass
a Postdoctoral researcher, postdoctoral research fellow at the same school at the time. In 2012 Daniel Rehn announced on his private homepage the PowerPlay project as "finished". After 2012 the Playpower project was transformed to "Playpower Labs, LLC" and offers now
The gaming computer you dreamed of in 1983
by Rob Beschizza on BoingBoing (Mar 27, 2009
Wayback Machine
Hanuman Typing Warrior
NES game and source code on groups.google.com Appropriate technology Nintendo Entertainment System hardware clones Open-source video games Educational video games Non-profit organizations based in California Information and communication technologies in Asia Video game organizations
non-profit organization
A nonprofit organization (NPO), also known as a nonbusiness entity, nonprofit institution, not-for-profit organization, or simply a nonprofit, is a non-governmental (private) legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public, or so ...
designed to create free educational computer software for low income families in India
India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...
and other developing countries
A developing country is a sovereign state with a less-developed Secondary sector of the economy, industrial base and a lower Human Development Index (HDI) relative to developed countries. However, this definition is not universally agreed upon. ...
. After 2012 the project was reformed as ''PlayPower Labs, LLC'', which focuses now on educational games for mobile platform
A mobile device or handheld device is a computer small enough to hold and operate in hand. Mobile devices are typically battery-powered and possess a flat-panel display and one or more built-in input devices, such as a touchscreen or keypad. Mod ...
s.
Concept
The games are designed to run on 8-bit
In computer architecture, 8-bit integers or other data units are those that are 8 bits wide (1 octet). Also, 8-bit central processing unit (CPU) and arithmetic logic unit (ALU) architectures are those that are based on registers or data bu ...
systems, using designs and processors
Processor may refer to:
Computing Hardware
* Processor (computing)
** Central processing unit (CPU), the hardware within a computer that executes a program
*** Microprocessor, a central processing unit contained on a single integrated circuit ( ...
that are in the public domain
The public domain (PD) consists of all the creative work to which no Exclusive exclusive intellectual property rights apply. Those rights may have expired, been forfeited, expressly Waiver, waived, or may be inapplicable. Because no one holds ...
e.g. Famicom clone
The Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) is an 8-bit home video game console developed and marketed by Nintendo. It was first released in Japan on 15 July 1983 as the and was later released as the redesigned NES in several test markets in the U ...
s which patents have expired,About the $10 Computer and Playpowerby Derek Lomas (2010) which allows the games to be run on very low cost computers.Old-style computers get new life in developing countries
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, February 10, 201
Wayback
/ref> For $12, families can buy a compatible computer with an 8-bit, MOS Technology 6502, 6502 Microprocessor, processor, a Computer keyboard, keyboard, a Edge connector, slot for ROM cartridge, game cartridges, a mouse (computing), mouse, and two game controllers. Lacking its own monitor, the computer plugs into a TV screen for display.$12 Computer: Playpower Wants to Save the World 8 Bits at a Time
Wired (magazine), Wired, March 11, 2009 Part of the software should be acquired as source code of commercially unavailable educational games, like Number Munchers and Lemonade Stand, and Source port, ported by the open-source community. At least three games were in production as of early 2010, "Hanuman Typing warrior", "Hanuman's Quiz Adventure" and the "Mosquito game". The project Open-source software, opened the source code for these three games, written in Assembly language, assembly. One of them teaches players how to type, which can greatly improve their earning potential in the job market. Another is a multiple choice question game, somewhat similar to that featured in the film ''Slumdog Millionaire''. And finally, a different game was created to raise awareness of malaria (which infects 1.5 million people a year in India) by allowing players to kill mosquitoes and accumulate points toward antimalarial mosquito nets.
History
The organization was founded in 2008 bDerek Lomas
an
Daniel Rehn
, who were students at the University of California, San Diego, University of California at San Diego at the time, an
Jeremy Douglass
a Postdoctoral researcher, postdoctoral research fellow at the same school at the time. In 2012 Daniel Rehn announced on his private homepage the PowerPlay project as "finished". After 2012 the Playpower project was transformed to "Playpower Labs, LLC" and offers now
mobile platform
A mobile device or handheld device is a computer small enough to hold and operate in hand. Mobile devices are typically battery-powered and possess a flat-panel display and one or more built-in input devices, such as a touchscreen or keypad. Mod ...
educational games via Apple's iTunes store and Google's Google Play, play store.
Reception
PlayPower won the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, MacArthur Foundation's Digital Media and Learning Competition in 2009, for which it received $180,000 to help fund its activities. More than 100 volunteer programmers from around the world have signed up to help develop games. The project was noted in the academic domain and by the web community like BoingBoing.by Rob Beschizza on BoingBoing (Mar 27, 2009
Wayback Machine
See also
*UzeboxReferences
External links
*{{official website, http://playpower.org/Hanuman Typing Warrior
NES game and source code on groups.google.com Appropriate technology Nintendo Entertainment System hardware clones Open-source video games Educational video games Non-profit organizations based in California Information and communication technologies in Asia Video game organizations