The BBC has rolled out a digital game maker that will allow children to create their own digital games. The new Make It: Technobabble starter kit, launched as part of BBC’s 2015 Make it Digital initiative, requires no technical knowledge, no download to create games on smartphones and tablets as well as computers.
The starter kit, linked to CBBC show Technobabble, offers a range of assets from the TV shows including the presenters. Children are free to set the genre, characters, background images, rules and physics of their own personal video game.
Announcing the launch, Martin Wilson of BBC Future Media said “It’s designed to help children take their first creative steps into the digital world, engage with the characters of a BBC show they love, build their confidence and then inspire them to want to learn more.”
“It’s a starter kit. It requires no technical knowledge, no download, and works just as well on mobiles and tablets as desktop. The only requirements are access to the web, a willingness to experiment and an idea. In minutes a child can create a game.”
An early prototype version of the tool was even showcased at events including CBBC Live in Gateshead and the Birmingham Skills Show where children surprised the developers with the level of their creativity.
The kit has currently been launched as a beta with a full release expected sometime next year.
