Product: Tektoma: Game Tutorial for Kids
Company: Tektoma
Price: 140$US per year (14.95 per month)
Additional Information: 14 day free trial membership available
As a member of the TOS Homeschool Crew, I was given a 3 month membership to Tektoma, a website which allows you to play and develop your own computer games using easy to follow video tutorials. There are tutorials for everything from racing games, platform games, fantasy games and more. Each tutorial lets you know what will be involved in the games so that if you do not want your child to view certain content you can choose different tutorials (some contain shooting but are relatively non-violent...think older Mario Brothers games here). Unfortunately, the software used to develop the games is not supported on my Mac so I was unable to take full advantage of this subscription. I did get the opportunity to view some of the tutorials and supplemental resources/premade "sprites" (characters/vehicles needed to make the games in the tutorials). I believe that if there are avid gamers in your house (whether a child or an adult with limited (or no) computer programming experience) who might like to try developing their own games this is a worthwhile membership to invest in.
To use Tektoma to it's full potential you will need:
- Windows XP or Vista
- Broadband Internet (the video tutorials are MASSIVE and would not work well with a dial-up connection)
- Any current browser
- GameMaker software installed on your computer (available for free on the Tektoma Website)
According to the website, Tektoma offers you:
- Engaging video tutorials for ages 7-17
- Tutorials of varying skill levels and topics
- Learn at your own pace in the comfort of your home
- Natural progression helps develop technical skills
- Customize your learning experience
- Low monthly membership fee gives access to all our resources
- New curriculums available monthly
For a 140 dollar year long membership (or 14.95$US per month) you also get access to forums where you can gain additional support when building your games. Tektoma also offers a 14 days free trial membership so you can try it out to see if it is something that interests you and your family before you commit to buying a membership. If we had the requirements on our computer this is something that I would consider purchasing (likely on a monthly basis) for my son as he really loves games and is also interesting in making his own. He has tried several online sites but nothing seems near as complete as these tutorials and software. To get your free 14 day trial membership click here.
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