Prodigy Math or Prodigy Math Game is an educational fantasy massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) developed by Prodigy Education. The player takes the role of a wizard or witch, who, whilst undertaking quests to collect gems, must battle against the Puppet Master. These quests usually involve battling monsters in different areas of the in-game map. To participate in these quests, players must correctly answer math problems to cast spells. Prodigy Math was released in 2011.[1][2]
| Prodigy Math Game | |
|---|---|
| Developer(s) | SmarTeacher, Inc. |
| Publisher(s) | Prodigy Education, Inc |
| Designer(s) |
|
| Engine | Phaser |
| Platform(s) | Browser Android iOS |
| Release | 2011 |
| Genre(s) | Massively multiplayer online role-playing game |
| Mode(s) | Single-player multiplayer |
Development
editThe game began development as a school project by University of Waterloo engineering students Rohan Mahimker and Alex Peters.[3][4] Mahimker sought to address, in part, what he saw as the lack of appeal of most educational software aimed at children. Mahimker and Peters published Prodigy initially under the label of SmarTeacher, Inc.[3] Mahimker and Peters initially focused on utilizing biometrics and facial recognition software to personalize the educational experiences of students, but they later abandoned the focus on hardware to focus more on the in-game software.[4]
Gameplay
editTeachers can use the game to assign homework and monitor students. The game sells players items that they can use to customize their avatar, and has a "paid premium" membership level. The game uses a turn-based battle system. Prodigy Math integrates math exercises into its gameplay.[4]
Plot
editThe player controls a wizard or witch, which is the main protagonist of the game, in a place called Prodigy Island. The game initially starts with a short tutorial, where the protagonist is shown outside of a house. A fairy named Noot greets the player, telling them that they have to go to the Academy, a school where wizards and witches are trained to cast spells.
At the Academy, the protagonist encounters a wizard named Theo Addiwise, who leads the player his old wand to use. Noot teaches them how to use magic to defeat Theo. To cast spells, the player has magic points with a maximum of 2 at a time, when all are used up the player must answer a math question to refill it back to two again. After casting two spells, Theo goes back to class, then players encounter a set of 5 monsters to choose from to use as their first "starter" pet. Monsters, when caught and trained, can also be controlled by the player; they can cast spells and attack in battles with other wizards and/or monsters.
When Noot and the protagonist hear a sound after choosing a pet, the player first encounters the Puppet Master, the main antagonist of the game. The Puppet Master then proceeds to attempt to destroy the five Warden Keystones, but instead scatters the stones across Prodigy Island. The Keystones allow the five elemental towers (places where students can learn different elements of magic) in the Academy to stay open, so as soon as the Puppet Master attempts to destroy the Keystones, the towers are locked. It is then the player's mission to travel to the five elemental subareas within Prodigy Island (Firefly Forest, Shiverchill Mountains, Bonfire Spire, Skywatch and Shipwreck Shore) to find and earn the Warden Keystones and return them back to the Academy. When the player finally returns all five keystones, the Puppet Master (Main antagonist) challenges them. Then the player is whisked off into the final boss battle where they must defeat the Puppet Master.
Growth and reception
editIn 2013, Mahimker claimed that the game's playerbase was growing at a monthly rate of approximately 50 per cent.[3] By January 2021, Prodigy Math had about 100 million registered users and nine million active monthly users, its growth affected by the need for distance learning caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.[4]
In February 2021, Fairplay, an American advocacy organization, criticized the "freemium" model of Prodigy Math, stating that the models are "manipulative" and "promote inequity".[5][6][7]
References
edit- ^ "Five computer games based on maths that kids will love". Government of New South Wales. Archived from the original on June 24, 2022. Retrieved June 24, 2022.
- ^ Linn, Susan (September 13, 2022). Who's Raising the Kids?: Big Tech, Big Business, and the Lives of Children. New Press. ISBN 9781620972281.
- ^ a b c Serebrin, Jacob (April 19, 2013). "Outdated education model opens doors for tech firms". The Globe and Mail. Archived from the original on November 22, 2022. Retrieved November 22, 2022.
- ^ a b c d Silcoff, Sean; O'Kane, Josh (January 12, 2021). "Oakville maker of Prodigy math game to hire 400 after raising $159-million from U.S. private equity". The Globe and Mail. Archived from the original on November 21, 2022. Retrieved November 21, 2022.
- ^ Hern, Alex (February 19, 2021). "Maths app targeting UK schools is criticised over premium mode". The Guardian. Archived from the original on June 23, 2022. Retrieved June 23, 2022.
- ^ Solon, Olivia (February 19, 2021). "Child protection nonprofit alleges 'manipulative' upselling with math game Prodigy". NBC News. Archived from the original on June 23, 2022. Retrieved June 23, 2022.
- ^ Lucas, Johnson (June 14, 2022). "Why freemium software has no place in our classrooms". The Conversation. Archived from the original on June 23, 2022. Retrieved June 23, 2022.