Digital Praise's First Entertainment Titles Win
High Recognition From Dr. Toy, Plain Games
Company's Initial Two Adventures in Odyssey® Products, Sword of the Spirit and
Treasure of the Incas, Lauded as Top PC Game Products for 8- to 12-Year Olds
FREMONT, CA (September 27, 2005) - Digital Praise, Inc, a leader in family-friendly entertainment software, today announced that its very first two PC game titles for kids, Adventures in Odyssey® and the Sword of the Spirit and Adventures in Odyssey® and the Treasure of the Incas, have already garnered top accolades from two respected advocates of quality game products for children: Dr. Toy's Guide (www.drtoy.com) and Plain Games (www.plaingames.com).
Dr. Toy (Dr. Stevanne Auerbach of The Institute for Childhood Resources) included the titles in her Best Vacation Products 2005, while Plain Games gave Adventures in Odyssey and the Treasure of the Incas a 4-1/2 out of 5 star rating along with its Editor's Choice ranking. Adventures in Odyssey and the Sword of the Spirit earned a 4 out of 5 star rating from Plain Games, a non-profit group founded and staffed by young people ages 18 to 30 and dedicated to reviewing computer games, video games, and game-related hardware from a Christian perspective.
Digital Praise's most recent awards follow its initial positive response from The Dove Foundation, one of the best known advocates of family-friendly entertainment. Dove reviewers rated Treasure of the Incas and Sword of the Spirit "Family Approved" and gave both titles a "four-Dove" rating for quality.
"Digital Praise is extremely pleased that Dr. Toy's Guide and Plain Games have chosen our products as some of the very best available for children anywhere," said Tom Bean, president and CEO of Digital Praise, Inc. "It's especially gratifying that these organizations have recognized our first very titles. Dr. Toy's Guide and Plain Games have quickly affirmed what Digital Praise is all about - Christian family entertainment software that is every bit as attention-grabbing, exciting, and challenging as the majority of digital games marketed today."
Focus on the Family®
Digital Praise's Adventures in Odyssey and the Sword of the Spirit and Adventures in Odyssey
and the Treasure of the Incas are both based on the characters found in the long-running and highly
popular Focus on the Family radio series, Adventures in Odyssey. The games have achieved extensive
distribution at major retailers nationwide since their debut several months ago, as well as strongly positive
reviews from media outlets ranging from Gannett News Service to The Houston Chronicle and The
Washington Times, among others.
Adventures in Odyssey and the Sword of the Spirit features Adventures in Odyssey characters Whit, Connie and Eugene as they overcome mental, physical and moral challenges to find the legendary Sword of the Spirit before a selfish art dealer, Gustav, takes it for himself. Adventures in Odyssey and the Treasure of the Incas, the second in the series, follows the same threesome as they unravel mysterious accusations made against Eugene's parents. Children playing the PC game must investigate clues and discover important facts, eventually leading them to the South American jungle to solve Eugene's mystery by demonstrating positive traits like faith and trust.
"Exploration, Confidence"
Dr. Toy's Best Vacation Products 2005 is the organization's tenth annual ranking of products that
help children learn during the summertime. Along with such positive activities as learning phonics, math
and cognitive strategy, the list rewards games that promote fun, exploration, and gaining new confidence.
"Summertime should be about fun and learning, testing limits and developing new skills," states the introduction to the list. "These products provide children with creative activities. They will stimulate them with a whole range of new skills."
Dr. Stevanne Auerbach, known as "Dr. Toy," is an expert in play, toys, children's products, education, parent education, child development, child advocacy, child psychology, child care and special education. She is the author of 15 books and has appeared on NBC's The Today Show as well as many radio and TV talk shows. She has also been quoted in The New York Times, LA Times, Washington Post, USA Today and other national publications.
"Fun, Moral"
In its review of Adventures in Odyssey and the Treasure of the Incas, Plain Games stated,
"Digital Praise is to be commended for their efforts in bringing Adventures in Odyssey to the PC." It also
said younger children "... will have a blast with this morally sound game." The site's review of
Adventures in Odyssey and The Sword of the Spirit was equally positive: "It's hard to find a fun game that
also upholds good morals, but The Sword of the Spirit does both. Bringing the well known Adventures in
Odyssey series to the PC was a great idea and we hope to see this line continue in the future."
Plain Games' rating system ranks computer and video games on a scale from 1 to 5 stars. The group's criteria include game play, graphics, sound, user interface, storyline, and quality control as well as spiritual content evaluations according to language, violence, image content, general self-destructive behavior, and alternate spirituality. Its Editors Choice Award, according to the group's description, is handed out only to "games that exceed our expectations of quality and design. This game is the epitome of technical excellence."
About Digital Praise, Inc.:
Digital Praise is an independent developer and publisher of family-friendly entertainment software for
personal computers. The company produces faith-based and mainstream titles for families looking to
enjoy interactive entertainment software with principled character-building themes and "just good clean
fun." Digital Praise products have achieved top recognition from leading children's gaming and
advocacy groups including The Dove Foundation, Dr. Toy and Plain Games. For more information, visit
www.digitalpraise.com.
PRESS CONTACT:
Roxanne Pipitone / Rebecca Jurek
S&S Public Relations
800-287-2279
roxanne@sspr.com / rjurek@sspr.com
©2005 Digital Praise, Inc. All rights reserved. Digital Praise is a trademark of Digital Praise, Inc. All other marks are the property of their respective owners.