Digital Praise Introduces Max Lucado's Hermie & Friends™
To PC Gaming With FLO: Return of the Water Beetles
New Adventure Based On Hugely Popular Video Series Offers Hours of Fun
As well as Christian Messages and Other Educational Values to Kids Ages 3 through 6
FREMONT, CA (November 8, 2005) - Digital Praise, Inc, a leader in Christian themed, family-friendly entertainment software, today planted a fresh seed of fun in Max Lucado's enchanting garden for children via the debut of FLO: Return of the Water Beetles, the first PC game title based on the award-winning Hermie & Friends™ video series. FLO: Return of the Water Beetles, for both Windows and Macintosh home computers, offers kids ages 3 through 6 a series of entertaining, interactive challenges based on one of the original stories in the series, FLO, The Lyin' Fly, culminating in a video "concert" by the musical superstars of the garden, the Water Beetles.
As in Max Lucado's Hermie & Friends book and video counterparts, FLO: Return of the Water Beetles brings children closer to God by experiencing "interludes" throughout the game in which characters Hermie and Wormie talk with God. Through these episodes children learn important, Biblically-based lessons about truthfulness, forgiveness, trust, and praise.
Also setting the game apart is the use of Digital Praise's unique auto-leveling technology that adjusts the action to match the child's development stage. Three levels of difficulty-easy, medium and hard-are offered for each activity; levels are changed automatically if a challenge proves too easy or too difficult. In this way the technology helps children develop critical thinking skills such as pattern recognition, matching, sorting, and sequencing, without ever losing interest in the game.
From the very start, FLO: Return of the Water Beetles immerses players in the action when Stringo, one of the Water Beetles, asks Flo if she will help make arrangements for the band's encore garden performance. Flo is thrilled to seek out caterpillars Hermie and Wormie to help. In order to put on the rockin' revue, the children must also assist by completing five fun-filled, interactive challenges:
- Antonio's Seed Zapper - Help Antonio Ant make banners by "zapping" seeds that are floating through the air. Children "zap" the seeds to match a particular pattern and an army of ants marches them away to make decorative streamers.
- Lucy's Cookie Maker - Lucy Ladybug and her twins Hailey and Bailey are making cookies for the concert, but toppings must go on in the right order. Children improve their powers of observation and learn sequencing skills as they follow the picture recipes.
- Webster's Stream - Webster Spider helps Hermie cross the lily pads to collect tasty flowers for the concert. Children assist Webster by creating log bridges-but watch out for those frogs!
- Buzby's Meadow - Buzby Bee is busily flying over the garden, looking for matching garden flowers. It's a big garden, and he needs to find identical flowers while also avoiding hornets that will make him drop what he's found.
- Schneider's Pea Patterns - Using a special "pea sorter," children help Schneider Snail find neighboring peas that match the pattern specified in the log. These will be yummy snacks for the concert.
Once the child successfully completes all five activities, he or she is rewarded by enjoying the concert, an exciting video presentation that even includes a surprise twist at the end. But the fun doesn't stop there - during the activities, children also collect seeds for Hermie and Wormie's Musical Garden. When planted, the seeds grow into wonderfully intriguing instruments. The children can then create their own concerts featuring eight Christian and popular songs, selecting which instruments will play and which one will play the lead melody. Countless combinations of melody and harmony lead to music education and hours of additional fun.
Hit Children's Series
Hermie & Friends, created by Max Lucado, America's Leading Inspirational Author with more than 40 million books in print, has garnered sales of over a million videos since its introduction in 2003. To date the complete line of Hermie & Friends products, including books, toys, games and more, have sold nearly three million units.
"A major goal of Digital Praise is to align itself with well-known characters and titles from the Christian entertainment and education marketplace. Hermie & Friends certainly fits our criteria," said Tom Bean, president and CEO of Digital Praise, Inc. "Hermie, Wormie, Flo and the rest of the garden gang are engaging, fully-developed characters any young person can identify with. We're looking forward to giving children a richly rewarding play experience through the release of FLO: Return of the Water Beetles."
Tommy Nelson, the kids division of Thomas Nelson Inc., creates and distributes the Hermie & Friends video series and related products. "Tommy Nelson is thrilled to work with Digital Praise on this latest Hermie & Friends release," said Bill Reeves, Director of Entertainment Products and Executive Producer for Hermie & Friends videos. "Digital Praise leads the Christian video game market in production quality, entertainment value and educational expertise. Parents and children alike can be sure that FLO: Return of the Water Beetles will provide hours of constructive, value-filled fun."
FLO: Return of the Water Beetles is priced at $29.95, with a special 90-day introductory price of just $24.95. The game is now available at all leading Christian booksellers nationwide as well as Amazon.com and the Digital Praise web site, www.digitalpraise.com. Digital Praise will also be releasing a second Hermie & Friends PC game, BUZBY: Breakin' All the Rules, in November 2005.
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 iParenting Media, the National Parenting Center, The Dove Foundation, Dr. Toy and Plain Games For more information, visit www.digitalpraise.com.
PRESS CONTACT:
Sarah Ryser
S&S Public Relations
847-415-9318
sryser@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.