SouthPeak: 'Large Untapped Market' For Educational Games

Midlothian, VA-based game publisher SouthPeak Interactive said Wednesday it will introduce a new line of interactive education games Nintendo DS, as the company attempts to broaden its portfolio. "Interactive education games represent a large untapped market opportunity and a natural fit for our company," said SouthPeak CEO Melanie Mroz in a statement. The new line of educational products is being developed by UK-based Razorback Developments. The publisher's first game in the line is Tap and Teach: The Story of Noah’s Ark, due to release in November. It's an interactive, fully-narrated storybook aimed at teaching children between the ages of three and six new vocabulary and letter and word recognition. "The introduction of Noah's Ark and subsequent learning-oriented titles are key to advancing our strategic initiatives designed to capture share of the rapidly expanding educational gaming sector," Mroz added. "Given its large install base of millions of young users, Nintendo DS is an ideal platform for delivering educational content and introducing interactive teaching tools that parents and children can enjoy," she said. SouthPeak, publisher of games including Two Worlds and Risen, most recently reported revenues of $40.3 million for the fiscal year ended June 30, representing a 15 percent year-on-year drop. The company said the decline was "primarily driven by selling fewer units for next generation platforms, which have a higher MSRP." Losses for the company slimmed to $5.8 million from a loss of $13.3 million for the fiscal year.