Zynga Inc (NASDAQ:ZNGA) has released a new version of Words with Friends called Words With Friends EDU which is designed for school-going children.
The new game includes educational features and is best suited for school children attending fourth grade to eighth grade. Words with Friends EDU is available on mobile platforms including Alphabet Inc (NASDAQ:GOOGL) Google Android, Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) iOS. The game is best suited for tablet devices. Zynga has revamped the Words with Friends experience to make it more effective and entertaining to students. The title’s general manager Vaibhav Sahgal stated that it will be a unique experience for students regardless of whether they have advanced knowledge of English vocabulary or have taken up English as their second language.
Sahgal also revealed that the firm has been working together with education experts and teachers to create an engaging and fun experience while also improving student’s vocabulary. The general manager revealed that students who used Words with Friends EDUdemonstrated significant improvement in their use of academic words within the first six sessions of the game. Zynga stated that it is pleased to deliver the game as a new learning tool to students as they commence the school year.
Zynga launched the original Words with Friends in 2009 and it was considered one of the top 10 best free games of all time on the App Store. Research data on the game reports that the game had an estimated 55 million matches being played at any one time. The company hopes that the new Words with Friends EDU will also be as successful as the original version. The game features Power Words that allow students to gain bonus points when they use high-value academic words including those used in educational assessments and textbooks. The new Words with Friends title will also provide definition hints that allow students to gain easy access to the definition of the power words courtesy of a customized dictionary.
