Gamewright Makes Geography Fun with YUPO
May 3, 2005 | Levent OZLER
Children love to play board games. The more fun the game, the more wear and tear it will suffer. And kids at play are notoriously tough on the games they love the most. Massachusetts-based game maker, Gamewright, a Ceaco brand, discovered that durability is a given when they selected super durable YUPO synthetic paper for a recent project, The Scrambled States of America game.
Laurie Keller's best-selling children's book, The Scrambled States of America, published by Henry Holt and Co., inspired Gamewright to develop a game of the same name. Dedicated to making the highest quality family games, Gamewright knew that Keller's story concept would make a fun and educational product.
The Scrambled States of America game encourages learning by helping children, (ages eight and up), identify and memorize the names, capitals, nicknames, shapes and positions of the states. The game effectively combines Keller's creative book concept and zany illustrations with Gamewright's game-making ingenuity. The result is a fun learning experience for children. Introduced in 2001, The Scrambled States of America quickly became Gamewright's top seller and garnered prestigious awards including Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Gold Award, Dr. Toy's 10 Best Socially Responsible Products, National Parenting Publications (NAPPA) Honors, and Creative Classroom Magazine Teacher Tested Tools & Toys.
"To hold a child's interest, a game must be as physically enduring as it is entertaining. YUPO's durability and the vibrancy of the printed colors provided the perfect complement to our game design. It's waterproof and practically indestructible, so the maps included with each game are impervious to spills and getting ripped, dog-eared or ruined by frequent use," says Christine Myung, Art Director at Ceaco.
The object of the game is to match the 50 whimsically illustrated "State" cards with the "Scramble" cards containing written clues and facts about each. The player who makes the most matches wins. Four, full-color illustrated maps serve as a reference tool for players competing to identify the shapes, locations and neighbor states.
Beyond its entertainment and educational value, The Scrambled States of America is distinguished by its unique materials. The game pioneers a new application for YUPO paper, enabling Gamewright to set a new standard in the durability of paper-based game components.
"We've seen YUPO used for everything from maps to brochures to annual reports to lampshades and serving trays, but this is the first time we've seen YUPO's unique durability harnessed to a colorful children's game -- a perfect application," explains Paul Mitcham, national marketing manager for Yupo Corporation America.
The way the paper holds ink with razor-edge precision allows the bright and fun illustrations that helped make the book famous translate to the game. YUPO's 50lb text paper provides the ideal weight for the maps, which needed to be light and flexible yet tear-resistant for endless adventures.
"The way it reproduces color, the fact it doesn't rip, a smooth matte finish and silky texture make the most compelling case for YUPO to designers and specifiers alike," Myung added.
About Yupo Corporation America
Yupo has more than three decades experience in the research and development of synthetic papers for numerous applications within the technical paper and commercial printing industries. Yupo Corporation America is a wholly owned subsidiary of Yupo Corporation (Tokyo, Japan), the world's largest manufacturer of synthetic paper.
YUPO synthetic paper is available in sheets and rolls in a variety of grades. In addition to its tear and stain resistant properties, YUPO is 100% waterproof and 100 % recyclable.
For further information, visit yupo.com or contact Paul Mitcham, National Marketing Manager, Yupo Corporation America, 800 Yupo Court, Chesapeake, VA 23320. Telephone: 888-USE-YUPO.
About Gamewright
GAMEWRIGHT, a company devoted to bringing out the fun in all of us, is a brand of Ceaco, one of the country's largest jigsaw puzzle makers. Their games have won numerous major international awards from prestigious organizations such as Oppenheim Toy Portfolio, Dr. Toy, Parents' Choice and the Canadian Toy Testing Council.
Known for its wry illustrations, intelligent game design, and fun game play, Gamewright continues to capture the hearts of parents and children looking for a positive way to spend leisure time as well as enhance the notion that learning can be fun!
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