Simon & Schuster interactive targets niche market and fills void in software market for young women.NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug. 27, 1996-- "Let's Talk Let's Talk is an Indian English language film, released on 13th December 2002. It is produced by Shift Focus and directed by Ram Madhavani. Plot Radhika (Maia Katrak) has been married for over ten years to Nikhil (Boman Irani) and is having an affair for the past About ME!" CD-ROM CD-ROM: see compact disc. CD-ROM in full compact disc read-only memory Type of computer storage medium that is read optically (e.g., by a laser). Designed to Capture Imagination & Attention of Hard-to-Reach Preteen pre·teen adj. 1. Relating to or designed for children especially between the ages of 10 and 12. 2. Being a child especially between the ages of 10 and 12; preadolescent. n. A preteen boy or girl. and Teen Girls It's Not Your Brother's Software Simon & Schuster Simon & Schuster U.S. publishing company. It was founded in 1924 by Richard L. Simon (1899–1960) and M. Lincoln Schuster (1897–1970), whose initial project, the original crossword-puzzle book, was a best-seller. Interactive, the consumer software publishing unit of Simon & Schuster Inc., has launched Let's Talk About ME!, one of the first CD-ROM's created exclusively for preteen and teen girls, developed in conjunction with Girl Games Inc., pioneers of interactive software for the female audience. Targeting the more than 19-million preteen and teenage girls in the U.S. who spend over $50 billion of "their" money annually, Let's Talk About ME! is an interactive companion to growing up that girls can call their own. This groundbreaking product takes the old-fashioned diary and gives it an exciting interactive spin, providing preteen and teenage girls with age-appropriate knowledge and activities to explore their relationships, self-image, personality and potential, all within the privacy of their own interactive experience. Based on exhaustive research with its target audience, and created by a software development team of dedicated women, Let's Talk About ME! provides a multi-media resource for the "whys" and "hows" of a girl's developing body, as well as candid interviews with 23 well-known and successful women of the 90's who share their valuable life experiences. It also features a wide range of topics and activities from quizzes to cyber-pals, fashion to horoscopes, diaries to dreams -- everything to help girls with the challenges and complexities of adolescence. Importantly, Let's Talk About ME! also keeps preteen and teenage girls using computers -- giving them the technological tools they need to stay competitive in today's information age. "This revolutionary product will go a long way in capturing the imaginations and attentions of this hard-to-reach teen audience while preparing them for the demands of a technologically advanced future," commented Peter Yunich, President of Simon & Schuster Interactive. "It's not often a product can really make a difference in peoples' lives -- this one can. We're proud to introduce Let's Talk About ME! to young women and to the people who care about them and their future." The product has been extraordinarily well-received in preliminary tests and will launch in September in time for back-to-school sales. It will be widely available at computer, book and video stores. The CD-ROM can also be ordered by calling 1-888-793-9972, citing reference code no. 440115. Simon & Schuster Inc. is already negotiating licensing and other deals with major consumer product companies. "This is not a game, its a whole franchise," explains Jeff Siegel, Simon & Schuster Interactive Vice President and Creative Director. "Let's Talk About ME! is our `Fear Street'," he added comparing the software title to one of Simon & Schuster's best-selling best·sell·er also best seller n. A product, such as a book, that is among those sold in the largest numbers. best youth book series which spawned a merchandising phenomenon. For nearly a decade, computer companies have tried to retool re·tool v. re·tooled, re·tool·ing, re·tools v.tr. 1. To fit out (a factory, for example) with a new set of machinery and tools for making a different product. 2. their titles to meet the vast, but to date, impenetrable im·pen·e·tra·ble adj. 1. Impossible to penetrate or enter: an impenetrable fortress. 2. Impossible to understand; incomprehensible: impenetrable jargon. computer software market for girls. While there are hundreds of titles geared toward boys on the market, Let's Talk About ME! will fill a void in computer software for young women. This is particularly important as studies show that by age nine, computer usage by girls drops off and indicators point to a lack of engaging software as a key factor. "One of the challenges in creating compelling CD-ROMs for young women is figuring out what they want. You've got to reach them to teach them. We went right to the source -- the girls themselves," Laura Groppe, President of Girl Games. "A quick look at Let's Talk About ME! will tell you this is not your brother's software. Every aspect of the content and design is tailor-made for the audience." In contrast to the computer game industry practice of having young people test nearly finished products, the mostly female Let's Talk About ME! product developers met weekly with young women and learned a lot in the process, tailoring the product accordingly. Among their findings, girls tend to use computers for briefer periods than boys do and they want computers to do something for them that is practical as well as entertaining. Further, since girls are adamant about protecting their privacy, the Let's Talk About ME! "panic button" allows users to quickly cover the screen, shielding their personal data from unwelcome intruders like nosy nos·y or nos·ey adj. nos·i·er, nos·i·est Informal 1. Given to prying into the affairs of others; snoopy. See Synonyms at curious. 2. Prying; inquisitive. parents and little brothers. Studies reveal that young women like their screens to be magazine-like in feel, incorporating real clothes, not sketches, and using models that are slightly older than themselves. Scrap- books are also extremely popular with this age group, so Let's Talk About ME! allows girls to scan in actual images mixing their actual and virtual realities. Girl Games, Inc. is a pioneering interactive entertainment company dedicated to the design and development of high quality software products for the female audience, ages 7- 17. By employing activities and games that encourage social interaction, nurturing, role-playing and creative story development, Girl Games software makes if fun for young women to explore cutting-edge technology while it prepares them for the demands of a technologically advanced future. Simon & Schuster Interactive is the consumer software publishing unit of the Simon & Schuster Consumer Group. The division enters its second year with 22 CD-ROMs in the market and an additional 18 expected to be published by the end of 1996. Simon & Schuster Inc., the publishing unit of Viacom, Inc., is the world's largest educational, computer book and English language English language, member of the West Germanic group of the Germanic subfamily of the Indo-European family of languages (see Germanic languages). Spoken by about 470 million people throughout the world, English is the official language of about 45 nations. book publisher. With operations in 43 countries and book and multimedia product distribution in 150 countries, its imprints include Simon & Schuster, Macmillan Publishing USA, Simon & Schuster Interactive, Pocket Books Pocket Books is a division of Simon & Schuster which primarily publishes paperback books. Pocket produced the first mass-market, pocket-sized paperback books in America in early 1939 and revolutionized the publishing industry. , Scribner, The Free Press, Prentice Hall Prentice Hall is a leading educational publisher. It is an imprint of Pearson Education, Inc., based in Upper Saddle River, New Jersey, USA. Prentice Hall publishes print and digital content for the 6-12 and higher education market. History In 1913, law professor Dr. , Silver Burdett Ginn, Allyn and Bacon, Computer Curriculum and Educational Management Group. Viacom is one of the world's largest entertainment and publishing companies and a leading force in nearly every segment of the international media marketplace. The operations of Viacom include: Blockbuster Video, Blockbuster Music, MTV Networks MTV Networks is a division of media conglomerate Viacom that oversees the operation of many TV network and Internet brands, including the first MTV channel. The company was established in 1984 after Warner Communications and American Express decided to divest the basic cable , Paramount Parks Paramount Parks was an operator of theme parks and attractions, which annually attracted about 13 million patrons. Viacom had assumed control of the company as part of its acquisition of Paramount Pictures in 1994. , Paramount Pictures, Paramount Television Paramount Television (re-incorporated from Desilu Productions) was an American television production/distribution company that was active from December 1967 to May 28, 2006 and was launched under Gulf+Western. , Showtime show·time or show time n. 1. The time at which an entertainment, such as the showing of a movie, is scheduled to start. 2. Slang The time at which an activity is to begin. Noun 1. Networks, Simon & Schuster and Viacom Interactive Media, as well as cable systems and movie screens in 11 countries. Viacom also has a majority interest in Spelling Entertainment Group. National Amusements National Amusements, Inc. is a privately owned media and entertainment company based in Dedham, Massachusetts. The company was founded in 1936 as the Northeast Theatre Corporation by Michael Redstone. , Inc., a closely held corporation Noun 1. closely held corporation - stock is publicly traded but most is held by a few shareholders who have no plans to sell corp, corporation - a business firm whose articles of incorporation have been approved in some state which owns and operates more than 1,000 screens in the U.S. and UK, is the parent company of Viacom. -0- Editor Note: Screen shots, disks and interviews available upon request CONTACT: Gina Clark, 212/484-7629 Robinson Lerer & Montgomery for consumer & business press or Lana Iny: 212/727-1030 KillerApp for trade & technology press |
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