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Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 6,145
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Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 6,145 |
Well, the co-op gets these sorts of deals all the time with all different companies. I think the idea is that the companies can reach new customers who wouldn't otherwise buy, and they can sell in bulk to them. I think CTY is probably treating it as the sort of discount they would give to a school system that is buying multiple copies at once.
The co-op has some 10-15 group buys going on right now, in fact, and they change all through the year. And prices are always cheaper than they would normally be because of the bulk buy thing.
Kriston
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Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 412
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My son raced through Physicus and really enjoyed it. He was seven at the time, but he knows a fair amount of physics. It is part of a series of Myst-like games that teach science. Others are Chemicus (which we have), Bioscopia (which we want), and Master of the Elements (which was way, way to easy for our son at age 7... but then again he has been fascinated by the periodic table of elements since he was 3!) Here is a link for a review of Physicus. It is on a gaming web site, which is geared more for adult gamers. So they didn't give it the best review in the world, based on plot complexity, etc. But for kids, the game is great!! http://www.geocities.com/ataniel/physicusreview.htmPhysicus comes with a twist, though: it's for kids, and it teaches real-world physics in a science-fiction setting. After being struck by a meteor, a planet has stopped rotating around its axis, and an intrepid starship captain must cobble together enough energy to power a futuristic device to set the planet in motion again before everyone on it dies. That's it for the plot, but players must correctly use scientific technology from resistors to electromagnets to accomplish their goals. There is an excellent in-game encyclopedia that teaches the laws of physics with concrete, interactive examples. The puzzles give satisfying and very non-childish rewards for figuring them out, and the old-school sci-fi concept of space missions depending on practical mastery of actual science is very, very welcome. Lora's Recommendations: I recommend Physicus for kids age 10-15, older teens who are big fans of Myst-style games, and younger kids who are gifted and talented. It's a solid game suitable for young players, it's educational and does a good job illustrating the practical use of scientific knowledge, and the interactive encyclopedia that comes with it is great as a study aid (probably worth the price of this CD alone for any teen trying to prepare for standardized tests.)
Mom to DS12 and DD3
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Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 2,231
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Where can you get them? I googled it and looked at a sight that offered free download from torrent but didn't push the button!
I have an ID(Internet Disability) and was fearful that I would download a computer-virus-of-death-and-destruction!
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Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 6,145
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Ooh! That sounds great for our physics-based math unit! Thanks, ebeth! 
Kriston
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Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 1,815
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I found them at Amazon.com. Hhmm going to research...
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Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 412
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'Neato. I'm pretty computer/internet disabled myself. I usually let my DH handle all of the purchases on the web. My one foray into purchasing on-line by myself was for the Standard Deviants' tapes, which I still have not received!  So I am not the best one to ask. I can ask DH (who is currently not answering his phone at work.) It looks like you can get Physicus from an Amazon seller for under $4 buck though, not including shipping. A free download would be great, but it might just be a teaser. (i.e. it may just let you see the first beginning screens, in order to get you hooked.) But the games are fairly old by now, so they should be cheap. And they come in Mac versions, too. We also have a cool game called Crazy Machines that DS really liked. It has over two hundred puzzles that are based on pulleys, gears, etc. You start out with a target (say a ball) and try to put the necessary gears, power sources, or dynamite in order to get the target to the finish line. Very Rube Goldberg-like! http://www.gamespot.com/pc/puzzle/crazymachinesthewackycontraptionsgame/review.html?om_act=convert&om_clk=gssummary&tag=summary;read-review There are dozens of different pieces, all having unique properties. The game includes various types of power sources, balls, wires, balloons, gears, conveyor belts, boxes, catapults, pipes, widgets, and other knickknacks that you'd expect to find in a crazy inventor's lab. You'll even find unusual items like steam pistons, working blimps, cannons, dynamite, and robots, all of which help to make complicated work out of simple tasks. What's most impressive, though, is how the game seems to incorporate logical physics into its experimental setups. Allow a balloon to drift too close to an open flame, and it will pop. Heat up a boiler, and it will provide power to turn a steam piston. Different types of balls will have different properties that reflect their weight and elasticity--tennis balls, for example, bounce high but don't have the same force in a collision as billiard balls. The point is that the game allows you to use common sense as you try to solve the puzzles it throws at you.
Mom to DS12 and DD3
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Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 864
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We now have Vista computers. I looked at the ...us games, but I'm not sure they'll work with Vista, since they're older.
Crazy Machines 2, however, is Vista certified. DS got it for his 8th birthday and loves it.
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Joined: Sep 2007
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I was eyeing that one, too, ebeth.
My one worry with Physicus is that it might not work on my computer. It says it's for Win 95, 98 and NT. I have Win 2000.
Harumph.
I'm still thinking about risking it though. I just hate paying for software that doesn't work, you know? But it's just the kind of computer game that I want for DS7 in the morning while I work on my book. It may be worth the $8 risk!
Kriston
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Joined: Oct 2007
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Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 412
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Hummm... I will have to forward computer questions to DH! Both Crazy Machines and Chemicus say Win98/ME/2000P. But I can't find the original box for Physicus. We have a newer Mac for DH and me (3 years old), and an older Mac (7 years old) for DS. I'll ask DH, the computer geek, this afternoon or evening and post more info later.
Mom to DS12 and DD3
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