Google is entering the children apps space too. Its recent purchase of Launchpad Toys certainly suggests so.
The San Francisco based developer, the brains behind the Toontastic series of apps, announced the acquisition on its websites. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
“We’re proud to announce that our little toy company is joining a great big team of tinkerers to empower gajillions of playful storytellers around the world,” Launchpad wrote in its blog on Wednesday. “Launchpad Toys is joining Google to create even more amazing creativity tools for kids. Today, we’ve made our digital toys and tools free to creative kids everywhere. Tomorrow… well, we can’t wait to share.”
The main Toontastic iPad app got children to create their own cartoons by choosing scenery, and moving characters around while recording their voices telling stories. Launchpad Toys also released a spin-off Toontastic Jr. Pirates app, and branded versions based on the Shrek and Kung Fu Panda films.
Now that Google owns Launchpad Toys, the company has made Toontastic — a previously paid app –free. In addition, all of the app’s playsets are now freely available.
Another of app from Launchpad Toys that is more relevant to Google is TeleStory wherein children are encouraged to write, direct and start in their own TV show, by choosing a theme, writing a script and filming themselves performing.
The app launched its own online community called ToonTube where children could upload their videosw and share them with others. Launchpad is now asking the parents to download their children’s videos as ToonTube is to shutdown. Google buying the company is a big hint at its ambitions to do more with children’s videos on YouTube.