Nintendo offers free DS, Personal Trainer: Math to math-loving kids

by JC Fletcher { Feb 25th 2009 at 11:30AM }

What's the best way to entice middle-schoolers into their schools' math clubs? How about the promise of a free Nintendo DS -- and a math game? Personally, we think the best way would be to move the meetings to Steak 'n Shake and replace the "math" part with "vanilla malts." But, while delicious, it's not exactly educational, and wouldn't really make for a good PR opportunity for Nintendo.

Instead, the company has partnered with MATHCOUNTS, a "national enrichment, coaching and competition program" for middle school math, to bribe four middle school math clubs across the US with free DS systems -- and, of course, Personal Trainer: Math. They could hand out Fire Emblem or something -- but again, not so much of a PR opportunity.

Tags: education, mathcounts, personal-trainer-math, training

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

samfish (is ready for MadWorld!) @ Feb 25th 2009 12:07PM

I used to know the girl who's father started Steak 'n' Shake.
...she had a lot of money on her at any given time. Enough to probably buy up every single copy of that evil, horrible Math game (it's a math game — of course it's horrible!*) and burn them and those the remains in the sea.

Math and fun...that's like trying to divide by zero or something.

* Except Number Munchers, which is awesome.

Jato Jay @ Feb 25th 2009 1:12PM

"Math and fun...that's like trying to divide by zero or something."

I see what you did there..

Tom @ Feb 25th 2009 5:51PM

You sneaky devil you. Sneaking those mathematical comments in and whatnot....

I guess this is a feasible way of bribing wee little lads across the nation to get into math clubs. However, once they win their prize, they would undoubtedly run away from the world of math in complete trauma, burn their math games, and buy Fire Emblem. So it would basically backfire.