Customer Reviews

PBS Kids Play! [OLD VERSION]

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(11)

 

 

At first I thought this had another game you keep on your computer while the internet play was three months access. This is just a copy of what you can already order on the website which does seem misleading. I won't complain because my kids enjoy this, and rather than pay $9.99 a month I get three months for basically the price of two. Not sure what I will do once it expires but $79.00 dollars is alot of money to throw out at once. I would hope pbs kids play eventually makes games you can purchase without constant fees. I can understand that the software takes alot of time, and money to produce but it should cover it eventually, or I want to demand that more things are added instead of the same games over, and over again if I'm going to pay that high price.

My two children, 5 and 2 loved playing this game. The software requires the high speed internet access, which was written on the box. We didn't have any problem with that. The problem was the subscription expires after 3 months. My understanding was after it expired, we will be able to continue playing with the games. However, that was not the case. Once it expired, you cannot access any games. The software is literally useless. Why spending money on something that lasts for only 3 months. PBS wants you to pay a subscription of $79 a year, which was outrageous! How do you expect most parents will be able to afford this?

This is a subscription service. I was able to buy my copy at Costco for $10 (it was on sale that month). When the subscription ran out I got a year for $49.00. I'm not sure if you can still get this deal or not, but I do know if you are a PBS member then you get money off (contact your local station). The games are great for kids! My 4 year old loves to play them. They are fairly simple games that kids can understand. It keeps him happy and hopefully he is learning something.

I already knew about the PBS Play subscription when I saw this box in the store. It is normally $10 a month unless you choose a longer commitment. This package includes a three months subscription, plus a DVD of some bonus content. The three month subscription for this price is actually a great value when you know what you are getting.

My 3 year old (almost 4) son loves playing it. He asks to play. He ask to grow veggies in George's (Curious George) garden and to help fix Thomas's track. I would much rather have him playing this than some other video game. And I always supervise him when he's on the computer, but he doesn't need much help finding his way around PBS Play. (He's sitting next to me playing it on his own right now while I write this review)

There are so many more games and much more content than you could get for a $20 software package. The content is constantly updated and things are added all the time. I can track his progress and in case I miss something it emails me when he reaches a new level. I'd much rather pay this amount for three months of quality educational games and content than to buy some cheap software package with a limited number of games that will be out of date in a few months.

You can create profiles for up to 4 children. And you can view recommendations for games that will help your child work on certain skills.

I think the key is to do your research and know what you are getting. The PBS Play website offers a 10 day free trial (no credit card needed). So before purchasing the package, why not visit their website and see what you think? Let your child try it out for a week and if he or she enjoys playing the games and seems to be learning you can judge the value for yourself! [...]

If you're not happy with the price of the PBS Play subscription you might want to try Disney's version. [...]

**UPDATE Nov 2011** I bought two of these back to back. When the second subscription was almost up I got an offer to renew for 12 months for $49. That's a great deal so I took it. If you just want to try PBS Play out and see how long it will hold your child's attention I think this package is a good idea.

Also there is no difference between the old version of this product and the new one. Both have codes for the same service. The packaging is different. I think the bonus DVD may be different, but the subscription is the same.

If you notice, the bulk of the "reviews" of this product are simply complaints from people who did not understand what they are purchasing and not of the actual product. This is 100% online based content to which you can subscribe in order to acces it. One would think that in this age of World of Warcraft and Netflix that even the most computer illiterate of people would understand the concept of online-play. Bashing PBS for a "deceptive box" is a tough sell when it says right there that a subscription is required.

The content of the box is media to install the game client and a 90-day subscription to the content. You are essentially pre-paying for 30$ worth of subscription for around 15-20$. Not a bad deal *if* you are actually interested in the content. After the subscription period expires, you have the option to continue the experience for around 10$ a month. 10$ a month is not unreasonable for a game who has content updated and keeps your children's metrics for you so you may trend how your child is progressing. You are also providing 10$ a month to a non-profit org, which is another bonus, as PBS' wide range of product are helpful for all children.

In the end if you are interested in experiencing the content before you purchase this 90-day subscription, the entire client + FREE trial is available on the PBS Kids website.

This product was a gift for my 3 and 5 year old. I overlooked Jumpstart to buy what I thought was a stand alone computer game. The box is very misleading. The words "Includes 3 months of exclusive access" leads most people to believe the online access was included in a larger part (i.e. stand alone program). So basically you will be purchasing a 3 months subscription to a very expensive ($79 a year) interactive educational website. I would rather take that money and spend it on something lasting. My children love their PBS cartoon friends and enjoy playing the games, but I'll have to tell them the heartbreaking bad news that they won't be playing these games in 20 days.

I called customer non-service and the agent I spoke to was condescending and dismissive when I explained that the packaging and print matter for this program did not explicitly say the parent was purchasing a 3 month membership to a website. She claimed that the box clearly explains that is the case. If you read the other reviews you will see that is not true. Being a lifelong donating member of my local PBS station, I find this entire experience to be distasteful. It's unfortunate that I discovered this bait and switch marketing during their membership drive.

We have two 4 year olds. This is a complete waste of time and money. PBS should be utterly ashamed. The exercises are not interesting, they are very slow, and it requires an internet link so you can't take this on the road or plane with you. I would not recommend spending one cent or one minute on this.

Didn't realize after 3 months you would have to pay $79 per year to continue playing games. CD is worthless after 3 months.

I bought this software not knowing that a subscription was required after three months. What a complete waste of money!!! My four-year-old was so upset that he couldn't play the games anymore. The box says absolutely nothing about paying for a subscription. I'm just shocked...I thought PBS was better than that! And it isn't really about the cost of the subscription. It's the fact that PBS was misleading about it.

My son loves these games so I'm not rating the actual games. But after my 3 year old got hooked on feeding the fish with Curious George and loading freight cars with Thomas, I find out you actually have to subscribe to continue playing! $9.99 a month or $70 a year. What a rip off! PBS should be ashamed of themselves. Yes, it's educational and very interactive but who in their right mind would continue to pay every month for a computer game. Unless you let your child play games on the computer all day then this is definitely not worth the money.