Google has acquired children’s video firm – Launchpad Toys, indicating towards a first step for the company to create a kids-friendly version of its products.
Earlier, a senior executive of the company said that the company was looking to make versions of its products specifically for children under-13 years of age. As a part of the deal, the company will make its apps free.
Google’s acquisition of Launchpad Toys could be one of its first public moves to start children’s project, helping it develop a version of YouTube for children. Many people had thought that Google might simply make a version of YouTube that filtered out adult content for children but its new acquisition indicates that the company will encourage children to upload videos too, and that too on an all-new platform
The two main products of Launchpad Toys include Toontastic and TeleStory. Toontastic allows children to make animated films by dragging around characters while TeleStory uses the built-in cameras built in devices to allow children to record videos of themselves in augmented reality environments. Children were allowed to upload videos to ToonTube, a site similar to YouTube which is now closing down.
In an announcement on the website, the company said,
We’re proud to announce that our little toy company is pairing up with a great big team of tinkerers to empower GAJILLIONS of playful storytellers around the world. Launchpad Toys is joining Google to create even more amazing creativity tools for kids.
