Schwarz recently graduated from Stanford, where she majored in English with a concentration in creative writing, and currently tutors students in SAT Critical Reading and Writing and college essays. She also spent several years as a tutor for algebra, geometry, SAT math, and SAT writing. in teaching from the University of San Francisco. Young, the lead writer for the feature, earned a M.A. To develop Extra Credit, Pixelberry worked with Jennifer Young and Megan Schwarz, two writers with backgrounds in education. In addition to building a high school and making friends, each player also encounters a large cast of characters and is given several options to deal with them (for example, if you run into a mean girl or boy, you can choose to flirt, argue, or fight him or her, with each choice leading to different consequences and storylines).īut how can a game studio make college entrance exams compelling to teenagers? High School Story monetizes through in-app purchases of “rings,” the game’s currency, which can be used to unlock premium features.Ĭyberbullying and eating disorders are complex problems, but it’s easy to see those scenarios fit into High School Story’s gameplay. Pixelberry Studio says it has also educated more than four million teens on cyberbullying prevention, raised $300,000 for anti-cyberbullying charity Cybersmile, and connected almost 40,000 players with eating disorder resources through a partnership with the National Eating Disorders Association. TechCrunch first profiled the company in June, when it launched a version of “High School Story” meant to help teens develop a healthier body image and avoid eating disorders.ĭealing with such serious issues might seem like a turn-off for teenagers who just want a diversion, but it has paid off so far-the startup claims “High School Story” has been downloaded 12 million times and earned $9.7 million in revenue.
Since its launch, Pixelberry Studios’ has focused on helping teenagers navigate social and emotional issues.
Based in Mountain View, Calif., the bootstrapped startup was founded by a team of former Electronic Arts employees, including Oliver Miao, Keith Emnett, and Winston She.
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