It often seems a bit strange seeing children’s magazines get digitised for smartphones and tablets, with Ben 10 Magazine the latest to make the leap.
Why strange? Because a big part of the appeal of these mags in the real world are their covermounts: plastic toys, stickers, unexplainable gloop in tubs, etc. And you can’t digitise those.
Still, that’s not to be dismissive of the hard work and craft that goes into the editorial content of these mags – the stuff that does translate to an app. Ben 10 Magazine for iOS, which was released this week, includes games, puzzles and comic strips, all based on the popular character.
The app is the work of publisher Egmont UK and developer Picsean Media, with its first issue including a build-your-own-alien section, as well as a crossword and a “hero test”. So it’s properly interactive, rather than simply a digital copy of the print edition’s pages.
Ben 10 Magazine is a free download for iPad from Apple’s App Store here in the UK, with the November 2013 issue available as a £1.99 in-app purchase. You can also sign up for a £1.99 monthly subscription, with the second and third issues due to be published in spring and summer this year.
Read about more Ben 10 apps for kids on Apps Playground, and check out our 100 Best iPad Apps of 2013 e-book – £1.99 from Apple’s iBooks Store