Stencyl

Stencyl
=Description:= Stencyl is an online video game creator where users can create iOS and Flash games.

Strengths:

 * Anyone is free to create their own flash game and test it through iOS.
 * You can sell your game and make money.
 * Drag and Drop feature instead of codes, but users can create codes.
 * Users can share their codes, and finished games online.
 * Can publish to iOS, Flash, Mac, and the Chrome web store.
 * Allows users to rate and comment on games.
 * Education discounts for the paid plan.
 * Online support community.
 * Free user guide to help people get started
 * For all levels of experience with creating video games.

Weaknesses:

 * Stencyl pro is not free and cost 79 dollars a year. Stencyl pro allows users to make desktop games.
 * iOS is not free and cost 149 dollars year. With this plan users can publish to the app store.
 * Does not support language other than English.
 * They do not currently have anything out for educators.
 * May be too difficult for younger elementary students.

Opportunities:

 * Stencyl has been working with teachers, STEM researchers, and professors to create resources to use in the classroom
 * Stencyl has been also working on creating a a customized chat room for specific groups, options hide codes to adjust for levels of experience, and they are working on creating a section for teachers to upload resources
 * Potential uses in the classroom for the future.
 * Receive feedback on games created.
 * View other games and comment on them.
 * Create your own actors in the game
 * May be difficult and time consuming to learn how to make a game.

=**Threats**:= >.
 * There are no perceived threats.

=Classroom uses:=
 * Students could work in groups and have an assigned role for creating a game.
 * Students could create a game to demonstrate their understanding of a concept
 * Students could work in groups and be assigned a specific part when creating a game.
 * Teachers could create a game for their students to teach concepts.

=Resources:= [|Stencyltopia]: Teachers users to create games. @http://blog.stencyl.com/?p=256- A blog that talks about what Stencyl plans for educators. @http://www.freetech4teachers.com/2011/06/create-games-using-stencyl.html- has a video on how to create a game using Stencyl. A case study on benefits of games in the classroom