Creative Wonders

Background
Creative Wonders started out in 1994 as a division of Electronic Arts to develop and publish children's games. In 1995, half of Creative Wonders was purchased by ABC (but EA still owned the other half) to create the ABC World Reference Series, a series of encyclopedias and atlases. In 1998, Creative Wonders was purchased by The Learning Company, and in 1999 it was completely dissolved.

(1994-1999)


Logo: On a sky background with clouds, we see the ABC logo appear and slide from the left side of the screen, a vertical line appear and slide from the bottom of the screen, and text reading "ELECTRONIC ARTS" appear and slide from the right screen all at once. They then stop so the ABC logo and ELECTRONIC ARTS text are separated by the line. Then we see the words "CREATIVE WONDERS" (with "CREATIVE" on top of "WONDERS") in a purple Times New Roman font (with the "R" in "WONDERS" modified) appear via a wipe effect from the bottom left to the top right. A 2D yellow shooting star appears with purple sparks via a left-to-right wipe effect.

Variant: Most releases by the company has the logo still. Starting in 1998 until the company closed, the ABC logo and the "ELECTRONIC ARTS" text was dropped.

Technique: The animation of the text, the line, the ABC logo, and the wipe effects.

Music/Sounds: A 4-note chime twinkle that loops accompanied with a brief French horn sounder as the ABC, line, and "ELECTRONIC ARTS" text appear. When the text and shooting star appear, a rising 7-note synth piano, strings and choir fanfare plays, with the sound of fireworks playing as the 7th note is held for a few seconds. On the still version, the opening theme of the game is played or is silent.

Availability: Rare; seen on games made by Creative Wonders, such as several Sesame Street CD-ROM games, Schoolhouse Rock: Grammar Rock and Little Bear games. The animated version appears on previews of upcoming games from the company at the time and select Schoolhouse Rock games such as Schoolhouse Rock: America Rock.