A little over a year since the launch of ItzaBitza, an educative game aimed to teach children how to read, a collaboration between Microsoft and Sabi is now delivering additional fruits. On November 24th, 2009, the Redmond company announced that Sabi, a Microsoft Research spin-off, introduced its second learning game under the Itza umbrella, namely ItzaZoo. Compatible with Windows XP, Windows Vista, and Windows 7, “ItzaZoo” and “ItzaBitza” come with price tags of just $19,99 and are available from here.

Just like its predecessor, ItzaZoo is a game designed for children four and above. Gamers are invited to explore the animal kingdom through an immersive journey, made possible by innovative technology developed by Microsoft Research. According to the software giant, ItzaZoo’s Living Ink technology is set up to bring drawings to live, and build interactive environments that are at the command of the gamer. Essentially, children learn to read and get to develop creative problem-solving skills while playing.

“While Living Ink strikes many as magical, the true magic lies in providing a new way to engage young children in reading practice,” noted Margaret Johnson, co-founder and CEO of Sabi. “Through ‘ItzaZoo,’ we’ve created a new, fun way to practice reading that ignites imaginations and builds positive self-esteem.”

ItzaBitza was nothing short of a success story, judging from the accolades that the game received across the board when it comes down to children’s software awards. However, both ItzaZoo and ItzaBitza are success stories on another level, namely that of the Microsoft IP Ventures global program. Both games are after all based on technology developed by Microsoft Research and licensed from the company by Sabi.

“Sabi has, in our opinion, established a new gaming standard, combining scientific insight into the ways kids learn and state-of-the-art gaming design principles,” added Sharieff Mansour, director of the IP Ventures program at Microsoft. “We’re proud to be part in this collaborative effort, providing the Sabi team with guidance and access to innovative intellectual property so that they can do what they do best — ignite and inspire creativity and learning for kids.”