There was a time when children’s learning software was critical to the growth of home computing. Dozens of titles were released every year. And yet, this year there are almost no new learning titles on the PC (aimed at consumers) and precious few on other gaming platforms.

So, who killed the home educational software market and what lessons can be applied to other software markets like gaming and Web 2.0? Like a CSI team, let's examine the corpse for clues – and see if the killer is still on the loose