Sony Puts a Book of Spells in Your Hands

At their E3 2012 Press Conference, Sony announced their new Wonderbook product, an interactive augmented reality book that works with the PS3 and the PlayStation Move to create a cross between a videogame and a storybook.

The first title for use with Wonderbook will be Book of Spells, based on J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter series. Wonderbook: Book of Spells allows you to cast spells with the PlayStation Move, just like a student at Hogwart's, based on the in-depth encyclopedic information of the Pottermore website.

Using augmented reality, Wonderbook becomes a magically animated pop-up book with the appearance of an old enchanted book straight out of the world of Harry Potter. As the in-game narrator says, "This is no muggle's textbook." Book of Spells allows players to learn more about the magic in the world of Harry Potter, from the names of the spells to stories about their original invention.

The interactive gameplay during the live demonstration had a few snags, but that may or may not be indicative of the actual gameplay experience once the game launches, as these sorts of problems are quite common in demos. Eye of Judgement had some similar recognition issues if not played with ideal lighting conditions, and this may be the case here, but further sensitivity adjustments in the development effort might make the gameplay a smooth experience. If the response issues can be straightened out, Wonderbook - and Book of Spells, in particular, could be a hit.