Yer A Wizard, Sony: PlayStation Introduces Wonderbook, The AR Ebook For Kids Complete With Harry Potter Content

Although the vast majority of Sony gaming content is focused on adult/teen titles, a new title called Wonderbook is particularly interesting. Using an augmented-reality book, kids can turn pages and watch themselves and the book animated on the screen. They’re creating educational and gaming content, including unique science and history stories.

Arguably these are little more than a big-screen series of tablet e-books, but with the addition of content by J.K. Rowling and others, this Sony effort shows a definite push towards younger gamers. The title, called Book of Spells, brings interactive fiction to the TV and allows you to turn the pages of a “real” spell book complete with moral poems at the end.

The book also interacts with the PlayStation Move wand to allow you to cast spells on the book in real life. The so-called books will require readers (players?) to interact with the book. With the Harry Potter title, Book of Spells, dragons leap out of the book and fly around the room with a bit of AR magic. It apparently even catches on fire requiring the user to put it out with their hands, leaving soot behind that needs to be wiped off.

Look for the Book of Spells and other Wonderbook titles this coming Fall and expect sales to begin around the holiday season.

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