A lot of people pounced on Sony when they took about 15 minutes out of their 80-minute long E3 press conference to introduce a new piece of technology called the Wonderbook – a new interactive book service available for the PS3. The nerve of Sony to cater to "dirty casuals" or others looking to the PlayStation 3 for things other than hardcore action-oriented exclusives. Why would Sony attempt to branch out?
For the record, I was not one of those naysayers. I actually thought the Wonderbook was a pretty good idea. It may not have been the most exciting E3 announcement, especially if you are a gaming enthusiast; for people who may have children, however, the Wonderbook could provide a new way to encourage learning. Rather than blowing someone's head off, the Wonderbook could prove to be an effective tool to explore traditional topics. You mean technology can be used for things other than chainsawing heads off?
I'm not alone in my thoughts; I've got Amazon on my side – and that's a hell of a company to have backing you up. According to the online retail giant, Sony's Wonderbook is "terrific".
“I thought [Wonderbook] was terrific, very innovative," Amazon's Graham Chambers told MCV, "and good to see the PS3 offering something new this far into the lifecycle. I’m sure the Wonderbook will have huge appeal to parents and young children.”
That's exactly my point; the Wonderbook was not meant for everybody, but it will find an audience. I'm sure the Wonderbook – which will launch with Harry Potter spin-off Book of Spells – will find some early adopters. The Harry Potter franchise is far too popular for this to go unnoticed. It provides a new form of entertainment and exploring into areas you may otherwise wouldn't have thought of. And it provides it to people who may not excel at playing games, but still want that interactive experience.
Sony plans on backing its newfound project as well (hopefully a little more than they have been with the Vita).
“[Wonderbook] is the biggest one we’re going after this Christmas,” Sony UK boss Fergal Gara said.
“There’s still a lot to do and a lot of communicating to consumers still to do. We will need to work with retail where appropriate," he added. "If consumers understand what we are offering them, then it should fly. It is unlike anything I have ever seen before. The feedback we have had this week is that this is special, this is unique, this is pushing boundaries. That is what you want to be doing in a sector like this.”
Wonderbook will launch this Christmas along with Book of Spells which has been supported by Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling. Never bet against Rowling.[
[MCV]
