Sony Computer Entertainment Europe believes the big money this Christmas can be gained from the Move-centric Wonderbook, the brand new augmented reality concept that will begin with the J.K. Rowling-inspired Book Of Spells.
Despite Q4 also being a critical period for PlayStation Vita, with big titles such as LittleBigPlanet Vita, Call Of Duty and Assassin’s Creed all set to launch, SCE UK boss Fergal Gara says that “Wonderbook is top of the pile and certainly the biggest number we’ll be going after.”
Speaking with MCV, Gara believes that Wonderbook has huge potential, not only to lure existing Move owners with the unique concept but also to spur sales of the PS3. Indeed, Gara says that Sony will be looking at ways in which it can package the product to encourage these sales. “There’s a big practical side of how do you communicate it [Wonderbook], how do you work with retail to demo it where appropriate etc., etc”
When asked how Wonderbook will be bundled, Gara says:
“On day one when Book of Spell lands, you need the book, you need the software, a PS3 and a Move controller. Some will have the PS3 and just need the controller and software. Others will have a Move and just need the book. But Wonderbook should bring new people into the PlayStation 3 universe, and they need the lot, so we need to think about their needs and how to put the product together with that in mind.
This train of thought could coincide with the launch of the PS3-4000 console, a super slim model with a 16GB harddrive, rumoured to cost just $150. At this price, Wonderbook and PS3 may well be very attractive to families and consumers who have not yet found a reason to invest in Sony’s console.
Up to this point, Sony has so far neglected to cash-in with family-friendly games but with this specific strategy planned for the upcoming holiday season, and the unique concept of Wonderbook, it seems very wise of Sony to concentrate on attracting an audience of which it has so far failed to capture.