Sony to release Harry Potter Book of Potions for Wonderbook

12.06.13 | Joshua Farrington - The Bookseller

Sony is expanding the range of augmented reality titles available for the PlayStation 3 with the launch of a new Harry Potter title, The Book of Potions, a BBC tie-in Walking with Dinosaurs, and Diggs Nightcrawler from the animators behind Morris Lessmore Moonbot Studios.

The titles follow last year's launch of Harry Potter title The Book of Spells. The four books use the Wonderbook platform that effectively opens like a real book when viewed on the screen using the motion-detecting PlayStation Move and PlayStation Eye.

The new Harry Potter game, developed with Pottermore, will allow players to try their hand at potion-making under the guidance of Zygmunt Budge, a new character created by JK Rowling for the game. The Book of Spells sold 1m copies last Christmas.

Alongside the new Harry Potter release will be two other titles, Walking with Dinosaurs, which comes from a collaboration with BBC Worldwide, and will use augmented reality to explore prehistoric worlds and creatures. It ties in with characters featured in the forthcoming "Walking with Dinosaurs The 3D Movie", due out this year. Diggs Nightcrawler follows a bookworm turned detective fighting crime in noir-inspired Library City.

Sony said the titles would be launched before Christmas, with Diggs Nightcrawler already available.