Book of Spells | |
---|---|
Developer(s) | London Studio [1] |
Publisher(s) | Sony Computer Entertainment |
Series | Wizarding World |
Platform(s) | PlayStation 3 |
Release |
|
Genre(s) | Augmented reality |
Mode(s) | Single-player |
Book of Spells (or Wonderbook: Book of Spells) is a 2012 augmented reality game developed by London Studio and published by Sony Computer Entertainment for the PlayStation 3. It serves as a companion to the Harry Potter series and is based on Book of Spells, a fictional book by Miranda Goshawk released about 200 years from the event date. Book of Spells received mostly positive reviews from critics, praising the use of augmented reality and the PlayStation Move, while criticizing the game's short length.
The user casts spells by drawing shapes with the PlayStation Move controller, while the book itself uses augmented reality technology to appear on screen via the PlayStation Eye. The Move controller itself appears on screen as a wand, [3] and may draw patterns on screen to launch spells. [4]
Book of Spells is designed to be an interpretation of learning spells at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry in the Harry Potter universe, [5] with the "book" itself having been written in the Harry Potter universe over 200 years ago by Miranda Goshawk. [4] At the end of each chapter, a poem will describe a failed Hogwarts student in order to teach the user a lesson in the manner of Aesop's fables. [6]
At the start of the game, players choose one of the four Hogwarts houses, and one of three different wands. If, however, the player has a Pottermore account, they can link it to the game, in which case the in-game choices will reflect those they made on the site.
In addition to the specific spells covered by each chapter, the player is sometimes given the opportunity to briefly make use of other spells, such as the Oppugno Jinx. The player, however, does not actually learn the gestures for these spells and thus is not tested over this material.
To develop the game the Sony Computer Entertainment team worked with Harry Potter author J. K. Rowling, who described it as "the closest a Muggle can come to a real spellbook". [3] Rowling had previously worked with Sony on her Pottermore website, and the company at one point had an exclusive contract to release Harry Potter e-books. [7] The game was launched as the first title for the Wonderbook on the PlayStation 3 at the 2012 Electronic Entertainment Expo. [3] [8] It was released in the United States on 13 November, 15 November in Australia, and 16 November in Europe. [2]
Book of Spells received mixed to positive reviews from game critics. It holds a 72 on Metacritic, indicating "Mixed or Average reviews." Critics praised the use of the Wonderbook technology by the use of both the PlayStation Move and augmented reality, while criticizing the game's short replay value. [9] The Book of Spells was nominated for a BATA in the ‘Game Innovation 2013′ category. [10]
The second Harry Potter-themed Wonderbook game is Book of Potions , released in 2013.
Lord Voldemort is a fictional character and the main antagonist in the Harry Potter series of novels by J. K. Rowling. He first appears in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (1997) and returns either in person or in flashbacks in each novel in the series except the third, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, in which he is only mentioned.
Professor Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore is a fictional character in the Harry Potter series of novels by J. K. Rowling. For most of the series, he is the headmaster of the wizarding school Hogwarts. He is also the founder and leader of the Order of the Phoenix, an organisation dedicated to fighting the Dark wizard Lord Voldemort.
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire is a fantasy novel written by the British author J. K. Rowling. It is the fourth novel in the Harry Potter series. It follows Harry Potter, a wizard in his fourth year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, and the mystery surrounding the entry of Harry's name into the Triwizard Tournament, in which he is forced to compete.
In the fictional universe of Harry Potter, magic is depicted as a supernatural force that overrides the laws of nature. In humans, magical ability is inborn and is usually inherited. Most children of magical parents are magical themselves. Some children of "Muggle" (non-magical) parents also display magical ability. Children who are born to wizard parents but are unable to perform magic are known as Squibs.
The Harry Potter universe contains numerous settings for the events in the novels, films and other media. These locations are divided into four categories: Residences, Education, Commerce, and Government.
Harry James Potter is a fictional character in the Harry Potter series of novels by J. K. Rowling. The plot of the seven-book series chronicles seven years in the life of the orphan Harry, who, on his eleventh birthday, learns he is a wizard. He attends Hogwarts, a school of magic, where he receives guidance from the headmaster Albus Dumbledore and becomes friends with Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger. Harry learns that during his infancy, the Dark wizard Lord Voldemort murdered his parents but was unable to kill him as well. The plot of the series revolves around Harry's struggle to adapt to the wizarding world and defeat Voldemort.
The following is a list of magical objects that appear in the Harry Potter novels and film adaptations.
Harry Potter is a series of seven fantasy novels written by British author J. K. Rowling. The novels chronicle the lives of a young wizard, Harry Potter, and his friends, Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley, all of whom are students at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The main story arc concerns Harry's conflict with Lord Voldemort, a dark wizard who intends to become immortal, overthrow the wizard governing body known as the Ministry of Magic, and subjugate all wizards and Muggles.
The Harry Potter Automatic News Aggregator, or HPANA, as it is better known, is a Harry Potter fansite created in 2002 to monitor news on the Internet about J. K. Rowling's series of novels about the eponymous wizard.
Rubeus Hagrid is a fictional character in the Harry Potter series of novels by J. K. Rowling. He was introduced in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (2001) as a half-giant who is the gamekeeper and groundskeeper at the wizarding school Hogwarts. He is a member of the Order of the Phoenix and eventually becomes the Care of Magical Creatures professor. Hagrid is portrayed by Robbie Coltrane in all eight Harry Potter films.
Ronald Bilius Weasley is a fictional character in the Harry Potter series of novels by J. K. Rowling. He is introduced in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone as a first-year student on his way to the wizarding school Hogwarts. During the school year, Ron befriends Harry Potter and Hermione Granger. Being the only member of the trio who was raised in wizarding society, he provides insight into wizarding customs and traditions. Along with Harry and Hermione, he is a member of Gryffindor House at Hogwarts and is present for most of the action throughout the series. Ron is portrayed by Rupert Grint in all eight Harry Potter films.
Ginevra Molly "Ginny" Weasley is a fictional character in the Harry Potter series of novels by J.K. Rowling. She is introduced in the first novel, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, as the youngest child and only daughter of Arthur and Molly Weasley. She becomes romantically involved with Harry Potter and eventually marries him. Ginny is portrayed by Bonnie Wright in all eight Harry Potter films.
Wizarding World Digital is a digital publishing, e-commerce, entertainment and news company. It offers news, features, and articles as well as new and previously unreleased writing by J. K. Rowling regarding the Wizarding World. The site features Rowling's thoughts, several pages of unpublished text, and a sales resource for e-book and audiobook versions of the seven Harry Potter novels through Pottermore Publishing.
Wonderbook is an augmented reality peripheral for the PlayStation 3 console. The user holds a physical book-like object and the software displays content on the television's screen.
Book of Potions is a 2013 augmented reality game developed by London Studio and published by Sony Computer Entertainment for the PlayStation 3. It is a companion to the Harry Potter series and serves as a follow-up to the Wonderbook's debut title, Book of Spells (2012). It was released in North America on 12 November 2013 and Europe on 15 November 2013, alongside Diggs Nightcrawler and Walking with Dinosaurs.
Short Stories from Hogwarts of Heroism, Hardship and Dangerous Hobbies is an e-book written by J. K. Rowling, a guide to Hogwarts' teachers.
The Wizarding World is a fantasy media franchise and shared fictional universe centred on the Harry Potter novel series by J. K. Rowling. A series of films have been in production since 2000, and in that time eleven films have been produced—eight are adaptations of the Harry Potter novels and three are part of the Fantastic Beasts series. The films are owned and distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures. The series has collectively grossed over $9.6 billion at the global box office, making it the fourth-highest-grossing film franchise of all time.
Harry Potter: Wizards Unite was an augmented reality (AR) mobile game developed by Niantic and WB Games San Francisco, and published by Niantic, under license from Portkey Games. The game is based on the Harry Potter series and part of the Wizarding World media franchise, created by J. K. Rowling. Wizards Unite begins as the player creates their avatar and starts their journey at the player's real world location. The player character engages with the world by casting spells, discovering artefacts and facing known characters and beasts of the Wizarding World universe.
The Harry Potter video games are a series of video games based on the Harry Potter novel and film series originally created by English author J. K. Rowling. Many of the Harry Potter-inspired video games are tie-ins to the film adaptations of the same name. There are multiple distinct versions for individual games.
Harry Potter: A History of Magic is an exhibition of real-world magical artefacts and history presented alongside artefacts from the development of J.K. Rowling's fictional Harry Potter series. The exhibition originally opened at the British Library in 2017, as part of celebrations for the 20th anniversary of the publication of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone. It is also available online through the Google Arts & Culture platform and was presented at the New-York Historical Society beginning in October 2018. Two official publications, Harry Potter: A History of Magic and Harry Potter: A Journey Through a History of Magic, along with a BBC television documentary, were created in conjunction with the exhibition.