WowWee, a designer of innovative high-tech entertainment products, is attending the Toy Fair 2012 convention this week in London, UK. The company is showing of a number of new mobile games for smart phones, some of which make use of augmented reality. The most popular game the company has showcased this week is their new Doctor Who game that is part of the company’s AppGear line. This is not the first time The Doctor has found himself in a video game, but it is the first time his game has been enhanced with augmented reality.
WowWee’s AppGear aims to combine physical peripherals with the digital world. All AppGear games are played through the use of a smart phone and a plastic gun. The phone is mounted atop the gun and allows players to blast away monsters while using their mobile device as a viewfinder. Players of the new Doctor Who game will have to fight off some of The Doctor’s most fearsome enemies, including the Cybermen and the infamous Daleks.
Augmented reality is becoming a major influence in the world of gaming. Thus far, the technology has gotten most use in the realm of mobile games, as smart phones and other handheld devices have become capable of supporting the technology. With the number of 3D televisions increasing, augmented reality may be coming to consoles as well in the future, especially as more game developers looks to adopt the technology.
