Wednesday, June 5, 2013

[Advanced] Augmented Reality: Toy Makers’ Latest Weapon (3)

For one, augmented reality apps are expensive to develop, said Laurie Schacht, co-publisher of the Toy Insider. Many toy makers don't want to invest in the technology, especially when consumers expect mobile apps to be provided free.

Parents succumbing to a child's demands for techie devices like tablets also may not want to spend more money on real toys to augment virtual play. And there's always the parental skepticism of melding a $20 plastic toy with a $300 mobile device.

"I think it's going to take a few years before we see something that's really awesome," Schacht said. But, she said, the outcome can be magical for kids.

Sony PlayStation's recently launched "Book of Spells" game, for example, turns a blank book into an interactive pop-up book of magic, complete with Harry Potter magic wand, floating figures and orbs of light.

"All of a sudden, you're playing in that magical world, and you're seeing yourself the whole time," Schacht said.

Industry expectations for augmented reality's potential are sky-high.

Tech research firm Juniper predicted that revenue from augmented reality apps could reach $300 million this year, up from a projected $82 million in 2012. By 2017, the firm predicted, more than 2.5 billion augmented reality apps will be downloaded, bringing in $5.2 billion in revenue. Another research firm, Semico, said more than 864 million high-end cellphones would be augmented-reality-enabled by 2014.

But for many consumers, many of whom are not aware of the technology, the jury is still out.

For Jose Casas, 44, watching a Lego box come to life made him want the $399 Death Star set even more. "It's about imagination, dude," the self-proclaimed "kid at heart" said.

His friend Marcos Najera, 40, was unconvinced. Shopping for his 8-year-old nephew, Najera briefly picked up another Star Wars Lego set, then set it down. "It's still a $60 toy."



http://203.69.69.81/studio/20130605adaea391a320beed8f195fce25424639681.wma

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