Visitors to the StoryDrive Media & Entertainment Area at the Frankfurt Book Fair (10 to 14 October 2012, Hall 4.0) now have two special product debuts to look forward to: Seven weeks before the official launch in Germany, Nintendo will present its new TV console, the Wii U, to the general public for the first time. Fair visitors will have plenty opportunity to try out the first Wii U games and to get acquainted with completely new forms of interactive video games. Long before the official launch in Germany, Sony Computer Entertainment will unveil its interactive “Wonderbook” at the Frankfurt Book Fair.
“Nintendo has been a Frankfurt Book Fair exhibitor for years. The fact that this product presentation will take place in the StoryDrive Media & Entertainment Area shows us that StoryDrive has established itself as a platform for crossmedia trends”, said Britta Friedrich, Head of Conferences for the Frankfurt Book Fair. “We’ve always considered StoryDrive visitors to be very curious, open-minded people who are always on the look for compelling stories, regardless of the medium”, said Silja Gülicher, Director of Nintendo Deutschland’s press office. “Wii U allows them to immerse themselves in stories of this nature. That’s why the Book Fair is just the right place for us to introduce our new TV console.” For additional information about Nintendo and the Wii U, visit www.nintendo-europe-media.com.
Sony Computer Entertainment will unveil its interactive “Wonderbook” at the Frankfurt Book Fair. This new peripheral device will transform the PlayStation 3 into a console the whole family can enjoy. Wonderbook™ starts with a simple fairy tale and creates a multidimensional experience using augmented reality technologies that bring these stories to life right in your living room. Children can discover stories using the PlayStation®Eye and experience them in a way they’ve always dreamed of.
In the first software title created for the Wonderbook, the “Book of Spells”, which has already been published and was created with the help of J.K. Rowling, players can wave their magic wands with the PlayStation®Move, learn spells and transform themselves into magicians in the process. Other collaborations have also been announced, including one with BBC Worldwide (“Walking with Dinosaurs”). “We’re very pleased about Sony Computer Entertainment’s first appearance at the Frankfurt Book Fair and at StoryDrive”, said Britta Friedrich, Head of Conferences for the Frankfurt Book Fair. “The Wonderbook does a very good job of demonstrating how different forms of media are merging and sets a standard for collaboration between the games and publishing industries. It’s a tangible example of the theme at the heart of StoryDrive.”
Launched in 2010 for exhibitors from the fields of film, games, merchandising and interactive media, the StoryDrive Media & Entertainment Area is the exhibition area of the all-media Frankfurt StoryDrive platform. StoryDrive also features a marketplace for crossmedia and transmedia content and a two-day conference, which will take place on 11 and 12 October 2012 under the motto “Maximise your story, maximise your business”. For the third year in a row, more than 20 top speakers from Europe and abroad will offer a glimpse at the future of the media business. The StoryDrive Festival will take place for the first time ever on the Saturday and Sunday of the Book Fair. www.buchmesse.de/storydrive