My first hands on experience with any type of augmented reality technology would have to be the Nintendo 3DS. I remember trying it out at one of their pop up stands at the Kitsiliano beach volleyball tournaments one year advertising the new 3DS. What was really cool is that they had these cards on the table and with the camera and 3D function turned on, the camera would read the QR code on the card and a “portal” would open up and Mario hops out of the table. Each card would have their own mini game and the player would have to move around the card tapping point on the object via the touch screen and the 3D picture would react. This kind of technology could be (and most likely will be) integrated into the media marketing world. Adds would have QR codes on them and when viewed through a phone or something like google glasses, the add would come alive. Imagine flipping through a magazine (or newspaper if they are still around) and all of a sudden an add for the Super Bowl or the Stanley Cup comes to life and a 3D trophy appears with small cheesy little fireworks, streamers ect advertising the game. I feel there is so much potential for this type of technology and can’t wait to see what they do.

By: Trevor Hopton

Here is a link to a review of the 3DS Super Mario augmented reality game, check it out!