Arabic cartoon gets augmented reality persona

Popular Arabic children’s comic book character Majid is moving a step closer to audiences with the launch of a new Augmented Reality (AR) game, in celebration of the comic book’s 32nd year anniversary.

Abu Dhabi Media Company (ADMC), publisher of Majid, has announced that the February 24 and March 3 editions of the magazine will feature a ‘magical’ page that contains a printed ‘marker’ for use on Majid.ae. When this printed marker is held up to a webcam, it triggers the digital recognition software downloaded from the magazine’s website Majid.ae.

This in turn will launch an environment, which users will be able to explore simply by rotating the magazine in front of the webcam. One of the games readers can play is a racing game where the comic books or any other surface that has the special marker can be used as a steering wheel controller.

Noah Khan, Director of Technology at ADMC says: “Augmented Reality is a very exciting and promising technology. In addition to new game concepts, business, commercial and marketing applications, AR is a great breakthrough for the media and entertainment industry, which has a reputation for creativity and pushing boundaries through the use of new and innovative technologies such as this. This is just the beginning of greater connectivity and interaction with our audiences”.

Whilist being one of the first augmented reality applications in the Middle East, many retailers and marketers around the world have used AR in brand-building exercises. There have been consumer campaigns, such as Night at the Museum Two, Coraline, MINI, BMW, Hugo Boss, Lego, and most recently Mattel’s toy line made for James Cameron’s Avatar.