New Games Link Tech and Reality

The next big thing in computer games for kids: moving beyond the computer.

Both major media companies and start-ups are experimenting with new tools that combine technology and reality in a bid to get children to engage with real-world objects. And researchers are already investigating whether the new tools help kids learn better than regular computer games do.

Last month, children's media giant PBS Kids, part of the Public Broadcasting Service, began testing games that use "augmented reality," or computer-generated content that is combined with images from the real world. Using augmented reality, a computer or smartphone can detect objects and provide information about them. Children can also move the real objects to make something happen in a computer game.

Other games that bridge the gap between real and virtual ask kids to document their activities by taking photos, making videos or recording their location using a GPS device, typically with the help of their parents.

Techniques that tie technology to the real world have been generating buzz for several years, particularly as mobile devices have become more powerful. Advertisers were among the first companies to use such tools. Distributors of the recent film "Inception" teamed up with a mobile game called SCVNGR to promote the movie, creating real-world challenges that players could complete to earn prizes.

Major toy and game makers have shown interest as well. Mattel Inc. has been working with Qualcomm Inc. to develop games that use augmented reality, and Nintendo Co.'s new 3DS portable game machine includes augmented-reality features.

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