One of the surprise announcements from the 2012 Sony E3 press conference was the Wonderbook, an edition to the PlayStation 3. Utilizing the PlayStation Eye, Wonderbook is a full sized ‘digital book’ in the sense that houses no real paper or words on its page. Instead for the Wonderbook to come to life, it must utilize the PS3 and the PS Eye to read the patterns on the plastic-like book which bring the content to life on the television screen, but lets go back for a second.

To help understand the Wonderbook, we must first separate the device from its E3 showing, which utilized the PlayStation Move. Unlike the PlayStation Move, which can be seen as an accessory to the PlayStation 3 as used in games like Killzone 3 and Heavy Rain, Wonderbook is an entirely new platform that isn’t reliant on the PlayStation Move or games on the PlayStation 3. Though Wonderbook needs the PS3 and PS Eye to function, Sony is positioning the book as an entirely separate category with its own unique content so don’t expect Wonderbook: LittleBigPlanet Edition.

Wonderbook, which has been in development for over two years, is meant to rethink the book. Much like Apple’s iBooks initiative which allows for books to have multi-media and digital content, Wonderbook rethinks books for the 21st century with a more interactive flair. Sony is currently working with publishers all around the world, including J.K. Rowling, to bring their books to the new platform. Unlike the Kindle or the Nook, Wonderbook isn’t just a digital manifestation of books and instead relies on rethinking the book from the ground up. So how does it work? We’ll discuss that after the jump.

As we noted earlier, Wonderbook houses a series of patterns, much like QR codes, on each of its pages. Like games for the PS3, Wonderbook titles will be available for purchase at retailers and via download from the PlayStation Network. Once a book is downloaded, would-be readers will need to place the Wonderbook on the ground or table so that the PlayStation Eye can look at its pages.

With this action, the contents of the page are brought to life on the television screen with narrators, graphics, and interactive elements. The best way to think about it might to to envision a digital pop-up book. With the content coming to life right before their eyes, readers are able to poke, pry, and manipulate the given content as they go on with the story. Much like a normal book, once you’ve reached the end of the page, you flip the page on the Wonderbook to continue ahead with your adventures.

From there, the Wonderbook can utilize additional features of the PlayStation 3 like the PlayStation Move. Shown off at E3, Book of Spells from J.K. Rowling places students at Hogwarts and teaches them the spells needed to excel in the world of Harry Potter. To further drive this home, the PlayStation Move is used as a wand, allowing you to bring spells to life and fight off dragons, much like a real wizard would.

Beyond Book of Spells, which will be part of Pottermore, the online world of Harry Potter, details remain thin on other titles and prices though retailers like Amazon and GameStop have the title priced at $39.99. Sony is aiming for a holiday 2012 release.