Did you know that Harry Potter's wand was actually tethered to his smartphone through a motion-sensing badge?
OK, maybe that's not entirely how J.K. Rowling envisioned the Harry Potter series, but if Harry was around today, perhaps that is what would happen, with a Kickstarter campaign having been created for a device called the Maguss Wand.
The wand essentially allows people to duel in real life. Players can cast spells, with specific wand motions dictating different spells. That motion is then sensed by the other player's badge and consequently, the smartphone app the badge is attached to. Players can also duel online, casting spells at their own badge, which are then transferred via the Internet to the enemy's app. A range of different spells can be made, and not all of them have to be attacking the other players, with defensive spells and supportive spells also able to be made.
Users can also move up in levels, with more spells being available as the player moves up. Each spell also makes its own unique sound, so users don't need to keep pulling out their phone to figure out how the fight is going.
The campaign is seeking a hefty $66,191, and is sitting at $4,066 at the time of this writing. Despite this, the campaign still is in its early stages, with 33 days to go.
While the campaign hasn't raised too much just yet, if it does take off, there are a number of stretch goals to consider.
The first stretch goal is called "Complex Game Mode," which is essentially a story mode involving the history of the Maguss Wand. The next stretch goal involves the team behind the wand hiring a graphic designer to create nicer designs for the app. Stretch goal 3 is a more in-depth ranking system, allowing users to climb leaderboards and see how they compare with their friends. Last but not least, after raising $180,000, the team will activate GPS within the app, allowing users to locate other nearby wizards to play against.
Backers of the campaign can donate as little as $5 but will need to spend $66 in order to get a package, including the functional wand and badge. Prizes range up from there, all the way up to $809, which gets the user the "Personalized Premium Bulk Package," which is basically a package of personalized wands for groups of five people.
