harrypotter
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Bourne, Potter dominate sales charts
We knew sales of Universal's The Bourne Ultimatum and Warner's Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix would be closely eyed, and sure enough, the web is ablaze with discussion surrounding initial reports. Reportedly, Potter topped the DVD sales charts for the week ending December 16, 2007, but 'round these parts, it's the high-definition iteration(s) that we're concerned with. Regrettably, it seems that the actual breakdown of HD DVD vs. Blu-ray sales on the latest installment of Potter has yet to be divulged, but we were told that Bourne outsold the wizard and his posse by a margin of "nearly 2-to-1" on HD DVD. Furthermore, Order of the Phoenix managed to slip in at number two on the Blu-ray charts, falling shy of leader Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End. Hopefully we'll hear a few more specifics on all of this soon enough.[Thanks, Ali]
Warner sets up hotline to replace Potter HD DVDs with Blu-ray Discs
If you were one of the many who received an HD DVD version of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire in your limited edition Blu-ray box set, take heart. Apparently, Warner Bros. has established a hotline for affected customers to call up, and when they're connected, they will be issued a single-disc BD edition of the aforementioned film. Reportedly, the studio will eventually mail out replacements that match the artwork on the other discs in the collection, but as of now, Warner has yet to release a statement on this either way. Ready to get yours? Phone up 1-800-553-6937 -- oh, and be kind to the uninvolved CSRs, will ya?[Thanks, domerdel]
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix giving Xbox 360 HD DVD players fits?
It seems a little early to tell if this issue is widespread, but judging from the amount of tips we've received to go along with the growing complaints on the 'net, we're starting to wonder if we do indeed have a problem. Apparently, the Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix HD DVD has been problematic when used in the Xbox 360 HD DVD add-on, with quirks ranging from lockups to an outright lack of playback. It has been suggested that the non-combo version actually plays fine while the HD DVD / DVD combo iteration presents problems, leaving some to wonder if it's a format issue rather than the title itself. So, what say ye? Anyone experiencing these difficulties? If so, have you found a workaround / solution?[Thanks, Winston E.]Read - AVSForumRead - Amazon complaint
Format war rages inside Harry Potter box set
We surely hope you didn't expect Warner Bros. to extinguish any of those tempestuous format war fires. Au contraire, the studio is apparently on a mission to fan those very flames, as it has inadvertently included an HD DVD within a five-disc Blu-ray box set. You read right -- a bevy of users across the 'net have received their limited edition package only to find the Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire disc to be of the HD DVD variety. 'Course, we did hear that Warner was gunning for 2008 to unleash Total HD, but we definitely didn't see this coming. All joshing aside, users are apparently being asked to send the entire package back and await a totally Blu replacement, but we've all ideas that solution won't make diehard BD fans happy at all.[Via Blu-ray.com Forums, thanks Kiwi616]
Format War: Interactivity vs HD supplements
Next Tuesday, the biggest dual format HD release since 300 hits the streets; and once again, we just can't wait to compare red vs blu. For the most part, Warner has always offered the same content on both format, and if anything, Blu-ray fans have complained that Warner doesn't take advantage of Blu-ray's extra capacity. Well, with Order of the Phoenix, Warner has pulled out the stops and has pitted interactivity vs HD supplemental video, because while the HD DVD version includes Warner's IME and web content, the Blu-ray version includes HD supplements and a 44 minute high-def TV special called, The Hidden Secrets of Harry Potter -- that was left out of the HD DVD version completely. The other big difference enabled by Blu-ray's additional capacity is an extensive list of foreign language surround sound tracks and sub-titles -- at the same time the HD DVD is a combo disc without the $10 premium. So dual format owners will have to choose between interactivity and HD supplements -- or maybe they'll just choose to save $5 and go with the Blu-ray version. We don't know about anyone else, but we can't wait to see what Nielsen VideoScan results have to say about this.Read - HighDefDigest HD DVD reviewRead - HighDefDigest Blu-ray review
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix HD DVD to debut new online community features
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix is throwing a new wrinkle on the current list of web-enabled features when it hits HD DVD next month, as the Live Community Screening feature lets multiple owners watch together and chat during the movie. The host initiates the session by inviting other viewers -- no word on how many people are supported -- and synchronizes the viewing on all machines. Other features we've seen before like IME picture-in-picture track, favorite scenes and ringtone store also tag along, but we'll see if this Xbox Live-style community aspect is a hit with Potter aficionados December 11th.[Via Harry Potter Fanzone]
Downloadable files coming to next Harry Potter DVD
Users clamoring for alternate (read: easier) ways to transport commercial DVD footage to portable media players will likely enjoy knowing that the next Harry Potter DVD will reportedly feature "two downloadable digital files" for easy viewing on devices other than a vanilla DVD player. According to Jim Wuthrich, Warner senior VP of digital distribution, users can "buy the DVD and have the option of the digital copy," and apparently, he also suggested that "another studio was preparing to launch digital copies of a film tied to its DVD release." Unfortunately, details about the actual formats and whatnot weren't disclosed, so barring any unforeseen announcements, it looks like we'll be waiting for the December 11th release of Order of the Phoenix to find out exactly what this disc contains.[Via ArsTechnica]
Hoor-EA! Mac games hit Apple store today
That's what they say. Publishing monolith EA has announced that four of its Cider-powered Mac OS X titles are now available to purchase on Apple's online store today. The initial burst looks to satisfy a variety of Intel Mac gamers, including those who are partial to waging futuristic war (Battlefield 2142!), owning totally sick rides (Need for Speed Carbon!), casting ex-crucio-ting spells (Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix!) and, uh, waging even more futuristic war (Command & Conquer 3: Tiberium Wars!). The games will also materialize on minimalistic shelves within Apple retail stores, with Potter and Need For Speed arriving on Tuesday, 21 August. Battlefield 2142 and Tiberium Wars should arrive the following week on 28 August. Though the tardy titles, namely Tiger Woods PGA Tour 08 and Madden NFL 08, were promised to arrive on the same day as other systems at WWDC, you can now expect their respective balls to come crashing through the "September/October window."
EA officially backs off of Mac releases
Shame on you, EA! Shame! Back at WWDC, you promised to release four of your franchise games simultaneously on PC and Mac in July. But July came and went, and we saw (and played) nothing.And now EA has told Apple Insider that Mac faithful shouldn't have held their breath on those promises-- Madden 08 was the big release on Tuesday, but while it did appear on PC, the Mac version has been officially delayed until "September or October" (which means late December, in videogame-release-speak). Additionally, even EA doesn't know what's going on with its own games-- they claim that Battlefield 2142, Command and Conquer 3, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, and Need for Speed Carbon are all in stores, but when asked which stores they were actually in, EA didn't have an answer.I can't say I'm surprised-- for all the talk at WWDC, the Mac isn't quite the platform of choice for most game makers, and who knows who would have actually bought any of those games on Mac if they had been released (I wouldn't have). But the fact is that EA stood on stage at WWDC, and got lauded for it. Don't talk the talk if you can't walk the walk, Electronic Arts.
The collision of Hogwarts and Azeroth
(There are no spoilers in this post-- see note below.)We've been trying to stay away from covering the specifics of this, but I'm pretty sure that by now, everyone who wanted to read Harry Potter's last book spoiler-free has done so (I finished it last Saturday night after a marathon reading session, and really enjoyed it). So perhaps now's the time to, as Terra Nova does, examine these strange relationships between virtual worlds.Why would the WoW forums (or any MMORPG forums, as TN mentions FFXI) be a hotbed of spoiler posting, and not, say, a note posted on the door of a bookstore (or any other place that is likely to hit more Harry Potter fans than the forums)? What is it that attracts the WoW playership to be both inclined to post spoilers, and inclined to be bothered by them?The answer, I think, lies in the fact that WoW really has two audiences-- there are gamers, like myself, who also play Halo and Counterstrike. They play games to get the highest level and the best gear and most Arena points, and they think the Harry Potter books are nothing more than kids' books about a stupid wizard school. These are the people who think it's funny to post spoilers on a forum, and who take pleasure in ruining someone else's appreciation of something they have no appreciation for. But there's a second group that also plays WoW, and they are very different.*Note: Before you go any further, I should mention that if you haven't read the Harry Potter books yet, you may want to stay away from the comments on this post. Spoilers will be deleted from our comments, but we can only act so fast, and any post about spoilers is bound to attract some itself.
Mii Spotlight: Pottermania edition
You know we couldn't let the release of the final Harry Potter book slip by without some sort of nod in its general direction! Not only did we warn you, but we've indicated in the past that a few of us tend to be Potter fans around here. If you're not, please, bear with us, and we'll try to be a little less specific next week. But if you are, please join us in this presentation of Potter-themed Miis!For those who, like us, have been avoiding anything about the series on the internet, we assure you, these Miis are limited to characters from earlier books -- so breathe a sigh of relief. We're safe.
Harry Potter, Blade Runner coming to Blu-ray and HD DVD in Q4
More news from the Home Media Expo, as Warner Home Video made it a point to show off its upcoming deluxe box sets, few more widely anticipated than the high definition releases of Harry Potter and Blade Runner. Fans of the Harry Potter series can get all five films, on Blu-ray or HD DVD along with "exclusive memorabilia", at a price of $149.99, a $30 premium over the standard DVD set. Blade Runner is getting a five disc DVD re-release that will also hit Blu-ray and HD DVD, but no word on prices for the HD editions or special features. According to VideoBusiness both should debut sometime in the fourth quarter, it appears that Total HD or not Warner is taking advantage of its support for both formats by releasing its heavy hitters sooner, rather than later.
Harry Potter and the Combined Order for Free Shipping
The precocious wizard Harry Potter, despite not really existing, has managed to cast a spell to lower the price of his DS game by ten dollars, to $19.99. Uh-oh, it's magic! He can only keep it up for one day, and only on one site (Amazon.com) because it takes too much strength to maintain such powerful magic, and Harry's got to get his sleep for, we don't know, a Potions test or a Quidditch match or whatever the funniest Harry Potter reference would be.Though it would delay the shipping and nullify the release-date guarantee, we'd like to remind you that adding this to your order of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows would make the order eligible for free shipping. The DS game includes a children's movie ticket for the Order of the Phoenix movie as well, so if you can legitimately pass for a child (or if you are a child), you could have a triple threat of Potter media consumption in one order.
Mii Spotlight request: Harry Potter and the Miis of Excellence
You may not have noticed (because, uh, you apparently live under a rock inside a cave) that Harry Potter fans have a lot of reasons to be excited right now. There's a new movie and a new book on the horizon (ohgodnospoilersplz), and we thought it might be a good time to celebrate our Harry Potter love by dedicating this week's Mii Spotlight to all things Potter. So if you (or someone you know) has a Potter-themed Mii banging around the ol' Plaza, snap some pictures and send them our way at mii [at] nintendowiifanboy [dot] com. We will totally accept Photoshopped scars, too.
Beware of posting spoilers on the US forums, too!
Last week we heard that they were going to be taking spoiler postings seriously on the European forums -- and that spoiling other players' enjoyment of books or movies would be a quick way to get yourself banned. However, Drysc has recently reminded US forum-goers that they take the subject just as seriously. Drysc tells us: We would like to remind our forum goers of our strong stance against trolling by way of posting spoilers for movies, tv shows, and books. We take these attempts to cause others grief and produce general unrest on these forums very seriously, and we take a harsh stance against any outright or veiled attempts to spoil the enjoyment of others. Posting spoilers can result in a lengthy suspension, up to and most likely a permanent removal of all posting privileges from these forums. I'm quite glad to see they're taking a strong stance on the subject, since nothing's worse than having a book or movie's ending spoiled for you. However, I still think the best case is going to be to avoid this, and all other internet forums until after you finish reading that last Harry Potter book. After all, CMs are only human, and there are a lot of spoilsports out there.[via World of Warcraft Warcry]
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix demo on Xbox Live
Usually, we get excited by demos, heaven knows they've gotten us through some hard times, but we have a huge problem with this new one for Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix on Xbox Live. Namely, we can't believe the segment of the game the decided to feature. Why not just have an introductory level or two? Why not show Harry running around Hogwarts? Why in the name of all that is holy would they just show the scene where Harry gets drunk and walks in on Ron and Hermione making out before killing them both?That's not a particularly fun scene to play, and honestly, if you haven't read the books it might ruin a couple of minor plot lines for you. (Oh, spoiler alert, BTW.) Why not just have a demo of the scene from the sixth book where Harry 's parents come back to life only to die in a skiing accident, if you want to ruin the whole thing for people? ... Oh, sorry.
Bringing it Home Wrap: Harry Potter demo too
Okay, we thought we experienced all that E3 Bringing it Home had to offer and even expressed out heartfelt goodbye to all the Marketplace fun. But we were a little premature in calling Bringing it Home finished, as Major Nelson just sent word that a Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix demo just went live. Major also confirms that this Harry Potter demo officially marks the end of E3 Bringing it Home and so we advise taking a look at the completely complete list of Bringing it Home content we've gathered for you after the break. No heartfelt goodbye this time Bringing it Home, because it's too painful the second time around.
Fly away on your broom, Harry Potter
Warlocks rejoice, or at least I am rejoicing for the possibility of a new flying mount for my Warlock. Palm over at Worldofraids sent us some additional information about what is loaded into Patch 2.2, and although armor and weapons are always interesting to me, I was totally giddy when I saw the above image. I would love to be able to say that this means that there will be a warlock-specific flying mount, but I actually doubt it. These days the trends more towards cool mounts like these being drops from instances, available to anyone. In a way the ability to fly away a la Harry Potter would be just as cool if it were available for anyone, I just hold on to the idea of Paladin and Warlock specific flying mounts tightly. Like death-grip tightly. If druids can have flight form, I don't see why locks and pallies can't have a quested flying mount. It only makes sense since they quest for their epic mounts.Until further evidence comes to light keeping my hope alive, I will keep my eye out for more info on the Broom Mount. Perhaps that Grynfinndor guild you've been thinking about creating will now be able to soar through the skies in Quidditch formations soon.
Beware of posting spoilers on the official forums
Over on the European forums, Aeus is getting serious about banning people from the forums for posting spoilers. (Likely due to the immenent release of the final Harry Potter book, though he's clear that bans will come down for people posting any type of spoiler.) Says Aeus: Posting spoilers is one of the worst ways to troll; not to mention the amount of players whose enjoyment and anticipation can potentially be utterly ruined. If you were around the day the previous Harry Potter book was released, you would understand where Aeus was coming from. Every forum was packed with posts giving away the book's ending, in the titles of the posts and hidden behind misleading titles. And, I don't know about you, but I visit the official forums to talk about World of Warcraft. Aeus is off to an enthusiastic start, telling a spoiler-posting player: Suspended for 9 days, that's when the book comes out. If... [the spoiler occurs] this becomes a permanent.But while I admire his enthusiasm, with the number of posts on the topic that appeared with the release of the last book, I wonder if it will be practical to keep the forums spoiler-free. However, if you're a fan of the Potter series, I've got to recommend staying away from the forums -- and the general chat channels -- until after you've finished the book.
Harry Potter and the Order of the Dweebs
Not a day passes without some poor sap's waggling image being posted on Flickr or YouTube, their awkwardness immortalized for the world to see. Today's Penny Arcade comic is a cautionary tale for all the gamers out there who lose themselves in the Wii's heightened brand of immersion, flapping their hands and dressing in costume for that authentic experience. With Harry Potter mania being at an all time high -- several video games, a new movie, and the final book all within a few weeks' reach -- we're at our most vulnerable. Guarding ourselves against these embarrassing exposures should be priority one. Remember that the next time you start riding your mother's broom during a mock Quidditch match and notice a red light blinking in one of the room's air vents.
