Hogwarts
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'Hogwarts Legacy' release on PS4 and Xbox One delayed again until May 5th
Hogwarts Legacy's latest release date for the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One is May 5th
'Hogwarts Legacy' delayed for Nintendo Switch, PS4 and Xbox One
'Hogwarts Legacy' has been delayed for PS4, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch.
Footage leaks of a mysterious Harry Potter RPG
You can now play Harry Potter on mobile, but if you're craving something more substantial, a new leak is sure to get your pulse racing. Redditor VapeThisBro briefly shared footage of an apparent new RPG set within J.K. Rowling's wizarding world, starring your own custom-built character. The clip was only up a short time before it was pulled from YouTube and replaced with a notice that Warner Bros. Entertainment Interactive had filed a copyright claim. Filmed in third-person, the clip showed a wand-waving protagonist battling goblins and walking through a town square scattered with NPCs. Hogwarts' famous hall also made an appearance.
Warner Bros. is making its own Harry Potter mobile game
Hogwarts is officially going mobile. From next year, Potterheads -- and muggles, should they wish -- will be able to create their own characters and experience life as a Hogwarts student in officially-licensed game Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery. As a witch or wizard you'll progress through school years just like Harry et al, participating in the magical classes such as Defence Against the Dark Arts and Potions, with Hogwarts' iconic professors at the helm.
Harry Potter Online in limited production
With a hot IP, a devoted fan-base, and a fantastical world begging to be explored further, a Harry Potter MMO has been on many gamers' "most wanted" lists for years now. We just got word that Harry Potter Online is indeed in production, although this comes with a serious caveat. The production website for Harry Potter Online is up and running with forums, a gallery, and some basic information about the game. However, it looks as though developer Bio-Hazard Entertainment has yet to receive the full go-ahead from Warner Bros.: "Seeing that it could be a really great business plan, a license was given that would allow the company to begin production on the MMO up until beta. Once beta was hit it would then be decided [by Warner Bros.] if the production would be a good investment or not." The proposed Harry Potter Online would allow players to choose to attend one of three schools of magic, take on roles like Aurors and Lamorians, and become masters of various professions such as potions and herbalism. And yes, if you were wondering, there will be Quidditch. The developers said that a promotional video, trailer, and live interview will be coming soon. You can see some of the game's concept art and hear the devs talking about the game in a video after the break. [Thanks to Cherie for the tip!]
Pottermore officially announced, but what exactly is it?
Attention mudbloods, muggles, and wizards alike! We reported yesterday on the cryptic Harry Potter-related Pottermore, which -- according to a leaked memo -- was rumored to be an online game. Not but a short while ago, the big reveal took place via an announcement video from J.K. Rowling on YouTube. Is Pottermore really the big Harry Potter MMO that fans have been clamoring for? Well... maybe. Information is still scarce, with the unveiling of Pottermore's true purpose remaining just as cryptic as it has been since the discovery of the website. The new addition to the immensely popular Harry Potter franchise, according to the announcement video, is "the same story with a few crucial additions," the most important of which is you, the reader. Early reports claim that members of the site, which officially launches in October, will be able to join one of the four houses of Hogwarts and become wizards in their own right. Part social networking site, part online game, and all incredibly mysterious, Pottermore is certain to be a monumental addition to the world of Harry Potter. What exactly the experience will entail, however, remains to be seen. Keep a (mad-)eye here for more news as it develops, and apparate past the cut for the official announcement.
The Perfect Ten: Why a Harry Potter MMO makes sense
The idea of a Harry Potter MMO is hardly a new one at this point -- we've even speculated on it around Massively for years now. Rumors and wishful thinking have brought up this hypothetical MMO time and again, and for good reason: It simply makes sense. In fact, the more you think about it, the more surprising it is that we haven't heard official word of a Harry Potter MMO by now. After doing some poking around, the most likely suspects to take on this project would either be Warner Bros. (which owns the rights to the franchise) or Electronic Arts (which purchased a license from WB to make the movie video games). Both companies have MMO studios at their command -- Turbine, BioWare, Mythic -- and both have the resources to make it happen. So why does Harry Potter make perfect sense for MMO-adaptation? Hit the jump and I'll run you down the top 10 reasons! And if you post a positive comment after this column, I'll add five points to the house of your choice (go Hufflepuff!).
LEGO Universe on sale for $9.99
Have you seen the prices for LEGO brick,s these days? Some parents have had to choose between purchasing their child a Harry Potter Hogwarts set or paying the mortgage that month -- and Harry Potter usually wins. Fortunately, you can get your virtual LEGOs on for cheap: LEGO Universe is on sale for $9.99 in the official LEGO store. You'll want to note that this is a physical copy of the game, not a digital download. The purchase also includes the first month of play, which certainly lowers the barrier of entry. This promotion is a limited time offer, although the company didn't put an exact end date on it. This follows LEGO Universe's transition from Gazillion to the LEGO Group. Newcomers to the game will certainly want to check out the cooperative community events that highlight this MMO's unique strengths.
Exploring Eberron: All aboard the Hogwarts express
So you want to be a wizard, eh? Whoa, whoa, not so fast there young whippersnapper! Just because you've lived under the stairs your whole life and can talk to snakes doesn't mean that you're the "chosen" anything around here. Wizardry is a dangerous profession, to be sure, and if a Beholder doesn't eat you alive, you'll most likely melt your own face off with a misplaced acid spray. Maybe you'd be better off going with a... simpler class, like a barbarian or janitor. No? Spells and glory is where it's at, you say? Fine. I'll teach you a few tricks, but don't go crying to mommy when the dark arts claim your soul just because you forgot to bring your eye of newt to the fight. Might as well come in, then, and I'll show you a thing or two about starting your own wizard before you jump into your first dungeon to fight your first dragon. Maybe you'll even clear the wax out of your ears enough so that you'll survive past the initial day, eh? I can always dream, I suppose. So let's get started!
The making of The Elements for iPad
Popular Science takes an in-depth look into the makings of The Elements: A Visual Exploration for the iPad, the app that's had many reviewers nearly swooning with giddy geek pleasure. The article is written by the original book's author and Wolfram Research's co-founder, Theodore Gray, who described the experience as the chance to create something that "Harry Potter might check out of Hogwarts' library." The article is a fantastic read and is definitely worth checking out, especially if you have any interest in getting into media publication for the iPad, and how to design dynamic pages that Photoshop nor InDesign simply can't pull off. They took a library of nearly 350,000 images shot for the original book, combined it with a page layout tool constructed from scratch with Mathematica and added a runtime application code to turn those pages (processed on the fastest 8-core Mac Pro out there) into a beautiful iPad book that is truly worthy of Hogwarts. In addition to the Popular Science interview, check out the above video that debuted on Gray's YouTube channel for the book for an additional look at the book.
Game week at Orange Island
Orange Island (home of French global telecommunications franchise, Orange) is hosting a week of gaming and game-related events and discussions in Second Life this coming week, including (of course) some games. Starting Monday, 26 May on Orange Island, there's a packed schedule of events. Some particularly not-to-be-missed sessions include An Overview of Games in Second Life by the redoubtable Onder Skall at 11AM Monday, 26 May; Second Life as a Gaming Platform : challenges & opportunities, moderated by our very own Akela Talamasca at Noon Tuesday, 27 May; Midgar & World of Hogwarts with Luthien Biziou at 1:30PM Tuesday, 27 May; Roleplaying in SL moderated by Fab Outlander. All times are in SLT (US Pacific time). There's plenty for gaming aficionados of all stripes from video game music covers and jousting to an arcade gaming and an art display.
Harry Potter and the Gallery of Screenshots
We were taken aback by these screens of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. They look fantastic. It could be using prerendered backgrounds to display these artistic views of Hogwarts, but whatever it is, it's working. Whenever Harry is walking around the (strangely empty) building, it's breathtaking, and one of the nicest-looking adventure games we've seen on any platform.And then we see the other screenshots. The combat-- for which you apparently rotate the DS Brain Age style, and the magical minigames. They might be fun, but they don't quite evoke ICO in the same way as the environments do. Oh, well, this is still amazing for an EA licensed game.
