Warner Bros.
The developer behind globe-trotting augmented reality games Pokemon Go and Ingress are creating Harry Potter: Wizards Unite with WB Games as co-developer and co-publisher. The game will take advantage of the technology featured in Pokemon Go and Ingress and allow you to travel around while discovering mysterious artifacts, learning to cast spells, and encountering legendary beasts and characters.
While you can’t preregister for the game per see as there’s no page on the iOS App Store or Google Play. However you can sign up right now for the newsletter via the game’s official website. That way when more information rolls out about the game, you can find it in your inbox. Keep in mind that this also signs you up to receive info about other games from Niantic and WB Games. Pottermore promises that you’ll receive more information about the game in 2018.
A Harry Potter game by Niantic was rumored to exist last year, but those rumors turned out to be fake. Gizmodo reports that an article on JTHX News reportedly cited an interview with Niantic Senior Developer Marcus Figueroa with IGN where he states that they acquired the rights for the app and also promised a quest system for the game, large scale interactive events, and having schools of witchcraft and wizardry act similar to Pokestops in Pokemon Go. However, the interview doesn’t actually exist and there’s nobody named Marcus Figueroa working with Niantic.
Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment is releasing the game under their new label for Harry Potter mobile and console games known as Portkey Games, according to the official Harry Potter website Pottermore.
Harry Potter fans will recall that a Portkey is an item in the Harry Potter universe that allows one to instantly travel to a specific location just by touching the object.
This year marks the 20th anniversary of Harry Potter, as the first novel released in the UK on June 26, 1997. It also makes the 10th anniversary of the last book in the series, which released on July 21, 2007.
Even though the original story ended, love for the franchise is still high with Potter fans all over the world celebrating September 1, 2017 as the day Harry Potter’s sons as well as Ron and Hermione’s daughter went on the Hogwarts Express for their first day of school at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The date is a reference to the epilogue of the seventh and final book in the series, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.
11am at King’s Cross #19YearsLater #BackToHogwarts @HPPlayLDN @HPPlayFans
Time estimated the brand’s worth as $25 billion in April 2016, making it the third highest grossing media franchise in history just under Star Wars and Pokemon. Time also estimated the film series to be at $7.7 billion with Fantastic Beasts adding another $800 million for a total of $8.5 billion, making it the second highest grossing franchise in film just under the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Rowling has been named the world’s richest author with a net worth of $1 billion according to the publication.
The books were originally rejected by multiple people. The Guardian reports that Harry Potter was rejected by the first literary agent Author J.K. Rowling contacted before being picked up by Christopher Little. Little then sent the manuscript to 12 different publishers before it ended up with Bloomsbury.
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