There's A New Harry Potter Game Coming To Consoles
Warner Bros. forms a Harry Potter game development division.
Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, the gaming division of the movie and TV giant, has announced the formation of a new Harry Potter games label called Portkey Games. Named after the magical item from the book and movie series, Portkey Games will oversee the launch of "a series of mobile and console game experiences." The first of these is the just-announced AR game Wizards Unite, from Pokemon Go developer Niantic Labs.
We don't know what the rest of the games will be, but an update on Pottermore teases that they will feature new characters and familiar ones. Intriguingly, the games might show these familiar characters "at different points in their lives" from the Harry Potter series. That's exciting to think about.
"With Portkey Games, we are thrilled to answer the fans' requests for more games inspired by J.K. Rowling's Wizarding World," WBIE president David Haddad said. "We are working with talented creators to build games that focus on player-generated stories, which will live alongside the magical universe created by J.K. Rowling."
There are no further details about any of the new Harry Potter games, but more details are expected to be revealed "very soon."
There have been many Harry Potter console games over the years, but none recently. The eight movies got their own tie-in games from Electronic Arts, while Lego Harry Potter versions from Warner Bros. came later. Additionally, there was a Quidditch-themed game called Harry Potter: Quidditch World Cup. A Harry Potter Kinect game was also released.
The new Harry Potter AR game, Wizards Unite, will launch in 2018. Similar to Pokemon Go, it allows players to roam the real world collecting power-ups, defending locations, and exploring their environment. Niantic has said it was the success of Pokemon Go, and its "unprecedented scale," that made this development possible.
What would you like to see from the next Harry Potter console game? Let us know in the comments below!
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