Video Game Developer Jam City Announces 'Harry Potter' Mobile Video Game
"Accio, Hogwarts!" Video game developer Jam City is about to deliver millions of owls that carry acceptance letters to excited Harry Potter fans.
Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery will mark the first time that fans of the franchise will visit Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry---through their phones.
No Harry, Ron, and Hermione
When players log in to the game on their smartphones, they will instantly be transported to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. But there will be no Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, or Hermione Granger to greet them. The reason why? The players will be enrolling in Hogwarts during the 1980s, one decade before the fan-favorite trio was sorted into Gryffindor. However, several familiar faces such as Albus Dumbledore, Severus Snape, and Hagrid are expected to make appearances throughout the game. Players are also expected to enroll in the school's signature classes such as Potions, Transfiguration, and Defense Against the Dark Arts.
Getting J.K. Rowling's Blessing
Since Harry's first adventure, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, was released in America on Sept. 1, 1998, it has become challenging for media and technology companies to convince Rowling that they will create the best product for the franchise's fans. However, Jam City provided incredible examples to Rowling, and thus they received her blessing to move forward with the project.
"There are not many Harry Potter titles in the App Store because J.K. and her team are very selective," said Jam City president Josh Yguando. "But the creative vision we had and the artist we brought forward to work on the game got them comfortable with working with us."
An Augmented Reality Friendly Competitor
Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery may face some friendly competition when the game comes out next year. Niantic Labs, the company behind the wildly successful Pokémon Go, is expected to release a brand new augmented reality experience for the Harry Potter universe.
Harry Potter: Wizards Unite will give its users the chance to face off against some of the dreaded villains in the Harry Potter universe. Niantic is producing the title with Warner Bros. Interactive through Portkey Games, which is also creating Hogwarts Mystery.
The Never-Ending Potter Game
Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery is expected to free for users, but the adventure will only continue if the player makes in-app purchases. Also, the creators of the game stated that their product would be able to continue after the player completes their seventh year of Hogwarts. However, it remains unknown if Jam City could even incorporate elements of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child in the future.
Once the app is released in 2018, fans can download the app once it is released on the Amazon AppStore, Apple's App Store, and Google Play faster than you can say: "Quidditch!"
