Entertainment Weekly has posted up a quick review of Pottermore, JK Rowling’s new project, discussing what goes on when fans enter the site.
First things first, for those who were worried that this would be just the skeletal frame of a game used to sell audiobooks or ebooks or plush sorting hats or whatever: it’s not. Even though the site is currently limited to material relating to the first book, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, there’s still more than enough to make your entire afternoon disappear like a temporus suckus spell. You begin your journey by going through various interactive tableaux representing scenes from the book: the arrival of the Hogwarts letters, platform 9 3/4, Diagon Alley. For the most part, there’s not terribly much to do with these at first, other than zooming in and clicking on objects to learn their history and grab some collectible items for your trunk. However, there is actually a decent amount of textual content—including character backgrounds and location histories—that was purportedly written by Rowling herself, and the author promises to reveal a number of other story lines she wrote that never managed to make it into the books themselves.
The real fun comes with the community elements. Once you’re sorted into a house […] you’ll be able to interact with your fellow housemates via a number of activities. Individuals can earn house points in the site-wide House Cup, and you can even engage in a wizard’s duel using your customized wand and the spells you have learned. If potions are more your thing, you can buy all the bezoars and flobberworm mucus you need at Diagon Alley and whip up a batch or two in your cauldron, but don’t overspend or else you’ll find your Gringotts vault empty. All these elements represent the kind of useless but still desperately desired reward system that can turn horribly, wonderfully addictive. It’s hard to tell at this point exactly how addictive when it’s nobody else but us chickens in here, but Pottermore seems especially designed to destroy work productivity the world over.
Just a quick note that I will NOT be posting any spoilers from Pottermore for 2 reasons:
I am sure a lot of people want to wait to experience it themselves without seeing it here first.
It is against the terms to post screencaptures or take any of the information from the site.
I will, however, post screenshots and information if it is sent to the site directly by WB or the Pottermore team.
Just a quick reminder that tonight’s episode of “Who Do You Think You Are?” on BBC will be featuring JK Rowling and a look into her ancestry. The episode will air on BBC1 at 9pm BST.
Always intrigued by her late mother’s French ancestry, the Harry Potter author delves into her Gallic roots by visiting Edinburgh, London and Paris. Keen to find out why her great-grandfather, Louis Volant, was awarded one of France’s most prestigious medals for his actions during the First World War, the writer makes a surprising and shocking discovery. Even further back, she encounters an ancestor who triumphed against all the odds.
the international teaser trailer (in this case meaning the US) for Daniel Radcliffe’s new film, The Woman in Black’ is now online and may be watched below. The film will be released on February 3rd in the US and the 10th in the UK
Amazon has posted a release date for the upcoming LEGO Harry Potter: Years 5-7 video game. They have it as November 15th 2011, this has not been confirmed but when Amazon posts something it is usually correct.
You can pre-order it now and if the price goes down you are protected by the Pre-Order Price Guarantee, so you will get money back. [You won’t get money back after November 15th though, it is only if the pre-order price changes]
LEGO Harry Potter: Years 5-7 builds upon the magical gameplay, lessons and potion-making skills learned in LEGO Harry Potter: Years 1-4 to equip gamers with the tools necessary to challenge a host of new foes and some familiar ones.
LEGO Harry Potter: Years 5-7 is action-packed from start to finish, including loads of new lessons, spells, and bonus content for hours of family friendly gaming.
The Pottermore Insider Blog has been updated to let fans know that Beta testing for those million fans who signed up has begun! They will be staggering the entrance to the site so you still may not get your email for a few weeks. According to the entry:
As Pottermore Beta users, you’ll be exploring all the different elements of the site and, hopefully, sharing your thoughts with us along the way. How? By using the ‘Beta feedback’ button. You’ll find it located at the bottom right-hand corner of every page on the site […]
It’s important for us to know what you enjoy about the site, what you would like to see improved, and that you tell us about any parts you think aren’t working smoothly. As well as the ‘Beta feedback’ button on the site itself, we’ll also send each Beta user a survey to complete, asking some detailed questions about the Pottermore website.
All this information will be collated and analysed to help make Pottermore as enjoyable, interesting and easy-to-use as possible.
They have also posted some information about registering for the official opening in October.
If you have submitted your email address to be notified when registration is open to all, then you’ll be hearing from us soon, and you’ll be able to register for entry in October.
If you asked to be notified when registration was open to all but also registered for Beta, then you may receive two emails from us. Youdo not have to register for October if you already have a validated early access (Beta) account. In other words, if you received a Beta ‘Congratulations!’ message then you can ignore the ‘Pottermore registration is now open’ email (although do feel free to forward it to your friends!).
