Harry Potter Wizards Unite

The wonder of Harry Potter discovering Diagon Alley and other magical locations hidden amid the Muggle world can soon be shared by everyone through an interactive augmented reality (AR) game for mobile devices inspired by J.K. Rowling's wizarding world.  Following the approach of the popular Pokémon Go game, Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment's Portkey Games, a new gaming label dedicated to creating video games and mobile experiences inspired by J.K. Rowling's works, has partnered with Niantic, Inc. to create Harry Potter: Wizards Unite which will provide an immersive experience for aspiring wizards and witches.

Niantic, Inc. and Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment today announced the development of Harry Potter: Wizards Unite, an augmented reality (AR) mobile game inspired by J.K. Rowling’s Wizarding World. Published by Niantic and co-developed by Niantic and Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, under the Portkey Games label,  Harry Potter: Wizards Unite  will use state-of-the-art augmented reality mobile technology to put magic in the hands of aspiring wizards and witches worldwide.

Harry Potter: Wizards Unite will reveal that magic is all around us, and allow players to be a part of Harry Potter's rich world, through Niantic’s AR + real-world mobile game platform. By exploring real-world neighborhoods and cities across the globe, players will go on adventures, learn and cast spells, discover mysterious artifacts, and encounter legendary beasts and iconic characters.  Additional details for  Harry Potter: Wizards Unite  will be announced in 2018.

“At Niantic, our goal is to leverage technology to create real world experiences that help people to discover the wonderful, and often magical parts of the world around them,” announced John Hanke, founder and CEO of Niantic, Inc. “The beloved Harry Potter stories have captured imaginations worldwide for more than 20 years and soon we’ll turn the fantasy into augmented reality, allowing fans and their friends to become wizards and witches.”

“With this game, we are allowing the passionate, worldwide fan base to experience J.K. Rowling’s deeply powerful and imaginative universe in a new, truly immersive way,” commented David Haddad, President, Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment. “It is wonderful to have Niantic’s remarkable augmented reality expertise as we develop this incredibly rich wizarding world for players to explore in their everyday lives.”

To get further updates about the release date and other details about Harry Potter: Wizards Unite, visit: www.harrypotterwizardsunite.com and sign-up to receive email alerts.  You can also follow the game on Facebook and Twitter.

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them Giveaway

I've conjured up a great giveaway to enhance the excitement about the newest movie to delve into the wizarding world of J.K. Rowling. Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them will whisk fans of Harry Potter back to that magical realm when the movie arrives at theaters across the United States on November 18, 2016, and I've partnered with The Hopping Bloggers to craft a very special giveaway! It is valued at $70 and includes the following:

• Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them Hardcover Book
• Harry Potter Coloring Book
• Collectible Quidditch Set
• Mischief Managed Cold Cup with Straw
• Golden Snitch Necklace

The year is 1926, and Newt Scamander (Eddie Redmayne) has just completed a global excursion to find and document an extraordinary array of magical creatures. Arriving in New York for a brief stopover, he might have come and gone without incident, were it not for a No-Maj (American for Muggle) named Jacob, a misplaced magical case, and the escape of some of Newt's fantastic beasts, which could spell trouble for both the wizarding and No-Maj worlds.

Enter to win the Fantastic Beasts Prize Pack using the form below. GOOD LUCK!

Entry-Form

Items in prize pack are subject to availability. If no longer available, they will be replaced with something of equal or greater value.

A Treat for Harry Potter Fans on Halloween

Author J.K. Rowling is providing fans of the wizardly world of Harry Potter with a special treat this Halloween.  On October 31, 2014 she will be releasing a brand new short story on the official Harry Potter website www.Pottermore.com that fans can read for FREE!  This story won't focus on Harry or his cast of friends though, rather it will be centered around the horrid witch Dolores Umbridge who is a character people love to hate.  This new tale will provide a back story providing more perspective on this evil cat hoarding character who had a fetish for anything the color pink and reveled in tormenting Harry Potter.

Teaser posted on the Pottermore website to promote the new Harry Potter themed short story

"Umbridge is not only one of the most malicious Potter characters, she is the only person other than Lord Voldemort to leave a permanent physical scar on Harry," the Pottermore website posted.  "The new exclusive J.K. Rowling content provides a rich 1,700-back story about Umbridge's life filled with many new details, as well as Rowling's revealing first-person thoughts and reflections about the character."

Dolores Umbridge, played by actress Imelda Staunton in the Harry Potter movies, first appeared in the 5th book in Rowling's series about the boy wizard titled Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.  While serving as the Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher at Hogwarts she punished Harry Potter for contradicting her in public by forcing him to write the phrase
"I must not tell lies" repeatedly with a Blood Quill ( a dark magical object of torture that cuts the words a person writes with it into their hand) eventually leaving him scarred.  When Lord Voldemort took over the Ministry of Magic she worked in his regime overseeing the registration and persecution of Muggle-born (the term given to a magical being who is born to two non-magical parents) witches and wizards.  Following the death of Voldemort, Dolores Umbridge was arrested, placed on trial, and imprisoned for her crimes against Muggle-born.

This special story will be exclusively released on Halloween via Pottermore.com, the website Rowling created as a one stop shop for anything Harry Potter related.