I started playing chess a few months ago, and I was recently thinking about the chess game at the end of the first Harry Potter film. Did it follow the rules of chess? Did the moves make sense? Etc.
Fortunately, I found a great[1]blog post on The Leaky Cauldron , where the International Master, Jeremy Silman, that worked with the producers of the film, explains how he planed the game of chess, and that some of it was in fact cut from the film[2].
I probably should have expected that the producers got some professional help for the chess scene, but it still fascinated me seeing how the game was planned, and the constraints that had to be met.
Mark the date in your calendars... A new chapter of Newt Scamander’s adventures is coming soon, with Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore to be released in cinemas globally 15th April 2022, and potentially earlier in a few international markets.
The film was expected to be released in July of next year, but today we can exclusively reveal fans will be able to enjoy the third film a few months earlier than planned!
It feels like forever that we've been waiting for this movie, and what's better is that this is only the third instalment of a planned 5 part movie series.
If you want to know a bit more about the plot, then feel free to expand the section below to read a sneak peek at what we're going to see in the film:
Plot Sneak Peek
Professor Albus Dumbledore knows the powerful Dark wizard Gellert Grindelwald is moving to seize control of the wizarding world. Unable to stop him alone, he entrusts Magizoologist Newt Scamander to lead an intrepid team of wizards, witches and one brave Muggle baker on a dangerous mission, where they encounter old and new beasts and clash with Grindelwald’s growing legion of followers. But with the stakes so high, how long can Dumbledore remain on the sidelines?
I'm like an absolute child when it comes to Harry Potter, so I already expect that I'll be seeing this multiple times in the cinemas.
Maybe I'll have to rewatch the first two Fantastic Beast movies soon to celebrate?
I came across this game a while ago, but either not a lot of information was available then, or for some reason I didn’t pay much attention.
But I must say, I’m holding out a lot of hope for this game, because it looks and sounds absolutely incredible.
Hogwarts Legacy will be an open-world action RPG, which I must say is becoming one my favourite genre. It’s set in the 1880s, and also follows the existing Wizarding World lore that was created in the Harry Potter books. So it means no Harry, Ron, or Hermione. But at the same time I’m glad that it won’t try to break away from the already existing lore, because if it did that would write the game off instantly for me.
The game tales place in Hogwarts, the Forbidden Forest, Hogsmeade Village, and some other new and familiar locations. That makes me very interested. And also makes me wonder if any new locations introduced in this game will be treated as official lore.
It sounds like you’re going to have as real a Hogwarts student experience as possible, as you will be able to choose your house at the beginning of your journey, learn new spells, craft potions, finesse combat skills, and even have companions that can fight alongside you.
One part of the game that intrigues me is this: “Players will also encounter missions and scenarios that will pose difficult choices and determine what they stand for.”. I hope that means the choices that players make will actually have an effect on the open-world.
The players back story is curious, I wonder what this “ancient magic” is, and if it’s something new to the lore:
Experience Hogwarts in the 1800s. Your character is a student who holds the key to an ancient secret that threatens to tear the wizarding world apart. You have received a late acceptance to the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and soon discover that you are no ordinary student: you possess an unusual ability to perceive and master Ancient Magic. Only you can decide if you will protect this secret for the good of all, or yield to the temptation of more sinister magic.
The game will be released in 2022, and will be available on the obvious consoles, the PS4, PS5, whatever the various Xbox models are called, and also PC. I’m not sure if that includes the Mac. But that doesn’t bother me. This game is the sort of game that I wouldn’t mind buying a console for.
The dad spent multiple months putting this together. I can imagine it taking quite a lot of effort, with the planning and construction. And it looks like it's been done really well, the detail on the shop fronts are really good.
But as impressive as it is, it stil didn't stop me thinking that the child will probably get bored of it soon, or possibly even outgrow it, seeing as it looks like a tight space.
All I'm saying is, as much as this is a cool idea, I'm not doing it for any future kids I have!
There’s something so darn Chistmassy about the Harry Potter films, particularly the first few, that I always thought of them as Christmas Movies, even though maybe they’re not. Well I’m kicking off this holiday season with a hot mug of cheer with this 1588 recipe for Butterbeer. I know there’s a ton of nonalcoholic recipes out there for Butterbeer and those are fine, but honestly, I think this is more in line with what J.K. Rowling had in mind when she wrote the books. For starters, the kids need to grow up from Pumpkin Juice to Butterbeer, implying there’s something more mature about it. Secondly Europe and the U.K. are a bit more lax in regards legal drinking ages, and I’d imagine wizards even more so. Thirdly, Butterbeer is an actual real thing, found in a Tudor cookbook from 1588. Was J.K. Rowling specifically referencing this recipe? I can’t say for sure (unless she wants to answer!) but I CAN say that I was shocked to discover that Nicolas Flamel was a real person, who wrote a book on alchemy and the creation of the Philosophers Stone. They have copies of it at the NY Public Libary reference branch, rare books section. So, she wasn’t strictly making things up with these books. So, this Butterbeer as the official Wizards Butterbeer? Maybe.
I’ve tried the “Butterbeer” that is served at the Harry Potter Studio Tour multiple times, but I assume that it doesn’t compare at all. So I’m definitely going to try and make this recipe soon. I guess I’ll have to order a wooden tankard to drink it from too.
So, there’s been a ton of new information shared about the upcoming Harry Potter AR game, Wizards Unite. And it’s certainly shaping up to be an incredible game!
Here’s the back story:
A calamity has befallen the wizarding world, causing artefacts, creatures, people, and even memories to mysteriously appear in the Muggle world. Witches and wizards from across the globe must come together to solve the mystery of The Calamity, overcome the confounding chaotic magic that surrounds these “Foundables,” and return them to their rightful place, keeping them safe from Muggle eyes.
Your journey begins as a new recruit of the Statute of Secrecy Task Force, established by the Ministry of Magic and the International Confederation of Wizards for the purpose of investigating and containing The Calamity.
From the story alone, there’s a massive scope for what the game could turn out to be. On one side of the scale, it could have been a simple rip-off of Pokémon GO, but essentially a hide-and-seek game with a Harry Potter theme. But instead, what we’re getting is a much more all-rounded role-playing game!
Of course, at it’s an AR game, one of the key mechanics will be exploring the world, finding some of the “Foundables”, casting spells, and also Portkeys that offer a full 360 AR experience out in the real wold. That already feels to me a more immersive experience than Pokémon GO (And I’m a big Pokémon GO player!).
Where I think the richness of the game will come from, is the things like potion making, challenging other wizards and foes in Wizarding Challenges, and developing your Wizarding skills while specialising in certain professions.
It sounds like a game with many ways to play. You can simply explore the world, while finding “Foundables”, Portkeys, potion ingredients, etc. You can compete with other players by battling with them at Fortresses, but you can also team up with them and compete Wizard Challenges together. And at the same time as all of that, you’re developing your own character, gaining new skills, and just taking your own route through the game.
One thing I’m unsure about though, is the “Spell Energy”. I’ve never found a mobile game that has some kind of perishable energy source to be that great. As there’s usually long waits to refill, mostly with the aim for players to spend money on in-app purchases. You can find food and drinks at “Inns”, which will be in certain places around the world, and will replenish your Spell Energy. Hopefully there’s enough of them so it doesn’t inhibit gameplay.
My other worry is that the game will be too rich. Sure, I wrote earlier that it’s one of the reasons why I like the sound of this game, but maybe other people won’t appreciate it. As not everyone is as well versed in the Harry Potter universe as others (me), and a steep learning curve for a mobile game may not work out well.
But despite how anyone else finds it, I can already tell I’m going to be really addicted to this game.
You can find out more about Wizards Unite on the website, and also find more of the details I mentioned on their blog.
I’ve literally just finished watching the second film of the Fantastic Beasts series, and I thought I’d try and get out what I thought of it while it’s still fresh. Just for additional information, I watched it in IMAX 2D.
It was incredible in so many ways, but maybe the best part was seeing the wizarding world from a whole new perspective. Everyone remembers Newt Scamander from the original Harry Potter series, but he was only an author of a textbook then. And in the first Fantastic Beasts film we did start to get to know him as a person, but you learn quite a bit more in this film.
I can’t fault anything with the film, but I will have to now go and do some research on everything, because I need a few things cleared up!
The revelations in the film will truly shock you. However, I cannot reveal anything. I already can’t wait for the next instalment.
Over a year ago, Niantic (the developers behind Pokémon GO) announced a game called Wizards Unite. In their announcement, they celebrated the state of their AR technology, including how successful Pokémon GO already was at that point (November 2017). It meant that they had the ability to expand on that and create an experience for the Harry Potter franchise:
We’re incredibly excited to announce this next step in the evolution of AR mobile entertainment. With Harry Potter: Wizards Unite, players that have been dreaming of becoming real life Wizards will finally get the chance to experience J.K. Rowling’s Wizarding World. Players will learn spells, explore their real world neighborhoods and cities to discover & fight legendary beasts and team up with others to take down powerful enemies. We’re thrilled to partner with Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, and WB Games San Francisco’s development team to bring this magical and beloved series to life in a brand new way. Harry Potter: Wizards Unite will leverage the full stack of the Niantic Platform while also providing an opportunity to pioneer all new technology and gameplay mechanics.
It sounded really impressive, but I didn’t expect it to take this long. Because we’ve only just been treated to a trailer, and it wont be released until 2019.
The story sounds reasonably interesting:
The Ministry is looking for witches and wizards willing to roll up their sleeves and volunteer to save the wizarding world from the Calamity. As a member of the Statute of Secrecy Task Force (a new task force formed in partnership between the Ministry of Magic and the International Confederation of Wizards) you will hone lightning fast wand reflexes, an ability to sniff out the faintest whiff of magical disorder from afar, and proficiency in advanced casting of multiple spells.
But it will all depend on the implementation of the real world scaling, the AR features, and just how it will be played. The idea of Pokémon works very well in this scenario, and Pokémon GO has only proved that. But I’m not sure how you could get a game based around the Harry Potter franchise, that is constantly pulling you in to do more, without it being a fixed storyline.
I’m a big Harry Potter fan, so I’m going to play it no matter what. But I hope it’s something long lasting.
Since the first seven Harry Potter books, and the 8 films, we’ve all been dying to sink our teeth into something Potter. Thankfully there’s another film on the way, but there’s also this play – “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child”.
The play will receive it’s world premiere in London’s West End on the 30th July, and the book, which is in fact a “Script Book” will be available digitally and physically in print the next day.
This release isn’t the final version, as the definitive version will be released later this year. However, this is the “Special Rehearsal Edition”, and will be whatever the play script it at the time of the play’s preview performances.
If you want to know more about the story, then here is a small description of what you can look forward to:
It was always difficult being Harry Potter and it isn’t much easier now that he is an overworked employee of the Ministry of Magic, a husband, and father of three school-age children.
While Harry grapples with a past that refuses to stay where it belongs, his youngest son Albus must struggle with the weight of a family legacy he never wanted. As past and present fuse ominously, both father and son learn the uncomfortable truth: sometimes darkness comes from unexpected places.
