›

Howdy, Stranger!

It looks like you're new here. If you want to get involved, click one of these buttons!

Sign In Register

Quick Links

Could a Harry Potter MMO work?

Zeppelin5083Zeppelin5083 Member Posts: 410
in The Pub at MMORPG.COM

I'm sure there's a thread about this buried back in the abyss somewhere, but I am still questioning WHY this hasn't happened. Not just from a fan perspective, but a business perspective.

Reasons why it should be made (dispute if you disagree):

A. Millions of fans worldwide

B. Hours of content ready (world already created in books/movies)

C. Little to no need to invent lore

D. LOTRO did it and is still fairly succesful

 

When I saw that Warner Bros bought Turbine (maker of LOTRO), I thought a Harry Potter MMO would be announced soon after. The fact that they have loads of money, an MMO developer at their fingertips, and the rights to the franchise makes me wonder..

 

WHY?

 

Now, sure it could be a bust. They could screw it up majorly. But seriously, what Harry Potter fan wouldn't at least consider the idea? Making your own story in the world of the Harry Potter series?

From a business perspective, I'd imagine they would make up almost any investment in box sales alone just due to the sheer popularity of the series. 

edit: added poll

imagehttp://www.hbo.com/game-of-thrones/index.html

Comments

  • Cephus404Cephus404 Member CommonPosts: 3,675

    While I was a fan of the early books and the early movies, I'd never play an MMO based on the concept, simply because you can count on it being filled to the brim with obnoxious kids waving wands.  Add to the fact that the world of Harry Potter really isn't all that big and everyone would just make Harry, Hermione or Ron clones.  Once you remove the major characters, there really isn't that much left.

    No thanks.

    Played: UO, EQ, WoW, DDO, SWG, AO, CoH, EvE, TR, AoC, GW, GA, Aion, Allods, lots more
    Relatively Recently (Re)Played: HL2 (all), Halo (PC, all), Batman:AA; AC, ME, BS, DA, FO3, DS, Doom (all), LFD1&2, KOTOR, Portal 1&2, Blink, Elder Scrolls (all), lots more
    Now Playing: None
    Hope: None

  • Zeppelin5083Zeppelin5083 Member Posts: 410
    Originally posted by Cephus404

    While I was a fan of the early books and the early movies, I'd never play an MMO based on the concept, simply because you can count on it being filled to the brim with obnoxious kids waving wands.  Add to the fact that the world of Harry Potter really isn't all that big and everyone would just make Harry, Hermione or Ron clones.  Once you remove the major characters, there really isn't that much left.

    No thanks.

    What if this game were to give you the option of going to one of the 3 known schools, and based on what classes you chose to take you could become an auror, dragon tamer, wand maker, etc.

    If you have all of these options I doubt that there would be a lot of potter clones. Maybe also don't allow scars in the character creation and start from a kid at hogwarts and grow your character into a working adult at max "level"

    imagehttp://www.hbo.com/game-of-thrones/index.html

  • fenistilfenistil Member Posts: 3,005
    It could work as much as most of other IP's.   Still personally I am not interested in HP lore or world and thus this would not be something that would encourage me to play that game. Actually It could be a deterrent since playing game with lore / world / setting I am not interested in is well not interesting.
  • botrytisbotrytis Member RarePosts: 3,363
    Originally posted by Zeppelin5083
    Originally posted by Cephus404

    While I was a fan of the early books and the early movies, I'd never play an MMO based on the concept, simply because you can count on it being filled to the brim with obnoxious kids waving wands.  Add to the fact that the world of Harry Potter really isn't all that big and everyone would just make Harry, Hermione or Ron clones.  Once you remove the major characters, there really isn't that much left.

    No thanks.

    What if this game were to give you the option of going to one of the 3 known schools, and based on what classes you chose to take you could become an auror, dragon tamer, wand maker, etc.

    If you have all of these options I doubt that there would be a lot of potter clones. Maybe also don't allow scars in the character creation and start from a kid at hogwarts and grow your character into a working adult at max "level"

    Interesting idea  - I wonder what J.K Rowlings would say. You would have to lisence from her and I bet it would be as big as a Star Wars lisence.


  • PhryPhry Member LegendaryPosts: 11,004
    basing a gameworld on the harry potter theme, very iffy tbh, trying to recreate hogwarts etc as the main theme of the game would be an unmitigated disaster, that is and should remain the domain of single player games. In terms of pvp you could have good vs bad mages or whatever they call them, and as a pvp game it could maybe succeed, a bit, but tbh, the subject just isnt interesting enough now, it would be a 'nostalgia' game, its really far too late in the day now to be even thinking of trying to create an MMO based on JK Rowlings 'fantasy world'  that Harry Potter lived in.image
  • Zeppelin5083Zeppelin5083 Member Posts: 410

    Originally posted by Phry
    basing a gameworld on the harry potter theme, very iffy tbh, trying to recreate hogwarts etc as the main theme of the game would be an unmitigated disaster, that is and should remain the domain of single player games. In terms of pvp you could have good vs bad mages or whatever they call them, and as a pvp game it could maybe succeed, a bit, but tbh, the subject just isnt interesting enough now, it would be a 'nostalgia' game, its really far too late in the day now to be even thinking of trying to create an MMO based on JK Rowlings 'fantasy world'  that Harry Potter lived in.image

    - If I had a say in it, I would make the entire world as the main theme of the game, with one of the 3 schools just like the level 1-10 area where you get your basic skills then choose an "advanced class" if you will. Add an option to be a dragon tamer/auror/wand maker etc and it could possibly work

    Originally posted by botrytis

    Originally posted by Zeppelin5083
    Originally posted by Cephus404

    While I was a fan of the early books and the early movies, I'd never play an MMO based on the concept, simply because you can count on it being filled to the brim with obnoxious kids waving wands.  Add to the fact that the world of Harry Potter really isn't all that big and everyone would just make Harry, Hermione or Ron clones.  Once you remove the major characters, there really isn't that much left.

    No thanks.

    What if this game were to give you the option of going to one of the 3 known schools, and based on what classes you chose to take you could become an auror, dragon tamer, wand maker, etc.

    If you have all of these options I doubt that there would be a lot of potter clones. Maybe also don't allow scars in the character creation and start from a kid at hogwarts and grow your character into a working adult at max "level"

    Interesting idea  - I wonder what J.K Rowlings would say. You would have to lisence from her and I bet it would be as big as a Star Wars lisence.

    -My thoughts are that with so many millions of fans around the world, almost no cost is too high because I'd imagine with the hype you could get your initial investment back in box sales alone.

    Originally posted by fenistil
    It could work as much as most of other IP's.   Still personally I am not interested in HP lore or world and thus this would not be something that would encourage me to play that game. Actually It could be a deterrent since playing game with lore / world / setting I am not interested in is well not interesting.

    I can see that, to each their own. I imagine there are those people who disliked LOTRO so it wouldn't be something they would play. However, the fan base creates a HUGE niche which would make at least initial sales successfull.

    imagehttp://www.hbo.com/game-of-thrones/index.html

  • FromHellFromHell Member Posts: 1,311

    Interesting, I thought about this too about a year ago or so.

     

    It could be something like Secret World, being in "Muggle World" and the magic world. It could be amazing.

    If someone ever tries this, I hope it won´t be a WoW clone, more a Secret World clone, with puzzles and mysteries and no classes, and lots of great stories :D

     

    Funny thing is, whenever I play one of the SWTOR warzones, and we ride in on the flying speeders, I have to think "Quidditch".

    There should be Quidditch minigame tournaments, and a lot of fun other minigames in the open world.

     

    Yes I´d love a Harry Potter MMO, if it´s done right. As long as it´s not a Diablo 3 clone, no Wowclone, and no damn isometric browser game.

    Secrets of Dragon?s Spine Trailer.. ! :D
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fwT9cFVQCMw

    Best MMOs ever played: Ultima, EvE, SW Galaxies, Age of Conan, The Secret World
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T2X_SbZCHpc&t=21s
    .


    .
    The Return of ELITE !
    image

  • killion81killion81 Member UncommonPosts: 995
    Just play Wizard101 if you arre interested in a "magic school MMORPG geared towards kids".
  • fenring101fenring101 Member UncommonPosts: 80

    It would depend on the aims of the game really.

     

    As a themepark it would be utterly and completely awful, probably the worst mmo ever. As a sandbox, a true sandbox that is, it could be pretty awesome. Think similar to EVE.

     

    You have no classes, but rather you can specialise and practice in certain areas of magic, there would be protected area's of course, those which are covered by the Ministry of Magic(It would act similar to concorde.. get caught doing something wrong and they snap your wand...)

     

    Most Professions dont really make much sense as a "This is what your character does...)

    But you could still try and tame magical creatures, build wands, make potions, break curses for gringots... all ways to make money and build an ingame economy, make robes etc

     

    Then you have the real nuts and bolts of the game that would interrest people PvP...

    3 Factions...

    Ministry of Magic. (Official Light Side Players. Limited to Light Side Spells and such, but are rewarded by the ministry)

    Dark Wizard. (Clans of players who are Dark Wizards, fighting for control of the wizarding world.)

    Grey Wizards. (Not everyone who is Light fights with the Ministry... think Dumbledores Army or the Order of the Phoenix, these guys will break the rules if they have to, but there are limits before they shift towards the dark side.)

     

    The real key would be how to balance it. I think each Clan would have to have a metre which measures the good spells vs bad spells cast by its members, enough Dark and even a good clan could end up fighting against the Aurors.

     

    Could make for some interesting PvP but I doubt they could actually make it work well or be balanced enough. Would be fun to try and take control of England etc tho. think it would need to be spread over Europe as a whole though, England, France, Germany at least.

     

     

     

     

  • cagarcagar Member Posts: 98

        It's to late for a Harry potter mmo now. If they could have shoved one out the door during the last few movies they might have been able to ride the hype train, but that opertunity has passed.

    70 monk eq1
    80 bruiser eq2
    43 druid wow
    Currently playing : rift

  • ThorbrandThorbrand Member Posts: 1,198
    When I read this title the first thing that came to my mind is "Fuck You!". No offense OP at all but all these MMOs using popular IPs is a fail as much as single player MMOs (Oxymoron BTW)! We need real games created again for the real RPG gamers. There are none out or coming out and what they claim to be RPGs are no where close to being a RPG. I think the electronic gamers of the world are forgetting what RPGs are and forgetting in a big way.
  • NakedFuryNakedFury Member UncommonPosts: 411

    A Harry Potter mmo could work depending on some factors.

     

    Target audience: Do we target teens and young kids or adults?

     

    Either way there are several ways this could work.

     

    Also I can see the game going diifferent styles:

    School based

    World based

     

    with world based you got the whole HP world to explore, with school everything revolves around the school. Another factor would be time line, do we do this before or after HarrY Potter, do we remove harry potter story from the world?

     

    Gameplay: regular generic point and click action or shooter style mechanics with magic? Add crafting and potion making, add spell crafting(because there must be a way to make spells), add different skill trees(shouting incantations or silent?), would the game allow pvp anywhere with penalties(like involving non magical civilians), jobs or classes, etc


    image

  • InFlamestwoInFlamestwo Member Posts: 662
    Yes it would work, especially how unique they can make a harry potter mmorpg. Though, i rather see a Naruto or Bleach mmorpg.

    image

  • MindTriggerMindTrigger Member Posts: 2,596

    It's not going to happen, at least not in the foreseeable future.  Rowling has been working on that Pottermore website project for a while, and that's the closest she is going to get to an MMO.  She's been asked a million times already.

    Screw Potter anyway, bring on WoD!

    Edit:  Then again, reports are that her latest non-Potter book sucked, and when she starts wanting more money, she may be willing to whore the series out more.  That may take many years though.

    A sure sign that you are in an old, dying paradigm/mindset, is when you are scared of new ideas and new technology. Don't feel bad. The world is moving on without you, and you are welcome to yell "Get Off My Lawn!" all you want while it happens. You cannot, however, stop an idea whose time has come.

  • AdamantineAdamantine Member RarePosts: 5,085

    Hu, why not ?

    As long as its done well, pretty much any IP could work.

    The IP only gives background. What makes MMO fun is a good PvE/PvP rulesystem, plus player cooperation and conflict.

    I can imagine an awesome HP MMO just as easily as an absolutely awful.

    Unfortunately, the awful variant is much more likely.

     

  • Zeppelin5083Zeppelin5083 Member Posts: 410

    Originally posted by Thorbrand
    When I read this title the first thing that came to my mind is "Fuck You!". No offense OP at all but all these MMOs using popular IPs is a fail as much as single player MMOs (Oxymoron BTW)! We need real games created again for the real RPG gamers. There are none out or coming out and what they claim to be RPGs are no where close to being a RPG. I think the electronic gamers of the world are forgetting what RPGs are and forgetting in a big way.

    I partially agree with you. I would like to see a completely original MMO that tries to add new ideas in to evolve the genre, but the problem with that is where they get their funding. A Harry Potter MMO would get a lot of investors interested because it has so many loyal fans worldwide. It's just more likely that this happens than  a brand new MMO with a completely original world. I would love to see both though, assuming they are done the right way.

    Originally posted by Flex1

    A Harry Potter mmo could work depending on some factors.

     

    Target audience: Do we target teens and young kids or adults?

     -I would target teens to adults for this game, and at least work a PG-13 angle, as the films did. Lean the content towards the books instead of the films though.

    Either way there are several ways this could work.

     

    Also I can see the game going diifferent styles:

    School based

    World based

     

    with world based you got the whole HP world to explore, with school everything revolves around the school. Another factor would be time line, do we do this before or after HarrY Potter, do we remove harry potter story from the world?

     I would greatly prefer a world based, it opens up many more options and a larger gameplay experience.

    Gameplay: regular generic point and click action or shooter style mechanics with magic? Add crafting and potion making, add spell crafting(because there must be a way to make spells), add different skill trees(shouting incantations or silent?), would the game allow pvp anywhere with penalties(like involving non magical civilians), jobs or classes, etc

    I would say PVP could include quidditch and dueling contests, possibly larger scale battles when you get to a higher level and like someone before mentioned, chose light/dark/neutral side.

    Originally posted by Adamantine

    Hu, why not ?

    As long as its done well, pretty much any IP could work.

    The IP only gives background. What makes MMO fun is a good PvE/PvP rulesystem, plus player cooperation and conflict.

    I can imagine an awesome HP MMO just as easily as an absolutely awful.

    Unfortunately, the awful variant is much more likely.

     I agree, an awful WoW clone variant is much more likely. We need a company that actually wants to risk making some changes to the typical MMO.

     

    imagehttp://www.hbo.com/game-of-thrones/index.html

  • ShakyMoShakyMo Member CommonPosts: 7,207
    No

    Would be a lazy half assed wow clone cashing in on the ip
  • GN-003GN-003 Member Posts: 78

    Why? EA has the Harry Potter license. They're not going to pump funds into another high profile, licensed MMORPG any time soon. They already have SWTOR to worry about.

  • OnomasOnomas Member UncommonPosts: 1,147
    The current trend of mmorpg's would just ruin it like they did so many other titles.
  • free2playfree2play Member UncommonPosts: 2,043
    They might be better off making a really good single player Harry Potter game. As an MMO I just see a lot of spell grinding and unrealistic I-Win buttons.
  • mgilbrtsnmgilbrtsn Member EpicPosts: 3,430
    I think it could definitely be a hit.  However, because of the background and IP, it would naturally fit into a kid MMO.  Either way, I wouldn't play it.  Just not my cup of tea.

    I self identify as a monkey.

  • IselinIselin Member LegendaryPosts: 18,719

    Just because a fantasy world worked as a book it doesn't mean it'd translate into an MMO. The Magic Kindom of Landover, Discworld and The Hitch-hikers Guide to the Galaxy are all great book/movie IPs as well. Call me "unimaginative" if you want but an MMO made from any of those would suck...same for Harry.

     

    If someone proposes it, run as fast as you can in the opposite direction: it'd take a lot of money to access the IP rights to begin with and most of the dev. budget would go there. We all know that this means you'd get WOW-lite in a Potter skin with multi-million dollar ad campaings.

    "Social media gives legions of idiots the right to speak when they once only spoke at a bar after a glass of wine, without harming the community ... but now they have the same right to speak as a Nobel Prize winner. It's the invasion of the idiots”

    ― Umberto Eco

    “Microtransactions? In a single player role-playing game? Are you nuts?” 
    ― CD PROJEKT RED

  • redcappredcapp Member Posts: 722
    It *could* work, but it never will.  You know the only game they would make would be a dumbed down piece of shit targeted towards 12 year olds.
  • YakamomotoYakamomoto Member Posts: 363

    I want this.

     

Sign In or Register to comment.