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General: Harry Potter Online in development... sort of.

BillMurphyBillMurphy Former Managing EditorMember LegendaryPosts: 4,565
in News & Features Discussion

It seems there might be a Harry Potter Online after all, as development studio Bio-Hazard Entertainment has a "limited license" to begin producing the MMO set in the Wizarding world of JK Rowling, to allow Warner Bros. the chance to evaluate it and decide if full development is worthwhile.

Check out the video below for questions to be answered, straight from the devs themselves:




 


From the studio's online "about us", this explains the project:


 


Bio-Hazard Entertainment is a company recently started by experienced entertainment industry people. Bio-Hazard entertainment is a company that brought together employees who have been working in the fields for many years, and decided to venture out and create a new company resolved around entertainment. With the experience and connections made in recent years of employment, the first project Bio-Hazard decided to take on was 'Harry Potter Online". 



Before heading into production the new started company was required to obtain the license that would allow them to create the production for release. With the project story in hand, the idea was presented to the director of licensing who had faith in the project. Seeing that it could be a really great business plan, a license was given that would allow the company to begin production on the MMO up until Beta. Once beta was hit it would then be decided if the production would be a good investment or not. Warner Brothers has not fully put forth into the project due to the outcome of Pottermore, but with our designing experience and your feedback we can truly blow them away, showing them it would be an amazing investment.  



The company immediately got started in recruiting a team that would make this project the best it can be and more. Once positions were filled it was time to get started and not waste any time at all. To this day the team is devoting hours on end to the production and doing the best they can to have it ready for beta. The game will be completed all the way up to beta and from that point on is when the moment of truth will take place!



With the support and devotion of Harry Potter fans and MMO players it gives us the motivation and drive to make this production beyond anything you would ever expect. This MMO is allowing YOU to design the MMO, what you want to see and what you expect to see. Your ideas, comments and feedback really improves the experience you will have in the MMO, providing the team with details and ideas that can make this production even better.



We thank you for the support and dedication to the project and we hope you join us on the great journey to complete one of the greatest MMOs!


Be sure to head over to their site and lend your support if you like what you see.

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Comments

  • OzmodanOzmodan Member EpicPosts: 9,726
    They really can't be serious.  They won't know if they have a license until Beta is ready?  Either these people are delusional or they have lots of free time on their hands because there is not guarantee that they will get anything for their labors.
  • KarteliKarteli Member CommonPosts: 2,646

    ^  WB probably insisted on seeing a prototype before even making preliminary commitments.  Another new solo MMORPG themepark set to release several years from now wouldn't make me comfortable either if I were on their board, seeing as how companies are embracing upcoming sandbox / sandpark ideologies.

     

    If thats true and Bio Hazard Entertainment are trying to blow minds with their projected beta, it could be interesting.  When I first heard of a Harry Potter MMORPG, I figured it couldn't be done correctly, so I simply considered it someones daydream'in rumors.

     

    I guess if it's Harry Potter, there isn't going to be much middle ground.  It's going to be either really good with a new timeline and all new stories (prequel?) to bring fans running back, or it's going to really suck (& get canned early?).

     

    Warner Brothers though .. I'll keep my expectations very low I guess.  Everything is smooth as butter when there's minimal disappointments.

     

    Want a nice understanding of life? Try Spirit Science: "The Human History"
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U8NNHmV3QPw&feature=plcp
    Recognize the voice? Yep sounds like Penny Arcade's Extra Credits.

  • AbdiellAbdiell Member UncommonPosts: 102
    The first thing they need to is hire a copy writer. Atrocious writing for a press release. Releasing a statement lacking quality writing does not fill me with hope for the game.
  • stragen001stragen001 Member UncommonPosts: 1,720

    Way WAY too late. If anyone was going to do a Harry Potter MMO they needed to start making it around the same time as they started making the second movie. That way the MMO would have been ready by now and people sad because there will be no more Harry Potter books and movies could have used it to get their fix

    Its all over now. The last of the movies has been and gone and the popularity of the franchise will only go downhill. 

    Cluck Cluck, Gibber Gibber, My Old Mans A Mushroom

  • st3v3b0st3v3b0 Member UncommonPosts: 155
    Originally posted by stragen001

    Way WAY too late. If anyone was going to do a Harry Potter MMO they needed to start making it around the same time as they started making the second movie. That way the MMO would have been ready by now and people sad because there will be no more Harry Potter books and movies could have used it to get their fix

    Its all over now. The last of the movies has been and gone and the popularity of the franchise will only go downhill. 

    Riiiight.  Tell that to Universal Studios that keeps expanding the Harry Potter attractions because people just keep coming and coming back to the park purely for these experiences.  If there could be a great MMO based around this world it would be a HUGE hit.  However, these "developers" lack the "love" for the Harry Potter universe and I don't believe they will be able to do it justice as Harry Potter fanatics are lore-whores and the developers will need in-depth knowledge about the books to pull it off.

    Edit:
    That is like saying the interest in Star Wars has worn off after 30+ years...
  • TheBigDRCTheBigDRC Member Posts: 162

    Oh God, it's actually happening?! I was just joking about a Harry Potter MMO with friends in TS not that long ago!

    Heh, well let's see how this turns out . . .

    You know what's fun about chaos? I do, but I won't tell.

  • JacxolopeJacxolope Member UncommonPosts: 1,140
    Originally posted by stragen001

    Way WAY too late. If anyone was going to do a Harry Potter MMO they needed to start making it around the same time as they started making the second movie. That way the MMO would have been ready by now and people sad because there will be no more Harry Potter books and movies could have used it to get their fix

    Its all over now. The last of the movies has been and gone and the popularity of the franchise will only go downhill. 

    I disagree.

    I see Potter as being similar to LOTR- Its timeless. I imagine my grandchildren will be reading the series. The movies sucked btw =P

    -That said, I DO agree that right now would be a very bad time. 

  • reb007reb007 Member UncommonPosts: 613
    Originally posted by Abdiell
    The first thing they need to is hire a copy writer. Atrocious writing for a press release. Releasing a statement lacking quality writing does not fill me with hope for the game.

    QFT

  • BraindomeBraindome Member UncommonPosts: 959

    Was this supposed to be an April fools?

    The one guy asks the other what kind of experience and knowledge he has with Harry Potter and he says he has watched the movies???

    That doesn't exactly invoke much confidence in me as a consumer, sorry I guess I expect too much or something...

  • JudgeUKJudgeUK Member RarePosts: 1,679
    When it comes to character naming it will be an exercise into how many spelling configurations of Voldemort people can dream up.
  • Pig-EyePig-Eye Member Posts: 115
    Dunno, seems like they may have missed their window of opportunity for a massive player base... but who knows o_0

    I got your Deliverance!

    Where's my banjo?!!

  • kfduboiskfdubois Member Posts: 1
    I will sell you my domain... its www.virtualhogwarts.com lol 
  • AddieuAddieu Member Posts: 10

    I dont think you all realize there's new HP movie coming - so it's not really ended. Also look at LOTRO - Tolkien wrote the book like 100 years ago and it's still here. Im not here to compare Rowling and Tolkien work - I just think HP is also something you pass to your children.

    Also - this is actually pretty good time. all children who grew up with HP now have probably jobs and money to pay for playing the game.

    I dont know yet what I think about the project. It can be big hit or big miss, but I can always hope for best. From what I know they already discussed things with Rowling - and it means a lot.

  • PhryPhry Member LegendaryPosts: 11,004
    Originally posted by Addieu

    I dont think you all realize there's new HP movie coming - so it's not really ended. Also look at LOTRO - Tolkien wrote the book like 100 years ago and it's still here. Im not here to compare Rowling and Tolkien work - I just think HP is also something you pass to your children.

    Also - this is actually pretty good time. all children who grew up with HP now have probably jobs and money to pay for playing the game.

    I dont know yet what I think about the project. It can be big hit or big miss, but I can always hope for best. From what I know they already discussed things with Rowling - and it means a lot.

    As there aren't any more harry potter books i kind of wonder what any 'new' film would be based on, i don't think another one centered on harry potter would really be all that good an idea, in the same world perhaps, but it would be a huge gamble. If it ever see's the light of day i'll be surprised. Having said that, an MMO based on HP 'world' might not be a bad idea, as long as it was 'years after' the books, and wasn't simply just a death eaters vs players kind of thing.image

  • AkulasAkulas Member RarePosts: 3,006
    Failed already. Every single MMO that has succeeded knows what they want to do, has a clear goal set and goes out and does it. All the rest have gone f2p saying it's good business. I saw the line good business in the quoted text somewhere which draws me to conclude this is going to be a f2p game with micro transactions. In my books that means it's failed already.

    This isn't a signature, you just think it is.

  • AddieuAddieu Member Posts: 10
    Originally posted by Phry
    Originally posted by Addieu

    I dont think you all realize there's new HP movie coming - so it's not really ended. Also look at LOTRO - Tolkien wrote the book like 100 years ago and it's still here. Im not here to compare Rowling and Tolkien work - I just think HP is also something you pass to your children.

    Also - this is actually pretty good time. all children who grew up with HP now have probably jobs and money to pay for playing the game.

    I dont know yet what I think about the project. It can be big hit or big miss, but I can always hope for best. From what I know they already discussed things with Rowling - and it means a lot.

    As there aren't any more harry potter books i kind of wonder what any 'new' film would be based on, i don't think another one centered on harry potter would really be all that good an idea, in the same world perhaps, but it would be a huge gamble. If it ever see's the light of day i'll be surprised. Having said that, an MMO based on HP 'world' might not be a bad idea, as long as it was 'years after' the books, and wasn't simply just a death eaters vs players kind of thing.image

    Its Magical Beasts - based partially on the book Rowling wrote na published a few years ago as part of  HP world. Movie is supposed to take place years earlier.

    Anyway - they producers of the game said itll take place before knows to us events or after - to be able to create our own story. 

     

    And aboout paying - they're going for P2P or B2P. Which is great, because F2P sucks. F2P = trolling and cash grab from in-game shop.

     

     

    Really guys find some informations before going all negative :).

     
  • TheLizardbonesTheLizardbones Member CommonPosts: 10,910

    I think their biggest hurdle is going to be the expectations of the consumers.  Nearly every Harry Potter product has been a big production, and sold a bazillion things.  Even the Lego games were a big production deal.  I applaud the idea, but this looks like a community effort by people who have never built an MMORPG before.  I don't think the results are going to be something that the average Harry Potter fan is going to be happy with.

     

    * looks up Harry Potter games *

     

    Holy cats.  Harry Potter games have been in production since 2001.  Crazy.

     

    I can not remember winning or losing a single debate on the internet.

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