HARRY POTTER Getting the Pokemon Go Treatment - Harry Potter: Wizards Unite

Harry Potter Wizards Unite, from Niantic

Yes, fans, Niantic, the maker of Pokemon Go, is now taking a swing at Harry Potter fans chasing things off cliffs and into street traffic. The name of the new AR gaming app is Harry Potter: Wizards Unite. Niantic has bought the rights to the app, and it's being co-developed with Warner Bros, with a release time of sometime in 2018.

So what will this look like? Will they set it up to sucker fans and clients intro dropping a dollar here and a dollar there on little power ups and equipment for catching things or defending the realm? More than likely.


When they had started Pokemon Go, basic digital game supplies were hard to come by while monsters were a little less scarce. And through trail and error, Niantic figured out that making the digital equipment less scarce and throwing a ton-load of monsters at customers would give them the inventive to "just spend a dollar or two" here and there to play.

Well, Niantic made over a billion dollars off the "free" game that pushed users to buy supplies and such, with very little improvement returned to the online gaming community.

Taking the Money and Run!


They had a number of issues with the app and instead of fixing the issues, they used resources to chase other problems like shutting down third party vendors helping users find local Pokemon.

So instead of hiring folks to improve the game, they pocketed the cash and left the users to fend for themselves with annoying features that favored the one person in your town that only walked any where to get places.

And back in February of 2017, it was still making from $1.5-2.5 million PER DAY. This daily revenue also spikes higher when they have, what they excitedly call "special events."

All this with an app they launched, updated a few times, then let languish.

Yes, I played the game for a few months, watching my phone burn through 1% of battery juice PER MINUTE, chasing power outlets and walking or biking to places I normally would not go just to play the game to get ahead.

But then they dropped my account for some dumbass reason and I could not get back in, THANK GOD! But sadly, it took me several weeks to stop looking at where Pokestops would be or thinking to myself, check out that spawn point that I know is there!

So what can you expect from a Harry Potter game like this?

Well, if they've learned their lessons, it will probably be pretty fun if done right. And Niantic has the experience from both Ingress and Pokemon Go, it will be pretty fun at first. I mean, hey, it was awesome seeing parents and their kids, or even just old folk out playing Pokemon Go.

But then when it starts to get old, you'll be promised updates that don't come for a long time. Then you'll also get special events that will ramp up the fans, but in the end, only make the bucks for Niantic and WB with little improvement for the users.

In the meantime, here's Niantic's "exciting" press release...

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The Magic of Harry Potter is Coming to a Neighborhood Near You

Almost five years ago Niantic launched Ingress, our first augmented reality mobile game, turning real-world streets, neighborhoods and cities into a global game board, and bringing people together in a shared digital reality. The incentives it created for exploration, exercise, and real-world social interaction helped spawn a global community of fans, united by their shared experience, and laid the foundations for Niantic's real-world AR gaming platform.

Pokémon GO brought that vision to the world at unprecedented scale and served as a catalyst for the further development of the Niantic Platform.

Which brings us to today…

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.

We look forward to seeing you outside on your next adventure. Stay tuned to our social channels for updates as we work to bring this game to life.

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forbes.com: niantic-made-almost-1-billion

techcrunch.com: pokemon-go-has-crossed-1-billion-in-revenue

techcrunch.com: niantics-follow-up-to-pokemon-go-harry-potter

https://nianticlabs.com/blog/wizardsunite



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