The Internet Gets Ready For A Multiplayer Roleplay Game Based On Harry Potter
THE magic of the Harry Potter franchise will meet the magic of online role play in a website that promises “electronic bulletin boards” and “real time interaction with other computer users”. We certainly can’t wait till the July 23rd release date! JK Rowling’s unveiling of pottermore.com has got all the web in a frenzy.
But is introducing children to online roleplay wise? What starts off as spells with Hermione could end up as sex with a man dressed as an elf in a Milton Keynes carpark, or just a really boring hobby that could cripple the social lives of the youngsters involved. After all let’s not forget about that Korean man who gamed himself to DEATH.
No detail is given on the site itself, but the write-up Warner Brothers provided when they registered the pottermore trademark two years ago gives us some clues:
“a service which provides multiple-user access to a global computer information network, on-line chat rooms and electronic bulletin boards for transmission of messages among users in the field of general interest on-line facilities for real-time interaction with other computer users concerning topics of general interest.”
Fansite the leaky The Leaky Cauldron (who claim to have seen the mystery site) describe it – “breathtaking”. (- Haven’t they seen Facebook? This functionality already exists.)
But, thank goodness, we can rest assured it won’t be another Potter book. According to the Mail, Rowling’s spokeswoman said the project was ‘not a new book’ and was not ‘directly related’ to the movie.
While it could be an astonishing development in online entertainment, we have this hunch that it’s going to be squeezing the tired pips of an old franchise, and at best we can hope for some videos of Emma Watson/Daniel Radcliffe having sexytime with elves.
Posted: 20th, June 2011 | In: Technology Comment | TrackBack | Permalink
