Tag: harry potter

Hogwarts Legacy Sold Over 22 Million Copies in 2023, WB Claims; More Harry Potter Games in Development

Hogwarts Legacy, the RPG set within the Potterverse, sold over 22 million copies in 2023. Speaking to Variety, Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment president David Haddad claimed that it was the best-selling game of the said year and that about 2 million of those sales were made during the Christmas holiday season, presumably owing to heavy discounts. Despite his statement, several developers in the industry, including Larian Studios (Baldur’s Gate 3) and Activision (Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3) have yet to reveal the latest sales numbers; so, take the claims with a grain of salt.

“It brought Harry Potter to life in a new way for gamers where they could be themselves in this world, in this story,” Haddad said in the interview. “And that’s what the team at Avalanche set out to do when they were developing the game and I think that’s really why it resonated so well and remains the best-selling game of the year in the entire industry worldwide.” Going forward, WB will continue betting on well-established franchises and using its namesake to generate better sales. In fact, CEO David Zaslav touched upon this in November, with plans to heavily veer into a live service model that would transform the company’s biggest names into long-term products, dropping new content regularly and deep monetisation. This also includes free-to-play mobile games and MultiVersus, the fighting game featuring characters from WB properties, which is expected to undergo a full launch this year.

Launched in February 2023, Hogwarts Legacy got off to a great start, with players worldwide discovering secrets, while developer Avalanche enjoyed staggering sales, partly bolstered by the drama revolving around the boycott of author J.K. Rowling. Although the interest gradually decreased in the following months — the game failed to earn a single nomination at The Game Awards 2023 — WB still seems hellbent on expanding its Harry Potter portfolio with its Quidditch Champions game, which underwent a closed playtest last year. The magical sport was not included in Hogwarts Legacy, so it would be interesting to see how it plays out as a multiplayer entry. Could the company try to make it a live service affair? Only time will tell. Regardless, there are plans for more Harry Potter spin-off games.

So far, wizards around the world have brewed 819 million potions, harvested 1.3 billion magical plants, bested 4.9 billion dark wizards in combat, and rescued 593 million fantastical beasts in Hogwarts Legacy. As per Haddad, another key area of success was NetherRealm Studios’ latest fighting game Mortal Kombat 1, which he alluded to have garnered more players than any other entry in the fighter franchise in its ‘30-plus year history.’ Selling 3 million copies as of November, the fighting game featured some aggressive microtransactions — something gamers have always shown a dislike for. WB Games’ upcoming Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League also falls under the live service umbrella, causing longtime fans of developer Rocksteady to be sceptical of it.

Hogwarts Legacy is available on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series S/X, and Nintendo Switch.

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Daniel Radcliffe Says He’s ‘Definitely Not Seeking’ a Cameo in Max’s Harry Potter TV Series: Report

Daniel Radcliffe is stated to be fine with not returning in Max’s upcoming TV series adaptation of Harry Potter, even in a cameo role. Speaking to ComicBook.com, the British actor, known for playing ‘The Boy Who Lived’ in the eight-film-long franchise, confirmed that he’s not actively seeking a role in the show, adding that he’s quite “excited to have that torch passed.” Warner Bros. Discovery ordered a decade-long series adaptation of the controversial author J.K. Rowling’s books in April, which will feature an entirely new cast. Rowling will executive produce the series, which is rumoured to premiere sometime in 2025 or 2026.

“My understanding is that they’re trying to very much start fresh and I’m sure whoever is making them will want to make their own mark on it and probably not want to have to figure out how to get old Harry to cameo in this somewhere,” Radcliffe said in the interview. “So I’m definitely not seeking it out in any way. But I do wish them, obviously, all the luck in the world and I’m very excited to have that torch passed. But I don’t think it needs me to physically pass it.” Radcliffe’s comments on cameo appearances do hold some weight, with modern blockbusters oftentimes including past actors for nostalgia purposes or simply to drive older audiences to theatres. The Ezra Miller-led The Flash is a good example of that, with the film using multiversal shenanigans as an excuse to carry out somewhat illogical fan service, instead of telling a coherent story.

The Wizarding World on the big screen was originally planned to continue with five films in the Fantastic Beasts series, but development seems to be in a state of limbo after the third one — Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore — possibly due to the latest film’s lacklustre reception. As for the planned Harry Potter Max series, each of Rowling’s seven novels will be adapted into a single season of television, trying to recapture the same magic as Warner Bros’ movies did 25 years ago, albeit tailored for a new generation. The story largely follows the titular 11-year-old orphaned boy, who upon learning that he’s a wizard is whisked away on a whimsical journey to the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry to harness his magical powers and learn the truth behind his biological parents’ death.

Since his stint in the Harry Potter films, lead Radcliffe has appeared in a bunch of theatre plays and movies in absurd roles — even playing a washed-up zombie in Oscar-winning directors Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert’s Swiss Army Man. He will next be seen in the fourth season of TBS’ anthology comedy series ‘Miracle Workers’ as wasteland warrior Sid, navigating a fictional dystopia called Boomtown. Geraldine Viswanathan (Bad Education) co-stars in it as a ruthless warlord, coming to terms with the existential terms of married life and small-town living.

The Harry Potter series is allegedly eyeing a release sometime in 2025–26, exclusively on Max.

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Hogwarts Legacy PS4 and Xbox One Versions Delayed to May 5

Hogwarts Legacy’s PS4 and Xbox One versions have been delayed yet again. In a tweet, studio Avalanche Software confirmed that the versions of the open-world Harry Potter RPG for previous-gen consoles will now release on May 5, in an effort to deliver the “best possible experience on all platforms.” All versions were originally meant to launch on February 10, but these ports were delayed to April 4 last year and have now been postponed again. Currently, there is no word on any further delay for the Nintendo Switch version, which is likely still on track to release on July 25.

While Avalanche Software has not explicitly stated what the extra month of development time will be used for, we can assume that it is for better optimisation on the outdated specs of the PS4 and Xbox One. Since its launch, there have been multiple reports of microstutters and lighting glitches that cause Hogwarts Legacy on PC to get too dark or bright, on occasion. It is quite possible that such performance issues have also been affecting the experience on last-gen consoles in testing.

For what it’s worth, it’s nice that the developers aren’t giving up on these versions of Hogwarts Legacy yet, given that this seems to be an easy solution. Another WB Games-published title Gotham Knights comes to mind — the team outright cancelled previous-gen versions midway through development.

Late last month, publisher WB Games confirmed that Hogwarts Legacy sold 12 million copies in the two weeks since its release on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series S/X. That figure makes it the biggest game launch for the company. Hogwarts Legacy has also dominated the Twitch charts, peaking at 1.28 million concurrent players and becoming the no.1 single-player game on the streaming platform. Its impact has been nothing short of surreal, and has even been seen on the Wizarding World website — the official destination for all Potterheads — which saw 300 percent higher traffic than usual in the early days of February, as per Warner Bros. Discovery. That being said, the developer has no stated plans to capitalise on the hype by releasing any DLC yet — besides patches — as it continues to work on the PS4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch versions.

Set in the 1800s, long before the Chosen One was born, Hogwarts Legacy puts you in the shoes of a fifth-year witch/ wizard who possesses the rare ability to see and tap into ancient magic. While on the run from a hostile goblin, you must juggle between responsibilities — attending classes at the iconic magic-laden castle, exploring the dense Forbidden Forest, learning to make potions, and fighting Dark wizards and hostile creatures that cross your path. Quidditch has been cancelled for the year, as per lore, but you can still fly around the world on broomsticks.

Hogwarts Legacy on the PS4 and Xbox One is now set to release on May 5. The Switch version is currently on schedule for a July 25 launch.

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Hogwarts Legacy Sets Biggest Single-Player Game Record on Twitch With 1.28 Million Viewers

Hogwarts Legacy is completely dominating the Twitch charts with record-breaking numbers. In a tweet, developer Avalanche Software confirmed that their new open-world Harry Potter RPG hit a peak concurrent viewership of 1.28 million viewers on the live-streaming platform. The news broke amidst some streamer drama, where individuals completely boycotted the game, owing to its association with the original author J.K. Rowling. This milestone perches Hogwarts Legacy as the no. 1 single-player game on Twitch — during the launch period — surpassing the records set by Cyberpunk 2077 and 2022’s Game of the Year winner Elden Ring.

For now, Hogwarts Legacy is playable as part of a 72-hour early access, granted to those who pre-ordered the Deluxe Edition. (The global launch is set for later tonight.) The aforementioned numbers, alongside it being one of the most wishlisted titles on Steam, go to show how much hype and anticipation Hogwarts Legacy generated since its initial gameplay footage leaked in 2018. As per the performance metrics website Gamesight (via Kotaku), the multiplayer FPS title Valorant currently stands in the first position with a peak viewership of 1.7 million on Twitch, during its launch period. Part of it was fueled by a Riot Games campaign, which granted viewers early access to the game, in exchange for watching participating streamers.

Hogwarts Legacy Early Impressions: A Worthy Return to the Wizarding World

Hogwarts Legacy, while positioned third on that chart, comes out on top, generating the most traffic for a single-player game launch. Cyberpunk 2077 falls right behind, reaching a peak concurrent viewership of 1.14 million, despite the technical and performance issues plaguing the game at launch. Earlier this week, Félix “xQc” Lengyel, one of the biggest streamers on Twitch, streamed Hogwarts Legacy to over 108,000 live viewers.

As per data tracking site SteamDB, Hogwarts Legacy amassed 489,139 concurrent players — marking one of the biggest early access launches on the platform. Games analyst Benji-Sales tweeted that the figure represents the second-highest player peak in history, for any paid, single-player-only game. With these numbers, Hogwarts Legacy has dethroned 2015’s Fallout 4 (472,962 peak active players) and stands behind Cyberpunk 2077, which broke the 1 million mark. Technically, the second place goes to Elden Ring, but it has a multiplayer PvP and summoning element to it — essentially removing it from the race. For what it’s worth, the GOTY winner had an all-time peak of 953,426 concurrent players.

Despite gaining good traction, some streamers on Twitch have been going through a hard time trying to broadcast it. Harry Potter author Rowling’s highly-controversial comments against the transgender community inspired backlash from the LGBTQ+ community — some of which seeped into Hogwarts Legacy, as launch time neared. While the developer affirmed on its FAQ page that Rowling was not involved in the creation of the game, some fans are boycotting it in protest, as the author still stands to earn royalties from the enchanting universe she created. A vocal minority of the group took to Twitch, as a means to berate streamers who chose to play Hogwarts Legacy. Sam Gibbs, a web developer, even created a watchdog website — now offline — that monitored whether a particular Twitch streamer played “THAT wizard game.”

Hogwarts Legacy launches tonight at 12am IST (midnight), across PC, PS5, and Xbox Series S/X. The old-gen PS4 and Xbox One versions are set for an April 4 release, while the Nintendo Switch version drops July 25.

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Hurrah for new HBO boss for uncanceling J.K. Rowling

Expelliarmus! And faster than you can say Severus Snape, the dork magic that is wokeness has been neutralized. J.K. Rowling is being let out of her PC jail cell by the new chief of Warner Bros. Discovery.

You may have noticed that when it came time to engineer a Harry Potter 20th-anniversary reunion on New Year’s Day for HBO Max, the company seemed to treat Rowling like a muggle. She appeared only in archival footage. That was strange, but then again, Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and “Fantastic Beasts” star Katherine Waterston have all taken disgraceful/ungrateful little pokes at Rowling. HBO Max seemed uncertain whether she deserved a lot of attention at a Harry Potter celebration. It’s not like she was important to that franchise or anything.

But this spring a new headmaster, David Zaslav, came in to run Warner Bros., which made the Harry Potter films. Zaslav has already made two big, and hilarious moves: Canceling CNN+, and uncanceling Rowling. Zaslav is meeting with Rowling to discuss new Harry Potter projects, reports the Wall Street Journal.

That’s news because as the Fantastic Beasts series dwindles into oblivion, the industry trades have been a little quiet about new Rowling projects lately. (Lately she popped up in the news when Vladimir Putin complained that the West was canceling Russia just like it canceled Rowling. Rowling fired back that she didn’t invade Ukraine).

Presumably, we’ll be getting some new Rowling/Potter content. Hurrah! The Prisoner of Wokezkaban is free.

Rupert Grint, Emma Watson and Daniel Radcliffe took jabs at Rowling during the franchise’s 2021 reunion.
Twitter/HBO Max

Rowling, known for holding such extremist views as “women are a different thing from men,” was subjected to online harassment from Twitter mobs who insisted that her reputation be cast into the hellfire flames of Mordor. [I think you’re getting mixed up with a different franchise —Ed.] Although most of Rowling’s antagonists appeared to be either spotty 14-year-olds or adjunct professors of gender studies, AT&T proved that a $100 billion-dollar corporation can cave quicker than the French army in 1940 and cast the Cloak of Invisibility over Rowling.

Zaslav, who according to the Journal is such a workaholic that he starts work at 6 a.m. and is pushing for the Starbucks on the Warners lot to stay open 24 hours, has been flicking his lightsaber in every direction to cut costs [Do you even watch these movies? — Ed] and reduce headcount at the newly-rechristened company. He even dared to ask execs why Warners made the terrible Clint Eastwood movie “Cry Macho” last year. (Answer: Eastwood’s previously made non-terrible movies, so we owe him this.) So his apparent willingness to make big bets on Rowling indicates he thinks she’s vital to the company’s future growth prospects, Twitter be damned.

Zaslav wants to stream Harry Potter flicks on HBO Max, which produced the franchise’s reunion last year without including Rowling.
Willy Sanjuan/Invision/AP

Zaslav has also signaled he wants CNN to sound more like a news network and less like an all-night meeting of the Bard College Young Hysterians Club. “I think people in America are looking for a place where people aren’t yelling and giving opinions,” Zaslav told CNBC this week, “and they’re looking for more news and so that’s what you’ll see from CNN.”

Along with the moves by Ron DeSantis, who refused to be bullied by Woke Disney; Elon Musk, who has vowed to unshackle speech on Twitter (if he ever actually buys it); and Netflix, which last week informed its squeaky-toy coterie of aggrieved activists that Dave Chappelle is more important than they are and “Netflix may not be the best place for you,” the rise of Zaslav suggests that the Great Unwokening may already have begun.

The way things are going, it may soon be safe to state true things again.

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