by Stacy Jones on Jun 23, 2011
Earlier this week we reported on the launch of a new Pottermore website trademarked by Warner Bros. and sporting the signature of Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling. Accompanying the launch of the new site was a mysterious countdown clock on J.K.Rowling's YouTube page, which today concluded its countdown and brought an announcement from the best-selling author.
Pottermore is described by Rowling as an interactive online reading experience shaped around the Harry Potter books and including a few crucial additions, the most important being the players/readers, who will help shape the story. Time.com had the chance to preview Pottermore and while they describe it as, "no World of Warcraft" Pottermore does tend to embody some elements of online gaming such as wizard dueling and answering questions to earn a place in one of the illustrious houses of Hogwarts. Those not chosen for Gryffindor do get compensation by way of additional material from The Sorcerer's Stone, the first Harry Potter book.
The report notes that Rowling wanted to keep the focus on reading, so the Pottermore experience is much more about delving deeper into the story than running around and slaying evil wizards. Pottermore will be available this October, but fans can check back July 31st to find out how to enter early.
Sources:
J.K.Rowling Pottermore Announcement
Pottermore website
Time.com