• Interview
• Video

Harry Potter: Wizards Unite "brings magic to all corners of the globe"

The team at Portkey Games loves to see player's selfie avatar pictures and their Ministry IDs in Harry Potter: Wizards Unite.

Sam Chandler

July 23, 2019 10:45 PM

1

There’s something magical about AR games on your phone. You’re outside, going to new locations, while still being immersed in your favorite game. Harry Potter: Wizards Unite, is joining the ever-growing collection of these blended-experience games. Shacknews had the chace to speak with Mary Casey, Executive Director of Product, about all things Harry Potter: Wizards Unite at San Diego Comic-Con. You can check out the full interview below!

Mary Casey reveals that the relationship between Niantic and Portkey Games started a long time ago. In fact, it began well before Pokémon Go first hit the streets. The team was excited at the "prospect of bringing magic to all corners of the globe" with this new type of gaming experience. Instead of seeing magic in a game devoid of real-life influences, players would be able to see magic being used in the real world, albeit through a screen.

It’s an exciting idea, especially if you’re a fan of the Harry Potter books and films. It feels more interactive than sitting with a controller in your hand, it’s as if fiction and reality and blending together.

Mary also shared a touching story about one of the engineers. They had said one of their goals was to find people playing their game organically in real life. It’s quite an aspiration, and one that was fulfilled when they encountered players out on the streets participating in a big fortress challenge.

This is a nice reminder that there are real people behind these games we play. We can tend to be quick to right off designers and developers as not caring, but that’s not even remotely the case. It’s great to hear about an engineer getting so excited that they’ve found people playing their game, that it caused them to be late to work.

For more videos and interviews from San Diego Comic-Con, like our Harry Potter: Wizards Unite interview, head over to the GamerHubTV YouTube channel. You can also check out the Shacknews SDCC page for all of our other interviews and meetings from the annual event.

Sam Chandler

Guides Editor

Hailing from the land down under, Sam Chandler brings a bit of the southern hemisphere flair to his work. After bouncing round a few universities, securing a bachelor degree, and entering the video game industry, he's found his new family here at Shacknews as a Guides Editor. There's nothing he loves more than crafting a guide that will help someone. If you need help with a guide, or notice something not quite right, you can message him on X: @SamuelChandler