Warner Brothers Home Entertainment asks us:

Ready to see the Wizarding World as you’ve never experienced it before? Then step through Newt Scamander’s case and explore the spectacular world of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them in a breathtaking cinematic virtual reality experience. Meet and interact with 6 beasts, complete spells, and immerse yourself in the magic like never before.

With the new Pokemon Go Hogwarts game, I suspect these destroy-all-imaginative-experience devices, pre-packagedc” faux-experiences for your purchase akin to the theme parks and movie adaptations, spell (ahem) the end of the true magic of Rowling’s original artistry.

Your thoughts? Read more about the VR packaging here and here.

It’s set in the Hogwarts era before Harry arrives, “when Nymphadora Tonks and Bill Weasley were students”:

Before launching this spring, the title will be introduced to fans at the upcoming A Celebration of Harry Potter event at Universal Studios in Orlando, Florida from January 26-28. There, attendees will be able to go behind the scenes via two panels hosted by the Jam City team as well as visiting the Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery booth to receive exclusive swag, play the game, meet members of the game team, and experience other magical surprises.

“Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery is a role playing experience about magic, friendship, and life as a student at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry,” said Chris DeWolfe, co-founder and CEO of Jam City. “We can’t wait to give fans a first look at the game at A Celebration of Harry Potter, and this spring players will be able to explore Hogwarts fully in their journey toward becoming a witch or wizard.”

The game is set in the time between Harry Potter’s birth and his enrollment at Hogwarts, when Nymphadora Tonks and Bill Weasley were students. The avatar customization system allows you to continually upgrade your avatar as you gain new expertise and magical skills – you can even choose your own pet. You will join one of the four Houses before progressing through your years at Hogwarts, participating in magical classes and activities such as Potions and Transfiguration. Building your skills will come in handy as you solve mysteries and go on adventures. As players improve their skills, they will unlock new locations, spells and other magical abilities. 

Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery features both large plot arcs and smaller stories such as relationship quests. The game features a new encounter system in which player’s decisions in both actions and narrative impact their quests, and how other characters regard and interact with them. These choices will allow Harry Potter fans to create the legacy of the witch or wizard they want to become. 

As Potter-Pokemon-Go, the Chicken Little in me screams that this will distance Potter-philes from the imaginative experience of the books as much and even more profoundly than the film ‘adaptations.’

You?