Warner Bros Interactive Entertainment announced that as part of their expansion of the Harry Potter films' legacy, they will be releasing a new video game for the Kinect motion technology for XBOX 360 and Microsoft entertainment system this fall, called Harry Potter for Kinect.
The game will allow, for the first time, for fans and players of the game to join the main characters, including Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, and Hermione Granger, as they journey through their years at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and beyond, as it follows the storyline of the seven-book series by J.K. Rowling and subsequent eight-film saga.
With the Kinect technology, according to a press release issued by Warner Bros IE on Friday, players will be able to scan their own faces to create their own unique witch or wizard learning magic alongside their favorite fictional characters. Kinect also offers a hand-free video gaming experience, without the need of a control pad, to cast magical spells at other students and wizards with special body maneuvers. The voice recognition capability available in Kinect will allow young hopeful wizards to call out spells while they shoot them out during the game, allow, as the press release noted, for an "immersive Harry Potter experience."
"Harry Potter for Kinect will engage Harry Potter fans old and new by bringing them into the wizarding world as truly active participants," Samantha Ryan, Senior Vice President, Production and Development, Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, stated for the press release. "Kids and parents will enjoy recreating their favorite Harry Potter adventures, from flying a broomstick in a Quidditch match, to battling pixies and dueling other wizards."
Throughout their journey, and as they follow Harry and his friends through their life at Hogwarts, players will have the opportunity to experience some of the films' and books' memorable moments, noted the press release, both for the characters created by Rowling and the players' own personal avatars. Such notable scenes adapted from the series and featured in the game include receiving a magical wand from wandmaker Ollivander in the town of Diagon Alley, choosing a person House at Hogwarts School, and confronting Harry's mortal enemy and villain of the series, Lord Voldemort in an epic final battle.
The game will also allow for a two-player dueling experience, where they can compete in a magical wand show-off in one of the Harry Potter for Kinect mini-games, the press release said. There will also be the option to join forces with friends and family in a cooperative gameplay.
