Pottermore will be going under a major revision this summer.
Pottermore will be undergoing a major revamping summer, with a new site design, new capabilities, and much more as it “seeks to broaden both the user base and its publishing business.”
This summer, Pottermore will launch a new design for the site that will enable users to use the core parts of the Pottermore experience – getting sorted at Hogwarts, cast spells, and play Wizard Duel without registering for the site.
Once users sign up for Pottermore, they will be able to explore the books and content in any order they like. This will automatically eliminate the required tasks that users had to complete before moving on with the story (like mini-games, etc.) The site will also feature general information about the world of Harry Potter for those not acquainted with the books, such as “Who is Harry Potter?”
The new site will also increase user and site interactivity by allowing players to visit their Common Rooms and shop in Diagon Alley without incorporating the Harry Potter story, separating the two.
Pottermore CEO Charlie Redmayne told The Bookseller about the new updates, saying that although the original site was a “fantastic” arena for hardcore fans, it was more difficult for those not familiar with Harry Potter.
A quote from his interview with The Bookseller about the updates and the business side of it:
“As it stands, if you don’t know the books, you won’t get much out of it. What we want to do is open it out for those people who haven’t read the books, or who haven’t seen the films, but perhaps come to it via the Lego, or the Harry Potter computer games.”
“This to me is ultimately a publishing business. We are beginning to see what Pottermore is: it was never just a website… It is a book, but we didn’t publish it as a book. It is a good example of what publishers need to do: think about all the ways of publishing a piece of content.”
Along with this, Pottermore will also be releasing new products, including apps and the recently announced Book of Potions for Wonderbook on PlayStation 3. Pottermore has also launched CreateMore, a company that has been “working with established brands such as the Beano [a British comic] and Guinness World Records over their digital strategies.” Redmayne hinted the release of new products and working with other brands in our two-part interview with him back in February.
Will this revamp finally reach the needs of all Harry Potter fans? Share your thoughts about the upcoming updates in the comments below.
