Friday, June 24, 2011

The "Harry Potter" World Cup will find out!

We'll be the first to admit that any "Harry Potter"-related news is cause for attention and excitement. After all, our love affair with J.K. Rowling and her magical wizarding world has provided us with so much entertainment over the years — seven books, eight films — her creative brilliance even inspired us to host an online wizard tournament, the "Harry Potter" World Cup.

And on Thursday (June 23), we received another Rowling-oriented gift, by way of the official unveiling of "Pottermore." Some of what we initially speculated about the site is true; plenty is not. Pottermore.com will offer fans a free, online reading experience including, according to a press release, "extensive new material about the characters, places and objects in the much-loved stories," plus an expanded digital capability in which "the storyline will be brought to life with sumptuous newly commissioned illustrations and interactive 'Moments' through which you can navigate."

So, given this new information, and the fact that our five fantasy elements were just that, it's time to reassess our feelings, pro-con-pro style.

Pro: It's J.K. Rowling's world, and we're just living in it. Honestly, reservations or no, anything Rowling touches with regard to "Harry Potter" has been gold. And because she's not exactly hurting for work, i.e. needs to produce more "Potter" content out of necessity, not want, it stands to reason that her motivations for starting Pottermore are rock solid.

"[It's] a way I can be creative in a medium that didn't exist when I started the books back in 1990," Rowling told reporters during the Pottermore press conference Thursday.

Con: Call us competitive, but the idea of a "Potter"-themed MMORPG (massively multiplayer online role-playing game) was/is so darn intriguing. We were really looking forward to some virtual wizard duels! And possibly learning spells! Playing Quidditch! Trying our hand at apparating! Becoming a registered animagus! Or an auror! Not to mention the initial reports that alleged Pottermore would involve an online treasure hunt, spanning countries and continents — that would have been so cool!

Pro: We don't really know what Pottermore is all about until it launches. There are enough vague terms and descriptors in Rowling's announcement to interpret them in a dozen different ways. As we mentioned earlier, we are Rowling and "Harry Potter" fans forever. So until we get our first glimpse into Pottermore, we will remain optimistic. And not give up hope for wizard duels and Quidditch.

Who is the best "Harry Potter" character of all time? The "Harry Potter" World Cup will find out! Voting is going on now right here, and you can also get the debate going on Twitter with the hashtag #mtvpottercup.
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