Pottermore announces it is finishing audio work on Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets!

Earlier today, the PotterMore Insider reported that
the PotterMore developers are now recording the
audio effects for the second PotterMore "book",
"Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets",
an interactive experience based off of the HP book
of the same name.

Here is the official announcement:

"Chamber of Secrets update:
This week, we're in the sound studio recording audio for the   
Chamber of Secrets Moments. We're also working on Chapter Three, The Burrow, 
and Chapter Seventeen, The Heir of Slytherin." 

It was announced recently that the PotterMore team was underway with production on the second "book", but this is the first official piece of news concerning the actual product.

As of now, no release date or other indication of when Chamber of Secrets will become available to PotterMore users, or if PotterMore will launch a beta version first,
as they did with PotterMore itself before its worldwide launch. 

Harry Potter for Kinect coming this Fall!

It was announced to the press yesterday
that Warner Bros. has not turned away
from the Harry Potter franchise yet.

A new video game, Harry Potter for Kinnect,
will debut on the Xbox 360 this Fall.

Instead of basing it on a individual movie
within the existing 8-movie series, 
                                                                             Harry Potter for Kinnect appears to jump
                                                                             between iconic scenes in the movies,
                                                                             such as the sorting hat scene, the troll battle,
                                                               the wand-choosing process at Ollivander's wandshop,
                                          fighting the death eaters in the Ministry of Magic, and many more.

Unique to this game, as opposed to prior Harry Potter video games,
is the ability to create your own character, modeled after a self-picture
the player takes at the beginning of the game.

The game is set for a Fall 2012 release,
although it is currently unclear on what day the game will be released on.

Below is the announcement trailer for the game.

J.K. Rowling announces she now has "no firm plans" to publish HP encyclopedia!

After much speculation, and years of talk and rumors
of its contents, J.K. Rowling's latest endevour,
the "Official Harry Potter encyclopedia"
has just been announced to be currently on hold.

In a post earlier this week on her newly updated
and redesigned website, J.K. Rowling officially announced:

"I have been enjoying sharing information 
about Harry’s world on Pottermore for free, 
and don’t have any firm plans to publish it in book form."

This openly contradicts what she previously said barely a month ago:

(April 2012 post)
"For a long time I have been promising an encyclopedia of Harry's world, 
and I have started work on this now – some of it forms the new content in Pottermore.
 It is likely to be a time-consuming job, but when finished I shall donate all royalties 
to charity."

Sounds like the Harry Potter fandom should not be expecting the release
of the Harry Potter encyclopedia anytime in the near future, if at all.
Either way, it is doubtful that this will be the last we hear about this "encyclopedia."

PotterMore releases new update!

In a recent update earlier this week,
PotterMore, J.K. Rowling's official virtual
world, created for the Harry Potter fandom,
which includes all-new, never-before-seen
Harry Potter info, mini-games, and the
PotterMore Shop, where visitors can purchase
the Harry Potter e-books exclusively from PotterMore,
launched several new features, chiefly among them
the ability to scan the insides of Hogwarts schoolbooks.

Below are a few excerpts taken from them:


"When Transfiguring, it is important to make firm and decisive wand movements. 
Do not wiggle or twirl your wand unnecessarily, or the Transfiguration 
will certainly be unsuccessful."
-A Beginner’s Guide to Transfiguration

"Dittany is a powerful healing herb and restorative
and may be eaten raw to cure shallow wounds."
-“One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi”

"The Tickling Spell: Point your wand directly at your enemy and shout ‘Titillando!"
-“Curses and Counter-Curses”

 "Charms differ from Transfiguring Spells in the following manner: 
a charm adds certain properties to an object or creature, 
whereas a transfiguring spell will change it into something utterly different."
-“The Standard Book of Spells (Grade 1)”

"Werewolf bites should be thoroughly and magically cleaned, 
as the werewolf’s fangs are venomous. 
However, there is no cure once you have become a werewolf, 
so try and avoid being bitten at all costs."
- “The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection”

At long last, the long-lost books of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry
are, page-by-page, becoming available for both wizards and muggles to read and enjoy.

Read on!

We proudly present our newest project, and gift to HP fans,"The Potterful Pensieve"!

Over the last several weeks,
we, Order of the Phoenix Network staff,
have been working on a new project,
a new, and more long-term gift to the fandom.


Titled "The Potterful Pensieve", it will be a wide-spread database,
featuring information about the characters, locations, and creatures,
that would normally be very hard to locate online, especially all in one place.
 
More details about this new site will be officially revealed later this week.

We are also working on establishing more connectivity between our 3 blogs:
The Order of the Phoenix News Network, PhoenixCast, and The Potterful Pensieve.

Look for more information about these changes and additions over the course of this week!

Wizarding World of Harry Potter theme park coming to Japan!

After a little speculation,
representatives from Warner Bros,
Universal Studios Japan,
and Universal Parks & Resorts
announced that plans are underway
to construct a replica of the highly successful
20-acre Wizarding World of Harry Potter
theme park, which is located in the Universal Orlando theme park, in Orlando, Florida.

Although an exact opening date is still unknown, It is slated for a Late 2014 premiere.

This would suggest that it would not open in time for summer,
when people would be most likely to go out and visit the Wizarding World.

It appears Warner Bros. and Universal do not believe that Harry Potter
might soon loose its magic, but they, by not only keeping open one HP theme park,
but adding another, may believe that there will still be interest in Harry Potter
for many years to come.

So for any of you living in, or near, Japan: Prepare to experience the magic.

Something big is coming soon to the Order of the Phoenix Network!

Something big is coming!

To celebrate the 3rd birthday of
The Order of the Phoenix News Network,
we will be continuing the tradition of adding
something new and exciting to the blog every year.

Last year it was the new, sleek black design,
as well as all-new in-blog features for you, the viewer, to enjoy.

Today, we can now officially confirm that we are working on a new addition,
which would, we think, attract the interesting of all Harry Potter fans.

Over the course of the coming weeks,
you can expect to hear a lot of news concerning this new project.

We plan on it being a more long-term tribute to the Harry Potter fandom.

Listen to our next episode of PhoenixCast, PhoenixCast #30, for more details!
(We promise, there will be a few details worth listening to.)

Order of the Phoenix News Network celebrates 3rd birthday!

It has been now exactly 3 years since the day that this blog,
The Order of the Phoenix News Network, first opened its virtual doors.

"The more things change, the more they stay the same."
All eight Harry Potter films are now out. All the books written.
Pottermore was announced, and is now open to the public.

But you, the fans, have never changed.
The Harry Potter fandom has far from died.

News from within the Harry Potter community continues to surface.
And we, The Order of the Phoenix News Network, will continue, as always, to report it.

We have great things set in motion for The Order of the Phoenix News Network,
as you will soon discover in upcoming announcements later this week,
but we just wanted to say Thank You, All of you, for your continued support,
without which, this blog would never have lasted nearly as long as it has.