Interviews

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban – From the Big Screen to the Game Screen

by Louis Bedigian

 

“We are very proud of the EyeToy section of the game; we are the first developers (apart from Sony, who invented the system) to create any EyeToy games.”

 

 

$90+ million can’t be wrong.  By the time you read this, that’s the amount of money that the latest Harry Potter movie will have raked in.  It set a new box office record for the series this past weekend, and is the first movie to oust Shrek 2 from the top spot since it hit theaters.

 

After you see the film you’ll want to check out the video game adaptation of the same name.  Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban takes the game in new direction with new playable characters and the unique integration of EyeToy support.

 

 

 

 

Can you resist?  I know you can’t.  But before you fly to the nearest game retailer, find out exactly what you can expect from the game in our interview with Development Manager Lee Morse.

 

 

For the first time Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger are going to be playable in The Prisoner of Azkaban.  How will their gameplay styles differ from Harry Potter?

 

Lee Morse: One of the most consistent pieces of feedback that we received from the previous games was that players wanted to control Harry, Ron and Hermione, who are obviously very different characters, though still great friends. We have worked hard to reflect their different personalities in the game and make sure that each character is fun to play and has unique attributes and strengths.

 

Harry is very athletic; he can jump gaps, climb ropes and use spells to pull himself across chasms.

 

Ron has a knack for discovering hidden secrets - although he's also good at getting himself into amusing situations and the odd bit of trouble.

 

Hermione (who is more studious than the other two) has a wider variety of spells and, being smaller and lighter than the boys, is able to squeeze into tight nooks and crannies.

 

How does the addition of new characters change the dynamic of the game?  Is the quest evenly divided between the playable characters?

 

LM: We felt the relationship between the three friends was very important to the story; they may have their disagreements, but they're always there for each other. Harry, Ron and Hermione are a team.

 

There are many areas of the game that cannot be tackled by one character on their own; it takes a combination of all of their abilities to work through the challenges. Conversely, there are other areas that can only be tackled by one of the characters because of their particular strength (Harry, Ron and Hermione each have challenges that they must face without the backup of the other two).

 

 

James Cameron just called.

He said he wants his glacier back.

 

 

How does the story unfold?  Does it follow the same path as we the film?

 

LM: Anyone who is a Harry Potter fan will know the story quite intimately; it's quite a pivotal point in the Harry Potter series. It would not be fair for us to ignore the plot. We have worked quite closely with the film producers to make sure important elements and ideas are shared, however we have also included many surprises along the way.

 

The movie sequences in the game – were they taken from the film, or were special CG sequences designed for the game?  Also, did the film's actors do voice-overs for the game?

 

LM: All of the CG sequences (over 100) were created specifically for the game.

 

We have used a renowned actor Stephen Fry for all of the narration in the game. However because of filming commitments we were unable to use any of the other actors from the film - though we have used some very talented actors to faithfully recreate the characters that we have all come to love from the movies.

 

Tell us about the game's unique EyeToy features.

 

LM: We are very proud of the EyeToy section of the game; we are the first developers (apart from Sony, who invented the system) to create any EyeToy games. The team spent many a late night exploding Dungbombs, being sorted into houses, scaring off ghosts and catching Snitches. We had a real laugh with this.  Kids love being able to see themselves inside the world of Harry Potter.

 

Spellbinding.

 

 

What was it like to work with the EyeToy for the first time?  Is it complex to program?

 

LM: The EyeToy is a fantastic piece of kit; I think the quality of the Harry Potter EyeToy games will give you an idea of how much fun it is to work with.

 

What can you tell us about the worlds and environments players will explore in the game?

 

LM: Most of the environments in the game have been created from scratch; even Hogwarts itself has been re-worked. The player will be able to explore a lot of new locations within Harry's world - including the Hogwarts Express (where Harry first encounters the Dementors); secret locations within Hogwarts; the Shrieking Shack; and (during the grand finale) the Great Lake where the final encounter against the Dementors takes place. A lot of effort has been put into creating a spectacular and magical environment.

 

Who's doing the soundtrack?

 

LM: Jeremy Soule has worked with the EA team to produce the musical score and has created the sound tracks for all EA's Harry Potter titles.  We love the musical score for Prisoner of Azkaban; it's hugely atmospheric. 

 

 

If a mirror looks into another mirror’s reflection, what does it see?

 

 

Besides having new playable characters and EyeToy support, what makes this Harry Potter adventure different?

 

LM: The whole story is a lot grittier and the Dementors are the ultimate threat. We have updated the graphics to reflect this - and this time all three characters have to work together to overcome the obstacles. There spells are bigger and more powerful and there's a vast area to explore… Oh, and you can fly Hedwig and Buckbeak.

 

Thank you for your time.