Harry Potter: Wizards Unitemicrotransactions will allow players to customize something called “selfie avatars,” explains developer Niantic. The hotly anticipated mobile game from the makers of Pokemon GO has been released early and is nowavailable today on Android and iOS devices in some territories.
Speaking to Polygon, Jonathan Knight, the head of the game’s publisher Warner Bros., revealed howHarry Potter: Wizards Unite’s microtransactions will work. The game will offer a character creation area that Knight calls the “selfie avatar” and it allows players to customize still images and videos of themselves. Some of the customization options spoken about by the publication are Hagrid’s beard and Luna Lovegood’s glasses. Niantic has confirmed thatHogwart’s houses won’t be a hugely important part of the game, but a Ravenclaw scarf is another selfie avatar item that the publication talks about.
These customization options and others will be available toHarry Potter: Wizards Uniteplayers through normal gameplay. Players will be able to unlock them as they go. However, the game will also allow players topurchase gold coins from Gringott’s Bankfor real money and then these coins can be spent to speed up the process of unlocking customization options. Players will also be able to spend money kits that give them spell energy, Dark detectors, gold, and potions.
As well as the selfie avatar, the game will also giveHarry Potter: Wizards Uniteplayers a Ministry of Magic identity card. This card just seems to add to theHarry Potterfun as it shows the player’s Hogwart’s house and the character class that the player has chosen. Players will be able to see each other’sMinistry of Magic cards, but the selfie avatar will not be on it.
The mobile game is only available in a few regions and so its full popularity won’t be known until Niantic and Warner Bros. make it available for everyone. However, with microtransaction prices starting at around $0.99 for 80 pieces and going up to as much as $100 for 12,000 pieces of gold,Harry Potter: Wizards Unitecould potentially make bank.
Pokemon GOhas made more than $1.2 billion in revenue since its release in 2016, whileHarry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery, anotherHarry Pottergame published by Warner Bros., has made more than $100 million. If selfie avatars become popular and fans spend money on kits to get a headstart in the game,Harry Potter: Wizards Unitecould be the next, big mobile money maker.
Harry Potter: Wizards Uniteis out now for iOS and Android mobile devices.
