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Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire Q&A Feature
Derek dela Fuente
20/10/2005
It's a trip down Diagon Alley for TVG as we chat to the development team at Electronic Arts...
Based on J.K. Rowling's fourth book, players will experience some of the thrills of the key elements from the movie where Harry is mysteriously selected as the fourth competitor in the dangerous Triwizard Tournament.!
Derek dela Fuente spoke with key members of the team working on the game about the exciting ingredients that have gone into the making of this eagerly awaited title.
With each Harry Potter game (and this is the fifth) what efforts are made in the design process to ensure gameplay elements are different from previous titles so you are offering something new?
We are constantly researching what the fans and press say about our game â“ and Potter in general. We work through all of that learning when we are in our design and concept phase for each game. This year, we have moved towards a three-player action title in order to appeal to a broad range of players. We have focused ourselves on two key things: magic and the Triwizard Tournament. In Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire the focus is on combining magic with up to three players â“ throughout the world â“ and encouraging experimentation and exploration (rather than solving puzzles with one solution). With the Triwizard Tournament, we are looking at getting closer to the movie with âblockbusterâ style levels that take the player on a rollercoaster ride.
In terms of creating ideas â“ and you stick to the storyline, what do you see as some of the very interesting ideas being worked on for the game that you are already especially pleased with?
We do take our ideas from the movie script and are very pleased with how weâve been able to recreate the excitement of the key Triwizard tasks. The first of these sees Harry being chased on his broomstick by a Horntail dragon in and around Hogwarts. The second sees Harry swimming through the icy depths of Black Lake and being attacked by Grindylow as he attempts to save his friends. The third task sees Harry making his way through an enchanted maze (which changes itself as he goes deeper into it).
Harry, Ron, and Hermione are all playable characters, modelled after their big-screen counterparts. Firstly have you worked on new modelling techniques from the previous titles and can you give the readers some detail on what they are and what new cast members are introduced that really add to gameplay and vitality of the game â“ perhaps you can talk about one?
We have taken our art style closer to the movie this year. This means we are looking at stylising the characters less. The fans associate Daniel, Emma and Rupert with Harry, Ron and Hermione and really expect to see their likenesses in game. We have also been careful to model in the clothing that you will see in the movie and have tried to capture the attitude of the three characters in their animations.
We do have a host of new characters in the game as well as creatures. For example, the first level of the game opens at the Quidditch World Cup campsite where the Death Eaters (Lord Voldemortâs followers) are engaged in a magical battle with the Ministry of Magic wizards. Harry, Ron and Hermione have to get to the Portkey and escape the campsite, whilst avoiding the spell-fire and mayhem erupting around them.
Goblet of Fire offers a new spell casting system; can you expand on this and also tell the readers about one or two new spells?
In Goblet of Fire we split magic into three types â“ charms, jinxes and Accio.
Charms connect the player to the world with magical streams of energy. They are the âactionâ spells, i.e. they lift, throw, catapult, pull, spray or grow items in the world and can be combined together to be more powerful. The streams of magic have tactile elements that see the player wrestle with the magical forces within them. The first charm you acquire in the game is Wingardium Leviosa â“ which allows you to lift and throw both items and creatures within the world. The three characters can combine three streams of Wingardium Leviosa in order to lift bigger, heavier items.
Jinxes are used to transfigure creatures â“ and there are at least four ways to defeat each one (each dependent on the combination of spells used by the three characters). For, example if one player lifts a Dugbog into the air whilst another jinxes it, the jinx the second player casts will be Orbis â“ which will spin the creature into the ground. If a player stuns a Dugbog and then lifts it into the air and jinxes it, the jinx they cast will be Avifors â“ which will transfigure the Dugbog into a flock of birds. Each âdefeatâ state will have a different reward value associated with it. In addition, players will win collectorâs cards for each type of defeat â“ and these cards will power-up the basic creature cards (giving them more power against that various creatures the next time they meet them in the game).
Accio, the summoning spell, allows players to summon any magical rewards that are hidden in the world.
Previous games have got good reviews but many have been disappointed with the ease of play and the short time to complete the game. Would you agree with this comment and is this noted for this title, although we understand you must please the huge base of Potter fans?
We have changed the puzzle and adventure element over to an action game this year to allow for different ages and abilities. The younger players can get through the game with simple interactions, just jinxing or charming items. The older or more advanced players will be able to find different items/elements in the world which they can combine for a more rewarding experience.
With the reward system this year, we have also tried to create more depth. Each character has a âdeckâ of cards, divided into sets, all of which enable upgrades. Collecting sets will unlock Booster cards, making Harry, Ron and Hermione more powerful. However, a player can only choose three cards per character to take into a level with them, so theyâll have to make strategic decisions as to which characters will take which cards. As players can return to levels and unlock new areas, they can make informed decisions that change the way they play that level.
We also reward the player for their interactions in the game. We have creature cards that are won through magical encounters and these can be upgraded to make the player more powerful against a given creature. We also have sub-quest cards which are earned by completing sub-quests per level and game-wide.
What would be some of the technical/technology issues for the XBOX and PC version of the game and with each game do you revise the 3D engine and hope to create some new special particle effects?
This year we have taken the opportunity to improve all of our technology to deliver the player a better Harry Potter experience. Magic, and the effects of magic, will be one area that the player will notice â“ particularly the charms and the different jinxes used on the creatures. We have also tried to bring more reactions to the world to show the player that they can interact magically with the environment.
Can you give us the basic overview to the gameâs story and are there many sub gameplay elements and what is you fave?
The storyline of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire videogame revolves around all the action of the film and the three main characters, Harry, Ron, and Hermione. It takes the player from the Quidditch World Cup campsite through the three Triwizard tasks, and on to the final showdown with Lord Voldemort in the Riddle House graveyard.
En route we provide the player with challenges set by Mad Eye Moody in Defence Against the Dark Arts and tasks for you to complete in Hagridâs garden. We also have sub-quests in each location and across the game.
What multiplayer modes will there be?
Goblet of Fire is a three player drop-in-drop-out game this year, so players can choose to join or leave the game any time they like. As each character has their own upgrades, players can compete for rewards whilst cooperating to overcome challenges in the world.
What extra assets are you given by the film company and how much time is assigned with the cast?
We work very closely with Warner Bros. and they ensure that get access to film scripts, set visits, concept work and unit photography. This allows us to see what the film is focusing on and how the film will look at each stage of its development. This is really important for us as it enables us to recreate the character looks and see how the film is interpreting the key scenes from the book.
What will be/has been the most difficult, challenging, aspect/event within the film to convey in the game?
The Triwizard tasks are big blockbuster events with a variety of settings and action. They have been the biggest challenge but also the biggest benefit to us as they provide excitement, diversity of play, and take the player closer to the movie.
TVG would like thank the development team at EA for taking the time to answer our questions. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire will be released on (deep breath) Xbox, PlayStation2, GameCube, PC, PSP, Nintendo DS, and GameBoy Advance on November 11th. Weâll have more on the game shortlyâ¦
