Pokemon Go creator targets Potterheads with new AR game

Fantastic beasts, wizards' adventures and magic spells will come to life in a new Harry Potter augmented reality (AR) mobile game from Pokemon Go developer Niantic and Warner Bros Interactive Entertainment, the companies said on Wednesday.

Harry Potter: Wizards Unite will bring author J.K. Rowling's Wizarding World to mobile phones and use AR to create a real-world scavenger hunt, allowing players to cast spells, find artefacts, team up and encounter magical beasts and characters from the popular book series.

The game's use of real locations is similar to Niantic and Nintendo's Pokemon Go, which became the first mass market adoption of AR in July last year.

No release date has been given for the Harry Potter game, but Niantic and Time Warner's Warner Bros said more details would be available next year. - REUTERS