WBIE, TT Games Announce Lego Harry Potter: Years 1-4

Publisher and Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment and TT Games revealed a partnership with the Lego Group to work on Lego Harry Potter: Years 1-4, a new game following the first four novels of J.K. Rowling's popular book series. The companies did not announce which specific platforms the game would appear on. Scheduled to release in 2010, Lego Harry Potter will allow gamers to play as Lego versions of Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, Hermione Granger, and other characters from the books during their first four years at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry (students attend the fictional school for seven years before graduating). Players will be able to "attend lessons, cast spells, mix potions, fly on broomsticks, and complete tasks to earn house points" in Hogwarts castle, and visit familiar settings like Diagon Alley, the Forbidden Forest, and the village of Hogsmeade. TT Games is best known for its games combining Lego with popular licenses, releasing titles such as the Lego Star Wars series, Lego Indiana Jones, and Lego Batman. It is also currently working with developer Harmonix on Lego Rock Band for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and Wii. Backbone Entertainment is helping develop a Nintendo DS version as well. "With Lego Harry Potter: Years 1-4 we are creating an open, wide-ranging experience within Hogwarts that is full of fun and Lego magic," sayys TT Games managing director Tom Stone. "Harry Potter is one of the most beloved and well-respected characters, and we look forward to bringing gamers a new way of interacting in the universe with the Lego games’ great humor and exploration."