JK ROWLING ANNOUNCES NEW HARRY POTTER WEBSITE KidsOKOnline Press Release - 23 June 2011
J K Rowling made an announcement that has made Harry Potter fans around the world very excited and has made Dartmouth company, KidsOKOnline (KOKO) very happy indeed. KOKO has been working with J K Rowling's development team in secret for over 2 years, and now at last, we can reveal their project that will change the face of publishing forever! Pottermore, the new Harry Potter website is a fantastic adventure that adults, teens and young children will just love! The Harry Potter storyline is brought to life with sumptuous illustrations and interactive ‘Moments’ through which you can navigate, starting with the first book, Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s (Sorcerer’s) Stone. First you choose a magic username and begin your experience. As you move through the chapters, you can read and share exclusive new writing from J.K. Rowling, and, just as Harry joins Hogwarts, so can you. You visit Diagon Alley, get sorted into a house, cast spells and mix potions to help your house compete for the House Cup. At a press conference at the Victoria and Albert Museum, J.K. Rowling revealed that Pottermore brings to life the Sorting Hat and Ollivanders experiences from the books for the first time. The Sorting Hat places newcomers into their Hogwarts houses according to their characteristics. The Wand Chooser finds the right wand for each user from over 33,000 possible combinations. KOKO worked with J.K. Rowling's literary agents from the earliest conceptual stage to guide the site owners and their development teams to make sure that the finished site would be a safe and delightful and educative experience for children and young people. KOKO advised on child protection systems and worked with London digital agency TH_NK on the site activities and the user interface design. Pottermore is designed for a global audience, so KOKO researched and advised on international legal guidelines on child protection. Robert and Carole say: "It has been a great honour for our small Devon consultancy and frankly, a real thrill, to work on this amazing ground-breaking project. We believe Pottermore is a delightfully stimulating, purposeful and creative environment where children and adults will safely enjoy a delightful and compelling experience." J.K. Rowling commented, “I wanted to give something back to the fans that have followed Harry so devotedly over the years, and to bring the stories to a new digital generation. I hope fans and those new to Harry will have as much fun helping to shape Pottermore as I have. Just as I have contributed to the website, everyone else will be able to join in by submitting their own comments, drawings and other content in a safe and friendly environment – Pottermore has been designed as a place to share the stories with your friends as you journey through the site.” Pottermore (along with the Pottermore Shop) will be open to all users in October 2011. From today, 23rd June, fans can submit their email addresses on Pottermore.com and be contacted by the site following the opening of registration on 31st July, Harry’s birthday. Also on that date, an online challenge will be launched, whereby the first million people to complete their registration will gain early entry into the website, and help put final touches to the experience. So go visit the site at www.pottermore.com. Register now and you could be invited in before the public launch in October.
www.kidsokonline.com
JK ROWLING ANNOUNCES NEW HARRY POTTER WEBSITE Here's a sneak preview of some of the activities:
All aboard the Hogwarts Express
Into the Chessboard Chamber Links to more information: POTTERMORE JKR Video http://youtu.be/oYs1d3jAdG0 ----------News Telegraph http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/8593935/JK-Rowlings-Pottermore-is-a-landmark-for-digitalpublishing.html ----------Pottermore site http://www.pottermore.com/ ENDS ______________________________________________ ABOUT KIDSOKONLINE Robert and Carole Hart-Fletcher, Founders of KidsOKOnline were leaders of Apple Global Education in 1990, creators of SchoolNetGlobal with Prof. Stephen Heppell in 1998. In 2001 they created the GridClub Clubs and later created SuperClubsPLUS which KOKO now licenses around the world. They developed the KidsandMedia International Parents Network and run KidsandMedia UK. They created a safe social network for children in the care of Barnardo's and the niche social community network, LoveDartmouth. They advised on child safety for Pottermore, the new Harry Potter site. Their projects have won 13 major awards for digital innovation, global education, online learning and safety, including the BAFTA. They are joined by a crack team of experts - strategists, education leaders and practitioners, researchers, writers, digital designers and developers.
www.kidsokonline.com