Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (PlayStation video game)

Last updated

Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone
HarryPotterPhilosophersStoneGameEuroArtwork.jpg
European PlayStation cover art
Developer(s) Argonaut Games
Publisher(s) Electronic Arts
Producer(s) Jamie Walker
Designer(s) Stephen Jarrett
Programmer(s) Ben Wyatt
Artist(s) Wayne Billingham
Writer(s)
  • Guy Miller
  • Simon Phipps
Composer(s) Jeremy Soule
Series Harry Potter
Platform(s) PlayStation
Release
  • WW: 16 November 2001 [1]
Genre(s) Action-adventure
Mode(s) Single-player

Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (released in the United States as Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone) is a 2001 video game developed by Argonaut Games and published by Electronic Arts for the PlayStation. Based on the 1997 novel of the same name, the player controls Harry Potter, who must navigate his first year in the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and eventually confront the villainous Lord Voldemort. The game received mixed reviews, with critics saying that the game's license would be the only thing to draw in fans. The PlayStation version sold 8 million copies by May 2003, which would become Argonaut's best-selling game and one of the best-selling PlayStation video games of all time.

Contents

Gameplay

The player controls the character Harry Potter from a third-person perspective. The game is split into seven sections, four of which can be revisited freely and explored to find collectables. Collectables in the game are either Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans, which can be traded with Fred and George Weasley for the password to a portrait guarding a special collectable, or Famous Witches and Wizards cards, which can be found throughout the castle or in exchange for completing mini-games.

Plot

A giant, Rubeus Hagrid, leaves the orphaned infant Harry Potter with his maternal aunt's family. Eleven years later, Harry is invited to attend the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Upon his arrival, Harry is sorted into the Gryffindor house, where he resides and studies through the year. Harry befriends Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger and they partake in a competition between the houses of Hogwarts to win the House Cup upon the year's end, in which points are granted for satisfactory performance and detracted for infractions.

While sneaking through a forbidden corridor, Harry witnesses Professor Severus Snape conversing with Argus Filch about an object being guarded in the corridor he has been eyeing intently. Harry subsequently happens upon the Mirror of Erised, in which he sees his parents. The headmaster Albus Dumbledore appears and explains that the mirror reflects a person's deepest desire. He says that the mirror will be moved to a new home shortly, but adds ominously that Harry will be prepared if he sees it again. Harry, Ron and Hermione learn from Hagrid that Nicolas Flamel is involved with the object in the forbidden corridor, which is guarded by a giant three-headed dog named Fluffy. Harry later joins Hagrid in an investigation of an attack on a unicorn in the adjacent forest and encounters a figure drinking a dead unicorn's blood. He is rescued by a centaur, who explains that unicorn's blood can maintain the life of someone close to death, and Harry realizes that the figure is his parents' killer, Lord Voldemort.

Hermione's research reveals that Nicolas Flamel's creation, the Philosopher's Stone, can produce an elixir that grants immortality. She suspects that Snape is after the Stone and discloses rumours that Voldemort is also involved, prompting Harry, Ron and Hermione to act. Harry soothes Fluffy to sleep with a flute gifted to him by Hagrid, and the three friends make their way past the trapdoor. They traverse through obstacles put in place by the school's professors, but ultimately only Harry can proceed. In the final room, Harry once more finds the Mirror of Erised, which materializes the Philosopher's Stone into his pocket. He is confronted by Professor Quirinus Quirrell under the command of Voldemort, who has manifested as a face on the back of Quirrell's head and tries to kill Harry for the Stone, but the final battle ends with Voldemort's defeat.

Harry awakes in the school's infirmary, where Dumbledore discloses that the Philosopher's Stone has been destroyed, but shares Harry's concern that its loss will not prevent Voldemort's return. At the school's end-of-year banquet, Dumbledore announces that Harry's acts of nerve and courage have won Gryffindor enough points to win them the House Cup.

Development and release

Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone is based on the story of the same name and through working with Warner Bros. The game also features the sets and environment from the film adaptation. [2] EA was granted rights to the Harry Potter games in August 2000. [3] The game's executive producer Chris Graham stated that the game was aimed at eight- to fourteen-year-olds with its puzzle-based gameplay. [2] The PlayStation version was developed by Argonaut as an action-platform game which integrated a 3D environment into its gameplay, [4] using the game engine they had previously developed for the Croc games. [5]

Jamie Walker was the game's producer. The game was designed by Stephen Jarrett and programmed by Ben Wyatt. Wayne Billingham and Gary Bendelow respectively served as the lead artist and lead animator. The script and dialogue were written and edited by Guy Miller and Simon Phipps. The music was composed by Jeremy Soule. [6] The soundtrack was released digitally in 2006. [7]

Reception

Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone received "mixed or average" reviews according to review aggregator Metacritic. [8] Gerald Villoria of GameSpot praised the developers' efforts for the PlayStation version, in re-creating the Hogwarts castle and different-looking characters, but said the game's graphics look like "extremely jagged polygons." He also praised the PlayStation version for its "bedtime-story-style narration" and the character voice overs, but criticised the game's lack of music. [13] PlayStation Illustrated noted that the PlayStation version has poor camera angles, adding that only the use of the 'L' and 'R' buttons can fix the problem, as it is not angled in the direction Harry is facing. [16] The "fun to play" Quidditch matches were praised by PlayStation Illustrated, who stated that the "matches were excellently done" and controlling Harry was easy. [16] Jeremy Conrad of IGN called it "one of the best-looking PS One games" for its graphics, but said that this can cause the frame rate to lag. [14]

Sales and awards

Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone sold eight million copies, making it one of the best-selling PlayStation games and one of the best-selling video games of all time at the time of the release. [17] The PlayStation version of The Philosopher's Stone received a "Platinum" sales award from the Entertainment and Leisure Software Publishers Association (ELSPA), [18] indicating sales of at least 300,000 copies in the United Kingdom. [19] ELSPA gave the game's computer version a "Gold" certification, [20] for sales of at least 200,000 copies in the region. [19] The game generated $500 million in revenue. [21]

The PlayStation version of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone received two nominations from the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences for "Console Family Game of the Year" and "Outstanding Achievement in Original Musical Composition" at the 5th Annual Interactive Achievement Awards. [22]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Draco Malfoy</span> Fictional character of the Harry Potter series

Draco Lucius Malfoy is a fictional character and a major antagonist in J. K. Rowling's Harry Potter series. He is a student in Harry Potter's year belonging in the Slytherin house. He is frequently accompanied by his two cronies, Vincent Crabbe and Gregory Goyle, who act as henchmen. Draco is characterised as a cowardly bully who tricks and hurts people to get what he wants; he is also a cunning user of magic. He was played by Tom Felton in the Harry Potter film series.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hermione Granger</span> Fictional character from the Harry Potter literature series

Hermione Granger is a fictional character in the Harry Potter series of novels by J. K. Rowling. She first appeared in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (1997), as a first-year student on her way to Hogwarts. She becomes friends with Harry Potter and Ron Weasley after they save her from a troll in the girls' bathroom. Hermione often uses her quick wit, deft recall, and encyclopaedic knowledge to help her friends in perilous situations. Rowling has stated that Hermione resembles herself as a young girl, with her insecurity and fear of failure.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hogwarts</span> Fictional British school of magic from the Harry Potter universe

Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry is a fictional boarding school of magic for young wizards. It is the primary setting for the first six novels in the Harry Potter series by J. K. Rowling, and also serves as a major setting in the Wizarding World media franchise.

<i>Harry Potter and the Philosophers Stone</i> 1997 fantasy novel by J. K. Rowling

Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone is a fantasy novel written by the British author J. K. Rowling. It is the first novel in the Harry Potter series and was Rowling's debut novel. It follows Harry Potter, a young wizard who discovers his magical heritage on his eleventh birthday when he receives a letter of acceptance to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Harry makes close friends and a few enemies during his first year at the school. With the help of his friends, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, he faces an attempted comeback by the dark wizard Lord Voldemort, who killed Harry's parents but failed to kill Harry when he was just 15 months old.

<i>Harry Potter and the Philosophers Stone</i> (film) 2001 film by Chris Columbus

Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone is a 2001 fantasy film directed by Chris Columbus and produced by David Heyman from a screenplay by Steve Kloves. It is based on the 1997 novel Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone by J. K. Rowling. It is the first instalment in the Harry Potter film series. The film stars Daniel Radcliffe as Harry Potter, with Rupert Grint as Ron Weasley, and Emma Watson as Hermione Granger. Its story follows Harry's first year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry as he discovers that he is a famous wizard and begins his formal wizarding education.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Harry Potter (character)</span> Protagonist of the Harry Potter literature series

Harry James Potter is a fictional character in the Harry Potter series of novels by J. K. Rowling. The plot of the seven-book series chronicles seven years in the life of the orphan Harry, who, on his eleventh birthday, learns he is a wizard. He attends Hogwarts, a school of magic, where he receives guidance from the headmaster Albus Dumbledore and becomes friends with Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger. Harry learns that during his infancy, the Dark wizard Lord Voldemort murdered his parents but was unable to kill him as well. The plot of the series revolves around Harry's struggle to adapt to the wizarding world and defeat Voldemort.

The following is a list of magical objects that appear in the Harry Potter novels and film adaptations.

<i>Harry Potter: Quidditch World Cup</i> 2003 video game

Harry Potter: Quidditch World Cup is a 2003 sports game that features the fictional sport of Quidditch from the Harry Potter franchise. The game was developed by two teams, EA UK and Magic Pockets, and was published by Electronic Arts. It was released for Game Boy Advance, Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 2, Xbox, and GameCube. The game bears no relation to the abandoned Nintendo 64 project.

Harry Potter is a series of fantasy novels by J. K. Rowling.

<i>Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince</i> (video game) 2009 video game

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince is a 2009 action-adventure game. It is based on the film of the same name. The game was released on 30 June 2009 for mobile devices, Nintendo DS, PlayStation Portable, Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, Wii, Xbox 360, and Mac OS X.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rubeus Hagrid</span> Fictional character from Harry Potter

Rubeus Hagrid is a fictional character in the Harry Potter series of novels by J. K. Rowling. He was introduced in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (2001) as a half-giant who is the gamekeeper and groundskeeper at the wizarding school Hogwarts. He is a member of the Order of the Phoenix and eventually becomes the Care of Magical Creatures professor. Hagrid is portrayed by Robbie Coltrane in all eight Harry Potter films.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ron Weasley</span> Fictional character of Harry Potter series

Ronald Bilius Weasley is a fictional character in the Harry Potter series of novels by J. K. Rowling. He is introduced in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone as a first-year student on his way to the wizarding school Hogwarts. During the school year, Ron befriends Harry Potter and Hermione Granger. Being the only member of the trio who was raised in wizarding society, he provides insight into wizarding customs and traditions. Along with Harry and Hermione, he is a member of Gryffindor House at Hogwarts and is present for most of the action throughout the series. Ron is portrayed by Rupert Grint in all eight Harry Potter films.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ginny Weasley</span> Fictional character in J. K. Rowlings Harry Potter series

Ginevra Molly "Ginny" Weasley is a fictional character in the Harry Potter series of novels by J.K. Rowling. She is introduced in the first novel, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, as the youngest child and only daughter of Arthur and Molly Weasley. She becomes romantically involved with Harry Potter and eventually marries him. Ginny is portrayed by Bonnie Wright in all eight Harry Potter films.

<i>Harry Potter</i> video games Licensed video games based on the Harry Potter novels

The Harry Potter video games are a series of video games based on the Harry Potter novel and film series originally created by English author J. K. Rowling. Many of the Harry Potter-inspired video games are tie-ins to the film adaptations of the same name. There are multiple distinct versions for individual games.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Minerva McGonagall</span> Fictional character in the Harry Potter series universe

Professor Minerva McGonagall is a fictional character in the Harry Potter series of novels by J. K. Rowling. McGonagall is a professor at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, where she is also the head of Gryffindor House and the deputy headmistress under Albus Dumbledore. McGonagall was portrayed by Maggie Smith in the Harry Potter films and then by Fiona Glascott in the Fantastic Beasts prequel films The Crimes of Grindelwald and The Secrets of Dumbledore.

<i>Harry Potter and the Philosophers Stone</i> (2003 video game) 2003 action-adventure video game

Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone is an action-adventure video game based on the 2001 film of the same name. Developed by Warthog Games and released in December 2003 for the GameCube, PlayStation 2, and Xbox, it is the second set of games to have this title following a release of the same name in 2001.

<i>Harry Potter and the Philosophers Stone</i> (Game Boy Color video game) 2001 role-playing video game

Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone is a 2001 role-playing video game developed by Griptonite Games and published by Electronic Arts for the Game Boy Color. Based on the 1997 novel of the same name, the player controls Harry Potter, who must navigate his first year in the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and eventually confront the villainous Lord Voldemort.

<i>Harry Potter and the Philosophers Stone</i> (Game Boy Advance video game) 2001 video game

Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone is a 2001 video game developed by Griptonite Games and published by Electronic Arts for the Game Boy Advance. Based on the 1997 novel of the same name, the player controls Harry Potter, who must navigate his first year in the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and eventually confront the villainous Lord Voldemort.

<i>Harry Potter and the Philosophers Stone</i> (PC video game) 2001 video game

Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, released in the United States as Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, is a 2001 video game developed by KnowWonder and published by Electronic Arts for Windows. A version for Mac OS was developed by Westlake Interactive and published by Aspyr the following year. Based on the 1997 novel of the same name, the player controls Harry Potter, who must navigate his first year in the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and eventually confront the villainous Lord Voldemort.

References

  1. ↑ Ahmed, Shahed (13 November 2001). "Harry Potter games ship". GameSpot . Retrieved 13 November 2001.
  2. 1 2 Sulic, Ivan (9 August 2001). "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone". IGN . IGN Entertainment, Inc. Archived from the original on 4 April 2021. Retrieved 1 January 2022.
  3. ↑ "EA Awarded Worldwide Interactive Rights for Harry Potter Books and Films in Agreement With Warner Bros. Consumer Products". Cision. PR Newswire. 10 August 2000. Archived from the original on 16 August 2000. Retrieved 11 June 2019– via Yahoo.com.
  4. ↑ IGN Staff (19 May 2001). "E3: Harry Potter Hands-on". IGN . IGN Entertainment, Inc. Archived from the original on 13 July 2011. Retrieved 8 June 2010.
  5. ↑ "Remembering Croc: An Interview With Lead Designer Nic Cusworth". TheGamer . Retrieved 19 July 2021.
  6. ↑ "Jeremy Soule doet de muziek in Neverwinter Nights" (in Dutch). Gamer NL. 16 March 2002. Archived from the original on 26 April 2012. Retrieved 28 November 2011.
  7. ↑ "Harry Potter & The Sorcerer's Stone: Original Video Game Soundtrack". Yahoo! Music. Archived from the original on 3 February 2013. Retrieved 28 November 2011.
  8. 1 2 "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (psx) reviews". Metacritic . CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on 4 August 2009. Retrieved 25 January 2014.
  9. ↑ Boyer, Crispin; MacDonald, Mark; Bettenhausen, Shane (February 2002). "Review Crew: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone". Electronic Gaming Monthly . No. 151. Ziff Davis. p. 170.
  10. ↑ Miller, Sean (20 December 2001). "Review: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone". The Electric Playground . Archived from the original on 19 March 2002. Retrieved 6 July 2024.
  11. ↑ Helgeson, Matt (January 2002). "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (PS)". Game Informer . No. 105. p. 88. Archived from the original on 15 September 2008. Retrieved 26 January 2014.
  12. ↑ Air Hendrix (16 November 2001). "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone Review for PlayStation on GamePro.com". GamePro . Archived from the original on 4 February 2005. Retrieved 26 January 2014.
  13. 1 2 Villoria, Gerald (13 December 2001). "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone for PlayStation Review". GameSpot . CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on 1 December 2008. Retrieved 26 January 2014.
  14. 1 2 Conrad, Jeremy (9 November 2001). "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone review". IGN . Snowball.com. Archived from the original on 21 November 2001. Retrieved 26 January 2014.
  15. ↑ Rybicki, Joe (February 2002). "PS One Reviews: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone". Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine . No. 53. Ziff Davis. p. 118.
  16. 1 2 Paddock, Matt. "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (Playstation review)". PlayStation Illustrated.(Game Vortex). p. 1. Archived from the original on 15 July 2011. Retrieved 16 February 2011.
  17. ↑ "All Time Top 20 Best Selling Games". 21 May 2003. Archived from the original on 21 February 2006. Retrieved 1 December 2006.
  18. ↑ "ELSPA Sales Awards: Platinum". Entertainment and Leisure Software Publishers Association . Archived from the original on 15 May 2009.
  19. 1 2 Caoili, Eric (26 November 2008). "ELSPA: Wii Fit, Mario Kart Reach Diamond Status in UK". Gamasutra . Archived from the original on 18 September 2017.
  20. ↑ "ELSPA Sales Awards: Gold". Entertainment and Leisure Software Publishers Association . Archived from the original on 19 March 2009.
  21. ↑ Wong, May (19 August 2003). "The art of the game". Miami Herald . p. 194. Retrieved 27 February 2022– via Newspapers.com.
  22. ↑ AIAS Staff. "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone nomination details". Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences. Archived from the original on 19 March 2012. Retrieved 7 June 2011.

Further reading

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.