Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (2001 video game)

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This article is about the 2001 console and PC game. For other 2001 games of the same name, see Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (Game Boy Advance video game) and Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (Game Boy Color video game).

Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone
European PlayStation cover art
Developer(s)
Publisher(s)Electronic Arts
Aspyr (Mac)
Composer(s)Jeremy Soule
SeriesHarry Potter
Engine
Platform(s)
Release
  • WW: 16 November 2001[1]
  • NA: 21 February 2002 (Mac)[2]
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 an action-adventure video game based on the 2001 film of the same name. Philosopher's Stone was initially released for Microsoft Windows and the PlayStation in November 2001. A different game bearing the same name was made two years later for the GameCube, PlayStation 2, and Xbox in December 2003.[6][7][8] The versions on different platforms differ greatly from each other and do not follow the same level structures or gameplay, with somewhat varying stories as well.

The story follows protagonist Harry Potter, who, after discovering he is a wizard, is sent to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry where he makes friends and receives magical training, and along with his friends stop Lord Voldemort from returning to power. The game received mixed reviews, with critics saying that the game's license would be the only thing to draw in fans.[9][10] 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.

Gameplay[edit]

The player controls the character Harry Potter from a third-person perspective.[9]

Windows/Mac[edit]

In the PC versions, the game is played like a third-person action and puzzle game. The story follows a linear progression, separated into levels with a specific end goal. Spells are learned progressively via lesson levels, and unlock increasingly complex puzzles. The spells featured are as follows: Flipendo, which can be used to stun enemies and push objects around; Alohomora Charm, which unlocks doors and chests; Wingardium Leviosa, which can levitate objects; Lumos, which causes platforms of light to appear; and Incendio, which can disable aggressive plants. The storyline follows Harry through the main elements of the book's plot, including rescuing Hagrid's dragon Norbert, advancing through the various protections around the Philosopher's Stone, and eventually defeating Lord Voldemort. There are also several levels in which Harry can fly on a broomstick and play Quidditch – this gameplay can also be independently accessed through the start menu.

PlayStation[edit]

Like the Windows version, the game is a third-person action adventure game. However, the story is arranged in a completely different fashion to the PC version, and features different story events and gameplay. It was developed in the UK by Argonaut.

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.

  • Lower castle. Collecting yellow beans in exchange for Nimbus 2000 broom. Includes tutorial levels on climbing, jumping and flying and Charms class where you learn the Wingardium Leviosa spell. Ends with a boss challenge wizard cracker duel with Draco Malfoy and the grounds being unlocked. Mini-game involves shooting at flying items to get them back for a student.
  • Castle grounds. Collecting blue beans in exchange for a Famous Witch and Wizard card. Includes Herbology class, where you learn the Incendio spell, and Quidditch try-outs, where you learn how to catch the golden snitch. Boss challenge part way through is to defeat an animated gargoyle, and the race challenge is to catch Malfoy and retrieve the remembral. Includes Quidditch match between Gryffindor and Hufflepuff. Ends when you find a hidden sloth brain, that has been stolen from Severus Snape, and return it to him. Mini-games involve collecting beans in a time limit.
  • Castle Dungeons. Collecting green beans in exchange for Quidditch armour. Includes Potions class, where you learn how to brew the healing Wiggenweld potion, and Defence Against the Dark Arts class, where you learn the Verdimillious spell. You are trapped in the dungeons twice: once during Potions class which involves sneaking past trolls and a second time after the class. This second time requires you to destroy four dark curses around the dungeon to unlock the door. Ends when this door is unlocked and you can return to the castle. Mini-games involve sliding cauldrons onto grills without getting them stuck in a corner.
  • Upper Castle. Collecting red beans in exchange for Flipendo Duo spell. Includes Transfiguration class, where you learn Avifors, a race level against Peeves in the attic to retrieve your parcel, a level where you must use the invisibility cloak to sneak past Filch and Mrs Norris, a race level to escape the troll attacking Hermione in the girl's toilet and a boss level to defeat it. Includes Quidditch match between Gryffindor and Ravenclaw.
  • Diagon Alley. Side quest requiring you to collect ingredients for a potion to cure Hagrid's dragon, Norbert. Involves collecting coins in the mines of Gringotts Bank through control of a mine cart and using the coins to complete mini-games in three shops to get the ingredients. It is self contained and has no bean collectables with Famous Witches and Wizard cards only awarded for good performance in the Gringotts challenges.
  • Forbidden Forest. Side quest to find a missing unicorn in the Forbidden Forest as a detention. Red beans continue to be collected in this level. Involves defeating magical creatures and using known spells to solve puzzles. Ends when the unicorn is found and Hagrid gives Harry a flute which can cause animals to fall asleep.
  • Defeating Voldemort. Completing a series of challenges and boss fights (against the Devil's Snare and knights) using spells learned, flute and flying skills to solve leading up to the boss fight with Voldemort. After completing this, the game finishes with the Quidditch game between Gryffindor and Slytherin.

Plot[edit]

Further information: Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone § 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[edit]

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.[11] The PC version was developed by software company KnowWonder and was built on the Unreal Engine which allowed for it to play on both software and hardware-accelerated modes.[11][12] EA was granted rights to the Harry Potter games in August 2000.[13] The game's executive producer Chris Graham stated that the game was aimed at eight- to fourteen-year-olds with its puzzle-based gameplay.[11] The PlayStation version was developed by Argonaut as an action-platform game which integrated a 3D environment into its gameplay,[14] using the game engine they had previously developed for the Croc games.[15]

Philosopher's Stone was first revealed on the PC at the E3 expo in May 2001.[16] A press release followed, months later, on 13 November 2001, days before the films 16 November release.[12] The press release stated it would ship the game to coincide with the film adaptation of the same name.[12][17]

Jeremy Soule composed the music of Philosopher's Stone.[18] The soundtrack was released digitally in 2006[19] but has since been withdrawn from sale.

Reception[edit]

Critical response[edit]

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."[29] It also praised the PlayStation version for its "bedtime-story-style narration" and the character voice overs, but criticised the game's lack of music.[29] 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.[35] The "fun to play" Quidditch matches were praised by PlayStation Illustrated, who stated that the "matches were excellently done" and controlling Harry was easy.[35] Jeremy Conrad from 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.[32] The easy gameplay for the PC version was criticised by GameSpot, adding that the auto jump function removes any form of a challenge from the block puzzle and platform sequences.[28] GameSpot described the score by Jeremy Soule as "enjoyable", but its repetitiveness and shortness made for less variety throughout the game.[28]

Sales[edit]

Philosopher's Stone received positive sale figures. From November 2001 to February 2002 it was listed as one of the top three highest-selling PC video games, and was the top selling PC title in December 2001.[36][37][38] In February 2002, the NPD Group listed it as the third top-selling PC game of 2001 after being available for only two months in North America.[39][40] North American sales of its computer version reached 867,481 units by the end of 2001, which drew revenues of $24.6 million.[41] The PlayStation version 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.[42] The PlayStation version of The Philosopher's Stone received a "Platinum" sales award from the Entertainment and Leisure Software Publishers Association (ELSPA),[43] indicating sales of at least 300,000 copies in the United Kingdom.[44] ELSPA gave the game's computer version a "Gold" certification,[45] for sales of at least 200,000 copies in the region.[44] The game generated $500 million in revenue.[46]

In the United States alone, The Philosopher's Stone's computer version sold 1.3 million copies and earned $33.9 million by August 2006, after its release in November 2001. It was the country's fourth best-selling computer game between January 2000 and August 2006. Combined sales of all Harry Potter computer games released between January 2000 and August 2006, including The Philosopher's Stone, had reached 2.7 million units in the United States by the latter date.[47]

Awards[edit]

Both versions of the game received multiple nominations. Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone received three nominations from the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences for "Console Family Game of the Year", "PC Family Game of the Year", and "Outstanding Achievement in Original Musical Composition" at the 5th Annual Interactive Achievement Awards.[48] It was also nominated for a Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Award in the "Favorite video game" category at the 2002 Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards.[49]

References[edit]

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Further reading[edit]

External links[edit]

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