Three LI malls offer exclusive content to players of new Harry Potter video game
The augmented reality video game "Harry Potter: Wizards Unite" lets players interact virtually with characters from the books and movies. Credit: Niantic
Roosevelt Field in Garden City, Smith Haven Mall in Lake Grove and the Walt Whitman Shops in Huntington Station are offering players an enhanced “Harry Potter: Wizards Unite” augmented reality mobile game experience, with fans who use their phones to play in the malls encountering exclusive content.
"Harry Potter: Wizards Unite" was launched for Android and iOS phones in June by Niantic, the same company responsible for the Pokemon GO augmented reality game, and WB Games under the Portkey Games label. In "Wizards Unite," players are new recruits of the Statute of Secrecy Task Force and must investigate chaotic magical activity that is leaking into the non-wizard world.
The game is based on the "Harry Potter" franchise, and players discover mysterious artifacts, cast spells and encounter fantastic beasts and book and movie characters. In the mall, players will visit Inns and Fortresses and gain more game experience points and spell energy, also referred to as XP. There will be no additional cost to play in the mall, and play won’t take place in outdoor parking areas, mall representatives say.
In the future, some of Simon’s more than 200 properties will host real-world events and QR assignments for the game. For more information on the game, visit harrypotterwizardsunite.com.
Beth Whitehouse writes about families, parenting and great things to do with the kids on Long Island. She’s been a Newsday editor and shared a 1997 Newsday staff Pulitzer Prize for coverage of the crash of TWA Flight 800.
