Harry Potter: Hogwart’s Mystery opens school for witches and wizards

In Harry Potter fiction, the ritual of the Sorting Hat is that it chooses a school for you. But in my early moments in Harry Potter: Hogwart’s Mystery, I was able to choose my own house, Gryffindor. That’s one of the differences you’ll see in the new mobile game debuting today on Google Play and iOS from Warner Bros. and Jam City.

The companies hope to open a new revenue stream for J.K. Rowling’s famous tale. The Harry Potter books have sold more than 500 million copies, and the films have grossed more than $7.7 billion at the box office. Until now, the franchise lacked a major modern game. But the timing is appropriate, as mobile gaming has become a land of blockbusters and mobile game revenues are expected to top $50 billion in 2018, according to market researcher Newzoo.