Pottermore updates: Beta extended, change to regular registration, eBooks delayed

By Richard Reid (@richardreid14) at 8:16 am, September 30, 2011

The Pottermore Insider blog has been updated to provide some new information regarding the beta process and when the service will become available to everyone.

Firstly, the Beta has been extended until the end of October, which is when the site will officially go live. This of course means that those users who have only just recently received their beta invite email will be able to enjoy the service before the rest of the world can enter.

However, the blog has also explained how the regular registration from November onwards will happen:

From the end of October, registration will be opened to everyone and we’ll be giving access to registered users in phases. Access may be granted quickly, but please note it could also take some weeks or months, depending on demand.

In other words, everyone will be able to sign up, but like the Beta, access will be given gradually over time. The bad news is, if you missed out on a beta invite, you STILL might have to wait several months to get access to Pottermore!

Finally, the blog told us that the eBooks will be available for purchase in the first half of 2012.

We look forward to seeing what changes will be made as a result of the beta process. Hopefully some music for starters.

You can view the entire blog post here.

View the latest articles in: Harry Potter

http://www.facebook.com/louieschuth Louie Schuth

Queue whining and moaning!
DreamNox58

Yes, music would be a very nice touch. Though, I still have a friend who has not gotten their pottermore email and they are registered for Beta. I’m in but they are not, actually its two of my friends. They did everythign right because I asked them.
- Hedwig
  
  You should tell them to try signing in even if they dont have an email, now that all accounts are active they should be able to acess the site (well, if they can get past the loading screen……)
- http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1360407267 Stephanie Patterson
  
  You know what I do about the music? I just made a playlist of all my HP soundtracks on iTunes and play them while I’m on the site…..makes a HUGE difference!!
  - jp
    
    thats what i do too!
Anonymous

I hope that they open Pottermore to the public on Halloween! That would be EPIC! :D
Matthewhpg

I’ve been in Pottermore since August 18, so….HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA, omg, sucks for you guys
- PotionWillow207
  
  Actually, it sucks for you (and all of us) because apparently there won’t be anything new added to the site for at least another year. So after August 18th there was nothing to do.
  - Anonymous
    
    Yea I’ve been on since the first day it opened for beta users and there really isn’t much to do and my potions haven’t worked since August.
Igora

This isn’t particularly surprising, a lot of people were predicting Oct 31st quite a while ago, but even now they still haven’t set an actual date. They do say that they are extending the beta to let the last beta users get more time, but I do feel a bit like that is partially an excuse because Pottermore could not handle the traffic that will come when registration opens for the public.
- http://www.hypable.com Richard Reid
  
  I agree with you 100%.
Desiree

I WANT MY EBOOKS!!!
http://twitter.com/Josie07M11 Josephine Mangani

It blows my mind that they are having this many problems with traffic on the site… what were they expecting?
- http://twitter.com/upper_westsider NYC Girl
  
  I don’t understand what they were thinking either. Most of what I’ve seen on Pottermore is the “come back later” screens. I can’t get past Chp 5 of Sorcerer’s Stone. They have major technical issues with the site. I don’t see it getting solve anytime soon.
- Jen
  
  I know! And after all the lengths they went to build up the hype!!
- LGray1983
  
  I agree. It couldn’t exactly have been a surprise that Harry Potter is a big deal!
Anonymous

Well, I got my e-mail a few days ago and I just finished the main storyline. Now there’s nothing left for me to do but brew potions (seeing how duelling is currently unavailable) and a huge part of it is waiting idly until it finishes brewing. If they’re planning on making us wait even more, they should at least open up the second book for us to explore. There’s not a lot to come back to in the meantime, and that can’t be good for them if they’re aiming to calculate how the site will function when it’s open for everyone.
- Igora
  
  I have a feeling they haven’t even completed all of the artwork or additional trivia, etc. for the 2nd book.
Narayan Divya88

If it’s really going to take weeks or months get access for a public launch, I’m sorry to say, Pottermore is going to fall flat eventually. I mean, what kind of servers are they using?

Social networking sites such as Twitter and Facebook have many, many more people registered with them (and millions of new registrants everyday), as compared to the number of people who will eventually end up registering with Pottermore. But how many times do you see Facebook and Twitter being unavailable due to excessive traffic? Besides, unlike Pottermore, access is immediately granted in the case of Twitter and Facebook, as soon as registration is done, instead of making people wait for weeks and months. If Pottermore cannot even take in a load of one million people at a single time, what are they going to do for the public launch?

Personally speaking, I don’t want to encounter a situation wherein I register in the end of October, and eventually get my welcome email in February-March (the blog itself says ‘weeks or months’). By which time, I would’ve even forgotten that I had actually registered for Pottermore.

In a way, I’m glad that I have not yet signed up for Pottermore (no wizard duels, inability to brew potions properly, no music???). And looking at the whole ‘weeks or months’ timeline, I’m having second thoughts about the public launch registration itself (maybe I won’t register with Pottermore at all).
- Clive
  
  I don’t think you should register. It’s a pretty positive place and not for people like you. The reasons you “won’t register” are like buying something on ebay and being shocked when it’s not in pristine condition. Beta site is Beta. And does Facebook have music? does Twitter? Yes it probably would be better with music but that isn’t a reason to say it’s bad. Just throw a CD on if it matters that much to you.
  - Josh
    
    Yeah, I’m still not sure why everyone is so disappointed with Pottermore. I think we’ve been spoiled with the Potter series in general and expect everything that’s associated with it to be amazing. I have faith that in a few months this site will be incredible. Plus, you don’t get the interaction or graphics on FB & Twitter like you do on Pottermore…which is why it’s taking longer than expected. It’s only been up for a little over a month and it’s already had 550 million site visits…I think that will do a number on your servers no matter who you are. Let’s just relax and see how it all unfolds. Remember, FB was only accessible to college students at first…how long did it take them to open up to the public (just saying)?
    - ProudtobeaBumblebee
      
      I’d love to point out that even with all its faults, Pottermore IS amazing. Of course, it will be even more so when duelling gets back up.
- The Greatest Potter Fan
  
  It’s the BETA!!! How many people have i told that’s it’s making mistakes because it’s a beta!!! Listen guys and girls who think pottermore is lame, Maybe when it’s open to all it will have music, Have wizard duels, AND make Diagon alley different. Or the Potions are going to be better.
  
  Oh! And i love Pottermore even if it’s a beta and spells, potions, and music is messed. Any way I have a cool name in pottermore
- Eoin
  
  It’s a Beta. They do a Beta so they can fix problems. And if you haven’t noticed Facebook and Twitter have been around for years. Pottermore has been open for about a month. Saying that it is amazing. Music is needed. But since they are extending the Beta process I’m sure that means that they are making some big changes. Especially since about everycomment on Pottermore sayS MUSIC! I had a negative comment too but you still have to be fair. I think Pottermore could be handling this better but it’s still great.
  - PotionWillow207
    
    There’s a difference between there being some lag and problems with dueling and there being almost nothing to do on the site. Yes, the pictures are beautiful and the new information is fun, but it’s not the interactive site that it was hyped up to be. Almost all there is to do is look at the pictures and read the new info. I finished the story a couple of days after I was let in almost a month ago and I’ve only been back a few times since…because there is nothing else for me to do. I’ve done all the potions more than once, and there’s no dueling. The only reason for me to go back is to re-read the stuff in my Favorites folder.
    
    It’s not the mistakes that are the problem because, as you are all stating, it’s a BETA and that’s to be expected. But there is nothing to bring the fans back once the story is over, and there won’t be anything new until sometime next year.
Anonymous

they seriously need to upgrade their servers. this is getting ridiculous.
PotionWillow207

I’ve been really disappointed with Pottermore thus far. There’s too much trouble getting onto the site no when there’s only 1 million people allowed. I can just imagine what will happen when there is full access. The site will be down for days, if not weeks.

Plus, once you finish the main story there’s nothing to do. And now there won’t be e-books until sometime next year?!? It so was not worth the hype.
PotionWillow207

I’ve been really disappointed with Pottermore thus far. There’s too much trouble getting onto the site no when there’s only 1 million people allowed. I can just imagine what will happen when there is full access. The site will be down for days, if not weeks.

Plus, once you finish the main story there’s nothing to do. And now there won’t be e-books until sometime next year?!? It so was not worth the hype.
- Anonymous
  
  I’m disappointed too, but for a different reason. I was elated to get my email, and went about clicking through the chapters. I got to the part where Harry goes shopping, opened my Gringrotts account and the money didn’t go in. Therefore I can’t buy anything and continue on!! Ugh!!
  - ProudtobeaBumblebee
    
    Maybe you should ask what to do about that on the Pottermore Twitter, because sometimes they respond to Twitter posts on the Insider.
Anonymous

Maybe the main problem is that little SONY logo at the corner of the page…
http://www.facebook.com/people/Gavin-Walsh/100000260589961 Gavin Walsh

hey quick question will the ebooks work on amazon kindle when they come available
- http://twitter.com/HexShadow44 TeamCurtHangout
  
  Yes, its surposed to work for all e-readers including kindle. :)
Lookat

I expected something officially Potter-related would be executed with more planning.
Anonymous

am i the only one who kinda expected this? i mean they were so vague about ‘october’ i figured it wouldnt be october 1st. well, ive been in for weeks and really theres nothing to do, so they better improve it before the end of october. also almost every real potter fan has already gotten in on beta but for those fans who didnt find the magic quill, i feel really bad for you guys. :(
http://twitter.com/Juli1712 Juli

Well this is just great. I couldn’t even get in on the Beta process because I had no internet access that week and now I won’t be able to get in for months! Couldn’t they’ve figured this out a little sooner? I was so excited for October, only to find out a day before that I will have to wait until November. -.-
Guest

what if this is all just a trick?
what if jo meant for all this to happen?
what if its just a distraction?
what if, she is actually working on something totally awesome while we’re busy with pottermore?

THESE QUESTIONS KILL ME
- ProudtobeaBumblebee
  
  Yeah, like in a few months when everyone has thrown their computers out their windows- oh, surprise, book 8! Although I don’t want a book 8 that’s another sequel, I want a book-length prequel about the Marauders at Hogwarts.
Eoin

So glad I still made the effort to get into the Beta while on vaction in SoCal. Otherwise this message would be like torture to me. This does not suprise me that vthey have extended the Beta but it is ridicoulous. They ned to stop having thousands of ways to say pottermore isn’t working.
- Eoin
  
  P.S. How do you unlock the other shops in Diagon Alley? Maybe in Later Books? I would love to explore them.
Christine19

I think that they should’ve been expecting this many people to want to join the site. i mean, this is Harry Potter, for cryin out loud! it is absolutely crazy that they are making those that missed out on the beta process wait even longer to gain entry!
I am not expecting the newer version of Pottermore to be any different than the beta version and i don’t think that fans should get excited for anything new, because its just not gonna happen…unfortunately
Cycbaby96

So now non beta users are allowed to join until the end of october?! that makes me incredibly angry! ive been waiting for months! what were they expecting? and why do they do the emails the way they do? people want to join immediatley! not several months later. so do we have to wait until the end of october?
Starkid Elizabeth

Not Cool. I want to get in when I register
http://pulse.yahoo.com/_MOZ6YRAQQQL2FIGQVKWV6ISN5U lasso.the.moon

FFFFFFFUUUUUUUUUUUU
I want on so badly! I was camping with no wireless during that first week of August when the Magic Quill thing was happening.. this isn’t fair!
MJ

I’m disappointed by the news. I understand and want them to take the time they need to address issues they are having, but I’m still disappointed.
I am anxious to get on to Pottermore and see all the work they have done. I understand this is their beta process, but it still seems like they really weren’t prepared to even launch the beta part of this project. Everyone knows how loved the series is, so they knew they would be opening to a HUGE fan base and it seems like they weren’t really ready for that. Things like facebook and twitter were new and unknown when they opened and had their beta periods, so they could mess with things without affecting a big fan base, but that isn’t the case with anything Potter.
Anxious to get on and see for myself!
michelle

This doesn’t surprise me that they would do this. There are still a lot of problems with the website. The biggest being that it cannot handle all the traffic. I don’t get why they weren’t expecting this problem when the series is so popular. And also I came across the problem of my 500 galleons never being put in my vault so I’m stuck not being able to buy any of my books or supplies
Padfoot

Pottermore is boring.
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Okkennyrox

im so confused
Autumn

They talk about there now being over one million registered users like they didn’t expect that. I mean, do they realize that this is harry potter? I’m surprised there aren’t more than that already to be honest. But those who haven’t yet gained access, don’t worry. In these stages, it’s almost more frustrating than fun. Getting your wand and being sorted is awesome, but after that all you can really do is brew potions on an extremely glitchy server.
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Disappointed..

This is ridiculous. I know it’s a beta, but they should actually put a date up. They have no reason whatsoever so keep fans waiting like this, with basically no info. I swear, I will contact Pottermore (their contact phone number is on their site) and I will complain.This is ridiculous.
Disappointed..

Also, IT’S HARRY POTTER! They had two years to figure out how to stop traffric from crashing the site, and now this? COME ON!
darth

I like Harry potter a lot but even though Potter-more is going to be a good site I’m disappointed that it’s taking this long to enter, and to just extend it for the beta users ( I bet it’s there server ) it’s just frustrating but I guess the wait is worth it… I hope.
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annoyed

I love Harry Potter, But I didn’t know you had to sign up before the end of october ive been waiting for every one to be able to use it and now I am so annoyed

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Pottermore updates: Beta extended, change to regular registration, eBooks delayed

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