Harry Potter mobile game maker defends child-choking scene which asks you to wait or pay money Eurogamer.net If you click on a link and make a purchase we may receive a small commission. Read our editorial policy. Harry Potter mobile game maker defends child-choking scene which asks you to wait or pay money "I don't think being in a perilous situation is unique to our game." News by Tom Phillips Deputy Editor Updated on 31 May 2019 33 comments Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery's infamous scene which asks you to pay money or wait while your child avatar is strangled by a magic plant has been defended by developer Jam City. The scene is designed so it coincides with the first time you run out of energy (Hogwarts Mystery uses a typical mobile game energy system where you either wait, or pay up to speed things along). If you don't pay, you watch your young character continue to be strangled. It's a moment which defined the early response to the game a year ago - but which has not damaged its long-term success. In less than a year, Hogwarts Mystery had passed the $100m revenue mark. Now, speaking to Eurogamer's sister site GamesIndustry.biz, Jam City boss Yosh Yguado likened the scene to other moments of peril in the Harry Potter franchise - and suggested its cliffhanger nature was akin to other serialised storytelling. "We've tried to create a game and write a story that has stakes, that has dramatic moments that reflect the level of drama and emotion that you see in the films and the books," Yguado said. "I don't think being in a perilous situation is unique to our Harry Potter game when you compare it to the films and the books. "I don't think our game is more violent or more scary than any of the other Potter [stories]. Without a doubt, we leave you at a cliffhanger... It seems like if a book's chapter ends at a dramatic moment, sometimes a dangerous moment and then continues after that, we're okay with it. If a film scene or even a television scene ends at a dramatic moment, and then the next episode or scene resolves that scary scenario, we're okay with it. I'm hoping we can also measure our game by the same [standard]." All well and good, but waiting a week for a TV show's next episode is a bit different to holding out your hand and asking for money to stop a Hogwarts student version of yourself from being choked right in front of you. It's a point GamesIndustry.biz also made. "I don't think it conflicts with the business model," Yguado continued, "in the same way that Dickens wrote for magazines before he wrote for books, or television writers write for seasons, we're writing for interactive episodes and chapters. That requires a different type of writing with a different cadence that I believe can be true to the world of Harry Potter." There's more about how Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery handles the pacing of content and the overall conflict of monetising a world-famous franchise aimed at children over in the full interview on GamesIndustry.biz. Become a Eurogamer subscriber and get your first month for £1 Get your first month for £1 (normally £3.99) when you buy a Standard Eurogamer subscription. Enjoy ad-free browsing, merch discounts, our monthly letter from the editor, and show your support with a supporter-exclusive comment flair! Support us View supporter archive More News Splatoon 3 Amiibos will be out next month Ink-coming! 3 Fans think Phil Spencer's shelf is teasing the Xbox Game Pass streaming box UPDATE: Xbox confirms old Keystone prototype. 61 Modder dives into Demon's Souls files following PS5 jailbreak, discovers fabled Ring of the Chieftain Who knows what's nexus? 5 Google announces cloud gaming Chromebooks less than a fortnight after Stadia shutdown GeForce Now preinstalled. 11 Latest Articles Digital Foundry Sennheiser's legendary HD 599 open-back headphones are just £70 at Amazon in the Prime Early Access Sale Comfortable with neutral sound and a wide sound stage. Preview Football Manager's new Console edition is the best you'll get without a PC Getting Touch-right. 1 Splatoon 3 Amiibos will be out next month Ink-coming! 3 Fans think Phil Spencer's shelf is teasing the Xbox Game Pass streaming box UPDATE: Xbox confirms old Keystone prototype. 61 Supporters Only Premium only Off Topic: Take a minute to appreciate Cookin' with Coolio's incredible scallops recipe. What a great book. Premium only Off Topic: Reading City of Glass in comic form "Where exactly am I going?" Premium only Off Topic: Il Buco is a transporting film about a really big hole Underlands. Off-Topic Netflix handled Sandman brilliantly It was Dreamy. 9 Buy things with globes on them And other lovely Eurogamer merch in our official store! Explore our store