Last week, we had Harry and Rowling's birthdays. (Other birthdays seen here). So what did we get? It was pretty much nothing. Just a list of what Harry's gotten for his birthdays. So this essentially means we're in the midst of yet another Pottermore Lull, or a dead zone where very little occurs on the site. But, are we really in a Lull?
For example, let's look at a recent timeline:
-Half Blood Prince 12/12/14-12/23/14
-Fumos Released 1/9/15
-Beautification Potion released 3/2/15
-End of comments 4/14/15
-Images for DH known to be on pottermore PRIOR to 4/14/15
-"Pixie" releases and infinite galleon update 4/30/15
-6th Cup given to Slytherin 5/25/15
-Timeline added 6/10/15
-Deathly Hallows added 6/23/15
-Harry's/JKR's Birthday 7/31/15
So for the last few months, we haven't had so much of a lull, so much as we've had lack luster additions and just smaller changes every month or so. And while we could be perhaps, unfair, and mention Order of the Phoenix, even that wouldn't necessarily be fair, as that gave a bit more than a month between releases as well (it was released Halloween of 2014).
The problem we're all faced with is that with the lackluster additions and postings, and goodness knows, the occasional step back, we can't say that Pottermore has been slacking, so much as we can criticize it's hasty actions. Very little of what's been put out is actually impressive, with the last major "game" addition is the Beautification potion, and the last addition of content has been with Deathly Hallows. Still, these are more frequent additons, with the gap between these events being within two months at most, meaning that by August 23, we should have some addition to the site once again, if Pottermore truly wants to keep up on the rate of "changes" that they are going on.
Yet there's one more thing that should perhaps be figured from this. At the beginning of this post, I was thinking "it has been far too long since Pottermore has added anything." I now realize, the correct thing to say, would be "it is far too long since Pottermore has added anything FUN, making the slew of quick releases seem like nothing." Pottermore needs a bigger draw. One day, it might happen. Though with Ginny and Percy's birthdays coming up, we may see them sooner, rather than later.
To say that many have become disenchanted with what Pottermore has become would be an understatement. We keep hearing promises of new and exciting plans, but all we see are frail attempts to merely throw the books out there, we no readily apparent rhyme or reason. I got a little suspicious when they omitted a few chapters from the Goblet of Fire book, and thought that they were starting a new trend towards shoving "something" out to appease the crowd. When the next book omitted well over half the chapters, many of which key and instrumental to the storyline, I saw that I was right in my concerns. Then the next book did the same, though they masked it by delivering it in stages. Finally, the last and culminating book, the one that is supposed to piece it all together, is delivered with an even more apparent or perceived indifference or care. That they may add to the books at a later date? How does one logically add to a book of which the ending has already been shown?
ReplyDeleteThey have had the Patronus Quiz more or less available since maybe as far back as February (when JKR announced that she had written it) and so many other features in the stand-by mode for months. It is like they think that by offering a bauble every now and then, people will be distracted from the shortcomings or the degradation of the site ... and they're probably right. Many will ooooooo and aaahhhhh over this or that, but that too is short lived. I expect the same when they release the Patronus Quiz. That ought to shut people up for a while, but ... for a while.
While it can be argued that it IS a free site, and we should accept what is, I would offer that most of us have experienced what it once was and promised to be. Yes, it is a free site and we are also free to go elsewhere, but ... I would caution that many are doing just that. There is more Potter related chat, sharing and discussions on Facebook (and other blog/social mediums) than there is attendance on Pottermore. At best, it serves only to give the gamers a place to duel or brew. Not what was planned, promised or expected. But ... it is a free site.
That it is free is possibly explanatory of the underlying problem we are experiencing. That being the push more towards marketing and profit. We saw the drastic change in the site during the revision, when it was easily seen that the site was being used to promote the SONY PlayStation games (Book of Spells and Book of Potions) ... even to add both as "badges" to be won and later from which certain potions were taken. We have had two "surveys" of which both seemed to dwell heavily on sales demographics and rather skimpy on site recommendations or concerns.
But ... it is a free site!