Prerelease:Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (PlayStation)

This page details prerelease information and/or media for Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (PlayStation).

To do: Verify publication dates/full origins of the images and categorise based on them. Make comparisons for all screenshots showcasing the areas that's still in the game.

This article is a work in progress. ...Well, all the articles here are, in a way. But this one moreso, and the article may contain incomplete information and editor's notes.

Screenshots

Leading up to the game's release, a number of screenshots of in-development versions of the game were published across various websites. Some differ rather largely, while others have no changes visible besides the inclusion of a free camera mode of sorts.

GamePro

These screenshots were taken for the GamePro Magazine, dated June 2001.

A very early version of the entrance hall. There's no lamps atop of the beginning of the staircase's "bannisters". The Hogwarts houses plaque is different. There's also torch on a wall and the door texture is different.

No portraits on the walls in the library.

Either this area didn't make it to the library of the final release, or it was just changed.

In the final game there were statues of some birds, but it doesn't look like that's the case here.

The lighting is different, hence the room is more brighter. There was never a chain on the wall in the final version. Also the ventilation is much higher on this screenshot.

Some debug labels "Level 7.0 Map 3.0" can be seen. Also no small torches on the wall and the thing with two green lights is differently textured.

The Gringotts mini-game shown here appears to be the same compared to the final version, although the coin counter is different and similar to the game timer. Some textures might be different too, it's just hard to say what these two places are exactly.

The spell learning challenge has a different button layout and Professor Quirrel model has different textures.

This screenshot shows an early version of either Hogwarts Grounds at night or Forbidden Forest, once again. You can see snails, when in the final version they could be seen only on the tutorial level. The only enemies of the forest in the final version are Fire Crabs.

These mushrooms were never in the Forbidden Forest and anywhere else in the game at all. The most similar things to them are those mushrooms on the fire seeds level, which you could lift with Wingardium Leviosa and run for their beans before they grab them again. However, those mushrooms were much bigger and textured differently.

The first screenshot shows Hagrid's Hut at night, although no level in the final version takes place at night besides the Forbidden Forest level and it could be a placeholder skybox. Also there's that mushroom again. Looks like they couldn't even be casted on.

Just some path in the Forbidden Forest.

This location was either changed, or cut.

This student can't be seen in the game, looks like they give Harry some green object never used in the game as well. The door behind them looks different and it's unknown what this grey pole is. Harry also looks notably different...

Electronic Arts

While the hosts for these screenshots are unknown (although the first one appeared on the game's official website) as they seem to have been re-hosted, they were taken by the developer/Electronic Arts themselves (along with a watermark added as proof in most of them).

An image of a very early build of the game. Harry's health meter is coloured dark orange instead of yellow (as well as having a different outline and size) and the chamber shown does not exist at all within the final game. Based off of the textures and some objects, it appears this room was intended for the dungeons area (specifically the sequence after Defence Against the Dark Arts class where Harry must destroy some curses around the area).

A (presumably) near-final version of the race to Charms class, based on the visible surroundings. The HUD timer isn't present and the camera is in a position not obtainable in the final game (though these are likely just removed developer functions).

This camera angle is unobtainable in the final game, and was likely taken using a developer free camera tool.

At first sight, everything looks the same.

Computer and Video Games

Taken, or at least hosted at one point by Computer and Video Games.

Another very early screenshot. It takes place during a Quidditch training lesson, held at night. No broomstick levels take place at night in the final game. Additionally, early versions of the health meter and timer HUD are visible. Finally, in place of coloured rings, Harry has to fly through sets of poles (along with a HUD icon for them). These poles were recycled into the sequel game.

Along with the early health meter HUD, the area resembling the Grounds shown is also nowhere to be found within the final game, nor the NPC or door seen within it, although it does use similar lighting and textures to the Forbidden Forest. Considering this, developers were possibly thinking about making the events before Forbidden Forest playable instead of telling the player what happens through the in-game book.

Gamesweb

Uploaded by Gamesweb.

Harry and Ron never stand in this stance in the shown cutscene.

Early health meter HUD and unobtainable camera positioning.

Early health meter HUD and the save book to the right of Gringotts is missing. For whatever reason, the Invisibility Cloak HUD icon is displayed in the top-right corner. In the final game, significant plot items (e.g. fireseeds, flies jar) are shown as part of the HUD for a short time following collection until the next story event. This doesn't fit in as the Invisibility Cloak is obtained two whole plot events proceeding Diagon Alley.

Another seemingly missing room, along with the early health meter HUD. The room bears similarity to the dungeons; however it's highly likely that it is an earlier version of a room found within the dungeons in the final game which has a very similar object layout. The vent also looks different, and gives off different, multi-coloured particles.

Early health meter HUD. None of the wizard crackers' particle effects are red in the final game.

Early health meter HUD and unobtainable camera angle.

Early health meter HUD.

Early health meter HUD, again.

Again, the early health meter HUD. The room shown resembles the overall scenery of the last few rooms of the game's final quest (more so the final room than any other), and depicts Harry fighting an unusually tall knight with some odd particle star effect also present. Based on some other early screenshots, this effect may have been an animation that played every time the player casts a spell.

Worth Playing

Originated and hosted on Worth Playing.

Different camera angle. The corridor also looks slightly different.

Different camera angle. Given how the final version uses a forced camera angle due to the layout of the level (and therefore how unplayable the level would be without it), this was most likely taken with a developer free camera tool.

The Gargoyle Statue's model is noticeably different.

White chess never were that pink in the final game. The camera angle is also very interesting.

Miscellaneous

Uncategorised and came from unknown (official) sources.

Early health meter and timer icon HUD. The skybox is also different.

Early health meter and timer icon HUD. Also another different skybox.

Early health meter HUD.

Early health meter and timer icon HUD.

Early health meter HUD, along with the blue star sparkling effect. The Chocolate Frogs shown are not placed there in the final game.

Early health meter and Golden Snitch icon HUD. The Quidditch Matches have the opponent seeker on-screen during these segments in the final game, while there isn't one here.

Another look at the entrance hall from the GamePro screenshots, but from a different angle. Early health meter HUD. Besides already mentioned differences, now it can be noticed, that the roofing is different. There is also something yellow near the ceiling. Most of the textures are different. Finally, the white blocks to the left and right of the staircase, on the bottom floor, lack the flames atop them.

Early health meter HUD. The ceiling is different.

Weirdly enough, there's a screenshot with old health bar and no lamps at all... Most likely there were several builds with this simple orange health bar.

Goblin from Gringotts.

E3 2001 Footage

This is footage for the game from E3 2001 which was discovered in a Prima Guide E3 2001 video cassette and is from 6 months before release.

• The early health bar can be seen.
• The icon of house points is different - misses a grey shield on the background.
• A bookcase is used instead of a table for Harry to get across to the other side of the room.
• There is no Flipendo Duo text.

(Source: Tekkenlord05)

Trailer

This is a trailer for the game which came from the Argonaut Games website back in late 2001. There are quite a few differences which match some of the early screenshots seen above and others that are quite strange.

• Harry's jump sound is different.
• The earliest health bar design can be seen multiple times throughout the video.
• A stock owl sound is heard when you free Hedwig from Draco Malfoy.
• Flipendoing the enchanted books in the library give you Bertie Botts Beans.
• The Flipendo spell has a different sound effect.
• Quidditch Training takes place at night.
• The flying rings have a different sound effect when Harry passes through them.
• There is no Incendio flash icon when Harry approaches the plant at 0:46.
• The knight statues don't flash red when hit by the Flipendo spell.
• There is no Wizard Card acquired sound effect or music.
• The knight chess piece has a blue quake effect when taking another chess piece.
• The wizard crackers particle effects are red.
• The door behind Malfoy was never left open during the fight.

(Source: nicolin2000)