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. There are probably more somewhere. Comparison images for a few screenshots needed.

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.

Hagrid's Hut

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, the bush next to Harry isn't seen in the final version.

Gringotts Car Mini-Game

The Gringotts mini-game shown here appears to be the same compared to the final version.

Defense Against The Dark Arts Lesson

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

Unknown Forest at Night

This screenshot shows an early version of either Hogwarts Grounds at night or Forbidden Forest, once again.

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).

Early Dungeons

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).

Race to Charms Class

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).

Quidditch Training 1

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

Entrance Hall

There are lamps present atop the ends of the staircase "bannisters". These were removed.

Computer and Video Games

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

Unknown Quidditch

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.

Unknown Hogwarts Grounds at Night

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.

Hedwig Rescue

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

Hogwarts Grounds, Hagrid's Hut

Early health meter HUD and unobtainable camera positioning.

Diagon Alley

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.

Dungeons

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.

Malfoy Battle

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

Filch Stealth

Early health meter HUD and unobtainable camera angle.

Troll Battle

Early health meter HUD.

Rememberall Chase

Early health meter HUD, again.

Unknown Final Area

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.

Troll Chase

Different camera angle. The corridor also looks slightly different.

Peeves Race

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.

Gargoyle Statue Battle

The Gargoyle Statue's model is noticeably different.

Miscellaneous

Uncategorised and came from unknown (official) sources.

Quidditch Training 1

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

Quidditch Training 1 [2]

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

Remberall Chase

Early health meter HUD.

Herbology

Early health meter and timer icon HUD. Additionally, the Chocolate Frogs are not present.

Entrance Hall

Early health meter HUD. The ceiling is different, lamps are present at the end of the staircase's "bannisters", and some red sparkles visible to the left of the staircase indicates that there may be a Save Book placed there. Despite the fact that the screenshot seems to have been taken at the start of the first quest (evidenced by the presence of Dumbledore and the fact that the doors nearby are locked), the hourglasses used to initiate the Malfoy battle later in the story are also loaded. In the final game, they only load when the player reaches the point in the plot where they are needed.

Hogwarts Grounds

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

Unknown Quidditch Match

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.

Entrance Hall [2]

Early health meter HUD. There are lamps at the top of the staircase's "bannisters" (as opposed to none in the final game and being placed at the bottom in other pre-release images). The Hogwarts houses plaque is different, as is the roofing and the doors. There is also something yellow near the ceiling. The blue sparkle may indicate an invisible object that can be targeted with Flipendo, but could also be a Flipendo projectile. Most of the textures are different, there is a torch on the wall and there is one hourglass in the bottom-left part of the image. Finally, the white blocks to the left and right of the staircase, on the bottom floor, lack the flames atop them.

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.
• 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.

(Source: nicolin2000)