British Newspaper Fooled By Online Harry Potter/Pokemon Go Hoax

An anonymous Slashdot reader writes: "The creators behind Pokemon Go are developing a new Harry Potter version of the app, according to reports," claimed The Metro -- citing as their source the web site "Hello Giggles". But that site's source -- as well as the source for an inaccurate article in Yahoo! Style -- was the infamous JTXH, a parody news sites created three months ago, whose other false scoops have included "NASA to make announcement involving 'religious' implications" and "Denny's waitress assaulted by Muslims for serving bacon during Ramadan".
From Snopes.com: There is no real radio or television outlet with the call letters JTXH; that identifier is purely the province of a fake news web site masquerading as a legitimate news outlet. JTXH News has previously published fabricated clickbait stories such as "Bernie campaign caught distributing LSD to youth" and "Chick-Fil-A is considering banning anyone who 'can't figure out their gender.'"

Well, Pokemon Go was originally a joke by Google

[Anonymous Coward]

Odds are there will be countless AR spinoffs, and there's a good chance that that the Harry Potter license will be discussed.

Really?

[CanadianMacFan]

I had heard that there was going to be a Star Trek spin-off where you go around and collect Tribbles.

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[Anonymous Coward]

No need to collect Tribbles. Well, you might need to collect one. But if you remember, they are born pregnant. You'll have all you want in no time.

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[newcastlejon]

You don't collect them but you can breed them in Trek Online. Actually the most recent addition was the Kelvin timeline tribble, complete with a little lens flare when you pet the critter.

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[dwillden]

Not a remake. An expansion on the concept. There is little in common in the actual game play between the two, other than the need to get out and visit real world locations to play the virtual game.

And this is not news. The fact that Niantic is behind PG and Ingress has been well covered.

"British Newspaper Fooled"

[davidwr]

And this is news???

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[Deadstick]

Coincidentally...

https://sofrep.com/60334/briti... [sofrep.com]

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[davidwr]

Headline at link provided by Deadstick [sofrep.com] reads: British press freak out - Inept media believes naval 5-inch guns are literally 5-inch guns

When a man says he has a "5 inch gun" and mean it literally, well, that is a bit small but still within human anatomical norms.

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[davidwr]

I'm thinking about that scene in one of the Men In Black movies where the newbie agent picks up a relatively small "fits in the palm of your hand-sized" alien ray gun and fires it, causing massive damage.

lsd

[phantomfive]

Does anyone use lsd anymore?

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[Anonymous Coward]

Yes

Obligatory Python reference

[Archfeld]

And now for something completely different...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?... [youtube.com]

They should!

[crow]

Based on the popularity of Pokemon Go, I would expect every mobile game company out there is working on a re-themed clone of some sort. Harry Potter would certainly be a great idea for a game like this.

There are plenty of people who like the idea of Pokemon Go, but don't have any interest in Pokemon.

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[Tukz]

Play the original then; Ingress.

Pokemon Go is basically a reskinned Ingress.

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[crow]

Right, but Ingress is not Harry Potter. Why not a licensed version for various other themes like Harry Potter?

Metro is not a newspaper

[julian67]

Metro is not a newspaper, it is an advertising bulletin freely given away on buses and trains.

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[Big Hairy Ian]

It's a subsidiary of The Daily Mail so it's best served with a pinch of salt

Sick of these fake news sites.

[Mike Van Pelt]

They're like cockroaches... Endless stream of gullible people freaking out over some "news" story from one of these idiotic sites and spamming warnings of The Dire Threat To Our Precious Bodily Fluids or whatever.