Electronic Arts and Warner Bros. Interactive have today confirmed that the immensely successful J.K Rowling book ‘Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince’ is being translated into videogame format for release across every format imaginable and will be released in time to coincide with the launch of the movie adaptation that will be gracing the silver screen during the holiday season later this year.

It has been revealed today that Electronic Arts’s Casual Entertainment Label, plus Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, are set to bring the world of gaming a special treat in the form of the sixth in the Harry Potter series of books, ‘Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince’. With the movie version due out at the same time, clearly Potter fans eager for more of J.K. Rowling’s magic following the release of the final book ‘Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows’ last year, are about to be more than slightly appeased.

“We believe that the Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince video game represents a milestone in the movie tie-in genre. Building on the technological advancements of previous games in the series and with a particular focus on the unique control system of Nintendo’s Wii, the team here is working closely with the filmmakers to create an immersive interactive experience that captures the story, the action, the excitement and, above all, the fun of the film.”
- Harvey Elliott, Head of EA Bright Light studio in the UK where the Harry Potter franchise has its home.

“Working with EA, we look forward to offering fans a compelling Harry Potter video game, one which captures the thrilling storyline and high visual quality of the movie. The adherence to the rich fiction is a trademark of this franchise and with Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince fans will experience the most authentic and enjoyable game in the series to date.”
- Scott Johnson, Vice President, Business Development for Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment.

For those unaware of the storyline, in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, the nefarious Lord Voldemort is rapidly tightening his iron-clad grip on both the Muggle community and wizarding world, with the magical school of Hogwarts no longer the safe haven it used to be. Protagonist Harry Potter suspects that dangers may even lie within the castle, but rather than being alone, Potter is aided by Hogwarts’ Headmaster, Professor Albus Dumbledore, who is more intent upon preparing him for the final battle that he knows is fast approaching. Together they work to find the key to unlock Voldemort’s defenses and, to this end, Dumbledore recruits his old friend and colleague, the well-connected and unsuspecting bon vivant Professor Horace Slughorn, whom he believes holds crucial information. Meanwhile, the students are under attack from a very different adversary…rather disturbingly their teenage hormones, which are raging across the ramparts! Harry finds himself more and more drawn to Ginny, but so is Dean Thomas. And Lavender Brown has decided that Ron is the one for her, only she hadn’t counted on Romilda Vane’s chocolates! And then there’s Hermione, simmering with jealously but determined not to show her feelings. As romance blossoms, one student remains aloof. He is determined to make his mark, albeit a dark one. Love is in the air, but tragedy lies ahead and Hogwarts may never be the same again. All thoroughly rivetting stuff, I’m sure you’ll agree. But how it all translates into videogame form, we shall have to wait and see.

As well as delving deep into the story, helping Harry survive a fraught sixth year, players will also have a chance to engage in exciting wizard duels, mix and brew magical ingredients in Potions class and take to the air to lead the Gryffindor Quidditch team to victory. The game is currently being developed by EA Bright Light Studio and is being readied for release this Autumn time across Wii, PLAYSTATION 3, Xbox 360, PlayStation 2, PlayStation Portable, Nintendo DS, Windows PC, Macintosh AND mobile devices.

Definitely something for everyone…