Harry Potter performs more video game magic @ Gaming Target

Written by John Scalzo on November 21, 2006

News: Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix is coming to theaters and game systems near you next year.

With Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix coming to theaters next July, it was only a matter of time before EA made it official and announced the next Harry Potter game. With that thought in mind, EA officially announced Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix is coming to the Wii, GBA, DS, PS3, PS2, PSP, PC and Xbox 360 in July 2007.

"Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix is the first in the franchise that we have developed for the next generation consoles," said Harvey Elliott, Executive Producer at EA UK. "Together with current generation versions, we are creating an immersive and, above all, faithful Harry Potter experience that will both accurately reflect the world showcased in the film and also delight fans of all ages."

"Working with EA, we look forward to offering fans the most authentic Harry Potter game to date, one which captures the compelling story of the fiction and high visual quality of the movie," said Jason Hall, Senior Vice President of Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment. "After reading the book and seeing the film, fans will be able to take advantage of the complete interactive experience with Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix game."

The game adaptation of Harry Potter 5 will feature three playable characters, Harry Potter, Dumbledore and Sirius Black, and tons of authentic Harry Potter experiences.

For those unfamiliar with the book, here's a quick summary from EA:

In Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Harry returns for his fifth year of study at Hogwarts and discovers that much of the wizarding community is in denial about the teenager's recent encounter with the evil Lord Voldemort, preferring to turn a blind eye to the news that Voldemort has returned. Fearing that Hogwarts' venerable Headmaster, Albus Dumbledore, is lying about Voldemort's return in order to undermine his power and take his job, the Minister for Magic, Cornelius Fudge, appoints a new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher to keep watch over Dumbledore and the Hogwarts students. But Professor Dolores Umbridge's Ministry-approved course of defensive magic leaves the young wizards woefully unprepared to defend themselves against the dark forces threatening them and the entire wizarding community, so at the prompting of his friends Hermione and Ron, Harry takes matters into his own hands. Meeting secretly with a small group of students who name themselves "Dumbledore's Army," Harry teaches them how to defend themselves against the Dark Arts, preparing the courageous young wizards for the extraordinary battle that lies ahead.

We'll have more on the further adventures of J.K. Rowling's boy hero soon.