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New Harry Potter game next summer

With Half-Blood Prince film.

EA plans to launch the sixth adventure of bespectacled hero Harry Potter in summer 2009, alongside the pushed-back big-screen release. They're both out in July.

Series developer Bright Light Studio will keep to much the same formula, modestly expanding gameplay to include potion-mixing, wizard duels, better Quidditch and even Ron's romantic pursuits. Wii wand gestures are in, too, although probably not for Ron's romantic pursuits.

Of the books, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince remains one of the better. The plot revolves around a mysterious book of potions authored by the titular prince, of whom Harry spends a term at school trying to uncloak. Plus baddies. Plus tantrums. Plus twist.

The Half-Blood Prince is also, of course, the penultimate book. The seventh film has been split into two parts and is already in pre-production, pencilled in for 2010 and 2011 respectively.

Daniel "Harry Potter" Radcliffe will be 22 by the end of the series. Blimey.

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince is in development for Mac, PC, Xbox 360, PS3, PS2, PSP, Wii, DS and mobiles.