An official announcement made available recently called out news that the game adaptation of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix has shipped across North America and should also be available in Europe by June 28. The game developed under the watchful eyes of Electronic Arts is now available on almost every current platform imaginable.

Boasting a non-linear gameplay feature, the title will allow players to explore the innards of Hogwarts Academy and uses an intuitive spell-casting gesture system that should please gamers on the Nintendo Wii. The game will boast the authenticity of the movie, from locales to characters, so we won't spill the story details until everyone's comfortable with the motion picture release.

Otherwise, the EA UK-developed game is rated E 10+ for Everyone (10+) and should be available for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 for a suggested retail price of US$ 59.99, the Nintendo Wii for US$ 49.99, the PlayStation 2 and PSP for US$ 39.99, and the Nintendo DS, GBA, PC and Mac for US$ 29.99. Another ported version for your game-capable mobile phone is also slated for release, although no price has been named as of press time.

The Apple iPhone finally launches on June 29, and while a lot of things have been said about the features that it will have, let's take this moment to look at the things that it won't have. Here's a list of newly-confirmed features that the iPhone will not have packed into its sleek and stylish case from gadget news site Gizmodo.

• Songs as Ringtones
• Games
• Any flash support
• Instant Messaging
• Picture messages (MMS)
• Video recording
• Voice recognition or voice dialing
• Wireless Bluetooth Stereo Streaming (A2DP)
• One-size-fits-all headset jack (May have to buy an adapter for certain headphones)

This list raises quite a few questions. Earlier this year, video game companies such as Namco and Electronic Arts have confirmed that they are in talks with Apple about putting their games on the iPhone. While it is possible that these deals fell through, it is also quite possible that game support - as well as other features - will be added to the phone via later updates.

Last week, Namco Networks announced the launch of Ms. Pac-Man for the Apple iPod. Today, we're bringing you a Gaming Bits interview with Scott Rubin, VP of Namco Networks, that gives us all a little peek at what the company has in store for iPod and mobile gamers. Read on for a few snippets.

On iPhone games. According to Rubin, Namco is "without a question one of the handful of game publishers that Apple has chosen to work with." He also noted that the company is also a top partner of Cingular, who will be distributing the iPhone.

"We're one of the few publishers that directly publishes games on almost every wireless platform," said Rubin. "Not just Java phones, but iPods, Sidekicks, Palm, Windows Mobile. If the opportunity is there, we will put our games on the iPhone. It's our mission."

Another big name in the videogames industry that is currently planning to release games for the Apple iPhone is Electronic Arts.

On original IP. "We're Namco," said Rubin. "We've been doing video games for years and we have a library that we're fortunate enough to be able to chose from like Dig Dug and Galaga." That doesn't mean that arcade ports are the only things that Namco will be bringing to the mobile gaming market, though. Rubin points towards two Namco titles, Scene It? Movies for Mobile and Pool Pro Online II, as examples of their original IP offerings.

Rubin also revealed that Namco will be doing "some original games tied to licenses like Snoopy and The Red Baron and a Dilbert title as well."

For the full interview, click on the "read" link below.

  

Video games publisher Electronic Arts might not strike you as a one-stop shop for games and music, but thanks to a new deal with iTunes, the latter has now become a reality...besides the one-stop shop part. The deal between iTunes and EA which was published today means that gamers and music-lovers alike, will be able to access music from their favourite EA titles and purchase it from the iTunes store.

From Madden NFL and Burnout: Legends to Need for Speed, your favourite tracks are now available to download using the most popular legal music download store on the internet. The range of tracks is simply huge and you can get exclusive mixes, non-album cuts and previously unavailable international tracks from the store.

Today marks the world debut of the unforgettable version of The DoorsÂ? Riders on the Storm that Snoop Dogg remixed exclusively for Need for Speed Underground, just one example of how this deal will be beneficial to both gamers and music lovers. EA will continue to add songs, scores, themes, beats and ringtones from EA games from past and present so head over to the store if you like your games with a hint of stylish music.

 

In a recent report by GamesIndustry, Javier Ferreira, vice president of publishing of Electronic Arts mobile has quoted as describing the EA/Apple partnership for games on the iPhone as "a marriage made in heaven." Ferreira expounds:

As the iPhone comes to the mobile space it's an exciting opportunity for us. It's a marriage made in heaven. ...For us, fundamentally, we love new platforms, we love new ways of playing and new ways growing the market.

While the vice president wouldn't reveal the actual sales figures of EA games sold over iTunes, he did reveal that the titles have been a success.

So what should we as gamers expect from EA when it comes to games for mobiles? Here's another snippet from Ferreira that should answer that: "You'll see people play The Sims on the Xbox, the PC, their iPod and then the mobile phone."

Apple seems to be making a very serious effort to bolster its gaming side. We reported a couple of days ago that Electronic Arts is currently in talks with the Cupertino-based company for possible EA games for the iPhone. Even before that, announcements from TransGaming and nVidia pointed towards bringing high-end games to the Mac.

Today, an article on MacNN reports that the company is reportedly recruiting students from the Savannah College of Art and Design to work as advanced graphics artists. According to the MacNN article, students report receiving an e-mail from a recruiter looking for game developers for Apple to create "high quality 3D and 2D art for games."

No further specifics were revealed regarding for which platform the games will be released on.

Let's face it, Apple has never been a giant presence when it comes to gaming, but things are definitely starting to look up. The iPhone's announcement in January has also started speculation about whether or not it will be able to play games.

While Apple has yet to reveal any details regarding their plans for gaming on the iPhone, Business Week reports that the company is currently in talks with a few well-known game developers and publishers.

According to Business Week, Mitch Lasky, senior vice-president of EA Mobile, says his company is discussing plans for games on the phone. "We have been talking to Apple about games on (the iPhone)," Lasky says. "We see a lot of the technology that we've utilized on the iPod side being incorporated into the iPhone."

Electronic Arts expanded its mobile gaming business through last year's purchase of independent mobile publisher JAMDAT Mobile, later rebranded as EA Mobile.

We think its safe to say Electronic Arts is hellbent on dominating the game scene on the 5th-gen iPod. EA already has three all-time fave titles for Apple's gaming iPod: Tetris, EA Mini Golf, and EA Mahjong. Now you can add EA Sudoku and Royal Solitaire to the list.

EA Sudoku is the Japanese multi-level number game that combines easy-to-use controls, graphics and animations, and a Zen garden scenery. The game also includes Â?RandomÂ? mode for amorphic puzzles, and Â?ChaosÂ? mode for completely wild challenges.

Royal Solitaire is a suite of ten solitaire games that include Peaks, Pyramid, Beleaguered Castle, Aces Up, Yukon, FreeCell, Golf, Scorpion, Canfield, and Klondike.

EA's Sudoku and Royal Solitaire can now be downloaded from the iTunes Store for US$ 4.99 each.

Apple's foray into the world of portable media player gave birth to one of the most recognizable electronic products in the world - the iPod.  The iPod has evolved from being a digital music device to a video viewer, podcast player and pocket-sized photo album. And if that wasn't enough, Apple has thrown in the gauntlet and announced their newest plan for this nifty little gadget: iPod games.

To be able to enjoy these games, iPod owners with any fifth-gen (video) player must first download and install the latest iTunes 7 software for Microsoft Windows or Apple Macintosh computers. After installing, you can now download a total of nine games from the iTunes store for US$ 4.99 per game.

One of the games offered is Namco's classic arcade game from the 80s called Pac-Man. the little yellow guy was able to chomp his way to the iPod. A total of 256 levels can be enjoyed in the iPod version of Pac-Man, with "coffee break" animations that serve as intermissions between  levels. The gameplay is exactly the same as in other version: to guide Pac-Man onto the dots and fruits while evading the colored ghosts. The only difference is that you get to control him by using the click wheel of the iPod: gently tap (not press) one of the four directions of the click wheel to direct Pac-Man to the goal.

Another game being offered is Electronic Arts' Mini Golf. The game features three courses: 18-hole Tommy Totem's Tiki Putt Putt; the Ancient Egypt course; and the Freaky Circus Sideshow course. The last two courses will be unlocked if you are able to shot under par. The game also offers Pass n' Play multiplayer mode where two players can take turns putting off at a hole, and the Practice mode for newbie players. The iPod's click wheel serves as the game controller.

Another downloadable game is PopCap Games' Zuma. Take control of a stone frog in the middle of the screen and eliminate the long string of multicolored balls by firing a colored ball from the stone frog idol's mouth towards a group of two or more of the same colored balls. The control is simple, rotate the frog and use the center Select button t fire the ball. To select the color of the ball in the stone frog' mouth, click fast-forward or rewind button. Other additions of the game include shooting gold coins for extra points, creating combos by chaining successful moves together and power-ups. These are only three of the games offered by iPod. Other titles includes Tetris, Texas Hold'em, Mahjong, Cubis 2, Bejeweled and Vortex.