EA confirms Harry Potter delay

The news could come as a disappointment to retailers, who were looking forward to the pre-Christmas sales boost its planned November release would have provided.

"We're excited about the Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince video game in development and its high level of authenticity and playability," said Robert Nashak, Vice President EA Casual Studios.

"We are creating an immersive game experience that Potter fans around the world will really enjoy playing as they fly and duel their way through the story of the film. The game will feature new Wii gestures and increased gameplay capabilities across all of the platforms."

The title will be released globally on Wii, Xbox 360, PS2, PSP, DS, PC and mobile.