By Katie Marsal

Published: 06:00 PM EST

Following a month-long delay, Electronic Arts said Friday that its first wave of games for Apple's Mac OS X operating system are finally in transit to Apple retail stores nationwide.

Need for Speed Carbon and Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix will be available in stores on Tuesday, August 21, and Battlefield 2142 and Command & Conquer 3 Tiberium Wars will be available on Tuesday, August 28. All four titles are also now available for pre-order from Apple's online store.
 
"This is a huge leap compared with past launches," EA spokeswoman Tammy Schachter told AppleInsider. "We’ve shorted the gap between the Mac launch and other platforms to just a few weeks."

Over the course of time, and as EA gains experience in completing and shipping Mac games, Schachter said that gap will narrow even further.

"EA is very passionate about Mac," she said. "We see the Mac as a dynamic platform. We are very excited to get these games in the hands of Mac users."

Further rounding out EA’s portfolio of Mac games will be the release of Tiger Woods PGA TOUR 08 and Madden NFL 08 in the September/October timeframe.

Gamers interested in the first wave of EA games can check out descriptions of each title, below, or view the game trailers posted to Apple's website.
 
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

In Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, licensed by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, Harry’s fifth year at Hogwarts is shaping up to be his most exciting yet. Fearing that Hogwarts’ venerable Headmaster, Albus Dumbledore, is lying about the return of Voldemort in order to undermine his power, Minister for Magic Cornelius Fudge appoints a new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher to keep watch over Dumbledore and the students. But Professor Dolores Umbridge’s ministry-approved course leaves the young wizards woefully unprepared, so Hermione, Ron and Harry form “Dumbledore’s Army” with the goal of preparing themselves and other courageous young wizards for the extraordinary battle that looms against Voldemort and his Death Eaters.



Need for Speed Carbon

What starts in the city is settled in the canyons as Need for Speed Carbon immerses you in the world’s most dangerous and adrenaline-filled form of street racing. You and your crew must race in an all-out war for the city, risking everything to take over your rivals’ neighborhoods one block at a time. As the police turn up the heat, the battle ultimately shifts to Carbon Canyon, where territories and reputations can be lost on every perilous curve.
 
Battlefield 2142

Earth, 2142. As a new ice age depletes the planet’s resources, two massive multinational coalitions wage a brutal war for the only cause that matters—survival. Armed with a devastating arsenal of futuristic weaponry and gear, including active camouflage, EMP grenades, and sentry guns, plus Battle Walkers and vast airborne bases called Titans, you must coordinate the efforts of your teammates to win the war for Earth’s last fragile pieces of livable land. With extensive improvements to the groundbreaking Battlefield 2 ranking and upgrade system and the new Titan gameplay mode, Battlefield 2142 brings the franchise’s award-winning online warfare into a harsh and desperate future.
 
Command & Conquer 3 Tiberium Wars

The year is 2047. A massive nuclear fireball explodes high in the night sky, marking the dramatic beginning of the Third Tiberium War and the long-awaited return of the most groundbreaking Real-Time Strategy franchise of all time. Command & Conquer 3 Tiberium Wars unveils the future of RTS gaming by bringing you back to where it all began: the Tiberium Universe. With the corrupt substance Tiberium blanketing most of the Earth, the infamous Kane is back to lead his Brotherhood of Nod in a massive global assault on the Global Defense Initiative (GDI) and the few remaining livable Blue Zones left on the planet. Only you can stop him. Featuring state-of-the-art next-generation graphics, an epic story, and truly innovative features such as the ability to transform online battles into a spectator sport, Command & Conquer is about to reinvent RTS gaming … again. Welcome back, Commander.