E3: EA have Mobile and Wii in their sights

Mike Bantick
Thursday, 12 July 2007 11:02

Your IT - Entertainment

Titles showcased at Le Merigot Hotel
Army of Two
Never go into battle alone! The deadliest two-man private military outfit a government can buy is hitting retail shelves this summer. Delivering a groundbreaking strategic 3rd person co-op shooter unparalleled in the action genre, EA Montreal’s ARMY OF TWO focuses on gameplay centered around TWO man missions, TWO man strategies, TWO man tactics and a TWO man advantage. The breakthrough gameplay in ARMY OF TWO, with a live or adaptive AI partner, enables you to take advantage of two man strategies like customizable weapons, vehicles, and tactical shooting. ARMY OF TWO is launching this winter on the PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment systems and the Xbox 360™ videogame and entertainment system.

Boogie
Shake it. Sing it. Create it. This winter, gamers will dance, sing and create music videos with this ultimate videogame party package that get players off their couch and playing to a new beat. Not only will gamers be belting out their favorite tunes or dancing to hit songs made popular by bands like The Jackson 5, Britney Spears and Red Hot Chili Peppers, players can capture their best dance moves, record their own voice and make music videos using the intuitive video music creator. Boogie is shipping for the Wii on August 7, 2007 in North America and August 31, 2007 in Europe.

Bejeweled® (mobile)
Be dazzled by the latest Bejeweled! The definitive gem-swapping puzzle game features dynamic animations and sound effects, single and multiplayer modes, tutorials, and voiceover sounds to congratulate you on noteworthy moves. Compete against a friend, or match with a random opponent and hit the mines for endless fun. Launch Zero-Gravity bombs and Cave-ins against your Bejeweled partner as you try to make and clear rows. With post-game chat, Bejeweled delivers fun, social, networked gaming.

EA Playground
Rain or shine, the fun doesn’t have to stop! EA Playground captures the exuberance and nostalgia of your neighborhood playground, turning your gaming space into an arena of interactive fun with immersive activities designed for kids, and the kid inside all of us. This is the definitive all-ages video game. Kids can bring the excitement of the playground home, and parents or even grandparents can re-experience their childhood thrills. EA Playground is your playground favorites smartly delivered on the Wii and Nintendo DS™. Every game is easy to pick-up-and-play and uniquely capitalizes on the control mechanics of each platform. EA Playground is scheduled to ship this northern Fall.

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix™ (mobile)
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix for mobile is a faithful recreation that lets fans relive the magic of the movie. Harry is tasked to help fellow students in “Dumbledore’s Army” fight against the Dark Arts, preparing the courageous young wizards for the extraordinary battle which lies ahead. Play as Harry and interact with Hermoine, Ron, Dumbledore and more. Mobile consumers will not only be able to download the game, but will also have access to personalized content based on the fifth book and film, including ringtones, wallpapers and ringback tones. The mobile game will be available from major wireless carriers in the U.S. and Europe in June.

Madden NFL 08 (Wii)
Anyone can play like a pro in Madden NFL 08, whether a new user or a long time fan. Play with only the Wii remote with EA SPORTS™ Family Play or use the Wii remote and nunchuck for more advanced controls; the decision is yours. Featuring an all-new Party Mode, play trivia or chose from 22 different mini-games. Break down plays and highlight key moments with all-new Madden NFL 08 telestrator. Bring the game online, play head to head with friends and keep up to date with the live sports ticker for the ultimate online experience.

Madden NFL 08 (mobile)
Experience all the fun and excitement of real football action with Madden NFL 08. With new features such as Field Vision Passing, players can read and react to their opponent by making the proper throwing decisions for a crucial first down or the game-winning touchdown! Madden NFL 08 features over 75 plays from the real Madden playbook, team-specific offensive and defensive formations, and with Al Michaels and John Madden calling the action Madden NFL 08 is more entertaining than ever before!

Medal of Honor Airborne
Medal of Honor Airborne is set to redefine the series and will change the way shooters are played. For the first time in an FPS, players airdrop into combat and land anywhere in an open battlefield. Conflict on the ground offers unprecedented tactical choice in open battle spaces with a wealth of attack routes and flanking opportunities. Medal of Honor Airborne is the newest installment in EA’s critically acclaimed Medal of Honor franchise, credited with pioneering the WWII FPS genre when it debuted in 1999. Developed at EA Los Angeles under the EA™ brand, Medal of Honor Airborne will be available August 24, 2007 in Europe, August 28, 2007 in North America and August 30, 2007 in Australia for the Xbox 360™ system and PC and in November for the PLAYSTATION®3 system.

MySims
MySims, the first game in a revolutionary new line from the developers of the The Sims Label, allows players to build a town, grow a community and discover a world of their own! Designed especially for the Wii and Nintendo DS platforms, MySims introduces a charming cast of whimsical characters while delivering the creative, customizable and classic open-ended gameplay that has enchanted Sims players worldwide. Players begin by creating their own toy-like Sim that reflects their personal style and attitudes. From pig-tails and baseball caps to dreadlocks and Mohawks, the options are endless and the style is unlike any Sims game to date. By creating and customizing unique buildings constructed of blocks that are collected by the player, each experience is one-of-a-kind!

NBA LIVE 08 (Wii)
When the game is on the line and the ball is in your hands, what will you do? Will you penetrate the lane and rise above the rim for a monster slam, or find an opening around the perimeter and sink the gamewinning basket? NBA LIVE 08 is fun for all on the Wii with a flick of the wrist with 2 ways to play. Jump in on the action with EA SPORTS Family Play that gives every user the opportunity to enjoy success. You control your team’s shooting, passing, and steals on defense with the Wii remote, and leave the rest up to the AI. If you’re already a pro, use both the Wii remote and nunchuck for more complex controls.

NBA LIVE 08 (mobile)
NBA Live 08 is slam-dunk NBA action! Featuring real players, real teams and real NBA intensity, it’s easy to pick up and play one game or a thrilling season. Players control offense and defense and make highlight reel moves – thundering slam dunks, driving lay-ups and in-your-face blocks. Color commentary by Marv Albert puts players courtside for fun, exciting NBA action – anytime!

Need for Speed ProStreet
Compete at the highest level of street racing with Need for Speed ProStreet. It’s no longer good enough to simply rule your local neighborhood you need to dominate on a global stage. Build the ultimate battle machine, take it to multi-disciplinary showdowns and pit your skills and reputation against the world’s best street racers. This is your chance to prove that you have what it takes to be crowned the next Street King. ProStreet is your ultimate taste of the chaos and unbridled adrenaline of street racing. Every dent, every scratch and every crumpled body panel is a battle scar, proof of your commitment and competitive mettle. The atmosphere is electric – complete with energetic crowds, photo-realistic cars and billowing smoke – all designed to embody the pressure and intensity of the gladiatorial challenge known as Show Down. Need for Speed ProStreet is the realization of the raw power, visceral aggression and intense rivalry that embodies street racing culture.

Rock Band
Rock Band is an all-new platform for music fans and gamers to experience music, giving them the chance to rock in the shoes of the biggest guitarists, bassists, drummers and singers of all time - as a solo superstar or as part of a hard rocking band. Offering four games in one - Rock Band challenges rockers to master the lead/bass guitar, drums, vocals or play in a cooperative band experience. Built on unprecedented deals with top record labels and music publishers, the music featured in Rock Band spans all genres of rock and includes many master recordings from legendary, previously untouchable artists. Rock Band is developed by Harmonix, published by MTV Games, distributed by EA Partners and will be available for the Xbox 360 and PLAYSTATION 3.

SKATE
SKATE is the closest thing to skateboarding without actually putting your feet on a board. With innovative Flickit controls that take advantage of the dual analog sticks, SKATE delivers an authentic boarding experience like no other videogame. Players will explore, find and skate the best spots in the fictitious city of San Vanelona. This enormous environment will provide gamers with hours and hours of skating bliss. Players can skate it their way; from finding and owning the hottest spots in the city to downhill racing to entering big contest including the X Games. Players will meet and skate with legends like Danny Way and Mark Gonzales as well as up-and-coming pros including Chris Cole and P.J. Ladd. Along the way, players can capture video footage of their skate sessions at any time to share or brag with their friends across the country via the game’s innovative skate reel feature. Without footage, it’s fiction. SKATE is shipping in September for the Xbox 360and PLAYSTATION 3.

The Sims 2 Castaway
EA is excited to announce The Sims 2 Castaway, a brand new game from The Sims Label that challenges your Sims to survive and prosper on an uncharted tropical island. Available on the Wii,
Nintendo DS, the PlayStation 2 computer entertainment system and the PSP® (PlayStation® Portable) system this Fall, the journey in The Sims 2 Castaway begins when your Sims are washed ashore and must overcome the forces of nature, craft tools for survival, and explore their surroundings to unravel the island’s mysteries. They’ll learn to build a life from scratch in an undiscovered paradise while unearthing clues that will lead them back to civilization. By discovering the many useful treasures and ancient mysteries hidden deep within a diverse jungle, your Sims will discover all the things a tropical island has to offer, including plants, fruits, wildlife and more! From tattered clothing to sunburned skin, your Sims will change as they take on the many challenges of tropical island life and learn to survive in style. Other titles from The Sims Label at E3 include MySims (Wii, Nintendo DS) and SimCity Societies (PC).

The Simpsons™ Game
THE SIMPSONS GAME features a hilarious, sprawling, and mind-busting storyline crafted by the TV show’s Emmy Award-winning writers. The action-comedy will also feature the full cast of voice actors from the TV show who will reprise their roles for the game. In THE SIMPSONS GAME, Homer, Marge, Bart, and Lisa use exciting, all-new powers to save the world from rising chaos. To help the Simpsons, gamers at home must journey through all of Springfield (as well as vast worlds beyond!), vanquish an amazing array of villains, and fight their way through parodies of popular games.

The Simpsons: Minutes to Meltdown (mobile)
An entirely new version of The Simpsons will also be available this summer for play on mobile phones. Following a unique story line for mobile, players will have yet another experience as Homer Simpson, racing against the clock to prevent a major meltdown at the nuclear power plant. Players will cross paths with some of Springfield’s finest residents, including The Simpson family, Mr. Burns, Barney, Moe, Apu, Krusty the Clown, Officer Lou and more.

Tetris® (mobile)
Captivating, fun, addicting. See why more than 60 million players worldwide have made Tetris one of the most popular games ever! The latest mobile Tetris adds multiplayer to the fun. Play against a friend over a wireless network, or battle the computer in your phone. Block your opponent’s efforts to clear lines. Race a two-minute clock in Ultra and try Forty Line, clearing 40 lines as fast as you can. Plus, enjoy the famous single-player Marathon mode that made Tetris a phenomenon.