Electronic Arts has announced its first collaboration with Stephen Spielberg. BOOM BLOX is what it's called. Action puzzling with a dash of wholesome cartoon fun on the Wii is what it offers... or will offer when it's ready.
In case that description didn't give it away, this game is aimed at families. The announcement even describes the 30 characters that occupy it as "wacky".
"I am a gamer myself, and I really wanted to create a video game that I could play with my kids”, said Spielberg. “BOOM BLOX features an enormous amount of fun challenges and cool scenarios for your kids to solve or for you to master together".
So... what does it actually do? Well, it offers "action-packed interactive activities" and "brain-twisting challenges". So... puzzles. Physics-based puzzles, if the comments of BOOM BLOX's executive producer, Louis Castle, are anything to go by. "We developed BOOM BLOX with endless combinations of gameplay in mind”, he explained. “With over three hundred levels, built upon a full real-time physics model, your experience can be as easy or difficult as you want it to be - there really is something for everyone to enjoy.”
What is clear is that the game has more than a little in common with Media Molecule's upcoming PS3 release, LittleBigPlanet. 'Create Mode' will allow players to 'remix' levels using props, blocks and characters picked up throughout the game. "Players can also virtually build anything they can dream up", the announcement boasts. They'll also be able to share their creations over WiiConnect24.
"My inspiration for this game came while I was playing the Wii for the first time", Spielberg went on. "From the initial concept to what the game is today, it’s always been built around the innovations the Wii brings to playing games. BOOM BLOX plays on the enjoyment of building and knocking down blocks, something that can appeal innately to kids and adults of all ages."
So, what we have here is Steven Spielberg - maker of films like Jaws, Close Encounters, War of the Worlds - making, Klax. Sort of like Miyamoto being asked by Paramount to come up with a great movie, and presenting a new take on Turner and Hooch.
Spielberg has been working with EA for some time now. Last summer SPOnG brought early details of BOOM BLOX (then codenamed PQRS) and another title for the 360 and PS3 that has been described as, "North by Northwest meets ET... if ET were female, grown up and hot".
BOOM BLOX will be available in May.
In case that description didn't give it away, this game is aimed at families. The announcement even describes the 30 characters that occupy it as "wacky".
"I am a gamer myself, and I really wanted to create a video game that I could play with my kids”, said Spielberg. “BOOM BLOX features an enormous amount of fun challenges and cool scenarios for your kids to solve or for you to master together".
So... what does it actually do? Well, it offers "action-packed interactive activities" and "brain-twisting challenges". So... puzzles. Physics-based puzzles, if the comments of BOOM BLOX's executive producer, Louis Castle, are anything to go by. "We developed BOOM BLOX with endless combinations of gameplay in mind”, he explained. “With over three hundred levels, built upon a full real-time physics model, your experience can be as easy or difficult as you want it to be - there really is something for everyone to enjoy.”
What is clear is that the game has more than a little in common with Media Molecule's upcoming PS3 release, LittleBigPlanet. 'Create Mode' will allow players to 'remix' levels using props, blocks and characters picked up throughout the game. "Players can also virtually build anything they can dream up", the announcement boasts. They'll also be able to share their creations over WiiConnect24.
"My inspiration for this game came while I was playing the Wii for the first time", Spielberg went on. "From the initial concept to what the game is today, it’s always been built around the innovations the Wii brings to playing games. BOOM BLOX plays on the enjoyment of building and knocking down blocks, something that can appeal innately to kids and adults of all ages."
So, what we have here is Steven Spielberg - maker of films like Jaws, Close Encounters, War of the Worlds - making, Klax. Sort of like Miyamoto being asked by Paramount to come up with a great movie, and presenting a new take on Turner and Hooch.
Spielberg has been working with EA for some time now. Last summer SPOnG brought early details of BOOM BLOX (then codenamed PQRS) and another title for the 360 and PS3 that has been described as, "North by Northwest meets ET... if ET were female, grown up and hot".
BOOM BLOX will be available in May.
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Comments
deleted 6 Feb 2008 16:16
1/1
Sort of like Miyamoto being asked by Paramount to come up with a great movie, and presenting a new take on Turner and Hooch.
The bit where he meets hooch for first time with a muffin woudl instead be,
"take the giant mushroom, hooch, take the mushroom hoOCH, TAKE THE GIANT MUSHROOM HOOC---ARRRGHH..., Why didnt he take the goddam Giant Mushroom",
The bit where he meets hooch for first time with a muffin woudl instead be,
"take the giant mushroom, hooch, take the mushroom hoOCH, TAKE THE GIANT MUSHROOM HOOC---ARRRGHH..., Why didnt he take the goddam Giant Mushroom",