EA Steps Up Wii Game Development

[NoName]

This sounds like good news for Nintendo and their upcoming console. Electronic Arts has announced four more games in development for the Wii, with more still behind closed doors. These titles incldue Harry Potter, SSX, Godfather, Tiger Woods. As found on Gamespot (http://www.gamespot.com/news/6153946.html?part=rss&tag=gs_news&subj=6153946):
In a statement today, the company says that even more Wii games that are currently in development will be announced in the coming months.

"Once we started to experiment with Madden on Wii, there was an explosion of innovation. Everyone in the studio is energized by the creative opportunity afforded by both the hardware and controller," said EA senior vice president John Schappert.
It's amazing how the Wii can make me want games I would never have considered otherwise. A Harry Potter game where you actually used a wand would be awesome. Now if the Wii remote had a mic, people could be full fledged wizards...

[pavlovscow]

Weren't there rumors of a mic to go with the speaker in the remote? Were those ultimately denied?

[SexualChoc]

First time I read that I saw 'Harry Potter Sex'. Be awesome with the controller. ;)

[Meatgortex]

Well a microphone and a speaker are basically the same device. It's just a question of if they can read signals from the speaker, or just send them to it.

[Bone]

There's already a headset in development for the Wii, and I thought a mic + speaker were already confirmed too?

Anyway... this is as expected. People play with the Wii and find that it's fun!

[Xenkylm]

A microphone isn't as good an idea as I think everyone assumes... imagine a microphone that kept getting closer and further from your face while you were using it... it'd be a voice-recognition nightmare on the software end, and it'd sound horrible on the VoIP end...

[JazGalaxy]

I don't for a second believe that any feature available on the DS will be left out of Wii, aside from the obvious tactile functionality of the DS (which wii can offer a similar and expanded version of).

So, yeah, I'll eat my hat if wii doesn't have a mic. I don't think it will be for voip though.

[RMan]

It's just a gimmick :).

[jacktion]

Pokemon DS is going to come with a headset with microphone in the fall. Then people can battle on wifi all over the world and talk smack as they battle. So that is practically VOIP right now. When I go overseas I'll just get my GF pokemon and the headset and we can chat for free anytime. and play a little pokemon...

[Nessus]

Nintendo has claimed they're not including a mic cause it'd be too expensive. I find that sorta hard to believe since they managed to fit one in the DS, a portable system where components are generally more expensive.

I really wish they'd reconsider that. I'd even pay a bit more if they included a mic. Just for the possible future voice recognition (no reason you can't bring the remote up to your mouth when you want to make a command).

[Cyrano]

When I think of EA, I always think of an "explosion of innovation".

[kid cabelgo]

I'm kinda glad there won't be a mic, especially if that harry potter game turned out to be good. I would hate myself so much for sitting there on my couch, waving the wiimote franticly and yelling shit like "wingaaaadium levioooooosa" at the TV.

[Bydo_Empire]

It's amazing how the Wii can make me want games I would never have considered otherwise.
That's the beauty of the Wii. I'd never buy a Tony Hawk game normally, but I'm definitely interested in seeing how the Wii version plays. I'm kind of burned out on video game football, but if I do pick up Madden this year, it will be for the Wii.

[chowweekly]

I think someone from Nintendo, I forget who, said that there will be no microphone because the best way to do it would have it be in a headset and that would just complicate things. So no microphone for sake of simplicity.

However I do think Harry Potter + Microphone = awesomeness. But you guys aren't thinking big enough. Get ready for this ... Harry Potter the MMO.

[Bone]

And the inevitable Harry Potter Hot Coffee mod.

[NonSoft]

When I think of EA, I always think of an "explosion of innovation".

Don't we all.

:D

[Pantsmonkey]

Someone mentioned that the Wiimote would probably feature most items present on the DS. That was my logic and my reasoning too and I have been shouting from the rooftops for ages that it would probably have one simply because a speaker is essentially a microphone anyway...

Strange as it may seem, a loudspeaker can be re-tasked as a microphone. Just about any speaker can be converted to be used as a microphone. It seems an odd statement at first sight, because speakers and microphones look quite different, and it seems to defy everyday perception that you could conceivably use a speaker designed for outputting sound into something that can pick up sound. But, there it is, it's true! (http://www.zyra.org.uk/sp-mic.htm)

That not withstanding this interview with Satoru Iwata from EGM on 1UP (6 pages well worth your reading) he gives a reasonable explanation of why, nods to headset and effectivness

EGM: So why not include a camera or especially a microphone?

SM: Well, obviously there are questions of cost and technology. When you think about the type of microphone that would be easy for people to use for home play you think of a headset. And so the issue is, if you have a headset somehow attached to the controller, it gets complicated to use, and we wanted [everything to] be easy to use-simple and fun. (http://wii.1up.com/do/feature?pager.offset=2&cId=3151423)

IMO Nintendo has been doing lots of work on voice recognition on the DS so it can easily translate the same basic technology into the Wii if required. I wouldn't say its perfect but games like Brain Training and it's voice operated counterparts are simply first generation voice recognition games. Things can only get better, so to speak :P

What we all need to Not do is forget the ever present and simple wireless connectivity between the Wii and the DS.

From article

"Once we started to experiment with Madden on Wii, there was an explosion of innovation. Everyone in the studio is energized by the creative opportunity afforded by both the hardware and controller,"

Hardware includes the DS I'd wager!

Someone mentioned a Harry Potter game =) As an avid fan of the series I have for some time hoped that eventually we could get a Harry Potter Wii game that worked tandom with the DS.

Something like that would allow basic access to a

• Spell book • Inventory • Task list • Clock

And perhaps more excitingly

• Touch screen Marauder's Map :D • Spells written with the Stylus

The Idea of tapping the Wiimote onto the DS touch screen and saying "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good." Only to have the Marauder's Map appear from a blank piece of... Well I am sure everyone knows what I am talking about. (http://www.hp-lexicon.org/magic/devices/devices-m.html#marauders_map) The idea of perhaps being able to do stuff like that makes me very excited (Mind you I am 24 were I 14 I would only be more so! sad eh...) But definatly a potentially new level of interaction and fun.

Multiplayer online Harry Potter games have the potential for a boatload of fun.

And I would be a lier if I said I hadn't thought of "Mounting" the Wiimote like a Nimbus 2000! Definatley one of the franchises that could show some massive Wii potential with some extra efforts.

http://img89.imageshack.us/img89/9/broomwii2ma.th.jpg (http://img89.imageshack.us/my.php?image=broomwii2ma.jpg)

Hopefully EA is actually having ideas not just saying they could do. I can understand what they mean by being filled with ideas for applications. There are millions of things you just want it to do as soon have a play with it. Heres to hoping the run with some good ones.

*EDIT* Heres a free spell Lumos

In the very first Wii videos. The one without any view of the screen just the players. The was short section that had some creepy Luigis mansion style music and blackness all over the screen save for a circle of light which highlighted the players moving about. Torch styles.

I cannot find that section and it appears to have been removed from the latest videos. Just think Torch from that E3 conference 2 second clip :( of Necro Nesia / Spike.
http://img132.imageshack.us/img132/4901/vlcsnap1140159ef.png

[NoName]

Wow pants, nice post. I'm glad I'm not the only 20 some year old guy who likes the idea of Harry Potter on the Wii ^_^.

[The Mystery Cow]

Pokemon DS is going to come with a headset with microphone in the fall. Then people can battle on wifi all over the world and talk smack as they battle.

I haven't played a Pokemon game in years, but if you can select a Pokemon by shouting "Bulbasaur, I choose you!" I'll be all up ons this one.

[Pantsmonkey]

I haven't played a Pokemon game in years, but if you can select a Pokemon by shouting "Bulbasaur, I choose you!" I'll be all up ons this one.

Everytime I read negative comments about voice operated controls or movement sensors taking more time that "just pressing a button" I try to spitball ideas for things that would actually add to the experiance overall.

Shouting pokemon names would be pretty damn fun for most kids (of all ages) 2P and 4P battles would be a hoot.

Whenever I play FPS games and want to distract or get the attention of a gaurd it kinda shits me that I have to shoot at something or cause a inordinate amount of aubile ruckus. I wish I could use the headset mike to yell "Hey bob whats this over here" to get him to come over. -1 to realism

You would have to snipe in on his name tag or overhear the NPC name in conversation to avoid getting blasted full of holes for saying the wrong name though.

Just like lock picking in Splinter Cell I am a big fan of fleshing out games with simple mid game / mini game content that might just be a bunch of fun.
I havent played many of the newer online FPS games perhaps you can do that kinda stuff it BF or whatever the war game of choice is.

[kickmybum]

I'm still pretty bummed that they pulled NHL 07 from the Wii. That was my excuse to buy the system since that's the only console game I ever play. I guess I'll buy a Wii when NHL 08 comes out next year.