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Magic Pixel Games formed by THQ, EA, Activision vets
Though some companies are characterized as being chock-full of "movers and shakers," we can't think of a company more deserving of the phrase than the newly formed development studio Magic Pixel Games. According to the developer's press release announcement, the team is composed of THQ, Electronic Arts and Activision veterans, including Boom Blox lead engineer Jeff Dixon and senior development director Mark Tsai. The announcement adds that the team possesses an "unparalleled grasp of human motion and physics to create unforgettable motion gaming experiences on console platforms." What does that mean? Well, it probably means that Magic Pixel's first big title is going to incorporate some kind of motion controller. What else does it mean? It means that everyone knows there knows how to physically move their own bodies, which is a handy skill for any living being. More specific details about their upcoming projects should surface soon -- the press release also promises that Magic Pixel's debut title will launch this holiday season.
EA: A 'small number' of Boom Blox devs let go
Electronic Arts claims a "small number of employees were impacted" by the publisher's decision to move Boom Blox development from EA Los Angeles to EA Bright Light Studio in Guildford, UK. Kotaku obtained a quote from the publisher, which notes that the move has nothing to do with the company's "restructuring" and is a routine event in a global studio organization to "leverage development strengths." The history of the Boom Blox franchise at EA has been pretty shaky since the first title was launched. The original game wasn't an explosive hit at the start, but eventually sold half a million copies. The division that was supposed to handle the franchise shut down afterward. Although critically acclaimed, the Boom Blox series just hasn't been a breakout success.
EA job listing mentions next-gen project for Boom Blox team
We've heard sly references and seen mysterious job listings indicating that Xbox 360 and PS3 owners would soon know the joy of tower toppling -- however, we've not seen anything as concrete as a recent help wanted ad from EA's Boom Blox team. According to the listing, "our last two titles were Wii-based, but our next titles will be for the next generation." We assume they actually mean the current generation's high definition consoles. Otherwise, whoa, we just confirmed the PS4. This job listing, which was initially discovered by internet detective extraordinaire supererogatory, is supported by two other EA job listings he (or she) previously uncovered -- both of which reference Project Natal or the unnamed PlayStation Motion Controller. Unless the studio is changing directions to work on a motion-controlled Mirror's Edge (which would be unimaginably dangerous on Natal), the odds of an upcoming high-def Boom Blox announcement seem pretty good.
EA could stack Boom Blox on other consoles
As late as May, a Boom Blox producer said that the series was always intended for the Wii, and other platforms weren't part of the plan (except for mobile, we guess). Now, some at EA are starting to change their stance, potentially laying the groundwork for a multiplatform release.Harvey Elliott, head of EA's Bright Light studio, told VideoGamer that he "wouldn't rule anything out, never say never." He said that Boom Blox is "about the motion control, it's about throwing a ball or throwing an object," and that right now, he "can't imagine that on other devices at the moment." Despite saying that a multiplatform release wasn't impossible, Elliott is "proud" that it's remained on the Wii so far, saying, "I think it's the right thing. Who knows for the future." So it's more of a "maybe, I guess" kind of thing than "CONFIRMED." Since the release of the last Boom Blox, two new motion-based interfaces have been introduced, both of which allow players to mimic the motion of throwing an object. Project Natal would actually allow the player to throw a real ball at the TV, if that player is stupid enough to think that's a good idea.%Gallery-43419%
Report: Investors shouldn't put faith in EA 'management's current guidance'
EA hasn't been the money-printing powerhouse it had been in previous years, and Cowen Research group blames the decisions of EA's top brass for that. Cowen Research revealed in its latest report (via GI.biz) that EA could still hit its expected revenue of USD 4.3 billion for the next financial year, but that the company would need to see growth in publishing revenue that outperforms overall industry figures by a considerable amount, despite the tough economic climate of today. Digital distribution will also play a key role in EA's economic future, as the company has stated recently, and EA hopes to grow its business there by 100 percent over the course of the year. Cowen Research's report again sees this as a possibility for the company, yet points out there is considerable risk involved. One also has the company's two big Wii games to consider: EA Sports Active and Boom Blox: Bash Party. EA expects each to sell 1.4 million and 350,000, respectively, but Cowen Research's report doesn't put much stock in third-party success on Wii. Cowen Research is hesitant to value third-party numbers where Rock Band and Guitar Hero figures are ignored, as the top five percent of third-party titles on Wii sold an average of 860,000 copies, compared to the more lucrative numbers of 1.2 million on the PS3 and 2.5 million on the Xbox 360. These games only accounted for 31.8 percent of total game sales on Wii, compared to 34.2 per cent on the PS3 and 41.2 per cent on the Xbox 360. Cowen Research finally points out that a buyout could be in the cards, with the company's share price reaching historical lows.
Spielberg presents: Spielberg in: Boom Blox Bash Party trailer
In the latest trailer for Boom Blox: Bash Party, the man with a plan, Steven Spielberg, gets intimate and offers details on EA's sequel to its beloved Wii puzzler. Marketing jargon is thrown around quite freely, with Spielberg admitting that Bash Party "takes Boom Blox to a new level" and that "all of the good ideas" were saved for the sequel. Yeah, right.Thankfully, the video doesn't stray into that territory for long, as we eventually get a close look at what we all want to see: multiplayer! If that doesn't look like fun, then we must be dead.%Gallery-43440%
Boom Blox producer leaves EA, joins thatgamecompany
thatgamecompany, the studio behind flOw and Flower, has managed to sweep away former EA developer Robin Hunicke. Hunicke worked as the lead designer behind MySims, and produced the two Wii Boom Blox titles. In a statement to Kotaku, Hunicke explains that she wants "to reach new people, with new experiences, via the medium of games and the language of game design" in her new position. With both flOw and Flower completed, Hunicke says thatgamecompany is "at the forefront of the indie movement." It's currently unknown what position Hunicke will serve at thatgamecompany or what project she will be working on. The team is still contractually obligated to develop at least one more game for PlayStation Network.
Spielberg talks future of gaming, believes in virtual reality
We would never dare think of crossing Steven Spielberg. The man is made of pure magic, and has the power to erase firearms from existence, cause you undeniable fear of the water, and create currency out of toy planes and paper. When he talks, we listen. And recently, he did just that with The Guardian's podcast, Tech Weekly.Spielberg had some insight as to where the gaming business is headed, with his hopes for the immediate future residing in 3D gaming, much like his colleague James Cameron. Spielberg says the reemergence of 3D in film -- something Hollywood tried and failed at back in the 1950s -- is a prime example of how we'll see the technology make its way into games. Spielberg envisions "3D games developed where with a good pair of glasses we get a real three-dimensional experience in front of an appropriate monitor that is designed just for 3D." Also, he thinks we're not too far off from a future void of console platforms altogether, where we'll soon be playing games directly from our TV sets.As for the long-term future, Spielberg sees the technology going toward virtual reality, and sees it as the industry's inevitable future. "I really think virtual reality -- which experimentally came and went in the eighties -- is going to be redeveloped, just like 3D is being redeveloped today," he said, further adding, "and that's going to be the new platform for our gaming future."That's all well and good, Mr. Spielberg, but these virtual reality games better be more enjoyable than that Grid Busters game we played down at the Jersey shore back in the '90s.
EA: Boom Blox always meant for Wii, Bash Party built with game's level creator
Some things in this world were just meant for one another. Peanut butter and jelly, America and gladiators, and the Wiimote and Nunchuk are just a few of these things, but now EA producer Amir Rahimi would like to toss Boom Blox and the Wii into this prestigious club. In speaking with Ars Technica, Rahimi says that "Boom Blox is a Wii game through and through." He says EA always had the Wii in mind and that the team never considered the possibility of bringing it to another console. If it were to make its way onto another platform, Rahimi says EA would have to "significantly reconfigure and redesign the core mechanics, but currently we have no plans to do that."As for sequel Boom Blox Bash Party, Rahimi noted something interesting. Speaking about the improved level creation, he said that the team built the level editor first this time, and used it to create every level in the game, whereas in the first title, the team built the game and level editor simultaneously. This means that the exact tools available to gamers when the title ships will be those the team used to create Boom Blox Bash Party. How cool is that?Oh, and if you're worried about all of your Wii's memory (or SD card) being taken up by huge files when downloading custom maps, don't. Rahimi says that each file size will only be in the kilobytes, allowing folks to download plenty of maps quickly and without pain. You'll even be able to sample them in the game before committing them to your memory, so you can try before you don't buy. You know, because it's all free.[Via Go Nintendo]%Gallery-43440%
Spielberg: Smartest and dumbest thing I did was sell my company to EA
Long ago, a young kid with a dream of breaking out of the movie business and into games named Stevie Spielberg showed up in Silicon Valley with just his cockeyed optimism and millions upon millions of dollars. But when times got tough, he made the decision to sell his company, Dreamworks Interactive, to EA, just as it was about to finish Medal of Honor.Stevie's all grown up now, and says that he now realizes his game company could have stayed afloat based solely on the success of Medal of Honor. He told Reuters the move was the "smartest and dumbest thing [he] ever did."... Wait, wait. Dumber than AI? Really?
Joystiq hands-on: Boom Blox Bash Party level editor
Boom Blox Bash Party will feature the same level editor that the developers used to make all of the game's 400-plus levels. Anyone can design and share levels online (no Friends Codes attached), but an approval process is in place to prevent submissions with "boobies" spelled out in blox reaching the public. Although, if you prefer to sidestep the Man, you'll be able to share your more "mature" levels with friends ... privately. The community will also be able to rate public levels, à la LittleBigPlanet, so, when you go searching, you won't be randomly selecting ones that suck (spelled out in blox). User-created levels can be preview-played before downloading, too.%Gallery-43419%
GDC09: Boom Blox Bash Party hands-on
click to enlarge A couple of years back, Steven Spielberg picked up the phone and called EA. After absolutely no time on hold, he told (insert random executive here) all about his idea for a Wii game about throwing blocks at other blocks. Although it had received similar proposals in the past -- mostly from third-graders -- the mega-publisher immediately drafted up a contract and made Steve a bona-fide game designer. That, dear readers, is how the original -- and now classic -- Boom Blox came to be. Well, more or less.Mr. Spielberg is once again credited on the sequel, Boom Blox Bash Party, though we're pretty sure he didn't have to go to similar extremes to get it made. Anyway, for whatever reason, the dev team decided to build a new level editor -- the same one that's in the game for players to use -- and design all its levels with the thing. Oh, and set it underwater and in outer space, for starters.%Gallery-43419%
Boom Blox Bash Viewing Party
EA finally sent out real screens of Boom Blox Bash Party, and they're mostly what you would expect from a Boom Blox game: exotic towers of colored blocks surrounded by cute, blocky characters -- including those robots. Wonderful! The characters can now be grabbed, knocked over and interacted with just like Blox, so there's more of a reason to maliciously toss stuff at them.These latest screens show off the crazy new environments (like under the sea and in space), as well as the new paintball item! Basically, it looks like it splatters the wall with color. We're sure there will be some reason in-game that you'd want to color the wall rather than knocking it over.%Gallery-43419%
Boom Blox Bash Party trailer makes our pitching arm sore
We don't regret the radiant, blinding love we developed for Boom Blox the First, though the physical toll it took on our ball chuckin' arm was nigh-unbearable. Therefore, the latest trailer for Boom Blox Bash Party, EA's follow-up to the highly enjoyable tower toppler, has left equally intrigued and terrified. We can't wait to get our hands on the new slingshot ability and gameplay modes shown in the video, but the very real possibility of irreparable dislocation is ever-present in our minds. Check out the trailer after the break as we call our dear pal Roger Clemens for tips on post-game rehabilitation.
Retailers date Let's Tap, Boom Blox Bash Party
GameStop's online store has updated with listings for two newly-announced, and very exciting, Wii games: Boom Blox Bash Party and Let's Tap. According to the retailer, Bash Party will be out on May 19th for $49.99. Let's Tap is dated June 16th, and priced at just $29.99! At those rock bottom prices, we hope Sega can afford to include some cardboard boxes! Amazon corroborates Let's Tap's date and price, but has no listing for Boom Blox Bash Party yet. But the first game came out in May of last year, suggesting that EA considers it a good month for Boom Blox games.%Gallery-33707%Source -- Boom Blox Bash PartySource -- Let's Tap
Cause for celebration: Boom Blox Bash Party won't use Friend Codes
MTV Multiplayer's Stephen Totilo spoke to Amir Rahimi about the new features in the just-announced Boom Blox Bash Party, learning exciting new details that make the sequel sound much more tantalizing than a simple collection of new levels would be.First off, no friend codes. Players will be able to download and upload new levels, and rate others' work, without being hindered by Nintendo's overblown security measures. Finally, other games are catching up with Blast Works! Totilo suggested that Spielberg should "direct" a level for download, and Rahimi told him to "Consider the request scheduled".In addition to downloadable levels, Bash Party features a new move: the slingshot. Players will be able to pull the Wiimote back, then release (a button, most likely) and launch items forward. What it won't feature is MotionPlus, because the team didn't get access to the tools soon enough. But it's EA -- just wait a year for the next sequel. Update: Hey, remember that one rumor about a major game that wouldn't use Friend Codes? Ding!%Gallery-43440%
EA invites Wii owners to a Boom Blox Bash Party this spring
EA has revealed the known -- but never officially announced -- sequel to Boom Blox for Wii. According to the press release, EA's Boom Blox Bash Party will be out this spring, featuring 400 new levels and a greater emphasis on multiplayer -- as evidenced by the "Party" in the title. (As well as the "Bash" -- which is a kind of party, we believe.)"Boom Blox Bash Party is a wild social gaming experience," said Steven Spielberg, who is involved in the new game in whatever nebulous capacity in which he was involved in the first title. "We know families and friends really enjoyed playing the original Boom Blox together, so we designed more explosive multiplayer experiences with Boom Blox Bash Party."Even more exciting, BBBP now has online integration for its level editor, allowing players to share their destructible Mario sprites with the community at large. EA will offer its own downloadable levels as well.%Gallery-43419%
Best of the Rest: Kevin's Picks of 2008
Boom Blox My Wii gathered so many cobwebs this year that it looked like it was a prop from a creepy old Boris Karloff movie. The phenomenon of Wii Fit had me dust it off and breathed some new life into it for a few days, but before long it was relegated back to its hiding space under the couch. That is until Boom Blox slid smoothly into the disc slot. Two days later, I could barely move my right arm due to my newfound obsession, and I still fire it up on a regular basis just to hurl balls at Jenga towers.
Boom Blox: Thunder level refuses to go 'boom'?
It's pretty awesome that there's still content to be discovered in EA's Boom Blox, which came out in May. Unfortunately, some of the new stuff happens to be apparent game-breaking glitches. Whoops.Aeropause's Stephen Munn found just such an event in the final level of Tiki Tower Topple, a challenge called "Thunder." He and his friends hucked stuff at the level, to no avail, making sure to destroy seemingly every destructible object in view with bowling balls before turning their attention to the animals standing around (which is a favorite Boom Blox pastime). He thinks the little sliver of gold visible onscreen is another block to knock down, but it's evidently unreachable.It's kind of surprising to find an unbeatable level after the game has been out so long. Anyone out there experience this glitch? Or have you somehow completed Thunder?%Gallery-15446%
Boom Blox under the tree? Use these cheats to unlock everything
Are you expecting Boom Blox this year? Well, kids, we've got a special treat for you. After the break, you'll find some cheats for unlocking various things in the game. If you're the kind of gamer who doesn't savor the satisfaction of unlocking things for yourself, then feel free to indulge with these cheats.%Gallery-15446%
