Spielberg
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'Stiq loves BLOX
As part of their crazy EA coverage yesterday, Joystiq's James Ransom-Wiley got to check out the EA/Spielberg joint BOOM BLOX, and the final word is that our initial assessment of the game was delightfully off-base. When it means that the game isn't worthless tripe, we will be happy to be proven wrong.In fact, BOOM BLOX gets nothing but exaltation throughout the preview, being referred to as "very first-party" and "(feeling) like a Miyamoto game." The heart of BLOX's success is in its creation engine, which allows for an infinite variety of very different levels. Not only can different shapes be made using different kinds of blocks, but it is possible to design levels with different goals. Ransom-Wiley said "Imagine a bottomless bag of these pieces, a virtual world driven by 'real,' responsive physics (how hard you toss the ball actually matters), and the freedom to create; to set your own rules to the game."This is the true magic of Spielberg, we think. We never would have guessed that a game about tossing balls at bricks would cause a Joystiq editor to declare "This May, put down Brawl, pick up those blox."%Gallery-15446%
Joystiq impressions: Boom Blox ... a Steven Spielberg game
"It's feels like a Miyamoto game," someone observes. "Yeah, it's very first-party," agrees another. Flying sheep-blocks and all, Boom Blox is destined to earn Spielberg some street cred (or whatever form of kudos it is that gamers bestow). Just what is Spielberg's involvement? It's his idea, EA insists.An idea so simple, it's really only plausible for Wii. You just pitch a baseball at blocks -- that's it (well, sometimes it's a bowling ball, bomb, or shotty blast ... you get the idea). But where so many mindless motion farts dissipate into the foul heap of Wii "mini-game" crap, Boom Blox stands tall, as a tangible actualization of what Wii games should, no, are supposed to be!%Gallery-15449%
Wii Warm Up: BLOX head
We're beginning to warm to the idea of a puzzle game based on knocking over a tower of blocks (or BLOX -- nah, blocks). With certain blocks providing special effects (like 'splosions), and the ability to create and share your own structures, there might be a solid puzzler in here, or at least more than just a game about busting stacks of stuff. Plus the block characters are really cute -- so cute that someone has already been inspired to create a papercraft model of the rooster character. Are you slowly coming aboard the BOOM BLOX not-quite-hype-but-at-least-not-disgust train? Have you always been down for some block booming? Or are you outraged that Steven Spielberg's concept for a Wii game doesn't seem to include much in the way of narrative?%Gallery-15446%
Surfer Girl gives BOOM BLOX praise as we continue to come around
We were heavily criticized for our initial (and, okay, harsh) opinions about BOOM BLOX. Even though we softened up to the game after seeing the trailer, we can't say we were behind it all along. Some people were, though, like the notorious Surfer Girl.Surfer Girl, who is famous in the world of video games for her endless flow of industry rumors, thinks very highly of the title. In fact, she calls it "this year's best third-party Wii game." Those are certainly some strong words, and although she doesn't elaborate on why the game is so great, she does say it's a fun puzzle experience.So, who will be eating crow, us or Surfer Girl? It's too early to tell, but we're ready for some humble pie if the game turns out to be as amazing as she says.%Gallery-15446%
BOOM BLOX dev discusses the game's structure
GameDaily spoke with EA's Louis Castle about the Spielberg-headed block-toppling game BOOM BLOX, getting a little bit more information about the gameplay as well as a weird statement about the famous filmmaker's nebulous involvement with the game: "It's actually Spielberg's concept. He was inspired by his play session with Miyamoto on the Wii and came to us, since we had an agreement to work with him on multiple titles, and said, 'I'd really like to make a game that I can play with my kids for the Wii since it's just a fantastic system.'" So Spielberg's concept was ... a Wii game? Maybe that was just the prelude to the development of the concept.As for the gameplay, it consists of four modes: multiplayer, creation (in which you build structures using various kinds of blocks), a puzzle mode with over 300 levels ("a very contextual series of levels that Spielberg helped to create and imagine where there's four different themes"), and some kind of "explore mode" whose goal we can't figure out -- it seems to be some kind of adventure mode crossed with creation. In all the modes, you're given tools including a hand for manipulating and building things and a "blast" for giving ice cream to blasting things. Structures made in Create Mode can be shared via WiiConnect24.When the game was last shown at E3, it was an underwhelming throwing-stuff-at-blocks game with little point. Now it's got these neat-looking puzzles and adorable characters, and it's actually starting to look like something. Yes, certain elements of the Wii Fanboy staff haven't fully jumped on board, but the new trailer (above) may do something to sway DO NOT WANTERS to DO NOT NOT WANT status.%Gallery-15446%
Do not want: BOOM BLOX
Perhaps we've been wearing our cranky pants too tightly, but the latest media from Steven Spielberg's Wii project does not fill us with hope. Of course, we always knew that BOOM BLOX -- a new name for the title as of this morning, and yes, it's okay to feel irritated by the UNNECESSARY CAPITALIZATION -- was going to be a bit like Jenga.But heavens, this game looks generic, if the first screens are anything to go by. Featuring "thirty wacky characters, more than 300 levels, and an easy-to-use in-game editor that allows players to express their creativity," BOOM BLOX is a block-based puzzle game that makes EA Playground look like a Suda 51 masterpiece.Perhaps we were expecting a little more from the involvement of a film director who has reaped critical and commercial success in his field for the past few decades. Then again, we've had this debate already.%Gallery-15446%[Via press release]
Spielberg's BOOM BLOX to be featured at GDC 2008
The official site for the 2008 Game Developers Conference has revealed that Steven Spielberg's first collaboration with EA Los Angeles with be the focus of a GDC session, revealing the creative process that turned a simple puzzle concept into a full-on Nintendo Wii title. The announcement also reveals the official name of Spielberg's Wii game: BOOM BLOX (that's right, with the caps-lock and everything).The game will be discussed during "Creating Spielberg's BOOM BLOX", a session led by EALA's VP of Creative Development, Louis Castle. Sadly, it doesn't seem like Spielberg himself will be on-hand to discuss the physics-based puzzle game.Check out some early footage of BOOM BLOX from E3 2007 after the break.
Sony Pictures talks format war numbers at IFA
250,000. nearly 1 million. 69%. Those are Sony Pictures Home Entertainment's Blu-ray sales in Europe, the U.S. and Blu-ray's share of the total HD market in Europe. Apparently someone knows the PlayStation 3 plays Blu-ray discs, as the company touted weekly Blu-ray sales of two to five times that of its competitor, HD DVD since the console made its European debut in March. Sony Pictures was first to carry the Blu-ray banner in Europe and plans on bringing Spider Man 3 and Steven Spielberg's Close Encounters of the Third Kind this fall to join the #1 best selling HD title in Europe, Casino Royale (no word on if that includes all those PS3 pack-ins). With or without StudioCanal, Sony's moving forward in Europe and around the world, hardware, software and all.[Thanks, Tom]
E307: Steven Spielberg Presents: Knock Some Stuff Over
We hate to be mean, but we have to wonder how closely the world's best-known film director was involved with the concept for Blocks. It doesn't exactly take the most creative person in the world to come up with "throw a ball at some blocks." We suspect that this one wasn't just phoned in, but phoned in by proxy by an assistant who was also on vacation. Either that or Spielberg has been cultivating this idea since he was 2 years old. Yes, the hyped PQRS project is Blocks, a puzzle game about knocking over structures of blocks by hucking stuff at them. Some of the blocks explode, some cause chemical reactions, and most just tumble. It looks like it would be pretty fun for a Flash game. The most interesting part of Blocks is the in-game level editor, which allows you to go all Incredible Machine on some block structures.
Spielberg spells new projects with Newsweek
Two of filmmaker Steven Spielberg's three projects with Electronic Arts have been shown to Newsweek's N'Gai Croal. Brought to you by the letters L, M, N, O, P, Q, R, and S.In an article dated July 16 (published a bit too early?), Croal talks about his projects codenamed LMNO (Xbox 360 and PS3) and PQRS (for the Wii). The latter title is reportedly a physics-based action puzzler simulator "that neatly blends the creativity of the building-blocks game Jenga with the charm of a Saturday-morning cartoon," he said. Blocks are manipulated using motion gestures via the Wii remote.Project LMNO is described as North by Northwest meets E.T. and has you playing as an ex-secret agent alongside an AI-controlled woman. "The challenge is," said Spielberg, "can the game have an emotional impact on players while they are actively manipulating the world?"We know Spielberg has one other project in the works. Is it ABC, DEFG, HIJK, TUVW, or XYZ? And what happens when he runs out of letters? Hiragana? No news on release dates, but the Wii title was previously mentioned in an EA financial report as coming out before April 2008.[Update: revised unannounced project suggestions]
Counterpoint: Spielberg's game
There seemed to be two possible reactions to yesterday's post about the Spielberg game-- "the Wii game sounds better than the 360/PS3 game" and "the opposite of what the first thing was." Eric gently implied that he was not a fan of Spielberg's intentions for the Wii. Since this is a rather divisive issue, he suggested I offer a counterpoint to his assessment that the other systems are getting the better deal. And, since I generally enjoy disagreeing with things, I accepted. But, being a professional grump, I couldn't decide which part to disagree with.First, then, I'll take the cynical approach and disagree with the potential quality assessment. This is the idea that the action game sounds better than the Jenga-inspired puzzle game we're getting. Well, I'll tell you right now, a game that is one long escort mission built around an AI that is supposed to be adaptive? That sounds basically like torture.Second, I'll address the idea that we're getting shorted on non-casual content. This is just true. However, from Spielberg's perspective, it's a smarter decision to put the puzzle game on the Wii. In fact, he probably thinks that the money from the Wii game will help fund the riskier one on the other systems. Between the Wii, the DS, Flash games, and cell phones, we're in the midst of a casual games revolution. Spielberg has always made populist movies, and it's no surprise that he'd jump straight for the widest possible audience with games.These two seemingly unrelated points allow me to arrive at a fairly tidy conclusion: we have the choice of a terrible game that won't sell, or an insubstantial but potentially fun game that'll make a bundle. And, most importantly, no games based on A.I.
Spielberg enters booming Jenga genre
Which of these two recently-announced Steven Spielberg games would you want to play?
