So why was Boom Blox an initial dud?

Our first thought was meager and poorly aimed marketing attempts. We don't personally recall seeing much in the way of advertising, but anecdotal evidence from net denizens who watch cartoons and networks aimed at kids swear they were fed a steady diet of Boom Blox TV spots. Why advertise just on kid-friendly programming, when Spielberg himself has said that the game was intended to be something that kids and their parents would play?

NPD analyst Anita Frazier apparently had similar thoughts, telling GameDaily that despite positive review, new intellectual property like Boom Blox has a hard time breaking through the "noise in the market" and that perhaps marketing was to blame.

Frazier points to a noisy release schedule that included Mario Kart Wii, Grand Theft Auto IV, Wii Fit and Metal Gear Solid 4. One might think that Boom Blox may have drowned in a sea of Wii shovelware, but the amount of crap heaped onto retail shelves was relatively light in May.

Perhaps it was just that the Spielberg name just doesn't carry much weight with gamers, as the initial announcement that the famed director was involved in a block smashing game that looked a hell of a lot like a Jenga rip-off seemed like an odd, perhaps disappointing match. A $50 price tag for a game that doesn't come packed with an accessory like Wii Play and Mario Kart Wii likely didn't help matters, especially when better sellers like Game Party and Carnival Games undercut what looks like a similar offering.

While we're hoping that Boom Blox's initial misstep at retail will lead to smarter marketing and better prices for Wii games, we suspect we'll unfortunately see third-party publishers just point to Nintendo's high quality offerings for something to blame. The argument that only Nintendo published titles has some merit, but we think third-party publishers have to shoulder their own part of the blame.

Wii Third-Party Struggles Highlighted by May NPD [GameDaily]

...some games are so over-the-top violent and so extraordinarily interactive that I am even afraid of them. I am not going to name names... My kids will never go in and take an R-rated DVD and play it. But there is something very compelling and different about the artwork on the box of what might be an M game that could tempt my kids... There are games that are taboo. And I won't have them on the premises. I don't want my kids saying, 'How come Dad is playing that and we can't?'

Side note: Watched Temple of Doom three times today. Damn, that's a good movie.
Spielberg Switches [USA Today via Go Nintendo]

But is it all of that enough to shake off the stink of Wii shovelware and live up to the expectations of a game created by the man behind E.T., Jaws and Raiders of the Lost Ark?

Loved
Eclectic Gameplay: With more than 300 levels, a myriad of ways to play (from blasting and throwing to pulling and stacking), Boom Blox is a virtual toy story of Wii gaming. Each facet of the game manages to deliver, with little to none of the technical issues that have marred other remote-heavy Wii titles.

Great Character Design: What's a game without character? While Boom Blox is loaded with plenty of entertaining character design, it's in the adventure mode that the funky characters really shine. The four themed worlds were "creatively directed" by Spielberg himself and some of the sizzle seems to have made it through the process. Also, it's hard to go wrong with mini-fig like monkeys, cows and kittens in my book.

Deep Pick-Up and Play: None of the many games and modes in Boom Blox are hard to understand or to master, but the level of depth, the sheer number of puzzles included in the game are staggering. Many may take you only a minute or two to whip through, but all of them are satisfying.

Level Editor: The game's mix of multiplayer, single player, co-op, competitive, story and play is nicely augmented with a surprisingly innate level designer that, once the game is fully played through, grants you access to just about everything you come across in the packaged game. Building levels in the editor is so quick and easy to test out that it's almost as fun as playing them.

Sense of Fun: Boom Blox is a charming toy, a game imbued with a sense of fun that somehow makes it greater than it's many parts.

Hated
Weak Co-Op Gaming: After playing through the addictive adventure mode, I was looking for a similar experience to share with my son. Unfortunately I didn't get one. The co-op levels felt more like something meant for training or to show off the tech than for fun.

Shallow Competitive Gaming: While a bit better than co-op, the game's relatively shallow competitive mode feels like what I thought Boom Blox was going to be before I played it: A one trick pony.

Gimped Level Sharing: There's nothing more disappointing then being given a surprisingly robust tool with which to create your own fun and then being told you can't really share it with many people. Boom Blox level sharing relies on the Wii's innately flawed online support, which is so protective it throws down roadblocks to fun. In this case, you can, at least for now, only share them with a select group of friends. Perhaps a new channel will pop up on the Wii for level sharing down the line, but until then it's not very useful.

Boom Blox is, at it's heart, a puzzle game; you have to move, blow-up or shoot away blox to score points, save little blox characters, or defend buildings, but with so many different things to do and so many different ways to do them, it's easy to forget that. Add to the absurdly large number of puzzles and modes the game's four adventures, each with its own story and distinct look, and you've got a game that's sure to entice.

While Boom Blox isn't without its issues and moments of tedium, the main thing that prevents this title from realizing its full potential is the lackluster multiplayer. A game about fun should make multiplayer a top priority, not something that feels so tacked on.

Boom Blox was developed by Electronic Arts LA, published by EA and was released on May 6. Retails for $49.99. Available on Wii. Played single player Adventure mode to completion. Played single player Explore and all multiplayer modes and tested level creation.

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New Releases Week of May 4 [Gamespot]

There's definitely the potential to go to other consoles. Our mindset, our philosophy was that we didn't want to taint our thinking by taking any other console into account. The way we saw it we wanted to make this the most authentic Wii experience that it could possibly be. So we didn't think about the PC, DS, PS3 or Xbox 360. We're still very much in the mindset of finishing this game. But once it's over the sky's the limit. There's definitely the possibility of going to other consoles.

This video walks you through the training for the game, which does look fun, but until it's in my hands I'm holding off on getting excited.

Once it's over the sky's the limit. There's definitely the possibility of going to other consoles.

Boom Blox's main gameplay draw lies in the ability to knock down towers of inconsistently shaped blocks with the toss of baseballs, bowling balls, whatever, all of which adhere to an accurate physics model. Simply line up your shot, after a careful panning and scanning of the camera, then whip the Wii-remote at the screen to start knocking blocks off. Special blocks and multipliers pile on the tactics, but gamers of any skill level can compete from the get-go.

If any game needs to be bundled with the Wii Remote silicone safety condom, it's Boom Blox. Players may be encouraged to violently whip the Remote at the TV, adding extra force to their throws—and extra muscle strain. It's not entirely necessary to give it your all with dramatic, forceful throws, as side pitches and underhanded tosses were just as, if not more, effective in toppling blocks efficiently. A more measured flick of the wrist recommended, as is a tight Wii Remote wrist strap.

Spielberg's first collaborative effort with EA may not have been what you were expecting, but there's something indescribably fun about deconstructing the pre-built levels with up to three other Wii gamers. The only downside to four-player competitive Boom Blox-ing is often the long wait between turns, as your rivals can take an extended period to plan out their shots as you watch. They'll be taking all the good shots, too, or so it seems as you're left with nothing but clean up duty.

The concepts behind Boom Blox may not sound like much, but the impressive number of puzzles and game modes, combined with a deceptively simple mechanic, may warrant more looking into.

I was actually pretty surprised to find out how much of a gamer Steven Spielberg is.

He - regularly, when we meet with him - makes references to games that a lot of us game developers haven't played or haven't played in years. But also recent games, like Crysis, he talks a lot about.

As a Chicagoan, when I used to hear "Michael Jordan's Bulls," even with as good as Michael Jordan was, it seemed to sell the incredible Bulls short. Now when I see names like John Woo and Steven Spielberg headlining titles—guys who don't even show up for every game, so to speak—it sure feels like the credit (and I'd guess, the paychecks) are a bit misaligned.

Boom Blox producer impressed by "gamer" Spielberg [Gamesindustry]

EA will have a bevy of titles on hand as part of their sponsorship including Mass Effect, Command & Conquer 3: Kane's Wrath, Spore and BOOM BLOX. They will also be showing a sneak preview of Dead Space, their upcoming space horror game.

The event runs from April 30 through May 4 at the Apollo West End theater in London. Hit the jump for the full release.

Electronic Arts UK Signs as Official Games Sponsor for SCI-FI-LONDON

SCI-FI-LONDON today announces that Electronic Arts, the world's leading interactive entertainment software company, will be the official games sponsor for this year's SCI-FI-LONDON, the UK's only dedicated science fiction and fantastic film festival which will run from 30 April - 4 May 2008 at the Apollo West End theatre.

As exclusive games sponsor, EA will be showcasing PC and console titles as part of the festival line-up, to include Mass Effect™, Command & Conquer™ 3: Kane's Wrath, Spore™ and BOOM BLOX™, while festival-goers will also get the chance to see a sneak preview of the forthcoming epic space horror game Dead Space™. As well as seeing exclusive trailers for the games before film screenings, there will be opportunities to play them and win merchandise.

Festival Director Louis Savy said: "We are extremely pleased to have secured EA as our key sponsor for this year's SCI-FI-LONDON festival. Their current and upcoming title roster fits perfectly with our programme, which aims to appeal to a variety of science-fiction fans. Visitors to the show will be in for a treat as they get to see and play some of EA's incredibly cinematic and sometimes scary games."

Gary Booker, EA UK Marketing Director, said: "We're excited to be involved for the first time with SCI-FI-LONDON, a key event for the UK's science-fiction film fanbase. Great story-telling isn't limited to the big screen and we'll be at the festival to show that video games offer a fantastic way of telling and interacting with these stories at the same time."

EA activities during the festival will include:
• The chance for visitors to play some of its key current titles as well as sneak peaks and demos of unreleased games
• Big-screen trailers and teasers
• Supporting SCI-FI-LONDON's artist-in-residence, The Artful Dodger (aka A-Dee), who will create a series of science fiction themed canvases in the window of Forbidden Planet (Shaftesbury Avenue, WC1) from 24th April for 7 days.

Further details of EA's presence at SCI-FI LONDON will be revealed as the festival draws closer.

We brought in the best computer scientists and we working on analyzing the data you get from the Wii remote. That was actually a very, very difficult problem involving lots of calculus. So many Wii games record just what the Wiimote is doing without much thought about or at least computation about what it was intended by the player. We've put a lot of thought and energy into what was intended by the consumer.

The first in a series of EA and Steven Spielberg collaborations is Boom Blox, a Wii game that combines puzzle, physics and a seemingly tolerable version of Jenga into a working package. It may not be the Schindler's List of puzzle games, but we suspect Steve isn't aiming quite that high with his inaugural title. Looks good to me, but I'd certainly like to go hands-on before I drop a fifty on the thing.

Boom Blox is a family game about building blocks - stacking them up and knocking them down, without your parents having to yell at you when they accidentally step on one of them barefoot in the middle of the night. It features kid-friendly characters and what promises to be an interesting mix of creative and problem solving gameplay, which is exactly the sort of thing parents should be playing with their children.

"I am a gamer myself, and I really wanted to create a video game that I could play with my kids," said Steven Spielberg. "BOOM BLOX features an enormous amount of fun challenges and cool scenarios for your kids to solve or for you to master together."

It certainly sounds like Spielberg and EA are delivering one hell of a lot of gaming when Boom Blox hits store shelves this May. The only question that remains now is how it plays - and we'll be sure to answer that come the February 18th start of the 2008 Game Developers Conference. For now, check out some more screenshots and concept art from the fruit of Spielberg and EA's unholy union.

EA AND STEVEN SPIELBERG REVEAL BOOM BLOX

Throw, Grab, and Blast Your Way Through the Ultimate Wii Game

Chertsey, UK, February 6, 2008 - EA has announced that BOOM BLOX™, the first game developed in collaboration between EA and director and producer Steven Spielberg, is set for a May 2008 release for Nintendo Wii™. This high-energy game features more than 300 levels, a cast of more than thirty wacky characters, and an easy-to-use in-game editor that allows players to express their creativity.

"I am a gamer myself, and I really wanted to create a video game that I could play with my kids," said Steven Spielberg. "BOOM BLOX features an enormous amount of fun challenges and cool scenarios for your kids to solve or for you to master together."

Fun for kids and the entire family, BOOM BLOX offers action-packed interactive activities that takes Wii play to a new level of creativity and fun with single player, co-op, and versus gameplay. Players can experience the visceral gameplay - perfectly suited for the Wii's interactive motion-sensitive controls - through brain-twisting challenges. They can interact with entertaining characters such as the block-laying chickens or baseball-throwing monkeys across four themed environments - Tiki, Medieval, Frontier, and Haunted. Additionally, players can remix any level of the game in Create Mode using props, blocks, or characters that have been unlocked during the game. Players can also virtually build anything they can dream up. Plus, their designs can then be shared with friends or used to challenge others to solve their newly created puzzle via WiiConnect24™.

"We developed BOOM BLOX with endless combinations of gameplay in mind," explains Louis Castle, executive producer. "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."

"My inspiration for this game came while I was playing the Wii for the first time," added Spielberg. "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."

Developed at EA Los Angeles, BOOM BLOX has not yet been rated by the ESRB and PEGI. For more information or to download artwork, visit http://www.BOOMBLOX.ea.com.

BOOM BLOX is also in production for mobile phones and will be widely available this Spring. The mobile version puts innovative BOOM BLOX gameplay on phones everywhere — delivering engaging, fun, and groundbreaking action. For the first time in a mobile game, players will be able to create custom levels and share them with their friends directly from the phone, enjoying a rich, interactive community experience. For information regarding mobile phone carrier availability, visit http://www.eamobile.com.