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]

[via Blues News]

LaBeouf kept following the calls until he got to the director’s office. And there was the master himself: shoes off, socks on, dressed in shooting gear, but sitting behind a computer, stuck on the fifteenth level of a first-person shooter called BioShock.

“This is like months to get to this level, and he can’t get past this one little mysterious spider god, and he’s losing his mind. He’s like, ‘I can’t do it, Shia! I can’t do it.’ ”

LaBeouf, who got into acting at age 12 partly because he wanted to make enough money to buy himself a Sega Genesis, had found himself a soul mate.

Bwah? The 15th level of BioShock? There are 15 levels in BioShock? And mysterious spider gods? Guess Spielberg really is losing his mind!
LaBeouf Article [GQ Thanks, Brendan!]

...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]

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.

I tracked down who's signing that petition, and these are like a few people, getting under different identities and things in the internet and signing it over and over again. The second thing is that I was able to find that actually Michael Bay and Steven Spielberg under various different identities posting ongoing that I should stop making movies, and I know why: They are afraid of the competition. What jealous internet nerds and wannabe filmmakers are signing that petition?

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]

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.

In our partnership with Steven Spielberg, he is the Steven Spielberg of directors...it's hard to get a better, more creative personality than that. But he's also of course a hardcore gamer. This is a director who is not simply coming to gaming as another product category — this is a strong creator who's coming to gaming because he loves games.

Back when I was at DreamWorks Interactive I was just continually impressed at first of all where he found the time to play through games — there were games that he played beginning to end several times. He loves games, he's gone deep inside games, and he's got a lot of ideas about games, so in that sense it makes for a great collaboration.

And then of course I think that when you have those collaborations there are so many fresh ideas and perspectives that come in, because although he's a strong gamer, he obviously has a very strong point of view from film. There's just a whole other set of associations and images he can bring in....

I think he has the potential to be the creative force behind some blockbuster games, but of course his role is different — when he shoots a film, he has cinematographers, but he's constantly going and looking through the camera and setting up his own shots.

I don't think he'll ever be quite as hands on in games design, because he grew up in film.

Eds Note: In this post, Entis previously used "the Steven Spielberg the Steven Spielberg of directors" schtick. Dude needs a new line, because it sure seems like Glenn Entis is the Glenn Entis of Spielberg PR!

Electronic Arts Interview [Games Industry]

The session description reveals that Boom Blox, the first of the Spielberg games and designed for the Wii, was created by a small team that developed dozens of playable prototypes, ultimately resulting in "a fully cohesive, premium family game for the Wii." The con takes place the third week of February, so hopefully we'll see more of Boom Blox before then.

Director's Cut: Worlds are Colliding [GDC]

It's amazing what's being done with games today, and I'm fascinated by it. With The Mist, I hope to scare you, right, and maybe make you think. Maybe you'll talk about the ending for a while after the film's done... A horror game that's well done, though: man, that's really going to stick with you.

But In our research for a new book about the Atari VCS, Nick Montfort and I discovered that Death Race is in fact not the first film adaptation in games. That honor goes to none other than Shark Jaws, by Atari.

According to our sources, Nolan Bushnell tried to license Jaws for use in a videogame, but failed. Eager to take advantage of the shark fear hype after the release of Steven Spielberg's popular film, Atari decided to make the game anyway. As the flyer reads, "now you and your locations can cash in on the popularity, interest and profits associated with sharks."

The game is pretty simple. The player controls a diver trying to catch a fish while avoiding a shark. Graphics are raster, and black and white.

Like Death Race, this too was an unofficial game, and in that sense it's not quite right to use the word "license" — and Atari cleverly played up the illegitimate Jaws affiliation by making "JAWS" appear in huge letters on the cabinet, with "shark" in much smaller type beside it. In fact, Atari was so concerned about possible recourse that Bushnell created a whole other company, dubbed Horror Games, to market and sell the game. Ever the clever trickster, that Bushnell. And how times have changed.

Shark Jaws [Arcade Flyers]

We don't have intel about the first game (good) or the third game (bummer). However, an insider has passed along a few details about the second title. The game is of course an action-adventure title, and the "mysterious female character" is apparently a time traveler from 50 million years in the future. Yes, FIFTY MILLION YEARS. She will have many non-human features which are central to the gameplay and plot. What's more, Spielberg wants to make a movie or a series of movies (why stop at one!) based on the game. EA has been assigning random code names to these Spielberg titles. For example, one of them is supposedly called "LMNO" internally. Make of this what you will.

As an exclusive for the Wii™ from Nintendo, the first of the two projects will allow for players of all ages to compete in over a hundred challenging, action-packed interactive games that take blocks to a new level of creativity and fun for single player, co-op, and versus gameplay. Additionally, use the Wii remote to build your own fun games and structures or turn the same Wii remote into a destructive tool to bring them crashing down.

The second, and more ambitious project in development, is a contemporary action-packed adventure that puts you in the leading role of an emotional journey where your actions tell the tale. Set against the backdrop of an epic story, the game focuses on a touching and ever-changing relationship between you and a mysterious female character who holds the key to many futures. The game is in development for PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system, Xbox 360™ videogame and entertainment system from Microsoft, and PC. No ship timeframe has been disclosed.

Pretty much what we've already heard, but hit the jump for pithy quotes from Spielberg and EA LA's Neil Young.

LOS ANGELES, CALIF., July 10, 2007 - Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: ERTS) today revealed the first details surrounding two of the three new original intellectual properties in development at EA Los Angeles (EALA) in collaboration with Academy Award® winning director and producer, Steven Spielberg.

"I am a gamer myself and game development has always intrigued me," said Steven Spielberg. "Now I've been able to jump in and do it, enjoying the creative collaboration with the EALA team on our first two games and I feel we have two incredibly unique projects in development."

"Steven's vision as both a storyteller and a gamemaker makes partnering with him an incredible experience," noted General Manager Neil Young. "Together we're making games that are unique and that we feel will each move the medium in their own way."

As an exclusive for the Wii™ from Nintendo, the first of the two projects will allow for players of all ages to compete in over a hundred challenging, action-packed interactive games that take blocks to a new level of creativity and fun for single player, co-op, and versus gameplay. Additionally, use the Wii remote to build your own fun games and structures or turn the same Wii remote into a destructive tool to bring them crashing down.

The second, and more ambitious project in development, is a contemporary action-packed adventure that puts you in the leading role of an emotional journey where your actions tell the tale. Set against the backdrop of an epic story, the game focuses on a touching and ever-changing relationship between you and a mysterious female character who holds the key to many futures. The game is in development for PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system, Xbox 360™ videogame and entertainment system from Microsoft, and PC. No ship timeframe has been disclosed.

"Through our partnership we are delivering games that are not only engaging and compelling with interactivity, but we hope can also move people emotionally," noted Young.

"I am truly enjoying the creative collaboration and we hope that gamers will be as excited as we are about what we can bring to the medium through our shared vision," added Spielberg.

The second game (Spielberg is said to be working on three with Electronic Arts) is a PS3 and Xbox 360 game code-named LMNO which is described as "North by Northwest meets ET... if ET were female, grown up and hot.

You don't play as the girl, however. You're an ex-secret agent, and the bond that you forge while on the run with the computer-controlled woman—good, bad, indifferent—determines the nature of her special abilities and the ways in which she'll assist you. Says Spielberg: "The challenge is, can the game have an emotional impact on players while they are actively manipulating the world?" Based on the clever ways in which he and EA are extracting a genuine performance from their digital Eve—complete with eyes that widen, lips that curl and translucent skin that lights up in different colors to express her quicksilver moods—we think Spielberg's got yet another hit on his hands.

The real question I think is whether the third game will be code-named HIJK or TUVW and if he plans on going beyond those initial three games and completing the entire alphabet in secret code names.

Wii Can't Wait to Play [Newsweek, via Destrutoid]

While Will Wright's Spore won't be released this fiscal year (ending March 2008), Steven Spielberg's Wii game for Electronic Arts will. Previously, EA said the new Spielberg-helmed IP was "very different" and "very interesting." So, no aliens, no Nazis and no children? What's more, EA Montreal's Army of Two, EA Black Box's SKATE, EA Canada's EA Playground and EA Montreal's Boogie will also see release this fiscal year. Think of this as EA's way to apologize for the Spore delay. Brian Ashcraft

Spielberg Game Coming [Shack News]

Today, Young spoke with GameDaily's James Brightman on two of the games born of the Spielberg collaboration, revealing that one would be a Wii project. The other? A game described as "what you'd expect, sort of, from a Steven Spielberg production." Young then clarified that statement with "Steven's stories are intimate stories that take place around huge, world-changing events... sort of, big stories shown through the eyes of a small group."

Check out more details over at GameDaily. Michael McWhertor

GDC: Spielberg on Wii Exclusive Info [GameDaily XL]

I spotted Steven Spielberg at E3 on the last day. He was walking out of the Microsoft booth talking to someone from Electronic Arts. The two, with a posse in tow, made there way around the back of the South Hall and then walked through the outdoor food court area, where Spielberg didn't stop for some yummy tacos, and into a back entrance of the West Hall. I stopped following at that point, mostly because his security guards were shooting me nasty looks and looked like they could snap my scrawny backbone between their thumb and forefinger.

Make sure you shoot us your own images of celeb gamers hoofing it through E306. You know, we're obsessed with the rich, famous and beautiful.. But not in that order.