The sequel will be hitting as early as this spring, a surprisingly quick turn-around time considering the first game's release last May. It will also be the second game to come out of the partnership between Steven Spielberg and EA established in 2005, said to span three original properties. The other two Spielberg-EA collaborations have not yet been revealed. Additionally, the game allegedly moved from one internal EA development team to another after Blueprint Studio shut down.
Yet despite all this, the sequel seems to have emerged from its trials with a slew of added features. For instance, Boom Blox Bash party will feature 400 new levels situated in locations like outer space or under water. It will offer an expanded online component that "enables users to download additional levels from Electronic Arts as well as other 'Boom Blox Bash Party' players." And Spielberg has stated that they have designed "more explosive multiplayer experiences" for the sequel.
The original Boom Blox is a finalist for the 2008 Family Game of the Year Award from the Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences. Family-friendly titles have recently surged in popularity according to a recent study by the Entertainment Software Association.
UPDATE:
The following is the official press release.
EA AND STEVEN SPIELBERG ANNOUNCE BOOM BLOX BASH PARTY
Sequel to Award-Winning BOOM BLOX Takes Players from the Depths of the Sea to Outer Space for a Party Anyone Can Throw
Guildford, UK January 29, 2009 – Get ready for the ultimate blox-busting action as Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: ERTS) today announced BOOM BLOX™ Bash Party for Wii™, the sequel to the critically-acclaimed BOOM BLOX™ game for Wii. EA’s collaboration with director and producer Steven Spielberg continues with BOOM BLOX Bash Party, and the destructive fun reaches new heights with richer multiplayer action and more than 400 new levels that will have players of all ages gaming together and solving action-packed puzzles under water, in zero gravity, and beyond!
"BOOM BLOX Bash Party is a wild social gaming experience," said Steven Spielberg. "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."
BOOM BLOX Bash Party is even more fun to play with friends and family, featuring twice as many multiplayer challenges as the original, and now offers team-based challenges! Players can play with or against friends, solo or in teams, knocking down blocks, destroying towers, slinging and launching blocks and characters, for tons of high-energy, family-friendly fun!
BOOM BLOX Bash Party is packed with tons of new features that are sure to get the party started! The game showcases new block types, including: virus and conveyor blox, new blox shapes, such as: cylinders and wedges, and new tools that will make for even more destructive fun. Players will find twists on BOOM BLOX game play favorites like throwing and grabbing. Players now can also sling, launch, and blow the competition away with new cannon, paint ball and slingshot tools.
Even the characters are in on the action as BOOM BLOX Bash Party features a new cast of wacky blox characters. This time they don’t just cheer you on, they are now blox themselves and you can throw, stack or even launch them, utilizing them to create even more madness and mayhem!
The fun continues online as BOOM BLOX Bash Party enables players to download even more new levels via the Internet. With the press of a button, players will be able to grab, play and rate new levels from EA as well as levels created by members of the BOOM BLOX Bash Party community. Using the game’s easy-to-use Create Mode, players now have the power to share the levels they built with friends, or submit their masterpiece to be shared with the world! The expanded Create Mode lets players build and create like never before, giving them access to the same tool set the EA development team used to create each and every level in the game!
"In BOOM BLOX Bash Party we are taking the game elements to the extreme," said Amir Rahimi, Senior Producer. "In the original BOOM BLOX, we really focused on perfecting the game’s physics so now we can push the boundaries of physics, offering exciting new challenges and completely new ways to play."
Developed by the EA Casual Studios, BOOM BLOX Bash Party will be available in North America and Europe in Spring 2009.
Hey, if they put head-tracking in this one, I'll buy it.
They really need to drop the price of the original at this time. I think A LOT more people would give it a shot if it were 30 or under.
The traditional gamer will still do enough research to know enough about the game.
GP being PC...wow.
j/k
But, if sequels were made then they would have easier time catching the consumers eye and gaining support...because most people believe bad games do not get sequels
Does the game even need Wii Motion plus though? It read acceleration just fine with the original.
Does the game even need Wii Motion plus though? It read acceleration just fine with the original.
it might work fine, but why not wait and update with it. Will people really cry if the game comes out in August instead of April ?
Does the game even need Wii Motion plus though? It read acceleration just fine with the original.
it might work fine, but why not wait and update with it. Will people really cry if the game comes out in August instead of April ?
Seemed pretty solid to me. My point is that it really doesn't need Wii Motion plus. The only thing you use motion for is throwing.
Does the game even need Wii Motion plus though? It read acceleration just fine with the original.
it might work fine, but why not wait and update with it. Will people really cry if the game comes out in August instead of April ?
Seemed pretty solid to me. My point is that it really doesn't need Wii Motion plus. The only thing you use motion for is throwing.
Boom Blox is one of those games that could totally use Wii Motion Plus. The game was very hard on novice players specially in the Jenga style levels....I think Wii Motion Plus would provide much better accuracy for those levels...which needed more precision in the controls.
I agree, if they start working on it now, I bet they can get Wii Motion Plus control in for a June or July launch. Seriously...it should not be that much harder. After all the original game tried to innovate and push the control system why shouldn't the sequel.
Oh, and axe those mop-awful characters
I use "mop" in the place of "god". Nobody can be offended by such use of the almighty... cleaning tool.QuoteOh, and axe those mop-awful charactersComing from mop-it-up. Sorry found that funny (don't know why!).
I use "mop" in the place of "god". Nobody can be offended by such use of the almighty... cleaning tool.
The regular Wiimote has no gyros at all, it can't reliably track rotation (especially when it's being moved fast so it can't sense the gravity to determine "down" anymore). The reason it wasn't built into the wiimote right away was cost, these devices would have cost something like 10$ a piece back when the Wii launched, they've come down in cost by now.
The reason it wasn't built into the wiimote right away was cost, these devices would have cost something like 10$ a piece back when the Wii launched, they've come down in cost by now.I forgot, Nintendo likes to make a profit on every single product they sell. It isn't like they are making more money than any other game company so there's no way they could have afforded to sell one of their products at cost, or even a slight loss, nor would the cost of manufacture ever reduce to the point where it would have been profitable.
I hope Nintendo is smart enough to pack 2 Wii Motion Plus devices with Wii Sports Resort.
I hope Nintendo is smart enough to pack 2 Wii Motion Plus devices with Wii Sports Resort.
Do you think Nintendo is made of money or something? :P
The reason it wasn't built into the wiimote right away was cost, these devices would have cost something like 10$ a piece back when the Wii launched, they've come down in cost by now.I forgot, Nintendo likes to make a profit on every single product they sell. It isn't like they are making more money than any other game company so there's no way they could have afforded to sell one of their products at cost, or even a slight loss, nor would the cost of manufacture ever reduce to the point where it would have been profitable.
By the sound of it, the Wiimote can already do everything that the Wii Motion Plus can do, it just can't do it as well. As such, I see no reason why games which utilize the Wii Motion Plus can't also offer the option of being controlled with the regular Wiimote. Sure, the game wouldn't function as well, but people who don't have the accessory (or more than one for multiplayer games) probably wouldn't care. Since this isn't something which everyone will have (or have multiples of), requiring the use of it will likely result in less sales for that particular game.
Mop it Up: I like your bundle idea, but realistically Nintendo will NOT be doing that.
The most likely thing is Nintendo will package it with a single Wii Motion Plus, but might have a preorder bonus somewhere for a second one free.
I would even settle for them allowing me to buy the game and buy extra Wii Motion Plus devices for half price when you buy them with the game.
Here's the best idea ever...
Buy Wii Sports Resort, get one Wii Motion Plus packed in.
Then, Individual Wii Motion Plus units will have an MSRP of $9.99. Most retailers will sell them at $15.
There will be three different Wii Motion Plus packages. Each one will come with a download code (a la Wii Speak Channel) for a free Wii Ware download of a WiiPlay-esque mini-game that uses the Wii Motion Plus. You'll be able to tell which free game is "included" in your Wii Motion Plus package, as each one will have different packages. "Wii Motion Plus Fishing", "Wii Motion Plus Fencing", "Wii Motion Plus Something or another, I dunno....".
This will encourage retailers to keep three times as much stock on hand (who knows which version customers will want?) and will help to cause one particular version to sell out anyway and creating yet-another "must have" item, but without just flat out losing sales because you can't find it *anywhere* (a la WiiFit/Mario Kart).
Oh, forgot to note - this would also still encourage people to buy Wii Motion Plus attachments even though they won't be able to find Wii Sports Resort for the first three years. At least they'll still get *some* use out of the attachments. ;)
Wow, now that's an idea!
Motion Plus allows the capability to track the Remote's location in space.
Wow, now that's an idea!
Yes is it. A horrible idea.
Retailers (including Wal-Mart) are already complaining about multiple SKUS for the same product. They're not going to want to stock three separate versions of what is essentially the same product.
Maybe tone the idea down a bit and offer a single package give the consumer the option of which game he or she wants to download.
UncleBob that is a great idea...but you know you could easily do that with one package and give you a code that once you input it in gives you a choice of one of the three games. Simple, and once you buy 3 you get all three games.
UncleBob that is a great idea...but you know you could easily do that with one package and give you a code that once you input it in gives you a choice of one of the three games. Simple, and once you buy 3 you get all three games.
UncleBob that is a great idea...but you know you could easily do that with one package and give you a code that once you input it in gives you a choice of one of the three games. Simple, and once you buy 3 you get all three games.
I'm not against this idea by any means, I'm just not sure what the back end programming would involve. Also, the package for the individual "Wii Motion Plus One Game" could look a lot more cool than some kind of combo package...
It wouldn't be difficult at all to program that, but it would negate the collectible draw that different packages would have.
