EA Kicks Back, Lets Down Its Hair

With the undeniable popularity of Sims 2 and the hype and universal appeal tied to Spore, EA continues to be a big hitter in games that aren’t based around the typical RPG/shooter elements that have become the industry’s bread and butter. With development on the Hasbro licensing it acquired last fall, as well as first-looks at the Wii line of EA games under the All-Play branding, EA is sure to attract an even larger and more casual demographic to its own brand of fun.

At a New York event for the press, EA showcased many of these games, aimed particularly at tweens, families, and women. Here are some of the standouts in EA’s new lines, for your mom, your little bro and sis—even you?

Littlest Pet Shop, for the Wii, PC, and DS, looks something like Nintendogs, but with an even higher cute factor, and is aimed at girls 6 to 10 years old. The Nintendo DS version, again seeming to draw from the well-known puppy-care title, comes in three different themes: Winter, Jungle and Garden. With 32 pets to collect and over 100 accessories, it’s a playground for the pet lover in all of us.

Family favorite, Monopoly, comes to Wii, PS2, PS3, and Xbox. Another nod to the new casual gamer. Because Monopoly originates from the board game, which just beckons, “Family fun!” this new electronic version promises much of the same dynamic. This includes classic Monopoly, along with a 30-minute speed-version, called “Richest Mode.”

And for the Duck Hunt enthusiasts who still haven’t gotten over the excitement of shooting them an inch from the screen, you can relive the nostalgia (sort of) with a game aimed at younger boys, “Nerf-n-Strike” for Wii. A gun peripheral works both in-game, attached to the Wiimote, and out, so kids can take their guns and wreak havoc around the house with a foam dart attachment! Let’s hope the “video games cause real life violence” advocates don’t catch wind of this. It looks like a perfect game for a 10-year-old boy, complete with multiplayer capacity and upgradeable guns, like the jaw-dropping Vulcan Nerf Machine gun (technically a Switch Shot EX-3).

As a nerd myself, I have to mention the Harry Potter line. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, the game, ships along with the movie in November. Like others in the series, this is released across all consoles, though the Wii version is most promising as the Wiimote is, naturally, used as a wand. You can feel like a real wizard!

EA Sports has always been a hit maker, with realistic renderings of famous athletes along with complex strategy and smooth gameplay. Well, the EA Sports “All-Play” line for the Wii promises something a little different. Along with the different game covers—now sporting friendly, smiling athletes rather than scowling behemoths—the series contains quick-play games that throw out the complexity of traditional sports sims, in favor of entertaining, easy-to-learn, accessible games for youths and family.

EA Casual promises simplification in its games, but it’s gladly trying to innovate. Personally, I’d love to point a Nerf gun at enemies on the TV screen or brandish a Wiimote like a wand. EA’s brand of innovation and broad appeal seem well-suited to the audience and commitment to creativity that the Nintendo Wii has always brought. Are they bound for success in the future? That, only casual gamers can decide.