EA Steps Onto the Playground

New Wii, DS game goes straight for the kids.

EA is treading onto Nintendo's turf with a new Wii Play-like game coming to Wii and DS later this year.

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EA Playground is being developed by the game giant's studio in Canada. Dave McCarthy, the producer on the game, told IGN recently that the game does pretty much what it says on the box.

"EA Playground is all about capturing the sheer fun of being a kid. We've designed a dream playground full of interesting characters, cool collectables, and most importantly, a mix of easy to pick up and incredibly fun playground games," McCarthy told IGN.

True to that spirit, the games in EA Playground replicate the sorts of things children get up to on a playground, including dodge ball, radio-controlled car racing, tetherball and more. The DS gets its own types of games too, including a bug-hunting game and a spit-ball game.

There's no story as such but EA has put in a reward system where players gather stickers while playing and finishing various challenges.

McCarthy describes the game's multiplayer modes as the "ideal" way to experience the game. The Wii version includes crowd-around-the-console local multiplayer while the DS's wireless capabilities extend the range of multiplayer on the portable.

This first glimpse at EA Playground comes just weeks after EA reaffirmed its commitment to the Wii. The company is just one of several who are now rushing to get games onto the console.

The Wii has been on a tear over the past few months, with Nintendo announcing recently that the console had sold nearly 6 million units worldwide by the end of March. The DS has also been selling well, with sales now standing at more than 40 million.

Alex Wollenschlaeger
Editor, Kikizo