Electronic Entertainment Expo - E3 2009

As luck has it, I just happened to be in the same place with Paul Barnett, and Tom Root and Zeb Wells, the latter two being writers from a TV show you may have heard of entitled Robot Chicken. Quickly jumping on the opportunity, I had the three of them stand in front of a camera, waved my hand about, and watched the magic happen. Take a look at the video to see the interview that insued, as well as how two writers from a show on Adult Swim are involved with Spore Galatic Adventures.

EA.com's Jon Long talks with Assistant Producer Travis Sailer regarding Tiger Woods PGA Tour 10 for the Nintendo Wii.

First off, no there is no relation.  Believe me, we asked!  Darren Potter talks to EA.com about the latest Harry Potter game, The Half-Blood Prince.

For those who have been following the development of Visceral Games, you're probably familiar with Glenn Schofield. In the event you're not; EA.com has you covered. I caught up with Glenn on the show floor today and wanted to share the experiences with you. So hit the play button, sit back, relax, and watch as the GM of Visceral Games gives you his view of the new brand, as well as E3 2009.

Don’t forget to keep up with us on twitter! @EA @HuskyHog

If you've ever wanted the luxury of having a pet so adorable its eyes could bring world peace; you might want to consider picking up Littlest Pet Shop. In the event you haven't made up your mind yet--Jon Long from EA.com spoke with Jeanene Steinberg at E3 2009 to get the inside scoop on the game. Check out the video to find out more information.

Don't forget to keep up with us on twitter! @EA

It's not too often we've been presented with the opportunity to get a behind closed doors look at Charm Girls, but as soon as it came up I knew it was something we should see. EA.com's very own Jon Long had the opportunity to talk with Stacey Brand, Product Manager on the title. Check out the video for more information.

Don't forget to keep up with us on twitter! @EA

Always been a fan of tennis games on the Wii? Need something to show off the new system to others? Or maybe perhaps you just want to play tennis with the luxary of a pause button. If any of this sounds familiar; you'd be interested in Grand Slam Tennis for the Wii. I talked with Liam Millar, Lead Producer on the title, to get a little more detail as to what it's all about. Play the video to see for yourself, and get a good insight as to how this game uses Nintendo's new Wii Motion Plus technology.

Don't forget to keep up with us on twitter! @EA @HuskyHog

Senior Producer Steve Papoutsis sat down with EA.com to answer questions about the upcoming Dead Space: Extraction, the prequel to the acclaimed Dead Space built exclusively for the Wii. Read on to find out how the team tailored this award-winning horror franchise to the Wii platform.

Q: How does the game/story fit in the Dead Space universe?
A: Dead Space: Extraction is the prequel to Dead Space. It starts off with the extraction of the Red Marker and follows a team of people as they try to escape the planet Aegis VII and seek sanctuary on the USG Ishimura.

Q: What are some of the game’s highlights in terms of action or game modes?
A: The first thing that people will notice is different is that Dead Space: Extraction features an all-new first-person perspective. The player controls the action with the Wii Remote and Nunchuck, so the gameplay feel is all new as well. Players will use their Wii Remote to aim and dismember the oncoming Necromorphs. The game also features jump-in, jump-out co-op play and has an all-new Challenge Mode that will let players compete for high scores in a variety of different stages. We are also bringing back all of the core mechanics from the original Dead Space including Stasis, Telekinesis, Strategic Dismemberment, and Zero-G to name a few.

Q: How was the gameplay tailored to the Wii?
A: We designed Dead Space: Extraction from the ground up for the Wii. We did this by focusing on the unique controls the Wii has to offer. We have worked hard to make sure that our controls feel as natural as possible; for instance, aiming is done by pointing your Wii Remote at the screen and firing is handled by pressing the B Button. To change into alternate fire modes you only need to rotate the Wii Remote 90 degrees. It is an important goal of ours to make sure the controls are natural analogs to real-world actions.

Q: The Wii is often thought of as a more family-friendly platform—was the game’s scariness toned down at all for the Wii?
A: The short answer is no we have not toned the game down for the Wii. Our goal has been to bring an authentic Dead Space experience to the Wii. With that goal in mind it would not make sense for us to water down the action, scares and gore.

Q: What’s your favorite part about the game?
A: I really enjoy our co-op mode. It’s really fun to play the game with a friend and come up with strategies together. I really like using Stasis and Telekinesis on the Necromorphs while the other player focuses on dismembering them.

Q: What's the one thought/feeling about the game you want people to come away from E3 with?
A: I’d like people to come away from E3 thinking that we have done a great job of innovating and recreating the Dead Space universe on the Wii.

I recently spoke with Jen Riley of EA Sports about EA Sports Active!  Check it out:

We talk with Jeff Green of MySims Agents at E3 2009.  What's this game all about and what makes it awesome? Those questions are answered!

Behind the scenes on the new art style for Madden 10 on the Nintendo Wii.

EA CEO John Riccitiello introduces the 12 games that EA will show off during the 2009 EA E3 press conferences. He focuses on three things - the great breadth of titles, the Nintendo Wii games and quality. In 2008, EA had 14 titles rated 80 or better. Chip Lange also takes the stage to discuss the upcoming Littlest Pet Shop online game.

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The line for the Microsoft Press Conference was crazy!  After waiting in line for about an hour, the doors opened the doors for the USC Galen Center and the sea of humanity scrambled for their assigned seating.
Microsoft has been pretty quiet with their title lineup.  The briefing starts with a video trailer for the upcoming game, The Beatles Rock Band. This title is shipping on 9.9.09 to coincide with the digitally re-mastered release of all thirteen albums from one of the most popular and well-known bands in music history.

But that was just the beginning.

Just as you thought things were slowing down, the Harmonix team came out to perform a song and did an amazing job of showcasing the game’s new three-part harmony feature.  The group did an amazing job using the instruments that come with the game which include:

* John Lennon’s Rickenbacker 325 guitar
* Sir Paul McCartney’s trademark Höfner bass
* George Harrison’s Gretsch Duo Jet guitar
* Ringo Starr’s drums with classic black oyster pearl finish and Ludwig-branded Beatles kick drum head

After this rocking performance, the audience we blessed with a special treat of the appearance of Yoko Ono-Lennon and Olivia Harrison, the widows of Beatles John Lennon and George Harrison.  But that wasn’t all, for an additional pop, Sir Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr, the last two members of the group, were called on stage to give us their impressions of the game and were met with much applause.

If this game wasn’t on your wish list, it should be by now. You can pick it up this Fall for the Xbox 360, The PlayStation 3and the Nintendo Wii.

Product Manager Anthony Stevenson is all fired up for E3 and the fall release of Madden NFL 10. Stevenson sat down with ea.com recently to discuss Madden NFL 10 on the Wii, Online Franchise, and much more.

Q: Give us a brief overview of this year’s version of Madden NFL 10 on PS3 and X360.

A: Madden NFL 10 is all about the Fight for Every Yard. Whether it’s battling for a fumble, pushing the pile in a nine-man gang tackle, or driving a defender back to pick up a first down, one thing’s for sure--the play isn’t over until the whistle blows! Oh yeah, did I mention Online Franchise?

Q: What’s special about Online Franchise?

A: Online Franchise has it all: 32 teams, real-time drafts, true NFL scheduling, full stats and standings--the whole nine yards. But with today’s ‘anywhere, anytime’ entertainment, we knew we had to break the chain between the gamer and the console.  Not only will Maddenites be able to manage their Franchise from their console, but they can manage it from the web and an iTouch application as well. Need to do your Draft from work? No problem. Want to propose a trade on the go? Knock yourself out. Your Madden NFL 10 Online Franchise is always just a click away.

Q: How is the gameplay experience unique on the Wii?

A: Madden NFL 10 on the Wii is a totally new experience, one that NFL fans and gamers of all skill levels can enjoy. The Wii is a social platform, and the development team did a great job embracing what makes the Wii so much fun. Whether it’s our all-new Co-op Season mode, the innovative Huddle-Up feature, or the four-player, tournament-style Madden Showdown, Madden NFL 10 on the Wii will be a blast to play by yourself or in a living room full of people!

Q: How does the game incorporate the use of the Wii Remote?

A: One of the coolest ways Madden NFL 10 makes use of the Wii Remote is with our Call Your Shots feature. On offense, you can use the Wii Remote to point to a receiver on the screen and actually draw his route at the line of scrimmage. It’s pretty gratifying to complete a pass on a route you drew up on the fly! On defense, you can select a defender on the field, then point to where you want him to go during the play. The game actually tells you the defensive audible you’re calling as a result of where you send the defender. For example, if I select my cornerback and then point to the quarterback, the on-screen graphic tells me I’m calling for a cornerback blitz! It really helps lower the barrier to entry to football, because I don’t necessarily need to understand defensive formations, I just need to know where I want my guys to go.

Q: What has been the most challenging aspect of promoting this game?

A: The Madden NFL franchise is 21 years young, and every year, the development team raises the bar for innovation and authenticity. We’re lucky enough to have a very large, very diverse, and very passionate fan base, and as a result, it can be challenging to reach them all in an effective way. Most games have a very specific target. We have several. The good news is sports and the excitement of the win are universal themes that all our fans can relate to, so we try to convey that in how we promote the game. 

Q: What’s been the most rewarding aspect of your job thus far?

A: Too many to count. I love football and I love video games. How tough is my life really?  I think my favorite aspect of this job is seeing how passionate our fans are. Whether it’s in the blogs, in tournaments, or at E3, it’s pretty awesome to know that I play a small role in their favorite hobby.

Q: What can we expect to see at E3??

A: The most innovative, authentic, and socially interactive Madden NFL in franchise history … and lots of people.

EA SPORTS is releasing a slew of new titles for the Nintendo Wii, including:

• Grand Slam Tennis
• EA SPORTS Active
• Tiger 10 for Wii

My girlfriends swear by EA SPORTS Active and said they'll be bikini ready after they finish the 30 day challenge. I'm off to check it out!