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Just in case anyone has forgotten, the Nintendo Wii is a family fun system. You, your mother, your father, the mothers and fathers of your mother and father, your sister, your brother, your cat, and your neighbor’s cockatoo can all get in on the fun of the Nintendo Wii. It’s all the rage; everyone is playing it, and it’s just so easy and fun to use that everyone can. Electronic Arts hasn’t forgotten this and, in jumping on the Wii bandwagon, have announced a “new way to play” which they’re calling EA Sports Family Play, exclusive to the Nintendo Wii. This is not a game, but rather a fancy way of saying, “Your drunk aunt can now play NBA Live by swinging her hands wildly.” What you’ve always wanted, I’m sure.
This EA Sports Family Play style of gameplay will be debuting in this year’s Madden NFL 08, NBA Live 08, and FIFA 08. As EA puts it, “Family Play is a new way to play that enables players of all abilities to play with the friends and family, without competitive disadvantages.” Well it’s about time someone took the “competition” out of the sports formula.
Prior to entering a game, players will have the option to choose Advanced of Family Play. Advanced uses both the Wii remote and the nunchuck, while Family Play simply uses the remote. Players control key actions like shooting, passing, snapping, and throwing, while the game takes control of the rest. It’s like that movie The Sixth Man where Kadeem Hardison’s ghosts helps a college basketball team win the finals.
I find this kind of “dumbing down” and pandering to the Wii’s supposed target audience quite interesting. It’ll be interesting to see if others follow EA’s lead on this one.
