Electronic Arts Confirms Major Wii Support

Major game publisher Electronic Arts has confirmed significant support for Nintendo's next-gen console, revealing six new games that are in development for the upcoming Wii from Nintendo. According to an official statement ahead of the EA Studio Showcase later today, EA's dedicated Wii development team is creation six "custom-designed titles" for Wii, including new releases from the Madden NFL, Need for Speed, Harry Potter, Tiger Woods PGA TOUR, SSX and The Godfather franchises. The EA statement on the matter comments: "Each title will remain true to the hallmarks of its franchise but is being designed to maximize the power of the Wii hardware and take full advantage of the uniqueness and innovation of its one-of-a-kind controller." The Wii version of Madden NFL, which Gamasutra exclusively reported on earlier this year, will be demonstrated for industry media later today at EA's Studio Showcase 2006, and according to the company: "Additional titles currently under development will be announced in the coming months." John Schappert, Senior Vice President and General Manager, EA commented of the announcement: "Once we started to experiment with Madden on Wii, there was an explosion of innovation. Everyone in the studio is energized by the creative opportunity afforded by both the hardware and controller. By reaching into our catalogue, we are able to bring a fresh and distinctive experience to some of EA's most popular franchises. Creatively, the game play possibilities are staggering and endless."