Boogie Announced for Nintendo Wii, Microphone Confirmed?

When the Wii made its first playable unveiling at E3 last year, developer support was somewhat split for Nintendo’s new console – and understandably so: the bad taste left behind from the GameCube was still in everyone’s mouth. But, reaction to the console was certainly promising, and recently support for the system has surged, with developers rushing to cash in on Nintendo’s dark horse success. While companies like Ubisoft have been pushing it strong from the beginning, top publisher Electronic Arts has been accused of being reluctant, something they certainly seem to be trying to remedy. Today, EA took another step in that direction, unveiling Boogie, a rhythm game to be released exclusively on the Nintendo Wii later this year.

While the game seems pretty standard as far as being a rhythm game is concerned, with players moving their controls in sync with the music and on-screen cues, perhaps the most interesting piece of information about this news is that it seems to confirm the long-rumored microphone for the system. While it has already been rumored that one would be headed to the Wii, with games like High School Musical calling for one, EA states in its press release that Boogie will have players singing and showing off their karaoke skills. While this is far from an official confirmation, it certainly seems like a no-brainer at this point, but we will continue to follow the story. We’ll try and have the first screens of this quirky new title up soon, too, but for now, you can read more about the game in the press release below:

Montreal, Canada – March 23, 2007 – Electronic Arts (NASDAQ: ERTS) announced today that Boogie™ – an all new intellectual property in development at EA Montreal will be released exclusively for the Wii™ worldwide in 2007. Boogie is a unique music/rhythm-based game that takes advantage of the innovative Wii controls to get gamers off their couch, playing and dancing to a new beat.

“We’re creating something new and different for gamers of all ages to enjoy; the complete party package where gamers can dance as well as sing,” said Alain Tascan, Vice President and General Manager, EA Montreal. “Nintendo’s Wii is an amazing console that really gives us a platform to be creative and to re-think traditional game development.”

Boogie will have gamers dancing, singing and starring in their own music videos. Players can also choose and customize different characters in the game to best show off their dancing style and karaoke skills. With innovative gameplay that perfectly matches the unique Wii controls, Boogie is the ultimate videogame party package.

Boogie is the latest addition to EA Montreal’s roster of high profile games including SSX™ Blur and ARMY OF TWO™. SSX Blur is the newest version of the critically acclaimed snowboarding franchise that shipped exclusively for the Wii in February. EA Montreal is also working on ARMY OF TWO, the highly anticipated shooter and original intellectual property that will redefine strategic two-man cooperative play. The game was ranked at the top of the list in Electronic Gaming Monthly’s Top 50 Coolest New Games cover story in their August issue. ARMY OF TWO will be released for the PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system and Xbox 360™ videogame and entertainment system.

EA established the studio in downtown Montreal in 2004. EA Montreal uses state-of-the-art technology and the remarkable creative talents of its game makers to develop the next-generation of interactive entertainment pushing the envelope in creativity and innovation. Since opening its doors in 2004, the EAM team has released NHL® 07 for current-gen systems which is the top selling game in Canada last year.