I can’t wait to play this game. Awesome.

Wow, this is a huge list of games.  Is it back to school fever?  Is it piggy-backing off of Mario Super Sluggers or Tiger Woods?  Either way, there are a ton of new games coming out this week:

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PRESS RELEASE–Electronic Arts Inc. (Nasdaq:ERTS) announced today that an all-new tennis videogame is in development at EA Canada in Vancouver under the EA SPORTS(TM) brand. The EA SPORTS tennis franchise will be available first for the Wii(TM) in 2009, followed by other platforms, and it will be the first EA SPORTS game that uses Nintendo’s upcoming Wii MotionPlus(TM) accessory for the Wii Remote(TM) that will give players a new level of accuracy and responsiveness.

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The November release will most likely be moved to next summer due to the recent movie delay which has set the sixth film back to July 2009. Though we’ll have to wait almost another year I’m still loving the EA support for the Wii version. It’s one of the few mulitplatform games that is pushing the Wii build as the one to buy.

From the 8.5/10 review, which also praised the game’s graphics:

As EA Sports continues to develop and fine-tune the “All-Play” concept on the Wii editions of its annual sports releases, hardcore gamers will continue to be disappointed by the perceived emphasis on drawing in novice fans. With advents like the “Call Your Shots” mode, it’s not like the developers completely ignored the veteran fan base, but the long-term direction of these Wii versions is evident. In the end, if you want the most realistic football sim on the market, maybe you should rethink your future with a Nintendo console obviously committed toward bringing together gamers of all ages and backgrounds. But if you’re looking an inclusive experience suitable for any level of player — and a perfectly enjoyable football game for the hardcore set — there’s no need to overthink it: Madden is still the one.

Any readers out there playing? Penny for your thoughts? Note: Infendo’s review is forthcoming.

EA CEO John Riccitiello said today that backing the Xbox 360 and PS3 ahead of the Wii was a mistake, and his company was working hard to put more titles on the Wii and Nintendo DS.

“One thing that’s different is we typically figured out who the market leader was going to be before the start of the cycle and bet with our development resources on that platform. We made the wrong call there [by betting on the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360], which made this transition harder than it would otherwise be. But now we’re catching up, and I think we’re fine. We’ve got some incredibly innovative Wii titles, incredibly innovative DS titles coming. And so I think that issue’s sort of behind us.”

Oh, EA, I can’t stay mad at you. Not after Boom Blox, anyway. Welcome back to the fold. All I ask is that you please make original, innovative games for the system.

I wouldn’t say this article is anything major, but Reuters (via NeoGAF) has an article up describing how Nintendo is starting to win over third party publishers.

There’s even some solid reporting by the journalist who wrote the article, as they accurately quote Microsoft Xbox division Don Mattrick’s PR spin, and then smack it down in the next few sentences with a fact or two about Ubisoft, EA and even video game journalist go-to analyst Michael Pachter. Worth a read, especially after this E3. It’s a quick one.

[Nintendo wins over 3rd party publishers with Wii]

Boom Blox failed the midterm, but it just might pass the final.

Sales tracking Web site VGChartz is reporting Boom Blox, Electronic Arts’ critically acclaimed Wii exclusive, has sold approximately 250K copies worldwide in its first two months on store shelves.

The figures also suggest Boom Blox may have long legs at retail. It has sold no less than 11,000 copies each week in North America, a clear indication of David’s influence on the general populous.

Boom Blox’s steady eight-week worldwide figures are shown above relative to those of Zack and Wiki and Carnival Games, the minigame collection that eventually slow-cooked 1.7 million sales worldwide.

Boom Blox was released in North America and Europe this May. It is scheduled to hit Japanese shores July 17.

I’m still anxious to play Skate It on Wii, but this new trailer dashed my spirits a bit. Who spilt drab on San Vanelona? And why is every edge or rail orange and blue?

With his celestial voice, Freddy Mercury once belted the words, “Another one bites the dust.”

Nearly three decades later, the meaning of the prophetic lyric is clear. The latest NPD sales figures show Boom Blox, EA’s critically acclaimed collaboration with filmmaker Steven Spielberg, sold a paltry 60,000 copies in May.

As with Zack & Wiki, No More Heroes and Okami, it is disappointing to see quality third-party Wii efforts tank in the market. According to analyst firm Pacific Crest Securities’ Evan Wilson, Boom Blox’s failure is also indicative of a long-term trend for third-parties on Wii.

“Boom Blox was a true test of the potential for third-party success on Nintendo Wii. It appears that success on the Wii will remain difficult to achieve,” said Wilson during his NPD analysis for this month.

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Very clever story, and an excellent way to preserve Skate’s awesome open-world game play on the underpowered Wii, all while deflecting the “realism” issue. Nice form, Electronic Arts. Other developers, please take note.