A few months ago, we had reported that Electronic Arts (EA) had tied up with Hasbro for making casual games. Now EA has revealed details of the initial set of games that it is developing for not only game consoles and online play but mobile devices too. Games based on Littlest Pet Shop, Nerf, Monopoly and Scrabble will be available to the gamers.
Mark Blecher is the senior vice president of digital media and gaming at Hasbro. He commented, “We are delighted that together we are bringing our great toys and games to life in the digital world and providing consumers with new and dynamic ways to enjoy our amazing brands.”
Chip Lange, VP & GM, EA’s Hasbro Studio says, “EA and Hasbro want to give families new ways to enjoy games; we want give them a new way to come together, connect, spend time and have fun around the TV or online. Bringing the spirit of these games to life as video games has permitted us to generate really unique and creative experiences for families and friends of all ages to enjoy together at home or online.”
Here are the details of the EA Hasbro titles:
First up we have Littlest Pet Shop that will release for the Nintendo DS, Wii and the PC. The game will feature the eccentricity and cuteness of the popular Hasbro girl’s brand. It is expected to ship in Fall 2008. Then we have Nerf “N-Strike”, which is also expected to release in Fall 2008. The Nintendo DS and Wii title is the first NERF blaster action game.
From the stables for EA Mobile, there is Scrabble, which is presently available for the mobile platform in North America. The other games is Monopoly Here and Now, which will ship in March 2008. The third game is Yahtzee Adventures, a dice game for the mobile phones. The game is expected to the release in the month of April this year.
Coming to online games, EA has lined up a great selection. Yahtzee for online play is scheduled to be up by the summer of this year. Then we have one more Monopoly title. Monopoly Here & Now: World Edition is an online game that is expected to be out by Fall 2008. Gamers can also look forward to Trivial Pursuit, which will be released by the fall season of this year. Last but not the least, we have Operation, a downloadable game from EA.
EA is taking the casual games industry very seriously. Recently, they announced Boom Blox, a game that is being made in association with Steven Spielberg. The Littlest Pet Shop and the Nerf game are being made at the Salt Lake Studio.