A recent job listing at EA Games briefly mentions a next-gen Boom Blox, which we happily file under the "rumor slip-ups" list. EA's job listing, direct from the official Boom Blox team asking for an additional programmer, says;
 

"Our last two titles were Wii-based, but our next titles will be for the next generation."

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There are two requirements that qualify a game for this column.  As long as the game meets just one of the criteria, I'll use it.  The first is appeal to a younger audience.  Movie and television tie-ins meet this requirement, but there are certainly many other kid-friendly games too.  Second, any game that appeals to the more casual crowd, or even non-gamers, can be covered.  The game we have under consideration today fulfills both of these criteria, and does so admirably.  Boom Blox is appealing to children, and great use of the Wii remote means non-gamers will love it too.

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EA and Steven Spielberg are at it again, fashioning a sequel to the surprisingly fun original Nintendo Wii title Boom Blox. Above is one of the first two screenshots, which enticingly promise exotic new locales.

Boom Blox Bash Party is coming to the the Wii this spring, according to producer Amir Rahimi, and it will feature more competitive and cooperative game modes, at least 400 unique maps on launch, and a user-create-map online sharing system that thankfully doesn't require fiddling with Wii Friend Codes.

Will the Nintendo Wii finally reach the standard of current-gen online networking? Almost certainly not. But so far, the aspirations of Spielberg and EA for the Boom Blox sequel may prove unmatched.

Click the "Read More" link for the other screenshot, and for the full press release...

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Several reviews are popping up all over for the recent Wii title, Boom Blox.  While generally these reviews are favorable for the unique puzzler, it seems the multiplayer, and the co-op mode in particular, is somewhat lacking.  The game's controls are praised, and the single player Adventure mode is described as addicting.  But as deep and innovative as the title is in these areas, co-op is quite shallow in comparison.  This snippet comes from Kotaku's list of things they hated about Boom Blox:

Weak Co-Op Gaming: After playing through the addictive adventure mode, I was looking for a similar experience to share with my son. Unfortunately I didn't get one. The co-op levels felt more like something meant for training or to show off the tech than for fun.

For those of us who prefer to play with a friend, this is bad news.  It's particularly upsetting to those of us who game with our kids, as there are so few co-op titles that appeal to adult gamers and yet are appropriate for kids.  Boom Blox looked to buck this trend by having the depth and innovation that older gamers like, all wrapped up in a kid friendly package.  For a system that caters to families like the Wii, you'd think good co-op games would be the norm.  Unfortunately, that isn't the case.  We'll just go back to playing minigame collections with our kids for the umpteenth time now.

Only one co-op game on the horizon for this week, but it should be an interesting title as it's the first of a collaborative effort between Steven Spielberg and Electronic Arts.  Boom Blox is a platformer/puzzle style game and features up to 4 players in co-op mode to work together.  The game is a family oriented title for the Wii.

Players can explore various worlds based on themes like Tiki, Medieval, Frontier, and Haunted themed; as well as remix and create their own levels to share online via Wii Connect 24.

May will be a busy month for Steven Spielberg.  The acclaimed director's collaboration with EA, Boom Blox, will be released on May 6th.  Boom Blox is a unique game, hard to classify, but will include some puzzle and building elements as well as (of course!) co-op play.  The game looks to be a nice fit for the Wii, and we look forward to its release.  (We also look forward to Spielberg's other May project, for what it's worth.)

Boom Blox may sound like a run of the mill Wii title, but recent details have come forth that may pique gamers' interest.  The title is the first in a series of collaborations between Steven Spielberg and EA.  Considering the success of Spielberg's last foray in to the video game industry, a certain degree of skepticism about his new game is to be expected.  However, it would appear that Boom Blox discs will not be filling up landfills anytime soon.

The most unusual aspect of Boom Blox is that it will allow for head tracking.  Head tracking, in a puzzle game?  It sounds outrageous, but Joystiq confirms that it is for real. All you need is two Wii remotes on top of your TV, and some form of LED headset.  Head tracking has been included as a sort of nod to Wii modders, and probably won't make the manual, but still, it's interesting to see it included.  You might want to start looking for a wireless LED sensor bar, some duct tape and an old hat.

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Sometime ago a partnership was announced between Hollywood director Steven Spielberg and the monster gaming company Electronic Arts.   Finally, a few months later, we've found out just what they've been working on: BloomBlox.  The cooperative aspect of the game involves group puzzle solving.  

Fun for kids and the entire family, BOOM BLOX offers action-packed interactive activities that takes Wii play to a new level of creativity and fun with single player, co-op, and versus gameplay. Players can experience the visceral gameplay - perfectly suited for the Wii’s interactive motion-sensitive controls - through brain-twisting challenges. They can interact with entertaining characters such as the block-laying chickens or baseball-throwing monkeys across four themed environments - Tiki, Medieval, Frontier, and Haunted. Additionally, players can remix any level of the game in Create Mode using props, blocks, or characters that have been unlocked during the game. Players can also virtually build anything they can dream up. Plus, their designs can then be shared with friends or used to challenge others to solve their newly created puzzle via WiiConnect24™.

Spielberg said: “I am a gamer myself, and I really wanted to create a video game that I could play with my kids."  This sounds like it should be a solid addition for those with kids!