We know EA has been re-doubling its efforts to support Nintendo's most current game platforms, and to this end the publisher has announced "EA Playground", a collection of sports mini-games which will be exclusive to the DS and Wii. While the Wii version of the title is already being compared to Wii Sports, EA Playground is not expected to make use of custom Mii avatars. Producer Dave McCarthy elaborates in an interview with IGN:

EA Playground is all about capturing the sheer fun of being a kid. We've designed a dream playground full of interesting characters, cool collectables, and most importantly, a mix of easy to pick up and incredibly fun playground games. There are some classic favorites in there along with some new twists. It's all packaged together in a meaningful single player "campaign" to play your way through the schoolyard. In addition, there's also an approachable and fun multiplayer party experience that will appeal to all ages.

On Wii, there's a mix of games that cover frantic actions mapped to gestures (e.g. throwing and dodging in Dodge Ball) and others that take advantage of navigating the entire world (e.g. RC Car Racing). While set in a similar universe, there are game types exclusive to the NDS version that use stylus mechanics (e.g. Bug Hunt) and even microphone input (e.g. Spit Balls). I won't get into all the games and mechanics quite yet, but I think it's safe to say you'll be entertained with the creative approaches our team has taken to playground games.

Wolfwood via wii.ign.com »