EA games on Wii U to require Origin An updated policy document from EA confirms that you will need an Origin account to play EA games online on the Wii U.

Nintendo has been cagey about its online plans for the Wii U, so aside from a few details about voice chat and vague statements about relying on publishers, we've been left almost entirely in the dark. A policy document from Electronic Arts is shedding a little more light on how publishers will apparently get involved: by requiring their own proprietary online accounts.

GameSpot reports that an updated EA privacy policy confirms that EA games on the Wii U will require an Origin account. You'll also have to agree to allow EA to collect your e-mail address, Mii information, friend list, country, language, and date of birth. This is similar to the online requirement for online play in EA's games on PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, which are generally simply linked once to your PSN ID or Xbox Gamertag.

The document also mentions a "Nintendo Network ID," which may be the company's new name for Friend Codes. If so, we can only hope that the Origin requirement will be a one-time link like its other current-gen counterparts, to make the bizarre Friend Code requirements somewhat easier. Somewhat.