EA Wii U games require Origin account for online play

An updated Electronic Arts privacy policy document confirms that Wii U gamers wishing to play EA titles online will need a Origin account to do so.

Additionally, by signing up for a Origin account for Wii U, players must agree to allow EA to collect their email address, Mii information, friend list, country, language, and date of birth.

Further, the document spells out "Nintendo Network ID." Nintendo has previously confirmed that Friend Codes from the Wii era would return for the Wii U, but it is not clear if "Nintendo Network ID" is a new name for these.

A Nintendo representative was not immediately available for comment.

Having an EA Origin account to play EA games online is not an exclusive requirement for the Wii U. The same policy is in place for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 gamers. In all cases and for all platforms, players will not need to agree to share their credit card number or other personal financial account information.

Launched in June 2011, Origin is a replacement for the EA Store, and it serves as a hub and infrastructure for downloading and playing PC games, as well as ordering boxed products for other platforms. It boasts 12 million users and more than 50 publishing partners.