fifa-11
Latest
EA cuts quarterly losses, despite declining revenue
Electronic Arts has posted its financial report for the second quarter (July–September) of its 2011 fiscal year, posting $631 million in revenue, a decline of $156 million compared to revenue recorded during the same period last year. However, the megapublisher managed to cut its net loss to $201 million -- almost half of last fiscal year's second quarter loss of $391 million. EA CEO John Riccitiello said of the company's recent performance, "We credit our results to blockbusters like FIFA 11 and to innovative digital offerings like The Sims 3 Ambitions and Madden NFL 11 on the iPad." Indeed, FIFA 11 was a golden goose for the publisher -- it was the best-selling game in Europe during the quarter, pushing the life-to-date sales of the FIFA franchise past 100 million worldwide. The publisher also revealed its "cost reduction plan," which seeks to "restructure key licensing and developer agreements to improve the long-term profitability of its packaged goods portfolio." How much more obtuse can the plan get, huh?
Fable 3 crowns UK charts, Force Unleashed 2 and Rock Band 3 debut
Fable 3 took the throne last week in the UK as the top-selling title, moving 128,895 units and 6,000 more than Fable 2 did during its launch week. Fallout: New Vegas sales, which held the top spot the prior week, dropped 55 percent, moving 69,613 copies to wastelanders. FIFA 11 kicked it up and charged back into second place with 75,703 sales, while Just Dance 2 kept its momentum and slid into fourth, moving and shaking 58,375 units. Star Wars: The Force Unleashed 2 premiered in fifth place. FU2 unleashed 56,064 copies on the British public, with plenty of folks likely screaming that abbreviation after spending those hard-earned pounds on the disposable game. Meanwhile, the 7,386 owners of Rock Band 3, which debuted way down at #26, likely rocked the weekend away. You may have noticed we have actual unit sales this week, that's thanks to UKIE (formerly known as ELSPA). No idea how long this'll last, but it's interesting given the NPD's recent reluctance to share such data for the US. Check out the UK top ten after the break.
Fallout: New Vegas explodes on UK charts
Fallout: New Vegas hit it big on the High Street strip, taking the top spot on the UK Charts and besting Fallout 3's premiere week sales by 29 percent. Last week's top game, Medal of Honor, lost ground and dropped 48 percent in sales to second place, while FIFA 11 also slipped one position to the third spot. Nintendo DS title Professor Layton and the Lost Future (Unwound Future across the pond) debuted in fourth place, with -- no surprise! -- Just Dance 2 showing the stamina of its predecessor by rounding out the top 5. In case you're wondering, the original Just Dance doesn't look like it's coming back to the top ten this year, but it's still sitting comfortably in the teens at the 14 spot. Higher-profile premieres that didn't make the top ten include: Vanquish at #12, EA Sports MMA at #23 and DJ Hero 2 at #25. Discover the UK top ten for 10 picarats after the break.
Medal of Honor claims UK sales top spot; Just Dance 2 debuts in third
Here's the latest communique from the UK: Medal of Honor managed to premiere in the top spot of the UK sales chart, ousting FIFA 11, which had a 65 percent drop in sales and slipped to second. Although Chart-Track won't share raw intel on sales figures, it claims MoH had the fourth and fifth biggest premieres for 2010 on Xbox 360 and PS3, respectively. Just Dance 2, the sequel to the unbelievably stalwart chart topper, debuted in third place. The original Just Dance has been the best selling game on one format in the UK this year and, even with its sequel out, still managed to secure a spot at #12 last week. This is only the seventh time since hitting the Wii-exclusive dance floor that the title has been out of the top ten. Castlevania: Lords of Shadow and Enslaved both slipped four spots last week to tenth and eleventh, respectively. There's little hope that either of these quality games will hang around the top ten for more than a couple weeks, especially as the incoming competition keeps heating up. Check out the UK's top ten after the break.
FIFA fights off Pro Evo on UK charts; Castlevania, Enslaved debut in top 10
FIFA 11 spent a second week atop the UK all formats chart this week, holding off Pro Evolution Soccer 2011's premiere in second, despite a 63 percent drop in sales. Chart-Track states that FIFA 11's launch last week was 10 times that of Konami's footie franchise and that this is the first time Pro Evo hasn't debuted in the top spot since the original game kicked off in 2001. Dead Rising 2 shambles along, rounding out the top three. With competition so brutal during this time, it's good to see that Castlevania: Lords of Shadow and Enslaved debuted at the sixth and seventh spots, respectively. Hopefully both of these quality games can hang onto a spot in the top ten for more than a couple weeks. As much as we wish the best for those games, we're not expecting either title to be stamina-infused like Just Dance, which moved up three spots this week to ninth place, and has a sequel coming out next week. Place your bets now if Just Dance 2 will glide across the UK charts to best FIFA 11. Check out the UK's top ten after the break.
NBA Elite 11 still coming this month ... to iPhone
EA might have stopped the presses of NBA Elite 11 console discs, but the iPhone version is still on track for release this month, according to EA Mobile. The division announced its fall lineup today, with FIFA 11 and EA Sports MMA rounding out the sports titles for iPhone (and iPod Touch) in October. Additionally, Heroes Lore, a popular mobile RPG in Korea (we're told), will be released this month in the App Store. An iPhone version of Battlefield Bad Company 2, "based on the best-selling console game," leads EA Mobile's November charge, which includes High Caliber Hunting, a Retina Display-enhanced critter capper, featuring a multitude of brand-name firearms and gear. For iPad? There's SimCity Deluxe. And for poor Android this fall? Just ... the Game of Life.
EA: FIFA 11 beats FIFA 10 to become 'fastest selling sports game ever'
Besting FIFA 10's achievement last year, FIFA 11 has now become the "fastest selling sports game ever," according to EA. The publisher's internal estimates project the latest entry in the footie franchise has sold 2.6 million copies across Europe and North America since last week's launch. EA estimates that FIFA 11 has grossed more than $150 million at retail so far, with "sell through" determined to be up 29 percent over last year's iteration. The publisher wouldn't break down regional numbers when we asked, but we did learn earlier this week from Chart-Track's UK retail charts that FIFA 11 had the third largest "combined format" debut of any game ever.
FIFA 11 has third largest debut on UK charts, rushes top spot
Like a bowl of comforting chicken soup, FIFA 11 premiered at the top of the UK all formats chart. According to Chart-Track, the game had the third-largest debut in UK chart history, unseating previous bronze holder FIFA 10's first week by 21 percent in unit sales and 36 percent in revenue. Chart-Track also states that the top two premieres belong to CoD: Modern Warfare 2 and Grand Theft Auto IV. We followed up with Chart-Track because this information doesn't exactly jive with details it provided a couple weeks back. At the time, FIFA 10 wasn't even mentioned in the top three and Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas was in the third spot. Turns out there are two charts the company is tracking, one that's "individual formats" and the other is "combined formats." We've placed both after the break for clarification. Surprise winner last week, F1 2010, lost its pole position and slipped into second. Dead Rising 2 maintained its third place with the help of a chainsaw paddle, while Halo: Reach began its slow fall down the charts, slipping two spots to fourth. Moving up a spot and rounding out the top five is Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock, showing the rhythm genre has life in the UK beyond Just Dance (#12). Check out the UK's top ten after the break.
There're more to FIFA 11 defense than slide tackling
While we prefer a powerful, Vanquish-esque sliding shot to the shins in our defensive approach, this FIFA 11 tutorial video suggests there are more complex defensive tactics to the game of soccer. Maybe so -- but we're still wearing this red card as a badge of honor!
FIFA 11 tutorial video helps with the goal of being a goalie
EA's tutorial video for the FIFA 11 "Be A Goalkeeper" details all the mechanics involved in standing in front of a soccer ball. Sure, it sounds easy, but given the amount of guidance the game provides, you'd think it's something you'd need to be a professional athlete to do.
FIFA 11 features 11 vs. 11 online play thanks to 'Be a Goalkeeper'
EA Sports has added a new feature to the PS3 and Xbox 360 versions of FIFA 11 called "Be a Goalkeeper." Guess what it's about! No, it's not about learning how to cultivate a hive, that's "Goal: a Beekeeper." This is about controlling the goalie in soccer games. Be a Goalkeeper allows you to control the goalie using three levels of AI assistance (ranging from "none" to "some," basically). Now that players can take control of that position, the possibility of full, 11 vs. 11 online play is opened up, a functionality that EA touts in the stylish trailer after the break.
FIFA Soccer 11 cover to feature Ricardo 'Kaka' Izecson dos Santos Leite
His name is actually Ricardo Izecson dos Santos Leite, but he's better known as "Kaka." The Real Madrid midfielder will grace the cover of EA Sports' forthcoming footballer -- FIFA Soccer 11 -- in addition to being the "center-piece of global advertising, marketing, and promotional campaigns."
FIFA 11 for Wii to include street soccer mode
Those planning on signing up for the Wii version of EA's FIFA 11 will find an exclusive game mode in the package: street soccer. It takes players to the streets of major cities around the world for less official games of footy, in places like Brazil, France and London. The mode will allow players to "use the wall to jump past defenders or bank passes to teammates" and select from a set of different match types, like First to Score, Tug of War and Timed games. Not only that, but there will be a host of modifiers to choose from -- things like elevated nets, wall goals and even shrunken nets -- to mix things up further. Players can also select a specific arcade mode within street soccer, which adds a power meter that can be used to "blast shots, ignite a speed burst or send shockwaves over your opponents." It kinda sounds a lot like FIFA Jam, to be honest. FIFA 11 launches on the Nintendo Wii, Xbox 360, PS3 and PC on October 4. Feel free to breakaway into our gallery below for some new screens, fresh off the bench.%Gallery-98331%
FIFA 11 kicks off September 28 in North America, October 1 in Europe and Asia
FIFA 11 will storm the North American retail pitch on September 28 for every major platform except the Wii, whose version will be called in on October 4. Additionally, Europe and Asia will don their shin pads for every platform on October 1. The latest edition of the footie franchise adds the "Creation Centre" on Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, allowing players to "craft your own football player and create the team of your dreams using a web-based application." The application will launch on the same day as the game. As previously revealed, FIFA 11 will also feature the so-called "Personality+" system and "custom audio," enabling fans to assign custom sound clips (e.g., team chants saved on the hard drive) to play during "player introductions, halftime and after goals" -- no word yet on an "always" setting to enable the authentic, ever-present droning of the vuvuzela.
FIFA 11 'Personality+' is not quite what we were thinking
The new "Personality+" feature in FIFA 11 isn't exactly what our minds conjured for a feature with that name -- charismatic footballers cheerily encouraging each other, helping up fallen opponents and maintaining a modest dance routine after scoring a goal.
FIFA 11 to add custom audio feature
During E3, FIFA 11 producer David Rutter briefly demonstrated the game's new "Personality+" framework, which aims to better recreate each player's real-life abilities and personality in the game. Using an early build of the game, Rutter showed how Arsenal defender Sol Cambell has been reduced to a lumbering dribbler -- at least compared to teammate Andrey Arshavin, a nimble-footed midfielder. By contrast, Cambell's tackle zone had been made far more expansive than Arshavin's. Aside from these obvious skill tweaks, it remains to be seen how much individual "personality" will factor into the gameplay. Actually, FIFA 11 will allow players to add a bit of their own personal touch to the overall presentation. Rutter confirmed that the game will support custom audio settings, allowing players to upload sound clips -- chants, music tracks, 90,000 resounding vuvuzelas -- into the game and set them to play in accordance with various events in the match. [Image credit: Axel Bührmann]
FIFA Soccer 11 hits the pitch this fall -- with 'Personality'
With the 2010 FIFA World Cup (the video game) now a thing of the past, EA has announced the next iteration in its long-standing soccer series: FIFA Soccer 11. The next FIFA will introduce "Personality+," a feature designed to highlight individual abilities and create a unique identity for each player in the game. The feature relies on a deep database, which houses grades for each player across 36 attributes and 57 traits. Developer EA Canada will also employ new models and body types, as well as a new passing system, dubbed "Pro Passing." FIFA 11 will ship this fall for the PC, Xbox 360, PS3, Wii, DS, PSP, PS2, Gizmondo, Virtual Boy, ColecoVision and mobile platforms ... Did we miss any? %Gallery-94882%
FIFA 11 to tackle online quitters by rewarding players that finish games
It's the perfect Saturday. You're rocking your team's jersey as you settle onto the couch, a Shasta in one hand, bag of Fritos in the other, preparing to hit the pitch in FIFA 10. You head online, get yourself into a match and suddenly you're up one-nil. And then, just as suddenly, your opponent quits. You go bananas, hurling your controller into the TV. Then your wife comes in and says she's had enough and takes the kids to her mother's. A month later, you're divorced. It's a story we hear way too often here at Joystiq. Thankfully, EA is working on a way to punish these quitters -- outside of rectifying the fact that they've wrecked your life forever -- in the next series iteration, FIFA 11. EA Canada's Simon Humber told Eurogamer these "rage quitters" are a "complex problem." See, there's a loophole in the game that allows players to quit within five minutes of starting a FIFA 10 match online, in case there's a connection issue -- but EA is looking for ways to keep players from exploiting that feature. Humber says that EA is thinking about adding functionality to FIFA 11 that would reward players for finishing matches, rather than try to punish those that quit. As for the upcoming FIFA World Cup 2010 South Africa, don't expect any changes: "We haven't done anything different for this game as far as I know," Humber said.
Medal of Honor, APB dated for Summer 2010
According to EA's list of upcoming titles in its latest earnings report, a couple of high-profile games are going to be released this summer between July 1 and September 30: Realtime Worlds' crime-themed MMO APB (which is likely to be the "major MMO" to whose spring release John Riccitiello referred to previously), and ... a "TBA" Medal of Honor title -- possibly the one with the beard. EA did say that game would be out before March 2011! The summer release is listed for consoles, PC and handhelds. Also due out in the quarter: the expected spate of annual sports franchises (Madden, FIFA, FIFA Online, NHL), a Monopoly game for consoles and handhelds, and a new MySims title -- we're guessing MySims Sky Heroes.
