FIFA
Latest
Report: FIFA 10 moves 2.2 million units in the UK
FIFA 10 has already found its way into 2.2 million UK homes, making it competition for the "biggest-selling game in the series so far," according to an MCV UK report. With today's earlier announcement of a free-to-play FIFA and the recent unveiling of FIFA World Cup 2010 South Africa, and now this, we're quite considering naming it "FIFA Week" here on Joystiq. And we're willing to bet that EA Sports marketing manager Trevor Uzice would be a big fan of that, especially considering he believes that "there's no denying FIFA 10 is the best football game ever." While we're not sure that the (admittedly impressive) sales numbers corroborate his sentiments, it's always nice to see marketing putting its most outlandish spin on any piece of news. %Gallery-69462%
Free FIFA Online kicks off closed PC beta in February
EA Sports is close to launching the "free-to-play" version of its footy franchise for PC, called EA Sports FIFA Online, in Europe and North America. A closed beta begins February 3, and the publisher is looking for feedback to help shape the game before it goes into open beta this June. EA will allow 20,000 testers in the first phase, so sign up now if you're interested. The game will officially launch "over the next 12 to 24 months" across "Europe and then in North America." FIFA Online has been available in Asia for years. It's not like sales of "regular" FIFA are hurting, so who is this game for? Executive Producer Kaz Makita says FIFA Online is for the "large number of football fans who do not want a console gaming experience due to time and other priorities in their personal lives, but they still want to be able to play a top-quality football video game." Ohh, we get it now, it's the FIFA game you play at work! Gotcha. %Gallery-84230%
EA Sports' FIFA World Cup 2010 South Africa announced
Footy aficionados fancying themselves some world class football will get just that in EA's newly announced spinoff, FIFA World Cup 2010 South Africa. Simultaneously releasing on Xbox 360, PS3, PSP and Wii, this special installment -- only once every four years people! -- in EA's ongoing franchise features all of the 2010 World Cup's 199 qualifying round national teams and all ten of the official South African event stadiums. There's also an online-enabled World Cup Mode, where you can take any national team (dibs on Brazil!) and progress from the qualifying rounds right up to the final match. Wii players will get "an art style that celebrates the cultural vibrancy of the first FIFA World Cup to be held in Africa" (so, pretty much, it'll look like a cartoon) and their own special game mode in Zakumi's Dream Team, where players create custom teams and take their virtual squads on the road against the 32 participating World Cup teams. No specific PSP version features have been revealed. FIFA World Cup 2010 South Africa is being developed by EA Canada in Burnaby, B.C. and is scheduled to hit the pitch on April 27 in the US and April 30 in Europe and Asia. %Gallery-84006%
FIFA 10 Ultimate Team trailer details upcoming DLC
EA Sports' monthlong silence on FIFA 10's Ultimate Team DLC has been lifted today with the release of a new (and charmingly British) walkthrough trailer. As you can see for yourself above, the clip not only gives us a cursory tour of the new content, but also a preview of what's to come -- new packs, updated player stats, and more tournaments, among other things. The DLC is said to be priced at 400 ($5) or $4.99 via Xbox Live and PSN (respectively) and we still don't have a more solid release date than "February." In the meantime, well, we've got you this trailer. That's something, right? %Gallery-79240%
EA: Medal of Honor, Dead Space 2, Crysis 2 before March 2011
During EA's half-hour investor callstravaganza yesterday, CEO John Riccitiello unleashed a flurry of game titles set to be released in the company's "FIscal 2011." For EA, that falls anywhere between April 1, 2010 and March 30, 2011 -- a window that now holds the release of "a great new version of Medal of Honor, a revitalized Need for Speed, Sims on console, FIFA in a World Cup year, an innovative and new take on Madden, Dead Space 2, Crysis at full margins, a new MMA game, and many others." Considering this laundry list of games is getting little more than a 12-month window for release, we're taking the logical next step and throwing darts at images of the games on our cork-board calendar. According to our impeccable aim... everything is coming out in November. Not helpful! [Via Eurogamer]
Sony and FIFA team up to make the World Cup 3D
It's no secret that plenty of companies are hoping that 2010 will be the year of 3D, and it looks like Sony has now gotten a big boost by lining up a partnership with one of the biggest events of the year: the FIFA World Cup. As the pair have announced today, the new arrangement will see at least 25 World Cup matches produced in 3D using Sony's 3D cameras, which will be viewable through a variety of means. That includes special public viewing events in seven cities around the world (none in North America, unfortunately), an "Official 3D Film" that will be previewed at Sony Stores and other retail outlets and, last but not least, a Blu-ray of said film that will be made available at some point following the World Cup. This won't be the first time a soccer match has been broadcast in 3D, however, and it looks like it won't be your only option for catching some games in 3D next year either. [Thanks, Matt]
FIFA 10 Ultimate Team DLC pitched amid sales surge
FIFA 10, the latest iteration of EA Sports' biggest global franchise, itself based on the world's most popular sport, is selling well. That's an understatement. Worldwide, EA estimates game sales have surpassed 4.5 million units since the October 1 launch, including a so-called record-setting first week, in which 1.7 million units were sold in Europe to make FIFA 10 the world's "fastest-selling sports video game." What better time to announce that the game will receive a fresh pair of legs? EA today announced the pending release of FIFA 10 Ultimate Team, a DLC management mode -- introduced to the series last year (and ported to this year's slumping Madden game) -- that has been made over with a "redesigned chemistry system built around player relationships." Think: God game governing platonic dating-sim played with a deck of cards, and ... you're there. Come February, Ultimate Team will be available for download for 400 or $4.99 via Xbox Live and PSN. %Gallery-79240%
EA: FIFA 10 is fastest-selling sports game 'ever'
EA's annual footie franchise must be doing something right this year because FIFA 10 has apparently sold 1.7 million copies in Europe during its first week. According to EA, the title is "the fastest selling sports game ever and EA's biggest European launch in history." Even with the positive launch, GI.biz spoke with an analyst who believes the sales aren't going to help EA in the long-term. Doug Creutz of Cowan and Company notes that heavy discounts at supermarket chains and other incentives made initial sales strong, but if the situation plays out anything like FIFA 09, the year-on-year sales will only grow marginally. But like a head-butt goal in the first minutes of a match, FIFA 10 is putting on a good show during launch. Source -- EA announces record-breaking launch FIFA 10 (EA) Source -- FIFA 10 record sales won't boost profits (GI.biz)
EA Sports: 'How big can football get?' Us: 'Pretty big, we guess?'
Showing the far reaching effects of football ("soccer" for us Americans) fandom in a succinct two minute video, EA Sports asks UK residents in its latest ad for FIFA 10, "How big can football get?" From the looks of the insanity in the commercial (found after the break), we're going out on a limb here and saying, "Substantially large." Would you care to up that wager with a "significantly enormous?" Maybe a "demonstrably massive?" %Gallery-69462%
250GB PS3 listed with FIFA 2010 bundle for October debut in Spain
We're circling in on a 250GB PS3 Slim, and this time it's made an appearance at Spanish retailer GAME with an October 8th release date and a copy of Euro-centric FIFA 2010 along for the ride. No pricetag or box shot, but we like where this is headed all the same. [Thanks, Alejandro]
Here's a beautiful FIFA 10 trailer from GamesCom
We may not know much about the athletes on the various covers of FIFA 10, but we do know that this trailer looks damn impressive. In fairness, the game often looks rather stunning, but the sizzle reel that EA has whipped up for GamesCom (found after the break) is specifically meant to show off the game to its most active market -- which certainly comes through in production quality. Though we don't watch a ton of sports (and we play even less) we're legitimately looking forward to EA's next entry in the FIFA series, set to release this October. %Gallery-69462%
Who? EA reveals FIFA 10 North American cover athletes
After EA announced a trio of British gents gracing the cover of FIFA 10 in Europe last week, the company today revealed the box art for the North American iteration. Cuauhtémoc Blanco of Chicago Fire and Sacha Kljestan of Chivas USA appear on the box, with Jason Bateman Chelsea's Frank Lampard taking center stage. EA also revealed the game's release date Stateside to be October 20, while a Euro release has been confirmed for October 2. We'll be spending the extra few weeks figuring out what exactly Chivas USA is. Peep the full cover and a new video of FIFA 10 in action after the break. %Gallery-69462%
EA reveals UK lovefest with FIFA 10 cover athletes
We've been known to dabble in a FIFA game from time to time, though cover athletes aren't really our forte, if you will. Rather than address our ignorance dead-on, we'll simply tell you that Frank Lampard of Chelsea, Theo Walcott of Arsenal and Wayne Rooney of Manchester United are donning the cover of this year's footballer. Believe it or not, the game will feature more than just players from English teams. (Yes, we're just as shocked as you by that possibility.) The game is set to land in the UK on October 2, and Amazon and GameStop are putting the game's US release on October 20th. %Gallery-69462%
FIFA producer cautious on Natal, PS3 motion wand use
David Rutter, producer of FIFA for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, has put his foot down, literally. He's not moving it. At least, he's not moving it to play a 75-minute soccer match in his living room. When asked about the prospect of future FIFAs incorporating motion controls by utilizing Project Natal and Sony's motion wand, Rutter told VideoGamer.com, "There are a few things we can do, definitely, but we've not really started on it yet." Those few things do not include reinventing the franchise with unintuitive hand and body motions. "If it doesn't add to the overall thing, then it's pointless. I don't want it to be just this distraction, to be quite honest." While FIFA might be the exception in an otherwise motion-inspired EA Sports business, we're sure all the head-nodding, inbounds wrist-flicking minigames you could imagine will be considered -- or worse, ported to FIFA 11. The trick, it seems, would be to perfect the motion caption technology: "Kick from the couch in all-new Energy Saver Mode!"
FIFA 10 hits the pitch October 2 in the UK
MCV confirmed with EA that its latest entry in the long-standing soccer franchise, FIFA 10, will arrive at UK retailers on October 2. There's no mention of a release date for North America, so we've put in word to EA to see just when we Yanks will receive the game. We'll be sure to update you as soon as we hear back.
FIFA 10 offers brief glimpse of footy-filled gameplay
EA Sports is ramping up the hype machine for its very crucial FIFA franchise, as it has issued out a new teaser trailer for the latest installment, FIFA 10. Thankfully, it's not your average teaser trailer, as though it is short, it does contain actual gameplay footage. It looks like the one big improvement for this year's version will be bullet time.
UK chart get: Wii Fit still on top, FIFA 09 takes 2nd spot
Wii Fit has been selling extremely well, taking the top spot for the seventh week in a row, Chart-Track data shows. In fact, a record of nine weeks in a row was set by Who Wants to be a Millionaire (no platforms mentioned), and Nintendo's Balance Board bundle is on pace to tie that record should it frequent the top spot for the next two weeks. Unsurprisingly, soccer football game FIFA 09 managed to take the second spot, pushing last week's second place holder, X-Men Origins: Wolverine, down to third. Interesting to note is the inclusion of Battlestations: Pacific on the list. The game only released in the UK last week for Xbox 360 and PC, and managed to win the battle for last place, taking up the tenth spot.
GDC09: Upcoming EA iPhone game list fully revealed, screens and info on Tiger
Just before the deluge of GDC 2009 news started this week, Travis Boatman, VP of worldwide studios at EA Mobile, confirmed the upcoming release of a veritable smörgåsbord of EA franchises coming to the iPhone. Today, we have confirmation from Meghan Rathman (representing EA) of the exact titles on the way to the iPhone/iTouch as well as a handful of screens from Tiger Woods PGA Tour. Unfortunately, according to Ms. Rathman, the rest of the games in development are "still too early" and don't have screens. Considering the turnaround time on iPhone/iTouch games though, we're willing to bet you'll see those shots by the end of the week pretty soon!The full list of games we received from EA is as follows: Tiger Woods PGA Tour, The Sims 3, FIFA, Madden NFL Football, Spore Creatures, Mystery Mania, Wolfenstein RPG, American Idol, Connect Four, Battleship, Need for Speed, RISK, Monopoly and Clue. Differing from reports at the GDC Mobile event earlier this week, we're seeing the addition of The Sims 3 and Need for Speed. In turn, we're losing the first SSX in two years, Red Alert, NBA Live 10, American Idol, Star Trek. But hey, Tiger Woods!The press release from EA on Tiger Woods PGA Tour tells us that the game is of the "touch" rather than of the "shake" variety, comes with achievements and offers a way to compare achievements with your friends. Of the key features listed, notably missing is "playing against friends wirelessly," though it does promise the ability to "affect your ball spin direction" using your finger. Those are comparable features, right? We'll keep on EA and let you know as soon as we find out more on their upcoming iPhone/iTouch assault.%Gallery-48706%
GDC09: iPhone gaming roundup
The Game Developers Conference is on in San Francisco, and game companies are starting to pull out the major announcements on what's coming to the iPhone in the next year. Here's a roundup of all the titles we've heard mentioned already. EA announced a huge lineup of ports from their already popular games: everything from Command and Conquer: Red Alert to SSX to FIFA, Madden, and NBA are all coming in some form to the iPhone. They're also working on bringing over the Wolfenstein RPG and Spore Creatures (which was the DS port of Spore), as well as a big list of casual board games (Scrabble is only the beginning), and versions of Need for Speed: Undercover, and Tiger Woods PGA Tour. And most amazing? All of these are due out before the end of the year. Someone's lighting a fire under iPhone developers at EA. id software announced that they're bringing Wolfenstein 3D Classic to the iPhone in an official form -- that one's already been submitted to the store and should be out soon. Click the link below to read on.
Trophies: FIFA 09
1 Platinum 2 Gold 17 Silver 27 Bronze Difficulty: Moderate Online Trophies? Yes Time to Completion: 100 hours DLC Trophies? Yes* *Trophies requiring DLC are highlighted in yellow. View Trophy List Read More About the Game %Gallery-26544%
