Guildford, UK.,- 3rd June, 2009 - On the heels of winning 25 international gaming awards with FIFA 09, Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: ERTS) today revealed the first features for its top-selling* football franchise from EA SPORTS. Responding to consumer feedback from more than 275 million online games played**, FIFA 10 will deliver a new standard for authenticity with gameplay refinements and innovations that will make it the most complete and intelligent simulation of football.
On the pitch, critical gameplay fundamentals have been enhanced to ensure that FIFA 10 mirrors real-world football, providing more sophisticated ball control, and physical interaction between players. In addition, players now move, behave and position themselves more realistically. On attack, players analyze space more effectively, curve their runs in an attempt to stay onside, create passing lanes naturally, and drive for more variety in attacking options. On defense, new concepts like position priority enable defenders to multitask so dangerous spaces left open by teammates out of position are covered. Plus, slide tackle targeting, press marking, and better-urgency clearance logic provide new options that make defending a tactical skill in FIFA 10. In goal, a myriad of improvements and refinements to goalkeeper intelligence result in a more responsive and powerful rushing system and ultra-realistic saves.
"We have benefited from 275 million games played online to refine FIFA 10 in a way that matters most to our fans," said Andrew Wilson, Vice President & Executive Producer for the FIFA franchise. "We've listened and responded to their feedback to improve player control, responsiveness and intelligence and create what we believe is the world's most authentic football videogame."
Listening to feedback and addressing gamer frustrations has become a key part of the EA SPORTS strategy to improve the FIFA franchise on an annual basis. Better balance on lofted through balls, improved goalkeeper intelligence, more realistic shooting mechanics with less shots hitting the goal posts, a practice arena to perfect skills, and a more immersive football experience through continuous play and quick free kicks are just a few of the issues raised by fans and addressed in FIFA 10.
Three new innovations revealed today have been developed to change the player control experience in FIFA 10. The first-ever true 360 dribbling system gives players finer control of the ball, enabling them to find spaces between defenders that previously were not possible. Using an all-new animation technology, skilled dribblers now have the ability to face the defender and use highly responsive lateral dribbling to skip past him. An innovative concept called Freedom in Physical Play enables players to perform wider dribble touches and new collision sharing creates a varied, less predictable, and extended fight for possession between the dribbler and a defender.
FIFA 10 also features a deeper iteration of the ever-popular Manager Mode with more than 50 major improvements, including new match realism, realistic player transfers based on multiple decision points, and true-to-life player growth curves.
New game modes, and innovations to popular features like Be A Pro, will be revealed in the upcoming months.
The dribbling in FIFA09 has been the biggest complaint amongst me and my friends.
To beat a defender without relying on out and out pace or crazy step over moves didn't really come that naturally.
I don't expect to be able to skin an entire team, but it did lead to some slightly one dimensional games on occasion.
Oh, and hopefully they can calm the player stat growth down. I'm always Spurs, and after two seasons I had about five or so of the best players in the world (King, Woodgate, Corluka and Modric off the top of my head). Now, I loves me Spurs, but come on EA!
For a football 'sim', the previous game certainly sounds like it had a lot of issues. While it may have the biggest sales, and look the best, you have to ask why Pro Evo still sells. The answer's simple... control. With Pro Evo you feel like you've got total control of the player. Maybe it's a little more arcadey. But how realistic has FIFA been when they've also announced they're going to speed up the time the ball travels from one side of the pitch to the other! Surely the speed and movement of the ball is the most basic of requirements in a game that's all about the ball!!!
Personally I think Pro Evo and FIFA benefit from each others existence. It's just a shame the games industry doesn't have the skill to give us a football game that we will eventually end up in many years to come. Why these developers can't just put two screens side by side, one of their game running and one of a real match, and work out what they have to do to make their game look like the real thing. Simplistic I know, but sometimes you wonder whether the developers even watch or love the real sport.
The improvements here sound promising with players curving their runs more to keep on onside. I have lost count on the number of occasions when my players fractionally get caught offside my running too early. Pes has lots too improve on before it can match up to fifa. Also Pes get rid of that pointy gnome looking Argie off the front cover sick of the sight of him!!
The one thing in particular I was looking for. Being able to face defenders head on and tease them. In the last one the computer was far to quick to snap in and tackle. Hopefully they have sorted it so skilled players can really Beat players. With different twists and turns, that feel natural.
1 major thing they need 2 do for the game online if someone quits you get a win no matter what because its crap how they can jst leave n get away with it n u get nothing :(
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