| FIFA series | |
|---|---|
FIFA series logo used since mid-2010 |
|
| Genres | Sports game |
| Developers | EA Sports |
| Publishers | Electronic Arts |
| Platforms |
Current: Mega Drive, SNES, PlayStation, Nintendo GameCube, Xbox, Game Boy Advance, Sega Saturn, Nintendo 64, Game Boy, Game Boy Color, 3DO, Sega 32X, Sega Game Gear, Sega Master System, Sega CD, Amiga, Nokia N-gage, Gizmondo, DOS |
| Original release | Annually, 1993–present |
| First release | FIFA International Soccer 15 July 1993 |
| Latest release | FIFA Football FIFA Street 4 UEFA Euro 2012 21 February 2012 March 2012 April 2012 |
FIFA, also known as FIFA Football or FIFA Soccer, is a series of association football video games, released annually by Electronic Arts under the EA Sports label. While there was no major competition when EA released the first titles in their Madden NFL and NHL series, football video games such as Sensible Soccer, Kick Off and Match Day had been developed since the late 1980s and were already competitive in the games market when EA Sports announced a football game as the next addition to their EA Sports label.
When the series began in late 1993 it was notable for being the first to have an official licence from FIFA, the world governing body of football. The latest installments in the series contain many exclusively-licenced leagues including league and teams from around the world, including the English Premier League and Football League, Italian Serie A, Spanish La Liga, German Bundesliga, French Ligue 1, Dutch Eredivisie, Mexican Primera División, American Major League Soccer, South Korean K-League and Australian Hyundai A-League, allowing the use of real leagues, clubs, and player names and likenesses within the games.
The main series has been complemented by additional installments based on single major tournaments, such as the FIFA World Cup, UEFA European Football Championship, and UEFA Champions League, as well as a series of football management titles.
Currently, Lionel Messi, Wayne Rooney, and Kaká are the faces of the franchise, appearing on front cover of every game being released in the series and in promotional campaigns and advertisements in the media.
As of 2011, the FIFA franchise has been localized into 18 languages and available in 51 countries. The series has sold more than 100 million copies worldwide, making it one of the best-selling video game franchises.[1] Also FIFA 12 holds the record for the "fastest selling sports game ever" with over 3.2 million games sold and over $186 million generated at retail in its first week of release.[2]
The key points of EA's early advertising programs were the isometric view of the pitch, an innovation when other games used either top down, side scrolling or bird's eye views, as well as detailed graphics and animations, and of course the FIFA endorsement. It was shipped for Christmas 1993, named FIFA International Soccer, and was released for most of the popular console and computer platforms of the time.
While FIFA 95 did not add much other than the ability to play with club teams, FIFA 96 pushed the boundaries. For the first time with real player names by obtaining the FIFPro license, the PlayStation, PC, 32X and Sega Saturn versions used EA's "Virtual Stadium" engine, with 2D sprite players moving around a real-time 3D stadium. FIFA 97 improved on this with polygonal models for players and added an indoor soccer mode, but an early pinnacle was reached with FIFA: Road to World Cup 98. This version featured much improved graphics, a complete World Cup with qualifying rounds (including all national teams) and refined gameplay. Months later, World Cup 98, EA's first officially-licensed tournament game, gave each team a unique kit and broke a sequence of poor tournament-based video games started by U.S. Gold's World Cup Carnival in 1986 and continued until Gremlin Interactive's Euro 96.
FIFA games have been met with some criticism, such as for the minimal improvements each title features over its predecessor. As the console market is expanding, FIFA is being challenged directly by other titles such as Konami's Pro Evolution Soccer series. Both FIFA and Pro Evolution Soccer have a large following but FIFA sales is rising as much as 23 percent year-over-year, making FIFA the most profitable EA Sports title, thanks to its global audience and lower license costs compared to Madden NFL series.[3]
Known as EA Soccer during development and sometimes subsequently also known as FIFA '94,[4] the first game in the series was released in the weeks leading up to Christmas 1993. This greatly hyped football title broke with traditional 16-bit era games by presenting an isometric view (as featured in the first two Rollercoaster Tycoon PC games, released in 1999 and 2002 respectively) rather than the more usual top-down view (Kick Off), side view (European Club Soccer), or bird's-eye view (Sensible Soccer). It only includes national teams, real player names are not used. A notorious bug allows the player to score by standing in front of the goalkeeper so that the ball rebounds off him into the net. The Sega Mega CD version was released under the title "FIFA International Soccer Championship Edition" it includes some features used in the next title, and is a highly polished version of the original. The game on the 3DO console sported pseudo-3D cameras and it was the most graphically advanced version.[5] Also, the game is playable on the PlayStation 2 version of FIFA 06. It was made in celebration for the 1994 World Cup held in the United States.
Using the same engine with only minor retouches, FIFA 95 introduced club teams to the series within eight national leagues: Brazil, Germany's Fußball-Bundesliga, Italy's Serie A, Spain's La Liga, England's Premier League, France's Ligue 1, Netherlands' Eredivisie and USA. Most of the leagues had their team lineup based on the 1993-94 season, and the teams, although recognisably real, all still had fictitious players, many of them even returning from the previous game. The USA League consists of teams and players from the A-League, the country's second division - subsequent editions would feature "artificial" division one leagues, a feature not corrected until the 2000 edition, when Major League Soccer was included for the first time. In addition, the Brazilian league contained only teams from São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, with the exception of Internacional, from Porto Alegre -- it would not be until FIFA 07 that Campeonato Brasileiro represented the country.
This is the first FIFA game to feature real-time 3D graphics on the Sega Saturn, PlayStation, 32X, and PC versions, using technology called "Virtual Stadium". It is also the first in the series to present players with real player names and positions, with ranking, transfer and team customisation tools. However, the Brazilian teams had mostly inaccurate rosters, some of them even featuring long-retired players (this would only be corrected in FIFA 99). The SNES and Mega Drive versions use an updated version of FIFA 95's engine with new teams and graphics. It is also the first FIFA game to contain a player/team editor (in the Mega Drive and fifth-generation versions only). Also, in addition to the eight national leagues of the previous game, three leagues debuted in the game: Scottish Premier League, Allsvenskan and Super League Malaysia - a lineup that would stay for the next two editions as well. This was also the first FIFA game to have a proper introduction.
The biggest change in FIFA '97 was the inclusion of 6-a-side indoor soccer mode and polygonal players, with motion capture provided by David Ginola. The game features a much higher number of playable leagues from England, Spain, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Germany and Malaysia. These versions also feature commentary by John Motson, partnered by Andy Gray, with Des Lynam introducing the matches.
This game marks the start of an upward trend in the series. It boasts a refined graphics engine, team and player customisation options, 16 stadiums, improved artificial intelligence, a "Road to World Cup" mode with all FIFA-registered national teams, and a licensed soundtrack featuring popular musical artists of the time. The game features many accurate team squads for national call up when playing in the round robin qualification modes. Another new feature was the ability to manually change the referee's strictness, allowing some fouls to go un-noticed or without punishment.
Additionally, for the first time in a FIFA game, the offside rule is properly implemented. In previous games, when a player was in an offside position doing anything except running, that player was penalised for offside even when the ball was passed backwards. The 32-bit version of FIFA 98 corrects this so that the game would only award a free kick for offside if the ball was passed roughly to where the player in the offside position was.
FIFA 98 was also the first of the series to feature a licenced soundtrack, with "Song 2" by Blur used as the intro track for the game. It was the last FIFA game to be released on the 16-bit consoles that the series had originated on.
While the indoor mode was no longer featured, the gameplay's fluidity and responsiveness was increased. The increasing number of websites dedicated to the game and a larger number of leagues (the Malaysian league was removed, and on its stead came two new leagues: the Belgian First Division and the Portuguese Liga; this came to be a problem when the owners of the rights to the Primeira Liga tried to pull the game from the shelves locally). Graphically, it is a major improvement over FIFA '98, with the inclusion of basic facial animations and different players' heights as well as certain other cosmetic features such as improved kits and emblems, although they are unlicensed. Gamers may also create their own custom cups and leagues and select the teams they wish to participate.
FIFA 99 also features an elite league called the "European Dream League" in which 20 top teams from across Europe battle it out in a league format. It was also the first game to feature a block containing teams which did not pertain to any of the main leagues (back then, it was known as "Rest of Europe" since all teams were European, the vast majority of them featured either in the 1998-99 season of the UEFA Cup or Champions League).
A Nintendo 64 beta version of FIFA 2000 exists though the game was not officially released for this platform. This version of the FIFA series contained over 40 "classic" teams, so that gamers could play as retired football legends.
It marked the introduction of Major League Soccer, replacing the fictitious "American" league previously included.
The game features over 40 national sides, fully integrated seasons, set piece selections, increased physical contact, new facial animations, shielding ability and tougher tackling.
The game received mixed reviews due to its cartoonish graphic engine and shallow gameplay, a brand new engine was implemented in an attempt to give more "emotion" to the 3d player models. The game was generally considered to be much inferior than its rival, ISS Pro Evolution Soccer.
The opening video for FIFA 2000 features Sol Campbell and playing against a retro side from 1904 - the year of the inauguration of FIFA. The game also included Port Vale, the club supported by Williams, in the "Rest of the World" section.
This title had a new graphics engine which allows each team to have its own detailed kit, and for some players, their own unique faces. Doing away with ordinary coloured pennants as club emblems, the license includes official club emblems for the first time, although certain leagues, like the Dutch league, are unlicensed. Slightly tweakable physics made the game a modding favorite for its fan community. The game also includes the entire Austrian Bundesliga as a playable league for the first time, albeit removing the Portuguese Liga and the Turkish Premier League. A "hack" feature is included, where the player can press R1 to attempt an intentional foul, such a high sliding tackle. This title was the first game of the series with a power bar for shooting.
A Nintendo 64 beta version of FIFA 2001 developed by THQ exists, though the game was not officially released for this platform.
For FIFA Football 2002, power bars for passes were introduced, and dribbling reduced in order to attain a higher challenge level. The power bar can also be customised to suit the gamer's preference. The game also includes club emblems for many more European clubs as well as for major Dutch clubs such as PSV, Ajax and Feyenoord, although there was no Dutch league of any kind (they were under the "Rest of World" header). This game also features, for the first time, the Swiss Super League, at the cost of excluding the Greek League. A card reward system licensed from Panini was also introduced where, after winning a particular competition, a star player card is unlocked. There is also a bonus game with the nations that had automatically qualified for the 2002 World Cup (France, Japan and South Korea), in which the player tries to improve the FIFA ranking of their chosen team by participating in international friendlies.
FIFA Football 2003 features completely new gameplay from the previous titles. EA revamped the outdated DirectX 7 graphics used in FIFA 2001 and 2002, and introduced new graphics featuring more detailed stadiums, players, and kits. Club Championship Mode was introduced with the feature of playing against 17 of Europe's top clubs in their own stadiums and the fans singing their unique chants and songs. A TV-style broadcast package gave highlights at half-time and full-time, as well as comprehensive analysis. One of the most anticipated new features was EA Sport's "Freestyle Control" which allows the user to flick the ball on and lay it off to team mates. Other additions include greater likenesses of players such as Thierry Henry and Ronaldinho, as well as realistic player responses. FIFA Football 2003 was also the first game in the series to use the EA Trax.
While not adding much to the game engine, the biggest new inclusion in FIFA Football 2004 is secondary divisions, which allow the player to take lower ranked teams into the top leagues and competitions (a promotion/relegation system was present since the 2000 edition, but none up until this one featured second-tier leagues). A new gameplay feature dubbed "off the ball" was introduced, which is the ability to simultaneously control two players, in order, for example, to move a second player into the box in anticipation of a pass. The online mode was touted as the main feature. Another key feature is "Football Fusion", which allows owners of both FIFA 2004 and Total Club Manager 2004 to play games from TCM in FIFA 2004. This is also the first FIFA game to feature Latin American club teams aside from those of the Brazilian League; there are four from Mexico (América, Toluca, Monterrey and UNAM; a fifth team, Tigres UANL, is present only in the Game Boy Advance version) and two from Argentina (Boca Juniors and River Plate). The title sequence, featuring Ronaldinho, Thierry Henry and Alessandro Del Piero was filmed at St James' Park, the home ground of Newcastle United.
FIFA Football 2005 was released much earlier than the usual late October date to obtain a head start over Pro Evolution Soccer 4 and avoid clashing with EA Sports' own FIFA Street. The game features the return of the create-a-player mode, as well as an improved Career mode. The biggest difference compared to previous titles in the series is the inclusion of first-touch gameplay which provides gamers with the ability to perform "real-life" tricks and passes. It is also the first version to feature the full Mexican League. The game has no opening video, but its soundtrack is headlined by British DJ Paul Oakenfold, who composed the FIFA Theme especially for the game, using some sounds from the game such as crowd noises and commentary. This was the last title released for the original PlayStation in the US. The game also features authentic crowd chants edited by producer Dan Motut.
FIFA's developers made a complete overhaul of the game engine for this installment of the game, claiming a dramatic increase in the control of play, having rewritten more than half the game's code. In addition to a renovation of the engine, which discards the "off the ball" system, the developers boasted a significantly more involved Career mode and the introduction of "team chemistry" which determines how well team members play together. This installment breaks with the long tradition of commentary from Match of the Day's John Motson and (more recently) Ally McCoist, who are replaced by ITV's Clive Tyldesley and former Sky Sports pundit Andy Gray, who had already worked in the series as guest commentator.
One of the new features in FIFA 06 was a special "retro" which features nostalgia of the game. Inside it includes an unlockable classic biographies section, a memorable moments video compilation which features ten of the most memorable moments as judged by the FIFA 06 developers, a video compilation with a retrospective view of every game in the FIFA series and the chance to play the first ever game in the FIFA series which was titled as "FIFA 94". The game also features for the first time a Classic XI team consisting of great football legends and a World XI team consisting of current great superstars. Both teams have the Cardiff Millennium Stadium as their primary ground. These clubs must be unlocked in the "Fan Shop".
The main differences from the previous game are a new "Interactive Leagues" function, new stadiums such as the new Wembley Stadium and Emirates Stadium, and the ability to create custom teams and Turkcell Super League returns after seven years of absence from the series. The game's front-end and graphics engine remain largely the same. The Xbox 360 version uses a completely new game engine which was created from scratch for the system. This Xbox 360 version also features a much reduced team line-up, completely removing all lower division teams and focusing on the four main European leagues, plus the Mexican Clausura and national teams.
FIFA 08 introduced a new game mode called "Be a Pro", in which the player controls only a single player on the field. This version also introduced a larger club section including the League of Ireland, and the Hyundai A-League of Australia, for the first time. Unlike FIFA 06 and 07 however, FIFA 08 does not include any memorable moments or season highlights. FIFA 08 does not have a version for the original Xbox, which means that FIFA 07 was the last game of the series to feature on the console. The Xbox 360 has taken over permanently since FIFA 08.
The debut version for the Wii introduced motion controls for shooting, as well as three mini-games that make use of the Wii Remote.
FIFA 09 features a revamped collision system and an option for 10 versus 10 "Be a Pro" online matches, and the new "Adidas Live Season" feature, which updates all the players' stats in a particular league based on the player's form in real life. Although the feature is activated through microtransactions, gamers have access to one free league of their choice from the moment they activate the service to the end of the 2008-09 season. Online play has also been improved in FIFA 09, with a feature called "FIFA 09 Clubs" allowing players to form or join clubs and field their strongest team online. The game has met with generally positive reception from reviewers.
Clive Tyldesley and Andy Gray again provide the commentary in the English version. However in the PS3 and Xbox 360 versions of the game, Tyldesley is replaced by Martin Tyler. For the first time, users can also purchase extra commentator voices in different languages from the PlayStation Store (PlayStation 3) and Xbox Live Marketplace (Xbox 360).[6] Another option for the English language is Tyldesley and Andy Townsend.
FIFA 10 has an extended Manager Mode which includes a new Assistant Manager that can be used to take care of the team's line-up and to rotate the squad based on importance of the upcoming match and improved finances. The "Player Experience and Growth System" has changed. Player growth will now be determined by in-game performance, demands placed on the player, and achievements based on the player's particular position. The games also features 50 stadiums and 31 leagues, among which the Russian Premier League is introduced to the series (except for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions). It also includes 360 degrees player control instead of the 8-direction control in previous games.
FIFA 11 was released September 28, 2010 in North America and October 1, 2010 in Europe. It features a new replacement to Manager Mode called Career Mode; the player is able to play a career as a Manager, Coach or a new feature as a Player Manager. Other new features include an improved passing system, improved player likenesses, the ability to play as a Goalkeeper for the first time, and other various other tweaks and additions. The English commentary is provided for the third time by Martin Tyler and Andy Gray. Landon Donovan, Kaká and Carlos Vela feature on the cover of the North American version of the game, while Kaká and Wayne Rooney feature on the cover of the UK and Irish version.
David Rutter, the line producer for FIFA 12, has promised "a revolutionary year for FIFA... especially in the gameplay department."[7] The first screenshot was revealed on 11 April, featuring Brazilian midfielder Kaká running through the field.[8] FIFA 12 will be the first edition of the series to feature Arabic commentary. It is possible the game will be available for all consoles, with the Xbox 360 and the PlayStation 3 being the main consoles for the game. In May, EA announced that a Nintendo 3DS version would be available, including career mode, 11 vs 11, street mode and Be a Pro, but excluding any online mode. On 27 May, it was confirmed that FIFA 12 would be released on PlayStation 2. On 7 June, it was confirmed that the iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch will also be included and others are to come in the next few months. On 11 July, photos of the Career Mode were released.[9]During the demo launch on the 13th September 2011, both FIFA 12 and Xbox Live were trending on social networking site Twitter. For the first time in the series, the game has been officially ported to the Mac OS X operating system by TransGaming Technologies.[10]
Outside the yearly series, also from EA Sports:
In 1997, Electronic Arts purchased the license from FIFA to publish official FIFA World Cup video games prior to each tournament and is still the current holder.
Similar to FIFA World Cup games, in 2000, EA purchased the license from UEFA to publish official European Football Championship video games prior to each tournament and is still the current holder.
FIFA Street is a spin-off franchise introduced in 2005 which focuses on flair, style and trickery, reflecting the cultures of street football and freestyle football played in the streets and backlots across the world.
Since 1997 EA Sports have regularly released football management games, most of which have made use of their FIFA or FA Premier League licenses in their titles. The majority of these games were developed by EA themselves, though some have been developed by third parties such as Krisalis Software and Bright Future GmbH.
FIFA Soccer Manager (1997)
Licenced music tracks were first used in the FIFA series with the release of FIFA: Road to World Cup 98, and have been used in every title since. The series has featured main themes from such successful acts as Kasabian, Editors, Muse, Kings of Leon, Bloc Party, Oasis, Fatboy Slim, Blur, Robbie Williams, Duffy, Moby, Gorillaz, Paul van Dyk and Tiesto and each game also contains a selection of tracks from contemporary album releases of the time, generally revolving around indie rock, electronica and world music.
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