4th June 2009 - On the heels of winning 25 international gaming awards with FIFA Soccer 09, Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ:ERTS) today revealed the first features for its top-selling* soccer franchise from EA SPORTS™. Responding to consumer feedback from more than 275 million online games played**, FIFA Soccer 10 will deliver a new standard for authenticity with gameplay refinements and innovations that will make it the most complete and intelligent simulation of soccer.
On the pitch, critical gameplay fundamentals have been enhanced to ensure that FIFA Soccer 10 mirrors real-world soccer, 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 Soccer 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 Soccer 10 in a way that matters most to our fans,” said Andrew Wilson, Vice President & Executive Producer for the FIFA Soccer 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 soccer videogame.”
Listening to feedback and addressing gamer frustrations has become a key part of the EA SPORTS strategy to improve the FIFA Soccer 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 soccer experience through continuous play and quick free kicks are just a few of the issues raised by fans and addressed in FIFA Soccer 10.
Three new innovations revealed today at E3 have been developed to change the player control experience in FIFA Soccer 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 Soccer 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.
Visit WWW.FIFA.EASPORTS.COM beginning June 5 for more information. Screenshots of FIFA Soccer 10 are available at https://info.ea.com.
FIFA Soccer 10 will be available in stores world-wide this Fall 2009 for the PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system, Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system, Wii™ home video game system, PC, PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system, Nintendo DS™, PSP® (PlayStation®Portable) system and mobile. It is developed under the EA SPORTS brand by EA Canada in Burnaby, B.C. The game has not yet been rated.
EA SPORTS™ is the leading interactive sports software brand in the world, with top-selling titles and franchises including Madden NFL football, FIFA Soccer, NHL® hockey, NBA LIVE basketball, NCAA® Football, and Tiger Woods PGA TOUR®.
*Based on total sales in 2008 according to the NPD.
**Number of games played while connected online between September 2008 and June 1, 2009
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