| FIFA | |
|---|---|
 FIFA logo from 2020–2023 | |
| Genres | |
| Developers |
|
| Publisher | EA Sports |
| Platforms | Sega Mega Drive/Genesis,Amiga,DOS,N-Gage,32X,Mega-CD/Sega CD,Master System,Game Gear,Sega Saturn,GameCube,Gizmondo,PlayStation,PlayStation 2,PlayStation 3,PlayStation 4,PlayStation 5,PlayStation Portable,PlayStation Vita,Super NES,Nintendo 64,Nintendo DS,Nintendo 3DS,Wii,Wii U,Nintendo Switch,Game Boy,Game Boy Color,Game Boy Advance,3DO Interactive Multiplayer,Microsoft Windows,iOS,Java Platform, Micro Edition,Android,Xperia Play,Xbox 360,Xbox,Xbox One,Xbox Series X/S,Windows Phone,macOS,Zeebo,Stadia[1][2][3][4] |
| Original release | Annually, 1993–2022 |
| First release | FIFA International Soccer 15 December 1993 |
| Latest release | FIFA 23 30 September 2022 |
FIFA is afootball simulation video game franchise developed byEA Vancouver andEA Romania and published byEA Sports. As of 2011, theFIFA franchise has been localised into 18 languages and available in 51 countries. Listed inGuinness World Records as the best-sellingsports video game franchise in the world, theFIFA series has sold more than 325 million copies as of 2021.[5] On 10 May 2022, it was announced that EA andFIFA's partnership of 30 years would come to an end upon the termination of their licensing agreement, makingFIFA 23 the last entry to the franchise under theFIFA name. As a successor to theFIFA series, EA launched theEA Sports FC franchise, withEA Sports FC 24 being the first installment under the new name.[6]
Football video games such asTehkan World Cup,Sensible Soccer,Kick Off andMatch 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 withFIFA International Soccer on theSega Mega Drive in late 1993, it was notable for being the first to have an official license fromFIFA, the world governing body of football. The main series has been complemented by additional installments based on single major tournaments, such as theFIFA World Cup,UEFA Champions League,UEFA Europa League andUEFA European Football Championship, as well as a series of football management titles. Since the 1990s, the franchise's main competitor has beenKonami'seFootball series (formerly known asPro Evolution Soccer, orPES).
The last release featuredKylian Mbappé, who appeared on the front cover of the series for the three consecutive years betweenFIFA 21 andFIFA 23, as the face of the franchise.Chelsea Women forwardSam Kerr appears alongside Mbappé on the ultimate edition, becoming the first female footballer in franchise history to do so. InEA Sports FC 24, the inaugural installment of the succeedingEA Sports FC franchise,Erling Haaland appeared on the covers of both the standard and ultimate editions.[7] Previous cover stars includeEden Hazard, who was the face ofFIFA 20, as well asCristiano Ronaldo, the cover star ofFIFA 18 andFIFA 19.Lionel Messi appeared on four straight covers fromFIFA 13 toFIFA 16.Wayne Rooney starred on seven covers of the series: every game fromFIFA 06 toFIFA 12.Ronaldinho appeared alongside Rooney on four of these (FIFA 06 toFIFA 09), and he also appeared on the cover ofFIFA Football 2004,FIFA Street andFIFA Street 3.[8] Since the release ofFIFA Mobile in 2016, midfielderKevin de Bruyne and forwardsMarco Reus (who also appeared on the cover ofFIFA 17), Hazard, Ronaldo,Neymar,Paulo Dybala, Mbappé andVinícius Júnior have appeared on the cover.[9]The cover star of the game usually tends to have the highest OVR rating.
FIFA 12 holds the record for the "fastest selling sports game ever" with more than 3.2 million games sold and more than $186 million generated at retail in its first week of release.[10] The franchise's final release under EA Sports,FIFA 23, was released worldwide on 27 September 2022. It is available for multiple gaming systems, including thePlayStation 4 andXbox One.
| 1993 | FIFA International Soccer |
|---|---|
| 1994 | FIFA Soccer 95 |
| 1995 | FIFA Soccer 96 |
| 1996 | FIFA 97 |
| 1997 | FIFA: Road to World Cup 98 |
| FIFA 64 | |
| 1998 | FIFA World Cup 98 |
| FIFA 99 | |
| 1999 | FIFA 2000 |
| 2000 | FIFA 2001 |
| 2001 | FIFA Football 2002 |
| 2002 | 2002 FIFA World Cup |
| FIFA Football 2003 | |
| 2003 | FIFA Football 2004 |
| 2004 | FIFA Football 2005 |
| 2005 | FIFA Street |
| FIFA 06 | |
| 2006 | FIFA Street 2 |
| 2006 FIFA World Cup | |
| FIFA 07 | |
| 2007 | FIFA 08 |
| 2008 | FIFA Street 3 |
| FIFA 09 | |
| 2009 | FIFA 10 |
| 2010 | 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa |
| FIFA 11 | |
| 2011 | FIFA 12 |
| 2012 | FIFA Street |
| FIFA 13 | |
| 2013 | FIFA 14 |
| FIFA World | |
| 2014 | 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil |
| FIFA 15 | |
| 2015 | FIFA 16 |
| 2016 | FIFA 17 |
| FIFA Mobile | |
| 2017 | FIFA 18 |
| 2018 | FIFA 19 |
| 2019 | FIFA 20 |
| 2020 | FIFA 21 |
| 2021 | FIFA 22 |
| 2022 | FIFA 23 |
WhileFIFA 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 theFIFPro license, thePlayStation,PC,32X andSega Saturn versions used EA's "Virtual Stadium" engine, with 2Dsprite players moving around areal-time 3D stadium.FIFA 97 improved on this withpolygonal models for players and added anindoor soccer mode, but an early pinnacle was reached withFIFA: 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 was EA's first officially licensed tournament game.
John Motson was the first commentator for theFIFA series, and has worked alongsideAlly McCoist,Andy Gray,Des Lynam,Mark Lawrenson andChris Waddle. Motson first joined the franchise forFIFA 96; he and McCoist were replaced by Gray andClive Tyldesley forFIFA 06 but later returned forFIFA Manager 08.Martin Tyler was the default commentator for theFIFA series from 2006 to 2020, alongside Andy Gray between 2006 and 2010 andAlan Smith from 2011 to 2020.[11]Derek Rae andLee Dixon appear inFIFA 19 as commentators for UEFA competitions, and alternate with Tyler and Smith in all competitions inFIFA 20. Rae and Dixon became the sole English-language commentators inFIFA 21, replacing Tyler and Smith. InFIFA 22 andFIFA 23,Stewart Robson serves as Derek Rae's co-commentator, replacing Dixon.Guy Mowbray andSue Smith were introduced as a new commentary duo inEA Sports FC 24, alternating with Derek Rae and Stewart Robson.
FIFA games have been met with some minor criticism; such as improvements each game features over its predecessor. As the console market expanded,FIFA was challenged directly by other titles, most notablyKonami'sPro Evolution Soccer (PES) series.[12] The rivalry between both franchises since the 1990s has been considered the "greatest rivalry" in the history of sports video games. WhileFIFA initially had a more "arcade-style" approach,PES was more of a footballsimulation video game series with "faster-paced tactical play" and more variedemergent gameplay, which led toPES rivalingFIFA in sales during the 2000s. EA responded by borrowing gameplay elements fromPES in order to improveFIFA, which led toFIFA pulling ahead commercially by a significant margin in the early 2010s.[13][14] BothFIFA andPro Evolution Soccer have a large following, butFIFA sales were rising by as much as 23 percent year-on-year in the early 2010s.[10]
By 2000, theFIFA series had sold more than16 million units worldwide, making it the best-selling association football video game series.[15] In 2010, theFIFA series had sold more than 100 million copies, making it the best-selling sports video game franchise in the world and the most profitableEA Sports title.[16][10] WithFIFA 12 selling 3.2 million copies in the first week after its 27 September North American debut in 2011, EA Sports dubbed it "the most successful launch in EA Sports history".[10]
In 2012, EA Sports signedLionel Messi to theFIFA franchise, luring him away from the competitorPro Evolution Soccer. Messi's likeness was then immediately placed on the cover ofFIFA Street. In 2013, the Spanish professional women's footballerVero Boquete started a petition onChange.org, which called upon Electronic Arts to introduce female players in theFIFA series. The petition attracted 20,000 signatures in 24 hours.[17]FIFA 16, released on 25 September 2015, included female national teams.[18]
In 2018, Steve Boxer ofThe Guardian calledFIFA 18 "the slickest, most polished and by far the most popular football game around" and "football [video] games' equivalent of thePremier League". He praised the game's FIFAUltimate Team, which "encourages you to purchasePanini-sticker-like player packs to build up a dream team", adding the series has "an excellent Journey mode that lets you control an aspiring pro and build him up to an international superstar, and a Career mode that lets you control your favourite team on and off the field."[12] Thesixth best-selling video game franchise, by 2021, theFIFA series had sold more than 325 million copies.[5]
The latest installments in the series contain many exclusively licensed leagues including leagues and teams from around the world, including the GermanBundesliga and2. Bundesliga, EnglishPremier League andEFL Championship, ItalianSerie A andSerie B, SpanishLa Liga andLa Liga 2, FrenchLigue 1 andLigue 2, PortuguesePrimeira Liga, TurkishSüper Lig, DutchEredivisie,Scottish Premiership, theSwiss Super League,Russian Premier League, PolishEkstraklasa, MexicanLiga MX, AmericanMajor League Soccer, South KoreanK-League, JapaneseJ1 League, theChinese Super League,Saudi Professional League, AustralianA-League,Chilean Primera División, BrazilianCampeonato Brasileiro Série A, ArgentineLiga Profesional de Fútbol, allowing the use of real leagues, clubs and player names and likenesses within the games. Popular clubs from around the world, including some teams fromGreece, theIndian Super League,Ukraine andSouth Africa, are also included, without those nations' entire leagues. They are available in the "Rest of World" section.
As EA Sports and FIFA had failed to reach an agreement over licensing fees for the use of the FIFA name,FIFA 23 became the last installment of the game developed by EA Sports under the name. EA Sports continued to release football games under the titleEA Sports FC beginning in 2023, while FIFA has stated an intention to enter a partnership with a new developer to produce "the only authentic, real game that has the FIFA name" in 2024. FIFA presidentGianni Infantino stated, "I can assure you that the only authentic, real game that has the FIFA name will be the best one available for gamers and football fans." He added that "the FIFA name is the only global, original title. FIFA 23, FIFA 24, FIFA 25 and FIFA 26, and so on – the constant is the FIFA name and it will remain forever and remain the best."[19] In October 2024, FIFA partnered withKonami to host twoFIFAe World Cup editions in Konami'seFootball.[20]EA Sports FC 24 featured exclusive partnerships with thePremier League,La Liga,Ligue 1,Bundesliga,Serie A, andMLS.[21]
Known asEA Soccer during development and sometimes subsequently also known asFIFA '94,[22] the first game in the series was released for theSega Mega Drive in the weeks leading up to Christmas 1993. This greatly hyped football title broke with traditional16-bit era games by presenting anisometric view rather than the more usual top-down view (Kick Off), side view (European Club Soccer), or bird's eye view (Tehkan World Cup andSensible Soccer). It only includesnational teams, and real player names are not used. A notorious bug allows the player to score by standing in front of thegoalkeeper so that the ball rebounds off him into the net. The game was number one in the UK charts, replacingStreet Fighter II Special Champion Edition, and staying there for a full six months.[23]Mega placed the game at #11 in their Top 50 Mega Drive Games of All Time.[24] 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. This version was ranked No. 7 on theMega list of the "Top 10 Mega CD Games of All Time".[24] The game on the 3DO console sported pseudo-3D cameras and it was the most graphically advanced version.[25] The game is also playable on thePlayStation 2 version ofFIFA 06. It was made in celebration for the1994 FIFA World Cup held in the United States – especially noticeable in the Super NES version which, despite having a smaller team selection than the Genesis version, had three exclusive teams which qualified for the real-life tournament:Bolivia,Saudi Arabia andSouth Korea. The game was calledInternational Soccer so EA could sell the game successfully in Europe, after assuming Americans would have no interest in the game.[26]
Using the same engine with only minor touch-ups,[27]FIFA 95 introduced club teams to the series within eight national leagues: Brazil, Germany'sBundesliga, Italy'sSerie A, Spain'sLa Liga, England'sPremier League, France'sLigue 1, Netherlands'Eredivisie and the United States. Most of the leagues have team lineups based on the 1993–94 season, and the teams, although recognisably real, all still have generic players, many of them even returning from the previous game. The USA League consists of teams and players from theA-League, the country's second division – subsequent editions would feature "artificial" division one leagues, a feature not corrected until the 2000 edition, whenMajor League Soccer was included for the first time. In addition, the Brazilian league contained only teams fromSão Paulo andRio de Janeiro states, with the exception ofInternacional, fromRio Grande do Sul—it would not be untilFIFA 07 thatCampeonato Brasileiro represented the country. The game eliminates the one-touch passing seen in the originalFIFA International Soccer.[27] This was also the only game in the main series not to be released in more than one platform (counting spin-offs, onlyFIFA 64 and certain versions of theFIFA Manager series share this distinction).
This is the firstFIFA game to feature real-time 3D graphics on theSega Saturn,PlayStation andPC 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 inFIFA 99), and the American league consisted of entirely fictitious teams and rosters (Major League Soccer had been inaugurated for only a few months as of the game's release, but it would only start to appear in the games as ofFIFA 2000). TheSNES andMega Drive versions use an updated version ofFIFA 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 andfifth-generation versions only). Also, in addition to the eight national leagues of the previous game, three leagues debuted in the game:Scottish Football League Premier Division,Allsvenskan andSuper League Malaysia, a lineup that would stay for the next two editions as well. This was also the firstFIFA game to have a proper introduction.
The biggest change inFIFA '97 was the inclusion of 6-a-sideindoor soccer mode and polygonal players, withmotion capture provided byDavid 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 byJohn Motson, partnered byAndy Gray, withDes 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 stadia, improvedartificial 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 thereferee's strictness, allowing somefouls to go un-noticed or without punishment.
Additionally, for the first time in a FIFA game, theoffside 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 ofFIFA 98 corrects this so that the game would only award afree 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 licensed soundtrack, with "Song 2" byBlur used as the intro track for the game. It was the lastFIFA game to be released on the 16-bit consoles that the series had originated on.
This version of the FIFA series contained over 40 "classic" teams, so that gamers could play as retired football legends.
It marked the introduction ofMajor League Soccer, replacing the fictitious "American" league previously included, as well as national leagues fromDenmark,Greece,Israel,Norway andTurkey (thoughGalatasaray is not present in the game), albeit removing the Portuguese Liga.
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.
The opening video forFIFA 2000 featuresSol Campbell performing motion capture duties for the game, then having his likeness computer-generated to play against a retro side from 1904, the year of the inauguration ofFIFA. The game also includedPort Vale, the club supported by Williams, in the "Rest of the World" section (they were in theFootball League First Division at the time, and while the concept of post-seasonpromotion and relegation was introduced in this edition, teams from lower league tiers were only selectable starting withFIFA 2004).
This title had a new graphics engine from FIFA Soccer World Championship 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 entireAustrian Bundesliga and KoreanK-League as playable leagues for the first time, albeit removing 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 (such a feature already existed in the Super NES version of the first game, but it was not in all versions of the game). FIFA 2001 was the first version (for the PC) that could be played online, which was revolutionary, and the first game in the franchise on a6th generation video game console in USA and Europe.
The PlayStation version ofFIFA 2001 received a "Gold" sales award from theEntertainment and Leisure Software Publishers Association (ELSPA),[28] indicating sales of at least 200,000 copies in the United Kingdom.[29]
ForFIFA 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 asPSV,Ajax andFeyenoord, 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, theSwiss Super League, at the cost of excluding the Greek League. A card reward system licensed fromPanini 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 the2002 World Cup (France,Japan andSouth Korea), in which the player tries to improve the FIFA ranking of their chosen team by participating in international friendlies. Playing with other national teams will allow the player to play through their respective zones' qualifying rounds (except for Oceania and Africa, whose confederations are not represented in full).
FIFA Football 2002 was the final game in the main series to feature theJapanese national team, as theJapan Football Association would sell its exclusive rights toKonami during 2002, thereby depriving not onlyFIFA, but all other football games in the market (with the exception of EA's World Cup spin-offs), from using its lineup and likeness (Japanese players in foreign markets continued to be featured in the series, though) untilFIFA 17.
FIFA Football 2003 added features completely new gameplay from the previous titles. EA revamped the outdatedDirectX 7 graphics used inFIFA 2001 and2002, and introduced new graphics featuring more detailed stadia, players, and kits. Club Championship Mode was introduced with the feature of playing against 17 of Europe's top clubs in their own stadia 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 teammates. Other additions include greater likenesses of players such as Thierry Henry and Ronaldinho, as well as realistic player responses. AnXbox version was added to the Windows and PlayStation 2, whereas the original PlayStation version was dropped.FIFA Football 2003 was also the first game in the series to use theEA Trax.EA Trax is the exclusive music menu system that has been used ever since in all FIFA titles.
While not adding much to the game engine, the biggest new inclusion inFIFA 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 bothFIFA 2004 andTotal Club Manager 2004 to play games fromTCM inFIFA 2004. This is also the firstFIFA game to feature Latin American club teams aside from those of the Brazilian League; there are four from Mexico (América,Toluca,Monterrey andUNAM; a fifth team,Tigres UANL, is present only in the Game Boy Advance version) and two from Argentina (Boca Juniors andRiver Plate). The title sequence, featuringRonaldinho,Thierry Henry andAlessandro Del Piero, was filmed atSt James' Park, the home ground ofNewcastle United.
FIFA Football 2005 was released much earlier than the usual late October date to obtain a head start overPro Evolution Soccer 4 and avoid clashing with EA Sports' ownFIFA 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 fullMexican League. The game has no opening video, but its soundtrack is headlined by British DJPaul Oakenfold, who composed theFIFA Theme especially for the game, using some sounds from the game such asartificial crowd noise 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 ofFIFA, 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 fromMatch of the Day'sJohn Motson and (more recently)Ally McCoist, who are replaced byITV'sClive Tyldesley and formerSky Sports punditAndy Gray, who had already worked in the series as guest commentator.
One of the new features inFIFA 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 theFIFA 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 theFIFA 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 theCardiffMillennium Stadium as their primary ground. These clubs must be unlocked in the "Fan Shop".
The Xbox 360 version, titledFIFA 06: Road to FIFA World Cup, featured only national teams and a brand-new engine taking advantage of the Xbox 360's graphical capabilities. It was the first FIFA game on aseventh-generation console.
The main differences from the previous game are a new "Interactive Leagues" function, new stadia such as the newWembley Stadium andEmirates Stadium, and the ability to create custom teams andSüper Lig returns after seven years of absence from the series. The game's front-end and graphics engine remain largely the same. TheXbox 360 version, now a full-fledged conversion of the game, 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. This was the last title released for theGameCube,Xbox andGame Boy Advance.
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 theLeague of Ireland, and theHyundai A-League ofAustralia, for the first time. UnlikeFIFA 06 and07 however,FIFA 08 does not include any memorable moments or season highlights.This edition introduced the Practice Arena Feature that allowed training and improving the dribbling, shooting, or practicing free kicks and penalties while on the practice pitch.
It was the first game in the franchise forPlayStation 3 andWii, the latter introducing motion controls for shooting, as well as three mini-games that make use of theWii 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 inFIFA 09, with a feature called "FIFA 09 Clubs" allowing players to form or join clubs and field their strongest team online. The game is the first in theFIFA series to feature user-controlledgoal celebrations.[30]FIFA 09 has met with generally positive reception from reviewers.
Clive Tyldesley andAndy Gray again provide the commentary in the English version. However, in the PS3 and Xbox 360 versions of the game, Tyldesley is replaced byMartin Tyler. For the first time, users can also purchase extra commentator voices in different languages from thePlayStation Store (PlayStation 3) andXbox Live Marketplace (Xbox 360).[31] Another option for the English language is Tyldesley andAndy Townsend.
FIFA 10 has an extended Manager Mode which includes a newAssistant 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 stadia and 31 leagues, among which theRussian 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 28 September 2010 in North America and 1 October 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, Player 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 fourth time byMartin Tyler andAndy Gray.Landon Donovan,Kaká andCarlos Vela feature on the cover of the North American version of the game, while Kaká andWayne Rooney feature on the cover of the UK and Irish version. Aside from Kaká and Rooney,Petr Čech andAndrés Iniesta are also prominently featured in the game, appearing in in-game screens like the menus of the PC version.
David Rutter, the line producer forFIFA 12, has promised "a revolutionary year forFIFA... especially in the gameplay department."[32] The first screenshot was revealed on 11 April, featuring Brazilian midfielderKaká running through the field.[33]
FIFA 12 is the first edition of the series to featureArabic commentary. TheCzech First League and TurkishSüper Lig are removed from the game (though Turkish sideGalatasaray is still featured) and a third Argentine team,Racing Club de Avellaneda, is added to the Rest of World bracket. TheXbox 360 and thePlayStation 3 were the main consoles for the game, and for the first time, the PC version was feature-identical. In May, EA announced that aNintendo 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 thatFIFA 12 would be released onPlayStation 2. On 7 June, it was confirmed that theiPhone,iPad andiPod 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.[34] During the demo launch on 13 September 2011, bothFIFA 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 theMac OS X operating system byTransGaming.[35] In March 2012,FIFA Football was released as a launch title for thePS Vita, which despite the different name was a port ofFIFA 12.
New features include:[36]
On Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, the game is the first of the series compatible withKinect andPlayStation Move, respectively. The game also features theSaudi Professional League, the first time Arabic football is represented in the series[39] (whileFIFA 2000 did include club teams from the Arab world, it was generic teams with non-distinctive uniforms). It is the onlyFIFA title to be released on theWii U.
New features include:
For the newest generation of video game consolesPlayStation 4 andXbox One, the game showcases a new engine, Ignite, which allows not only for graphical enhancements, like shifting weather conditions and dynamic environment, but also for changes in gameplay, with features like Human Intelligence (which brings the AI closer to real player behavior) and True Player Motion (which gives the players more realistic animations). Also, all versions have an all-new Co-op Seasons online mode, in which two players can play a season for the same team. As for the team selection, the game features, for the first time, the top leagues fromArgentina,Chile andColombia, the first time South American leagues other than the Brazilian one are featured in a FIFA game.
The PC version does not feature the Ignite engine (which will be exclusive to the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One releases); rather than that, they will feature the Impact engine, same as used in thePlayStation 3 andXbox 360 versions (which the PC versions have been using since11), with minor improvements. This is reportedly due toElectronic Arts' claims that most PC players do not own a machine powerful enough for the Ignite engine, therefore it would only be featured in the next edition.[46] This is the last FIFA game to be released for thePlayStation Portable and FIFA 14 would eventually become the last PlayStation 2 game produced and released in South America. The game features new signaturegoal celebrations from a number of players includingCristiano Ronaldo,Gareth Bale andLionel Messi, among others.[47][48]
This is the last title for the Wii and handhelds. The Windows version used the new engine (Ignite Engine) for the first time, which is the same as PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. The first edition released during EA's deal with the English Premier League as Official Sports Technology Partner. This deal allows all 20Premier League stadiums to be included in the game as well as official Premier League scoreboards and television graphics.[49] FIFA's exclusive access to Premier League clubs allowed detailed photography of all 20 stadiums so they could be authentically recreated, with the cheers, chants and sounds of more than 20 Premier League matches also recorded.[49] Since this game any club promoted to the Premier League has had their stadium added. Due to licensing troubles with Brazilian players, this was the first game in the main series that did not feature a Brazilian league in any form.FIFA 15 also brought back the TurkishSüper Lig to the series after it was initially removed with the release ofFIFA 12.[50]
FIFA 16 was the first title in the series to include female athletes and national teams.[51] After the complications in the previous edition, some Brazilian teams - except for those which had exclusivity deals with Konami's rivalPro Evolution Soccer series - agreed to lend their visual identities (badges, names and kits) to the game, but no such agreement was reached with players due to the decentralization of player image rights in Brazil; as a result, the Brazilian teams are placed in the Rest of World block (being given their own incomplete league slot in subsequent editions), with their rosters comprised completely by fictional players (although real players were featured until the March 2016 updates), unlike all other clubs and most national teams.
FIFA 17 is the first video game in theFIFA series to use the Frostbite game engine and also the first to implement a story mode, namely, "The Journey".[52] It also features the JapaneseJ1 League for the first time, the first time ever a football game for the international market features the league.[53]
FIFA 18 is the first title to featureUltimate Team ICONS on all systems including PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC. The game also features the third tier of German football,3. Liga, theIceland andSaudi Arabia national football teams, both the men's and women's national New Zealand teams and has theTurkish Super League after EA renewed its licence with them. EA Sports introduced Quick Subs intoFIFA 18 where the player can make a substitute when the ball goes out of play.[56] TheCruyff turn – afeint named after 1970s Dutch starJohan Cruyff – is one of the four new skills added to the game.[57] A post-launch update for the Xbox One, PS4, PC and Switch versions added the2018 FIFA World Cup, with the inclusion ofWorld Cup Ultimate Team to theFIFA series, in which it's a separate mode from the mainUltimate Team mode.
FIFA 19 introducesall UEFA club competitions to the game.[60]Martin Tyler and Alan Smith return as regular commentators, while the new commentary team ofDerek Rae andLee Dixon feature in the UEFA Champions League.[58] ComposerHans Zimmer and rapperVince Staples recorded a new remix of theUEFA Champions League anthem specifically forFIFA 19, and it featured in the reveal trailer.[61] The character Alex Hunter (who first appeared inFIFA 17) returns for the third and final instalment of "The Journey."[58] The game includes theChinese Super League, the first FIFA title to do so.[62][63] The game is programmed with new kick off modes – house rule, survival mode, no rules, long range, header and volley, and first to mode.[64]
A new feature inFIFA 20 titledVolta Football brings back previousFIFA Street-style elements, providing a variance on the traditional Pro Clubs gameplay. It will include the ability to play 3v3 Rush (no goalkeepers), 4v4, 4v4 Rush, 5v5 and professionalfutsal modes. The game places an emphasis on skill and independent play, rather than tactical or team-play. The player is also able to customise their own player; aside from selecting gender, the players will also have a variety of clothes and accessories to choose from, ranging from shoes and clothes to hats and tattoos. The Pro Clubs mode has also changed, with more 1-on-1s encouraged, more off-the-ball space creation, as well as new penalty and free-kick mechanics.Juventus were not inFIFA 20 as they signed a partnership deal withPES 2020; they were called Piemonte Calcio inFIFA 20.[68]Liverpool announced a "long-term" partnership withFIFA.[68] Since the start of the 2020 season, EA Sports signed the deal withCONMEBOL to become the latest exclusive partner of theCONMEBOL club competitions which include theCONMEBOL Libertadores andRecopa as well as the second-tierCONMEBOL Sudamericana, available on the content update in March 2020.[69]
Following a November 2020 announcement by Canadian actorRyan Reynolds and American actorRob McElhenney that they would be taking over the club through the RR McReynolds Company LLC,[70]Wrexham were included in as part of the "Rest of World" section, becoming the first evernon-League team to be featured in the series.[71] They were last inFIFA 08 when they were relegated fromLeague 2 to theNational League. A post-launch update allows players on Xbox Series X/S, PS5 and Stadia to test out the cross-play feature as well as the inauguralUEFA Europa Conference League to the latest list of theUEFA club competitions.
The last game in the series under the partnership with EA Sports and FIFA,FIFA 23 featuresWorld Cup andWomen's World Cup modes available post-launch. It keeps modes such as Ultimate Team and Career, and licenses to the major European leagues and players, clubs, and stadiums. This latest installment features playablewomen's domestic leagues for very first time in the franchise history, such as theFA Women's Super League in England,Frauen-Bundesliga in Germany,Division 1 Féminine in France and theNational Women's Soccer League in the U.S.[73][74] Cross-play between Xbox Series X/S, PS5, PC and Stadia players, as well as Xbox One and PS4 players, is supported at launch. It released on 30 September 2022.[19]The game features fictional club AFC Richmond from theApple TV+ seriesTed Lasso. On September 22, 2023, EA Sports launched EA Sports FC, serving as the direct successor to their former FIFA series.
A series offree-to-playmassively multiplayer onlineFIFA games specifically for the Asian market.
In 1997, Electronic Arts purchased the licence fromFIFA to publish official FIFA World Cup video games prior to each tournament. Starting from FIFA 18, the World Cup mode was included asdownloadable content inside the main game.
Similar toFIFA World Cup games, in 2000, EA purchased the license fromUEFA to publish officialEuropean Championship video games prior to each tournament.
In 2002, EA acquired the license for theUEFA Champions League. Two games were released, in 2005 and 2007 when EA weren't due to release an international title, beforeKonami bought the licence in 2008. In April 2018Konami lost the official license. In June 2018 it became official that EA bought the license forFIFA 19.[85]
FIFA Street is a spin-off franchise introduced in 2005 which focuses on flair, style and trickery, reflecting the cultures ofstreet football andfreestyle football played on the streets and backlots across the world.
Since 1997, EA Sports have regularly releasedfootball management games, most of which have made use of their FIFA or FA Premier League licenses in their titles. Some of these games were developed by EA themselves, though some have been developed by third parties such asKrisalis Software and Bright Future GmbH.
FIFA Mobile is the first mobile game ofFIFA to use the new attack mode, live events, leagues, player plans, and program packs. It features seasonal programs for players to obtain different packs and players by completing different plans, live events, and achievements.EA later reworked attack mode toVS Attack on their 6.0.1 update on 19 May 2017.[86] Beginning 1 November 2017, a new mode called "campaign" was introduced, where players face different teams from around the world, from tiny amateur clubs to the best professional clubs in the world. The ability to improve players by "training" them was also introduced. The game also features Live Events themed on recent real world events, as well as mini games based on skills such as shooting, passing, dribbling and goalkeeping.[87][88]
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