| 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa | |
|---|---|
 North American cover art | |
| Developers | EA Canada (PS3, Xbox 360 & iOS)[3] HB Studios (Wii & PSP) |
| Publisher | EA Sports |
| Series | FIFA World Cup |
| Platforms | PlayStation 3 Xbox 360 Wii PlayStation Portable iOS |
| Release | iOS |
| Genre | Sports |
| Modes | Single-player,Multiplayer |
2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa is the officialvideo game for the2010 FIFA World Cup, published byEA Sports[1] and available to play oniOS and all majorseventh-generation platforms except theNintendo DS. Announced in January 2010 during an interview with one of the producers of the game, it was released April 27, 2010 inNorth America.[1] 199 of the 204 teams that took part in the2010 FIFA World Cup qualification are included in the game.
Players choose a team from the 199 nations available and compete against the computer or against other players through online gaming servicesPlayStation Network orXbox Live. All 10 official World Cup stadiums are available for play.[4]
EA announced that there would be gameplay improvements overFIFA 10, such as a higher rate of player fatigue for matches at higher altitudes, with an advantage to a home team who plays at a higher altitude against an away team who does not. EA also announced that players could get injured outside international matches.[5]
EA also announced that the "Captain Your Country" mode would return, similar to the "Be a Pro" mode,[6] and thatFIFA 10 owners can import their Virtual Pro for this purpose and then earn CYC Accomplishments and attribute boosts.[6] The game'spenalty kick mechanism was changed so that their outcome better reflected the player's own composure. In addition, the game's online multiplayer lobby system was limited to unranked head-to-head matches.[6] As in2006 FIFA World Cup, a "scenario" mode is included with 55 playable scenarios from past World Cup matches. Scenarios from the 2010 World Cup are also playable with an online update.[7]
The Wii version of the game features more stylised graphics and utilises a nuanced physics system to allow for more casual, arcade-style gameplay. This version supports multiple control schemes, including theClassic Controller. Exclusively in this version, players are required to usequick-time events to save free kicks or penalty shots, or to win possession of the ball after goal kicks and corner kicks. It is also possible for multiple players to take control of one team in that version.
The game includesClive Tyldesley andAndy Townsend as the commentators, who provide insight into both sides during matches.[8]
The included teams were confirmed by Electronic Arts on 17 February 2010.[9] The game contains 199 of the 204 national teams that took part in the2010 FIFA World Cup qualification phase. Electronic Arts stated that they have included every team thatFIFA have permitted them to use, with some others not being allowed for "various reasons".[9] The five teams that were in the draw for World Cup qualifying but are not included in the game are theCentral African Republic,Eritrea, andSão Tomé and Príncipe from Africa, and Asian teamsBhutan andGuam. All five withdrew from the qualifying stage before it began. Additionally, the game does not featureBrunei,Laos,Papua New Guinea, and thePhilippines, as they did not participate in World Cup qualification.
The game includesall 10 venues used at the 2010 FIFA World Cup, as well as stadiums from each qualifying region and a range of "generic" stadiums.[3][10]
2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa was in development for 12 months,[11] and had two separate teams working on it: gameplay team and core team. The gameplay team was led by Gary Patterson, the creative director for FIFA games. Meanwhile, the core team designed the game modes and audio/visual presentation, among other things. EA Sports wanted to shape World Cup in a way that it would be able to matchFIFA 10. They decided to release it as a standalone game, rather than downloadable content, citing the size, scope, and the uniqueness of the covered event.[12]
Because the game focused on a single event, EA Sports was trying to secure complete authenticity by working with FIFA and the host nation.[13] Several members went toSouth Africa and recorded thevuvuzela noise during actual football games in order to capture the atmosphere. Adding to the variety, each nation got its own fully rendered crowd in-game.[14] The developers were also influenced by African themes in other areas, such as the soundtrack and menus.[13]
The game was announced on 26 January 2010 in aGameSpot interview with the line producer of the game, Simon Humber,[1] with a slated release date for 27 April 2010 in North America, and 30 April 2010, in Asia and Europe.[3]
A playable demo was released forXbox 360 andPlayStation 3 on 8 April 2010.[15] It includesItaly andSpain as the playable teams,[15] and the ability to upload video replays to EA Football World.[16]
The game was pulled fromSaudi Arabia due to the soccer ball was translated asAllah, which refferd to God in the Arabic language, as Saudi players did not kickking it due to political and religious reasons.
The2010 FIFA World Cup soundtrack consists of 28 tracks by artists from 21 countries. According to Electronic Arts, it is intended to be a soundtrack that "celebrates the cultural vibrancy of the first FIFA World Cup to be held in Africa".[16] The headline track is "Wavin' Flag (Coca-Cola Celebration Mix)" byK'naan.[15]
| Aggregator | Score | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| iOS | PS3 | PSP | Wii | Xbox 360 | |
| GameRankings | 62.50%[33] | 82.82%[34] | 71.50%[35] | 69%[37] | 83.43%[36] |
| Metacritic | N/A | 82/100[38] | 69/100[39] | 70/100[41] | 83/100[40] |
| Publication | Score | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| iOS | PS3 | PSP | Wii | Xbox 360 | |
| Destructoid | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | 8/10[17] |
| Eurogamer | N/A | 8/10[18] | N/A | N/A | 8/10[18] |
| Game Informer | N/A | 8.5/10[19] | N/A | N/A | 8.5/10[19] |
| GameRevolution | N/A | A−[20] | N/A | N/A | A−[20] |
| GameSpot | N/A | 8.5/10[21] | 7.5/10[22] | 7/10[23] | 8.5/10[21] |
| GameTrailers | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | 9/10[24] |
| GameZone | N/A | 8.5/10[25] | N/A | 5/10[26] | N/A |
| IGN | 4.5/10[27] | (UK) 8.7/10[28] (US) 8.3/10[29] | 6/10[30] | 6.5/10[31] | (UK) 8.7/10[28] (US) 8.3/10[29] |
| The Daily Telegraph | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | 8/10[32] |
The game was met with positive to mixed reception.GameRankings andMetacritic gave it a score of 83.43% and 83 out of 100 for the Xbox 360 version;[36][40] 82.82% and 82 out of 100 for the PlayStation 3 version;[34][38] 71.50% and 69 out of 100 for the PSP version;[35][39] 69% and 70 out of 100 for the Wii version;[37][41] and 62.50% for the iOS version.[33]
As of May 2010, the game had sold nearly 2 million units worldwide.[42]
As of 2022, the game is generally considered to be the best of the modernEA SportsFIFA World Cup video games, as well as one of the greatest football games of all time.[43][44]
2010 FIFA World Cup finalists | |
|---|---|
| Champions | |
| Runners-up | |
| Third place | |
| Fourth place | |
| Quarter-finals | |
| Round of 16 | |
| Group stage | |
