FIFA 10 KEEPS IT REAL BY LISTENING TO FANS

Jun 7 2009 by Gary Beckwith, Sunday Sun

EVERY year football game fans wait with baited breath for EA’s announcement of the new features and improvements to their big-selling FIFA game.

Unfortunately, this year Newcastle United fans have to deal with the harsh reality – or is that virtually reality – that their team will not feature in the games version of the Premiership.

For as long as I can remember, I’ve picked up FIFA, chosen Newcastle as my team, picked the squad as I deem fit then thrashed it out with the rest of the teams in the Premiership.

Will having to pick a squad to play against the likes of Preston North End and Blackpool make the game more interesting?

Probably . . . you may have to play it with the curtains drawn while battling it out in the Championship, just in case a wandering Mackem spots you, but the challenge of proving Newcastle can be promoted in the first season will prove irresistible

Newcastle United aside, EA have announced that 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 to date.

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. In attack, players analyse space more effectively, curve their runs in an attempt to stay onside, create passing lanes naturally, and drive for more variety in attacking options.

In defence, new concepts like position priority enable defenders to multi-task, so dangerous spaces left open by team mates 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.

Listening to feedback and addressing gamer frustrations has become a key part of the EA Sports strategy.

Better balance on lofted through balls, improved goalkeeper intelligence, more realistic shooting mechanics, a practice arena to perfect skills, and continuous play with quick free kicks, are just a few of the issues raised by fans and will apparently be addressed in FIFA 10. One of the more intriguing improvements will be the first-ever true 360° dribbling system, which 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 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 will also feature the ever-popular Manager Mode, with more than 50 major improvements.

Visit www.easports.co.uk/fifa for more screenshots and information.