Imagine you're playing the EA Sports adaptation of your favorite sport. Now imagine you're wading through career mode and you're smack in the middle of an intense season; you're totally involved. The house could burn down around you but you wouldn't notice because you're desperately trying to plug a hole in your lineup.
Now imagine how hard you get pulled out of that immersion when you come across something that doesn't jibe with the real-world. For example, for me, it was very jarring to be asked to praise or unnerve Andre Villas-Boas every time I played Chelsea (he was fired midway through last season but remains Chelsea's manager for all eternity in FIFA 12).
FIFA Soccer 13 seeks to ease these moments where reality stabs your little universe in the neck with EA Sports Football Club Match Day. Football Club Match Day connects FIFA 13 to the real world so that real injuries, trends in form, suspension, and gossip will find their way into your game, both on the field and in the commentary booth.
Well, this only makes me more excited for FIFA Soccer 13. September 25 can't get here fast enough.
For full details, follow the jump.
Real-World Injuries, Suspensions, Team Form, And Media Gossip To Play Out In-Game.
COLOGNE, Germany ?? Aug. 14, 2012 ?? Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: EA) announced today that EA SPORTS?? has developed a new feature for FIFA Soccer 13 called EA SPORTS Football Club Match Day that will drive the deepest and most meaningful connection yet between a videogame and the real world of sport ever achieved. FIFA Soccer 13 and the real-world soccer season will be completely connected for the world??s top leagues. EA SPORTS Football Club Match Day will drive real-world news ripped from the headlines around the world into FIFA Soccer 13. Real-world drama such as injuries, suspensions, team form, and media gossip will be reflected through in-game commentary and play out in-game.
??This is a huge technological innovation that will make every match feel like a seamless extension of the headlines ripped from the sports pages around the world,?? said David Rutter, Executive Producer of FIFA Soccer 13. ??There is nothing bigger in the world of sports than match day. It brings together the emotions, passion and drama of the world??s sport for players, pundits, managers and fans alike. We are going to capture that experience and bring it to life in-game.??
Through EA SPORTS Football Club Match Day, fans will be following the heartbeat of soccer and their favourite club. Real-world fixtures and upcoming clashes of their favourite club in the top leagues will enable them to play right along with the beats of the season. Player form??displayed in detail within the team management screens??will change frequently, so players in form, or players struggling to keep form, will see their stats change throughout the season based on their real-world performances. Plus, Games of the Week will highlight the top global matchups for fans to enjoy.
EA SPORTS Football Club Match Day will be available for the PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system, Xbox 360® videogame and entertainment system, and PC, and will be included in a FIFA Soccer 13 demo for all three platforms that will launch around the world on September 11.
EA SPORTS also revealed today that it has expanded its most popular and addictive online* mode, now called Seasons, to include 2v2 guest ranked online play where friends can battle together in ten game seasons to win promotion in league divisions. Division Titles have been added to every division, and a new Trophy Cabinet enables champions to showcase their silverware. Players can perfect their line-up and tactics across multiple Seasons matches, save the squads, and use them for every match. Plus, new match-making options enable fans to fine tune their Seasons experience.
The popular Seasons format has also been developed for FIFA Ultimate Team, bringing ranked online play with seasons, promotions, and relegation to the mode for the first time. In FIFA Ultimate Team fans can earn, buy, trade and bid for coveted players to build a team of the world??s best soccer stars. Fans can create and manage multiple squads and take them into competition in online and single-player tournaments. It??s now easier than ever to play Ultimate Team with a re-designed navigation system and the Icebreaker Flow, enabling inexperienced players to choose a team captain, such as Messi, Karim Benzema, Jakub Blaszczykowski or Claudio Marchisio, to begin a guided Ultimate Team journey.
Winner of the prestigious E3 Game Critics award for ??Best Sports Game??, FIFA Soccer 13 captures the unpredictability of the real-world sport, ensuring no two matches are ever the same. The game features breakthrough gameplay innovations such as FIFA 13 First Touch Control and the Player Impact Engine that create a true battle for possession across the entire pitch, and features like Complete Dribbling and Attacking Intelligence that deliver freedom and creativity in attack. FIFA 13 is Football's Social Network, where fans connect, compete and share with millions of others around the world.
FIFA Soccer 13 will be available in stores on September 25 in North America and September 28 in the rest of the world for the PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system with PlayStation Move support, Xbox 360® videogame and entertainment system with Kinect??, PlayStation®Vita handheld entertainment system, Wii??, PC, PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system, Nintendo 3DS??, and PSP® (PlayStation®Portable) system and later this year on Nintendo WiiU??. The game will also be available on the App Store for iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, and later this year on Android. The game has not yet been rated.
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EA SPORTS is one of the leading sports entertainment brands in the world, with top-selling videogame franchises, award-winning interactive technology, fan programs and cross-platform digital experiences. EA SPORTS creates connected experiences that ignite the emotion of sports through industry-leading sports videogames, including Madden NFL football, FIFA, NHL® hockey, NBA LIVE basketball, NCAA® Football, Tiger Woods PGA TOUR® golf, SSX??, and Fight Night boxing. For more information about EA SPORTS, including news, video, blogs, forums and game apps, please visit
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About Electronic Arts
Electronic Arts (NASDAQ: EA) is a global leader in digital interactive entertainment. The Company delivers games, content and online services for Internet-connected consoles, personal computers, mobile phones, tablets and social networks. EA has more than 220 million registered players and operates in 75 countries.
In fiscal 2012, EA posted GAAP net revenue of $4.1 billion. Headquartered in Redwood City, California, EA is recognized for a portfolio of critically acclaimed, high-quality blockbuster brands such as The Sims??, Madden NFL, FIFA Soccer, Need for Speed??, Battlefield?? and Mass Effect??. More information about EA is available at http://info.ea.com.
EA SPORTS, The Sims, SSX and Need for Speed are trademarks of Electronic Arts Inc. Mass Effect is a trademark of EA International (Studio and Publishing) Ltd. Battlefield is a trademark of EA Digital Illusions CE AB. Official FIFA licensed product. "© The FIFA name and OLP Logo are copyright or trademark protected by FIFA. All rights reserved." Manufactured under license by Electronic Arts Inc. John Madden, NFL, NBA, NCAA, Tiger Woods and PGA TOUR and FIFA are the property of their respective owners and used with permission. ??PlayStation?? and ??PSP?? are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. KINECT and Xbox 360 are trademarks of the Microsoft group of companies and are used under license from Microsoft. WiiU and Nintendo 3DS are trademarks of Nintendo. iPad, iPod and iPhone are trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries.
