Gamers get ready: EA Sports releases FIFA 11
By James Hill III
Video games are played almost universally across campus, and recently from EA sports one of the biggest international games was released: FIFA Soccer 11.
In the United States, (American) football is of the most popular sport, and the Madden NFL series has been amongst the most successful franchises sales-wise over the past two decades. However, in the wake of the 2010 FIFA World Cup, soccer is experiencing a surge in popularity across America. FIFA 11 has experienced the benefits of that surge, enjoying the biggest launch for a sports game in history, with over 2.6 million games sold and over $150 million generated through game sales and downloadable content within the game's first week.
With a Major League Soccer team (the San Jose Earthquakes) playing on campus, successful women's and men's soccer team, and a student body that falls within EA Sports' target demographic, FIFA is likely as popular at Santa Clara as anywhere else. When asked about FIFA 11, freshman Andrew Gigg said, "I believe FIFA 11 has shown a tremendous increase in popularity due to its realistic graphics and improved gameplay. I also believe it has increased interest in soccer to those previously unaware of how entertaining the sport is to play and watch."
This newest release from local gaming juggernaut EA Sports (their headquarters are located in Redwood City) builds on previous releases while also adding new features that have been popularly received. FIFA 11 features 31 leagues across 24 countries, including the USA's Major League Soccer, the English Premier League, Mexico's Primera División, and the one new addition to last year's roster, the Russian Premier League. Additionally, EA has refined the Career Mode, added full 360 degree dribbling, and enhanced passing by emphasizing the gamer's accuracy instead of simply allowing them to press a button.
The most notable additions are the new "Be a Goalkeeper" mode, the Personality Plus features, and full 11 on 11 online play. "Be a Goalkeeper" allows you to play a full game as the goalkeeper. Tutorials take you through the process and, though there's a lot of waiting during the game while the offense does their work, it's exhilarating to make a fingertips save of a blistering shot. I fired up the mode and played as US National Team star Tim Howard on his club team, Everton of the English Premier League, and though not being in direct control of the offense does take some getting used to, the mode was definitely fun. I have no doubt there will be goalkeeping specialists online who become the virtual equivalents of Santa Clara alum and Earthquakes goalkeeper Joe Cannon, Tim Howard, or Spain's recent World Cup winning captain Iker Casillas.
The aforementioned 11-on-11 online play allows for 22 different players from across the world to play as individuals on a full team. It makes for a chaotic yet interesting game, as, much like real soccer, 22 different minds and skill sets are forced to work together, within their predetermined roles, towards victory. Additionally, these players are all distinctly different due to Personality Plus. This new feature incorporates each soccer player's real life specialties and differences into FIFA 11. Though it's obviously more noticeable with the world's biggest stars, even the lesser-known players have their own individual styles.
Sophomore Angel Perez says, "Ever since the first FIFA, the game has evolved every year...they've added teams and improved graphics. But FIFA 11 is one of the best games in the series. We often have mini-tournaments in my dorm and, with the recent World Cup, soccer has become very popular throughout the school."
FIFA Soccer 11 manages to harness that popularity well. I personally am a relatively new citizen of the world of soccer; admittedly, FIFA Soccer 10 and EA Sports' 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa played a large role in that development, along with the actual World Cup. This year, FIFA 11 manages to be an addictive and accurate representation of soccer. Last year's iteration was one of the most critically acclaimed sports titles ever released. FIFA 11 doesn't reinvent the wheel, but it polishes the final product enough that anyone could have fun with this and notice the effort and improvements. Now if only they released a college soccer game...
Contact James at jhill@scu.edu or at (408) 551-1918.