No Fifa 09 at the E3 convention!

Fifa 09 will not be showed at E3 this year! But with my suggestion, I think Fifa 09 will be showed at the GC (games convention) in August (like Fifa 08 did last year).

If I get more info about this, I will let you know.

Have a great EURO weekend:)

NBA Live 09 early details!

The number of new animations we’ve added in this year are in the thousands. It felt like we were in Motion Capture every other day getting new stuff. Here’s a snapshot of things that are new.

Sig Shots – We recaptured the animations and added a lot of new ones. My faves right now are Iverson’s and Grant Hill’s. Iverson’s just feels sick. And, look for some signature free throws. Chuck Hayes’ is ridiculous.

Passes & Receptions – We captured a bunch of new content like penetrate and kicks, pick & roll passes and catch and sweeps.

Dunks – We got rid of our old dunk system and put in something MUCH better. I’m happy to say that dunks are back for Live this year. All new animations and a bunch of new in-air collisions.

Like I said, this is just a snapshot. We also have all new anims for blocks, steals, interceptions (some nice ’shoot the lane’ pick-offs), post play, locomotion, celebrations, lockdown defense, first steps, quickstrike dribbling (including our new ankle breakers), Pick & Rolls (our new Pick & Roll control feature is nice this year. Jeff can talk about this one though.), a bunch of stuff for mascots, cheerleaders and crowd as well. I’m sure I’m missing some stuff too.

——–

Now you can hold down Right Trigger while doing Quickstrike moves and trigger Ankle Breaker moves. It basically triggers crossover moves with bigger hesitation poses at the end of them. It’s your set-up move. Once you get in that pose your defender has to get ready to react because you can explode out of those moves with a first step. If the defender guesses the correct way he’ll lock you up. If he guesses the wrong way you cross him up and leave him flat footed. Or, you can even pull-up for a quick jumper. So, essentially, it allows you to take players like Deron Williams, do some regular crossovers to get a rhythm going, quickly break out into an ankle breaker crossover, and try cross your man up and get to the bucket. What I like about this is that it gives our Quickstrike a purpose. There’s an offensive and defensive side of it, and creates a “game within the game”.

——–

We pulled pro-hops this year because we have a new feature we call Signature Play Calling and we are using the Y button for this. I’m sure we’ll be talking about this in more detail later, but I’ll give you a quick summary of it now. We’ve re-vamped all of our plays and our play-calling system. Teams will run authentic sets and we’ll have a bunch of different options in those sets that focus on your star players. You can run specific plays for Kobe, Pau or Odom, all out of the Triangle. We’ll give you one option to choose from 8 plays by bringing up our Signature Play Calling menu via the Left Bumper. Or, you can just push the Y button and it will select the best play for you to run at that time based on who is on the court. It’s almost like an “Ask Madden’ type idea.

——–

Sorry, no superstar mode this year. We’ve been working on something new this year that we’re pretty excited about. Unfortunately, I’m not allowed to talk about it now because I probably wouldn’t have a job tomorrow if I did. We’ll be announcing it at E3. We’re pretty sure it’ll change the way sports games are made.

First Screens of Fifa 09 Next-Gen!

Now the first real screenshots of the upcoming football game FIFA 09 emerged in the net. These screens were taken from the gaming magazine PSM3 and show some interesting pictures of the PS3 aswell as Xbox360 version of the game. An very small preview of the PC version is printed there too.

As you can see, the player models and faces were even more detailed.

On the second picture you can see a preview PC version. As you can there are mainly no changes, but the jerseys appear a little clearer.

So it seems like the PC gamers must wait another year for the “Next-Gen” for PC, or maybe two, who knows!

Fifa 09 Next-Gen first view!

EA Sports allowed the international assemblage of game journalists extensive hands-on time with the upcoming new version of FIFA 09 for consoles Xbox360 and PS3. Here’s what they saw in the demonstration:

:: The Gameplay ::

Consistent with the company’s improvements on its other football titles, FIFA 09 exhibited some promising gameplay improvements. Most noticeable is the game’s increased responsiveness. Passing, dribbling, and even the physical pushing and shoving that occurs in the game all occur at a much faster and more realistic pace than previous versions of FIFA. Here’s an example: During sliding tackles, the ball-handler can adjust and prevent themselves from falling if their non weight-bearing leg is tackled.

Another example is goalkeepers’ ability to reach behind their bodies if they misjudge a shot on goal.

:: The Graphics ::

The game’s graphics have traditionally been impressive, and the heightened realism around the animations has a huge positive impact on the overall quality of play. New are visible referee, linesman, staff and dugouts. For the first time in the FIFA series referees, linesmen, subs and ground staff are all visible. All have distinct animations such as subs warming up for their arrival. As seen in UEFA Euro 2008 game, interactive celebrations will be incorporated into FIFA 09.

:: The Features ::

Customizable strategic depth: FIFA 2009 will allow players the ability to customize and create specific offensive and defensive play sets and strategies for different in-game scenarios by choosing between a variety of aggression levels and risk-taking.

Be A Pro: Players can create their own pro soccer player and attempt to become a legend by playing through a series of games staged over the course of 4 seasons.

:: The PC Version ::

All rumors point, that the graphics for the FIFA09 PC version remain the same as current engine of FIFA08. The adaption of Next Generation physics- and gameplayengine seems to be stacked against all PC users – they may have to wait another year for the step to the Next Generation and now fall behind into last generation.

Fifa 09 PC version – all facts until now!

The british print magazine GamesMaster collected some nice facts about the PC version of FIFA 09 from EA Sports. We summarized all those information for you including three new pictures:

:: Graphics ::

The PC-version of FIFA 09 is developed by the same team as the PS2-version

The graphics are bases on the same, well known technology, but were severally reworked in some parts for the FIFA 09 edition. The alert eye will become apparent more realistic player models and kits with a better shade and texture resolution, player faces seem even nicer by the way.

The stadiums and the environment around the field looks disappointing and was not improved. The crowds remain a pathetic bunch of blurry two dimensional pixels, as well as the photographers around the field, they look like they were made of paperboard instead as real humans.

:: Gameplay ::

New features on the gameplay: Beside of a Gamepad/Controller you can now use the keyboard together with the mouse for more direct and fully free passing. In general and compared to FIFA 08 there were only slight gameplay changes.

Result:

Better player models and nicer grass bring a little “NextGen” flair to the PC version, but even this measures cannot spoofs an graphic engine from the technological stone age. The undetailed and boring looking crowds in the stadium and the two dimensional photographers around the field disturb the new look. The most important aspect of a football simulation, the gameplay, was only a little improved, but the more realistic gameplay is only available on consoles.

FIFA 09 tactics information!

EA is already boasting about FIFA 09’s new toy, its customizable tactics system, claiming that it allows up to “50,000 different combinations of tactics”. Try and find ‘em all!

Speaking in the latest issue of PSM3 UK, lead producer David Rutter boasts, “there are roughly 50,000 possible combinations. That’s not really doing it justice. The point is there are over 40 different defensive ways to play and over 500 attacking ways.”

In case you’re not up to speed, the system works with a series of sliders “incorporating key parts of the team dynamic – aggression, mentality, positioning, etc”. You can even assign four of your own custom plans to the D-pad and switch them mid-match.

“You can totally change the way your team plays, and apply it during the match. Every game is going to be different,” says Rutter.

“A long passing game isn’t just about hitting the ball long. We’ve changed the support play so your midfield needs to be further up the pitch, looking for the long ball to be knocked down for them to run on to. In a short game, the team pushes together and is more compact to allow short passes to be played.

“But the AI will do it too, so if you play Man Utd and they go a goal down, they’re gonna change to try to get a goal back.”

You can read the entire preview, with the first screenshots, in issue 102 of PSM3 UK on shelves from today.

Source: computerandvideogames

FIFA 09 first information!

The first details have started to trickle in on EA Sports’ FIFA 09.

US mag GamePro reports ”considerable gameplay improvements,” the most significant of which sounds like “increased responsiveness” from passing, dribbling and the physical pushing and shoving that occurs in a game.

Apparently thanks to some excellent and refined animation work, FIFA 09 feels “much faster and more realistic” than previous iterations, and this has “a huge positive impact” on the quality of play.

Furthermore, the ball-handler can adjust themselves from falling during a slide tackle “if their non weight-bearing leg is tackled”, and goalkeepers can reach behind their bodies if they misjudge a shot on goal.

Team Captains may also cry like babies when a crucial cup penalty is royally scuffed – It all sounds so much more realistic.

As expected, the Be A Pro mode from the last game is in, allowing players to create their own player and gain experience by playing through a series of seasons.

There’s more customisation in the ability to mod and create your own specific offensive and defensive play sets, by choosing between a variety of aggression levels and risk-taking. We’ll have to wait and see how that one turns out.

Initial impressions of FIFA 09 are all very positive. We’re getting the feeling that the relentless PES and FIFA slagging match is about to start all over again…

Source: Gamesradar

FIFA 09 Homepage!

FIFA 09 has got a homepage where you can subscribe to a newsletter which will give you the latest information and news about EA Sports next installment. Here’s the link: http://fifa09.com/

UEFA Euro 2008: PORTUGAL WILL WIN UEFA EURO 2008

Electronic Arts


And the UEFA EURO 2008 trophy goes to… Portugal! EA SPORTS today declared the winner of UEFA EURO 2008™. Using the simulation engine in the UEFA EURO 2008™ videogame, EA SPORTS was able to test all 16 teams in the competition and determine that Portugal would come out on top. UEFA EURO 2008, the officially licensed videogame of the tournament, also predicted the following placements:

•    UEFA EURO 2008 Champion: Portugal
•    UEFA EURO 2008 Final: Portugal 2 Italy 1
•    Golden Boot winner: Cristiano Ronaldo, Portugal (5 goals)

Players around the globe will compare these astonishing statistics to the real world results as they unfold. The Final itself was an epic battle where Italy’s resilient defense was pitted against Portugese flair, with Portugal ultimately winning 2-1 to capture its first European championship. Goals from Deco (28th) and Ronaldo (63rd), his fifth goal of the tournament, staked Portugal to a 2-0 lead early in the second half before midfielder Andrea Pirlo scored in the 75th minute to bring the Italians to within one. Portugal survived a frantic final 15 minutes to capture the Henri Delaunay Trophy.

In the EA SPORTS™ simulation, old rivalries were reignited. France was beaten 2-0 by Italy in one semifinal, in a replay of the 2006 FIFA World Cup Final won by the Italians 5-3 in penalty kicks. In the EA SPORTS simulation the two teams played to a 1-1 draw in a group stage match.

Portugal knocked off Germany 2-0 in the other semifinal.

Host countries Austria and Switzerland both failed to advance from the group round. Switzerland was the first country eliminated from the competition. Luck also ran out for Croatia in the group stage. After knocking off England in qualifying, Croatia had injury problems, losing star forward Eduardo among others, and failed to advance from Group B.

EA SPORTS™ UEFA EURO 2008™ results:

Portugal – Italy    2-1
Portugal: Deco (’28), Ronaldo (’63) Italy: Pirlo (’75)

Semi Finals
Portugal – Germany    2-0
Portugal: Almeida (’45), Ronaldo (’87)

Italy – France    2-0
Italy: Toni (’77), Toni (’84)

Quarter Finals
Portugal – Poland    2-0
Portugal: Gomes (’43), Ronaldo (’57)

Czech Republic – Germany    0-1
Germany: Klose (’62)

France – Spain    2-1
France: Henry (’78), Benzema (‘112)  Spain: Torres (’86)

Sweden – Italy    0-2
Italy: Pirlo (’61), Toni (’73)

Group Play
Group A
Switzerland – Czech Republic    0-1
Portugal – Turkey    2-0
Czech Republic – Portugal    2-2
Switzerland – Turkey    1-1
Switzerland – Portugal    0-0
Turkey – Czech Republic    1-0

Group B
Austria  – Croatia    1-3
Germany – Poland    0-0
Croatia  – Germany    0-2
Austria – Poland    0-1
Poland – Croatia    0-0
Austria – Germany    0-2

Group C
Romania – France    0-2
Netherlands – Italy    1-1
Italy – Romania    1-0
Netherlands – France    0-1
Netherlands – Romania    3-1
France  – Italy     1-1

Group D
Spain  – Russia    1-0
Greece – Sweden    0-2
Sweden – Spain    1-1
Greece – Russia    1-1
Greece  – Spain    0-2
Russia – Sweden    0-1

Source: Fifa Informer

Roster Squads clarifying

1. This Roster Squads update is only for the XBox 360 and PS3.

2. I don’t know when the update is finished, but it will be very soon

Thanks for your attention.