![]() Graphical flourishes abound from 1996’s FIFA 97, featuring multi-dimensional players (instead of 2D sprites) and motion-captured animations provided by cover star David Ginola. FIFA International Soccer in 1993 was the first soccer game to give the impression of three-dimensions, rather than the flat, two-dimensional appearance of competing games. The early FIFA games were filled with innovations. In our heavily mediated society, signs of mediation are signs of reality. ![]() These are, rather paradoxically, aligned with phrases such as “just like TV”, detailing features such as live commentary, instant replays and a host of camera angles. ![]() On the back covers of these early games you’ll see words such as “actual”, “authentic” and “realistic” plastered liberally. Its first game, based on America’s National Football League, was endorsed by NFL legend John Madden, credited as “co-designer” for 1988’s John Madden Football.īy the early 90s, EA Sports had reached agreement with the relevant governing bodies for NFL, American hockey, golf and lastly, in 1993, soccer. It always wanted to be associated with established sports media. Even at its inception, the publisher was claiming to be more authentic than its competition. This series has always revolved around an amorphous insistence upon authenticity and reality.ĮA Sports’ famous motto, “if it’s in the game, it’s in the game”, is not your average marketing braggadocio: it’s a declaration of intent. I can assure you that the only authentic, real game that has the FIFA name will be the best one available for gamers and football fans. FIFA President, Gianni Infantino, remarked this week: FIFA are also outlining plans to introduce its own set of digital games. According to the New York Times, FIFA wanted double its usual licence fee, from US$500 million every four years to US$1 billion.ĮA will release its new brand of soccer video game, EA Sports FC, in 2023. A 2020 regulatory document stated their US$5.6 billion in revenue was “primarily driven” by FIFA 21 and FIFA 20.Īs one might expect, this powerhouse relationship seems to have soured over money. The American gaming company EA openly acknowledges its dependency upon the series. 325 million copies of the game have been sold since it was launched in 1993. This is surprising for a number of reasons, not least because it is such a large part of EA’s success: FIFA, a video game franchise using the world governing body of soccer’s official licence, is regularly played by 35 million people. The licensing deals will help EA retain most of the world's famous clubs and stars with their teams and leagues, even though the World Cup and other FIFA-controlled events will no longer be included, the NYT reported.EA Sports and FIFA will part ways after almost 30 years of collaboration. However, both entities have reportedly adjusted to maintain the partnership till the Women's World Cup next summer.ĮA said it planned to launch a rebranded version of the game, "EA Sports FC", in 2023 that would have more than 300 licensing partners, including the Premier League, LaLiga and the UEFA. The company's current contract was set to expire after the Qatar World Cup, with the soccer body seeking increased revenue and EA pushing to expand the FIFA brand into new areas such as NFTs and highlights of real games.įIFA was seeking at least double the $150 million it received annually from EA Sports, its biggest commercial partner, the New York Times reported, adding that there were different expectations of what should be included in a new agreement. ![]() May 10 (Reuters) - Electronic Arts (EA.O) is parting ways with world soccer governing body FIFA after a near three-decade partnership and pulling the plug on one of the world's most successful video-game franchises that has raked in billions of dollars in sales.ĮA made a "significant offer" to FIFA for an eight-year exclusivity period across all of FIFA's gaming and esports rights, but the soccer body was unwilling to lock up all of its gaming and efootball rights with just one publisher, sources familiar with the matter told Reuters on Tuesday.įIFA said it would launch new football video games developed by third-party studios and publishers, but added it had granted a new short-term extension to EA Sports to launch a new "FIFA 23" title later this year.ĮA had signaled months ago that the relationship was nearing its end.
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