Fifa 09 Media & Information

 

The expanded Be A Pro mode sounds like a development of Captain Your Country, which works very well in the Euro 2008 game you'll shortly be seeing on the shelves.  If you're a pro in a top side maybe they can stretch Be A Pro to include key cup matches and European competitions, though since it sounds scenario-driven in the same in the same way CYC is, it'll be important to keep some kind of variety.

 

I'm still enjoying playing Euro 2008, so I'm really looking forward to seeing how FIFA turns out this year.

http://www.gamespot.com/xbox360/spor...ml?sid=6193194

FIFA 09's focus on improving gameplay should make an already solid series that much stronger. Realistic player physics and branching animations have received positive responses in other EA games and will now add a new element to FIFA's gameplay. Similarly, initiatives to improve team customization will allow gamers and their CPU-controlled teammates to play with greater synergy, limiting AI handicaps. We will bring you more news on FIFA 09 once we learn more at E3 in a few weeks.



Given the great contrast in team skill levels in UEFA, EA implemented an adaptive AI that used realistic team strategies based on the team's opponent. For instance, a team with less talent may choose to play a defensive game against a more-skilled opponent by dropping 9 or 10 defenders back to defend their goal. The end result is that games with uneven opponents will still offer a challenging experience. This feature will undoubtedly impact FIFA 09 as well. Popular club teams such as Barcelona will find it more difficult to score against less-heralded opponents. In addition, it is EA's hope that this will encourage gamers to try out other teams.



Speed of the player will now dictate length of slides and collision momentum. This is an important addition because penalties on slides have been toned down from years past (though obviously slide tackles from behind will still elicit a call). Sliding for the ball is now a viable defensive strategy, but the effectiveness of the slide will depend on the defender's speed. To balance this on the offensive end, players will no longer enter into a canned falling animation when taking a slide. Instead, if the leg being swept is not the plant foot, the offensive player will simply stumble momentarily while remaining on his feet.


We saw this trend first in UEFA 08 with the new free-motion header system, which let players jostle for position while the ball was in the air. This idea has expanded in FIFA 09, factoring in player speed and weight. Larger players will now be able to dominate collisions and use their weight to leverage better position on headers or fights for possession.

OS has an interview with Dave Rutter

OS: Will there be referees on the pitch?

Dave Rutter: Yes – and assistants.

OS:Has player switching been improved (more accurate and faster)?

Dave Rutter: Yes, we have done a lot of work on auto-switching and switching players when you want to choose them. At the moment we believe it is significantly improved over last year and I would also encourage people to go into the game options controller set-up to adjust the switching mechanics to very manual or very automatic. Manual works better for most people in most circumstances so I would suggest giving this a try as well.

OS: Can we use/save edited formations/lineups online?

Dave Rutter: Yes, and Custom Team Tactics, too. And your totally customizable controller set up too! You can completely customize your controller, creating your own controller configuration, assigning actions to the buttons exactly how you like them for complete control. This was a huge request from gamers last year.

OS: Tell us more about Custom Team Tactics?

Dave Rutter: So you can see the depth and breadth of the 11 tactical sliders they’re broken down into 3 buckets below…the 2 extremes of each slider are described.

Defensive Tactics: When you don’t have the ball

* Mentality – Press Entire Pitch v Press own Half
* Aggression – Close Down & Contain vs. Double Player Press & Slide Tackles.
* Width – Narrow & Compact vs. Wide & Man Marking
* Positioning – Covering Line vs. Straight Offside Trap.


Attacking Tactics: Build Up Styles – When you have the ball in the first 2 thirds.

* Passing – Short vs. Long.
* Speed – Cautious vs. Fast.
* Positioning – Organised vs. Freeform.


Attacking Tactics: Chance Creation – When you have the ball in the attacking 3rd.

* Passing – Safe vs. Risky.
* Shooting – Little vs. Lots.
* Crossing – Little vs. Lots.
* Positioning – Organised vs. Freeform.

OS: Will there be more varied ways to attack the pitch? In other words it seems like sometimes FIFA is too much about pinpoint passing all the way down the pitch (until a final cross or lead pass to a striker), whereas in real-life there's a lot more playing balls to spaces on the pitch.

Dave Rutter: So it’ll be much more varied. Imagine a team with Long Passing set in custom team tactics. They’re not going to be successful if they’re hoofing the ball up the pitch to tiny Michael Owens. You need a Peter Crouch or somebody like that as a target man in the middle. Not only that, but the personality of the rest of the team needs to be changed entirely to support that style of play. You need your midfielders following through their runs in the middle to support any knock on from your equivalent of Peter Crouch. Conversely you don’t want your players disappearing off on long runs if you’ve got your team playing a short passing game. The sliders don’t just do what they say on the slider. They entirely change the way your team supports, positions and makes runs, how fast and slow they do it, and with how much aggression. We’ve been amazed at how powerful a tool it is.

more at the link



http://news.teamxbox.com/xbox/16944/...x-360-Version/

good ol press release


Electronic Arts unveiled today the set of features that will power the different editions of FIFA 09. Both the PS3 and Xbox 360 versions will feature over 250 enhancements and additions focused on improving core gameplay. Below is the press release with the announcement and the first screens of the Xbox 360 version:
EA SPORTS DELIVERS PLATFORM SPECIFIC EXPERIENCE FOR FIFA 09

PLAYSTATION 3 and Xbox 360 Feature More Than 250 Core Gameplay Enhancements That Deliver Most Responsive, Intelligent and Realistic Action Ever

GUILDFORD, UK. – July 1, 2008 – Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: ERTS) today revealed it has created platform specific experiences for its popular FIFA 09 football franchise from EA SPORTS™. FIFA 09 has been designed and customized to deliver a unique gameplay experience that takes advantage of the hardware specifications of each available platform— the PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system, Xbox 360™ video game and entertainment system, Wii™ home video game system, PC, PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system, Nintendo DS™, PSP® (PlayStation®Portable) system and mobile—when it is released worldwide this autumn.


Click here to view all screenshots

“We have listened and responded to gamers and football fans around the world by building customized gameplay experiences for FIFA 09 on each platform,” said Andrew Wilson, Vice President & Executive Producer for the franchise. “Everyone wants to play a football game that is customized to their system and delivers a unique and enjoyable experience. We understand that and have innovated features, created new modes and designed controls that are tailored to each specific platform.”

With over 250 additions and enhancements to core gameplay, FIFA 09 on the PLAYSTATION 3 system and Xbox 360 deliver an authentic football simulation that enables you to customize the game to suit your style and ability. New animation technology creates more responsive first-time shooting and passing, faster and more controlled dribbling, and improved trapping. New player momentum physics, which exploits the power of these platform engines, delivers realistic player collisions, authentic jostling for the ball, and more variation in tackling.

“We listened to our consumers to make the changes that they wanted,” said David Rutter, Producer of FIFA 09 on the PLAYSTATION 3 system and Xbox 360. “No other game has over 250 feature changes and additions focused on improving core gameplay. We have an absolutely authentic recreation of the real sport through attention to detail.”

For the first time, go inside the game engine to customize the strategy and positioning of your teammates to decide exactly how your team will play in any situation. With new Custom Team Tactics you have all the tools to become a first-team coach. Adjust and customize tactical settings so CPU players and your team perform just like the real-world team plays and make strategic decisions to exploit your opponent’s weaknesses, all on-the-fly. The popular feature innovation Be A Pro has expanded to a career mode called Be A Pro: Seasons where you can choose or create a professional player and then develop his skills at a single outfield position over four years with the ultimate goal of becoming a national legend. The matchday experience is now true-to-life with a referee and linesmen on the pitch. Plus, crowds, stadium atmosphere and commentary have all been regionalized in exact detail.

On the Wii, enjoy FIFA 09 All-Play one of two ways—a Wii-specific take on the authentic ‘11 vs. 11’ simulation or over-the-top ‘8 vs. 8’ arcade action within a stylized environment with Mii™ versions of your favorite superstars, like Ronaldinho and Wayne Rooney. Refined motion and point-and-play controls make playing FIFA 09 All-Play even more intuitive and perfectly balanced for gamers of any ability to enjoy fun, football action. Choose to play the style that best suits your skills from advanced controls for experienced players to new EA SPORTS™ All-Play controls that enables novice players to focus on fun using simplified controls with AI assistance.

“You’ve never played football like this before,” said Kaz Makita, Line Producer of FIFA 09 All-Play. “Our new ‘8 vs. 8’ Footii Match enables you to play an exaggerated style of football where the personality of your Mii comes to life. You can play with your Mii characters against or alongside some of the biggest stars in a truly unique football experience tailored specifically for the Wii version of FIFA 09.”

FIFA 09 on PC now features leading-edge visuals that deliver graphics that exploit the power of hi-spec gaming PCs, as requested by PC gamers. Star players are featured in photorealistic quality with remodeled likenesses for ultra-realistic gameplay. FIFA 09 on PC also features customizable mouse gameplay controls that deliver deeper, more intuitive command over your squad. Plus, customizable widgets are now integrated into the menu system to connect you to the FIFA community and real-world football so you stay connected while playing FIFA 09.

“We are committed to investing and innovating to create a PC specific experience,” said Producer Paul Hossack. “Gamers want a gameplay experience exclusively for PC and FIFA 09 on PC delivers this.”

With 500 new animation sequences and all-new collision and shielding systems—representing the biggest innovations to the multiplatform EA SPORTS football engine in four years— FIFA 09 delivers more responsive, intelligent and realistic physical action on the PlayStation 2 system. The new collision detection system with 360 degree coverage enables players to behave according to their physical attributes where player speed, direction and strength determine everything from the severity of the collision to the outcome of possession. Changes to the animation system reward the skillful gamer during one-on-one situations between attackers and defenders. Tuned acceleration attributes enable swifter virtual players to possess quicker first steps and gain advantage in sprints. Plus, four new skill moves—scoop turns, rainbow flicks, heel-to-heel knocks and ball rolls—give you a total of 32 tricks in your arsenal to perform just like Ronaldinho.

FIFA 09 on the PSP system and Nintendo DS now include the innovative Be A Pro feature, including the unique Be A Pro camera that re-creates the rush and excitement of racing in on goal, designed exclusively for each system.

Additional major feature innovations for PLAYSTATION 3, Xbox 360 and PC will be revealed later this month and announced at the Leipzig Games Convention in August.





http://www.fifasoccerblog.com/2008/07/new-video-detailing-fifa-09.html



Found one more preview of the game. Much of the same stuff is said.

Regarding online they are definitely keeping things close to the vest.

Online Play:


1. Often times, I can’t connect to an opponent when trying to play online. Overall, I would guess that I can only connect to others about 60% of the time. Has anything been done to help gamers connect around the world?

Rutter: We have done a lot of work on our match-making technology to make sure to put you in contact with other gamers we think are appropriate based on their connection and location plus what is available in FIFA 09 as part of a new player hub system. We are always trying to create a better online experience and you should see an improved success rate this year


2. In terms of in-game options to quit playing – there seemed to be several quirky things about FIFA 08. First, gamers could quit in the first 15 minutes, regardless of the score, and not receive a loss. So some people would simply quit the game if they conceded a goal early. Has this been corrected? In addition, has any sort of ‘Concede Game’ option been implemented? When I’m getting pounded by 3 or 4 goals in the 2nd half, I simply don’t want to finish the game, but also don’t want my DNF% to skyrocket.

Rutter: We don’t want to penalize people who have legitimately lost there connection to the server or have a poor internet connection. However, we are tracking statistics on players who are not finishing their games and should you want to make sure you are playing someone with a sufficiently high DNF % you can now select that and review their history as part of the match-making service we are providing for FIFA 09.

3. There has been much talk about this year’s pre-set strategies implemented in FIFA. Can these be used online? Does this mean created formations can be used online?

Rutter: Custom Team Tactics can be used online. You can assign up to 4 Custom Team tactics to your D-pad or your thumb pad if you want to re-map them as part of your controller configuration option. You will be able to use these online and you will be able to exchange these Custom Team Tactics online with other people via the EA Locker. You will also be able to use created formations online as well.



4. In regard to the various rooms when playing FIFA 08 online (my level, advanced), it seemed as though there weren’t enough variety in the types of rooms. For instance, the advanced room was for gamers with level 20+, but for the first couple months that the game was out, no one was ranked highly enough to enter the room. In addition, the individual level rooms typically only had a couple people with the exact level of the other gamer. Has EA added more rooms, such as a room for Level 1-5, then a room for Level 6-10, etc?

Rutter: I will be able to talk more in depth about our online features and new capabilities in the coming months after we make some additional feature announcements this month and at the Leipzig Games Festival in Germany in August. What I can say right now is that the new EA matching –making hub will create a significantly improved experience when looking for other gamers to play online and this, combined with what we will be revealing in the coming months, should create a much improved online experience.

5. Online Leagues were added last year, which was great. However, it would be amazing to get 8-16 guys together to battle it out in a mini-tournament. Have Quick Tournaments been added to FIFA 09?

Rutter: Well, we’re still working on the game so stay tuned. We’ll be discussing online features in-depth later in the year.


6. When playing online in FIFA 08, a user wasn’t able to see who the opponent is manually controlling. This can seriously change a user’s strategy, and when playing offline against an opponent a user can always see who’s being controlled. Has the user cursor been added to online play?

Rutter: Yes, we have addressed exactly what you have described.

Rutter: Thank you for the opportunity to respond to your questions. I have dozens of additional questions that have been submitted by your readers and I will try to answer these as quickly as possible. So please check back for my answers.