Released on 01/10/2010

• FIFA 11 has plenty of personality

  FIFA 11 has plenty of personality

  The first previews hit today regarding EA's forthcoming FIFA 11, and there's plenty of new features to keep football fans happy this autumn.

  According to Eurogamer, the big ideas for this year's game are Personality+ and Pro Passing, both of which aim to make the flow of each match more realistic.

  Building on FIFA 10's database of stats for player attributes, Personality+ aims to really make individuals stand out on the pitch. Defenders will be better at reading the play and taking out attackers, while goalkeepers will come with distinct diving styles and have better agility and reactions than their team-mates.

  Pro Passing will take account of the context more when calculating whether a pass should be successful. There will be a kind of power bar to provide feedback if you over or under-hit passes, and there will be more errors based on the circumstances players make passes in.

  Elsewhere, you can expect to be able to import your own music and crowd chants, and customise nets. Expect to hear plenty more about this game in the months ahead, too.

  FIFA 11 will be out this autumn for the PS3 and Xbox 360.

• FIFA 11 set for October kick-off

  FIFA 11 set for October kick-off

  EA Sports today confirmed that FIFA 11 will launch across Europe on October 1st, just a few days after its North American debut on 28th September.

  The footy sequel has had a bit of an overhaul this year, with a Personality+ system intended to provide greater emphasis on individual abilities. Skilful players like Lionel Messi will be able to control the ball better, turn more quickly, and shoot more accurately.

  Also revealed today was the game's new Creation Centre, which allows users to build their own team from the ground up, with the ability to extensively customise player appearance, style and attributes - right down to the colour and design of their boots, or whether they prefer their shirt tucked in or not. Complete teams can even be uploaded for other players to share.

  Meanwhile, those wanting to create a more authentic big match atmosphere can record their own chants specific to goals, match events or individual players. Any music held on your console's hard drive can also be streamed to play before kick-off or at half-time.

  With the PES series promising to challenge FIFA's supremacy this year, EA Sports' flagship franchise shows it's more than ready to up its game. Find out whether FIFA 11 can hold onto its crown when it launches across all major formats this October.

• FIFA 11 Review

  Top of the league

  FIFA 11 has everything you could want from a modern football game - it's got the looks, the sounds and it feels great to play. In many ways it's very similar to last year's excellent outing, as well as this summer's 2010 FIFA World Cup, but a number of feature updates and more subtle changes make it an even more fully-rounded offering.

  Tactical Tweaks

  FIFA 11 builds on its predecessor by adding layers of depth in almost every department, most notably on the field of play. Each situation now has more variable outcomes and individual players genuinely feel unique.

  The new Personality + system sees real life player traits mirrored on the pitch.

  One of the most obvious additions is the ability to play as a keeper. Playing in goal switches the action to a third-person over the shoulder view and introduces some keeper specific controls which are easy to get to grips with. It's a fun new challenge that also means it's now possible to play 11 versus 11 online for the first time, but if you're anything like us you always want to play as an attacking midfielder or striker, making it a welcome if not essential new feature. General keeper play has been improved too, so there are now more save animations and outcomes, ensuring less predictability and making games more exciting and realistic.

  The new Personality + system sees real life player traits, from their looks to their individual skills and even their goal celebrations, mirrored on the pitch. Refreshingly, FIFA 11 doesn't unfairly favour fast players, unlike so many football games. Quick-minded defenders like Rio Ferdinand read the play cleverly to get in the right place at the right time, midfield enforces like Javier Mascherano are key to breaking up opposition moves in the middle of the park, and tricky attackers like Cristiano Ronaldo use close control and tricks to make something special out of nothing. Players even sprint in three different styles now.

  Gifted

  The ping-pong, one-touch passing of FIFA 10 has been tamed too, meaning only more technically gifted players can play accurate balls when off balance, while opposition players hustle you for the ball more realistically than ever. The attributes-based passing system means it's more challenging working the ball through midfield to a scoring position using less gifted passers. Once you do manage to fashion a chance on goal it feels well deserved, and in FIFA 11 you feel like it's possible to hit the back of the net from a greater variety of positions and situations. You can apply more realistic spin to shots, so balls swerve and dip accurately, while headers and attempts on goal from acute angles are more likely to strike the target.

  If you were a fan of FIFA 10 then you'll love FIFA 11.

  For those that don't fancy showing off their skills online, the new Career option combines the old Be A Pro and Manager modes, and you can balance this how you see fit. Create a professional player and play matches, become a manager and just run the team, or mix it up and be a player-manager. There's neat media feedback after games, a decent transfer search tool, and you can view match highlights and even save replays to your hard drive. It's not radically different to last year's offering, but the ability to play the way you want at any point is a nice touch.

  A vintage year

  Serving as a great compliment to the official league and team licenses the series is known for, FIFA 11's new ‘Creation Centre' is a web-based application that lets you build your own players and clubs from scratch. You can choose their appearance, accessories and attributes, distinctive crests and kits, and even a home stadium. You can then share your creations with friends to play online in matches and tournaments. FIFA 11 also enables you to customise the audio in the game, so you can add crowd chants using your own audio file, as well music when a goal is scored or before or after a match.

  If you were a fan of FIFA 10 then you'll love FIFA 11. It looks and sounds gorgeous, and almost everything has been tweaked to create a realistic simulation with even more depth and gameplay variety than its predecessor. With new features and improved on and off-field play, it's filled with magical moments that will keep you busy living the dream when the football isn't on TV.

  GAME's Verdict

  

  • Feels more like real football than ever.
  • 11 versus 11 online play!
  • Great production values.

  

  • Menus need work.
  • Substitutions take too long.
  • Offline mode feels a little familiar.

  Review by: Tom 'Playmaker' Ivan
  Version Tested: PS3
  Review Published: 29.09.10

  Published: 29/09/2010

• Gamescom 2010: FIFA 11 Play as the goalie

  The start of the Premier League season heralds the latest instalment of EA Sports' FIFA franchise, and FIFA 11 once again boasts an array of new features.

  EA used Gamescom to reveal that the "Be A Pro" career mode in FIFA 11 would enable players to play as the goalkeeper, opening the game up to full 11 versus 11 multiplayer mode. With a simple flick of the analogue stick to send your keeper diving one way or the other, being the team hero or villain is only a thumb movement away.

  FIFA 11 will be available on all platforms this October.
  

• FIFA 11 holds on to top spot in charts

  FIFA 11 has remained top of the league in terms of UK gaming sales in the first week of 2011.
  
  EA Sports' smash-hit football simulation has once again held off the competition to spend another week atop the official GfK-ChartTrack all-formats ranking, making it four weeks in total at number one since its debut.
  
  FIFA 11 has proven to be one of the UK's most consistent sellers since it achieved the biggest first-week sales figures for the franchise to date back in October 2010, as well as one of the most successful British gaming launches ever.
  
  Coming in behind the popular title was Wii music sequel Just Dance 2, which moved up to its highest chart ranking yet at number two.
  
  It meant that record-breaking shooter Call of Duty: Black Ops slipped out of the top two for the first time and had to settle for third place instead.
  
  This week will see the gaming release schedule spring back into life after the Christmas break, with DC Universe Online leading the first wave of big-name titles to hit stores in 2011.

  Published: 10/01/2011

• Test Drive Unlimited 2 zooms into pole position

  Eden Software's open-world racer Test Drive Unlimited 2 has left Dead Space 2 choking in its dust in its cruise to the top of the all-format charts.
  
  The game, which allows players to drive around the islands of Ibiza and Oahu, glided past EA's survival horror, which had to settle for second place after a two-week reign at the top. FIFA 11 also fell one place to third.
  
  Chart stalwarts Call of Duty: Black Ops and Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood rounded out the top five, while two Mario titles climbed to positions six and eight. Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Mini-Land Mayhem and Mario Sports Mix both enjoyed a second-week sales bump thanks to prominent television advertising, as they sandwiched Wii hit Just Dance 2 at seven.
  
  Grand Theft Auto IV: Complete Edition was the highest-climber in the list, rising 15 places to ninth spot, while LittleBigPlanet dropped five places to number 10. Publisher Namco-Bandai will no doubt be delighted to earn its first all-formats number one since acquiring Atari Europe. Sales of Test Drive Unlimited 2 were particularly impressive given the four year gap between the sequel and its predecessor, as it more than doubled the first-week tally of the 2006 original.
• Assassin's Creed Brotherhood heads BAFTA list

  It's more good news for Assassin's Creed fans after yesterday's revelation of a May announcement of the next game in the popular franchise. BAFTA has released its list of nominations for this year's videogame awards, and Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood has received the most nods of any game, featuring in a total of seven categories.

  
  It seems the members of the BAFTA panel were big fans of Ezio's latest adventure, as it scooped nominations for Action, Artistic Achievement, Gameplay, Multiplayer, Technical Innovation, Use of Audio, and the biggie: Best Game.

  
  In the latter category, Ubisoft's game faces some stiff competition from FIFA 11, Heavy Rain, LIMBO, Mass Effect 2 and Super Mario Galaxy 2. Call of Duty: Black Ops missed out in that category, but was nominated in six others. Mass Effect 2 also had six nods in total, with Sony's gritty thriller Heavy Rain picking up five, while Super Mario Galaxy 2 and indie darling LIMBO both got four. Surprisingly, Halo: Reach only featured in two categories: Multiplayer and Technical Innovation.

  
  Meanwhile, the mass-market success of Microsoft's Kinect ensured a strong showing in the the Family category, with nods for Dance Central, Kinect Adventures, Kinect Sports and Kinectimals. Flying the flag for more traditional control are LEGO Harry Potter: Years 1-4 and the terrific Toy Story 3.

  
  The winners will be announced at a ceremony on March 16, which will be streamed live on the BAFTA website.

• Christmas Round-Up - 24th December 2010

  Was there ever any doubt that Activision Blizzard's Call of Duty: Black Ops would be this year's Christmas number one? Especially considering it's the sequel to last years Xmas best seller, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2...

  Well actually, for a few weeks, there was - because this year has seen the release of some real gaming crackers! Want to know which ones are the stars this Christmas? Here's the full top 10 - and not a turkey in sight...

   

  1. Call of Duty: Black Ops is an awe-inspiring package, featuring a single-player campaign packed with stunning set-pieces at every new corner. The intriguing plot masterfully strings together the globe trotting missions, each of which will blow you away. As if that wasn't enough it also features a refined multiplayer with unbeatable value.

   

  2. FIFA 11 is the definitive football video game experience. Just when we thought EA couldn't improve on FIFA 10 they introduce new nuanced animations and intricate touches of realism to a game that is already a visual marvel. The mechanics in FIFA 11 have received small tweaks that go a long way in providing added depth to the game, there are countless ways to score a goal and thanks to the introduction of playable goalkeepers, just as many ways to save a few.

   

  3. Need for Speed Hot Pursuit is a blisteringlyfast, endlessly fun, finely polished arcade racing game with no equal. Hot Pursuit has a racing model that feels weighty but still loose enough to provide that unique arcade feel. However, where it truly shines is in its online component. The Need for Speed Autolog is a fresh and effective take on online community that keeps racers coming back; hoping beat a few friends and perhaps make a few enemies.

   

  4. Just Dance 2 builds on the winning formula from the first game. The simple controls and fantastic selection of music make is easy for everyone to get involved, making it the social game of choice in households around the world this Christmas. Just Dance 2 comes packed with new gameplay modes such as duet mode, co-op and competitive play, making it the ideal Wii dance game.

   

  5. Assassin's Creed Brotherhood is the definitive open-world action game, Ubisoft's third console Assassin's Creed game has enough new content to take out the competition this Christmas. Picking up moments after the events of AC2, Brotherhood sees you take control of Ezio once again, and features a huge variety of side-quests, an intuitive new combat mechanic, sublime platforming and a fantastic new multiplayer mode that is unlike any other game on the market.

   

  6. Gran Turismo 5 sees the return of Sony's legendary simulation racing series to the most powerful video game console on the market, and it doesn't disappoint. GT5 builds on the success of the series by sticking close to the tried and true formula. However, the amount of content in the latest game is through the roof. With over one thousand cars available to drive, dozens of racetracks, special events and online multiplayer Gran Turismo 5 is one of the most feature-packed racing games of the year.

   

  7. Donkey Kong Country Returns is not only a worthy successor to the classic Donkey Kong platforming franchise, but also one worthy of the Nintendo seal of quality. Donkey Kong Country Returns is overflowing with impressively creative and imaginative worlds that constantly provide new and inventive gameplay experiences that demand the kind of quick reflexes and platforming precision that are a trademark of Nintendo platformers. If you thought New Super Mario Bros. was fun, wait until you play this.

   

  8. Medal of Honor faced danger head on by attempting to break into a market dominated by Call of Duty, and manages to do a good job of carving out its own fanbase. The game has tight shooting mechanics, takes place in an unusual but interesting setting and features characters that have unique personalities. Medal of Honor delivers in the multiplayer department too, since it's developed by DICE, the guys behind Battlefield: Bad Company 2, it's not one you can afford to miss.

   

  9. Wii Fit Plus encourages players to maintain a healthy lifestyle through regular exercise. The game makes getting fit fun by providing a variety of exercises with set goals for the player to achieve using its innovative balance board. With over 15 new balance games, six new strength training and a number of yoga activities you'll not only get fit but you'll also have fun doing it.

   

  10. Professor Layton and the Lost Future is easily one of the best games in the popular puzzle series. It wastes no time in getting to the good bits and immediately throws a series of creative puzzles at the player. Make no mistake, this game will require you to get your brain into gear but that won't take much convincing since the puzzles are masterfully woven into an intriguing time-travelling adventure that you'll want to see to the end.

  Published: 24/12/2010

• FIFA 12 records 3.2 million launch sales

  EA Sports' new football title FIFA 12 has shattered sales records worldwide following its eagerly awaited debut last week.

  The critically acclaimed sports simulation has racked up a massive 3.2 million sales across all formats worldwide, making it the biggest launch of any sports game ever, as well as the most successful videogame debut of the year.

  It beat the record-setting pace of last year's FIFA 11 by a whopping 23 per cent, while the eight million online FIFA 12 sessions on October 1st made it the busiest day for multiplayer matches in EA Sports history.

  The UK proved no exception to FIFA fever, with the launch of the new title ranking as the third-biggest of any game ever released in Britain.

  FIFA 12 has also proven just as big of a hit critically as it has commercially and the game now ranks as the best-reviewed sports game of the current console generation.

  Andrew Wilson, executive vice-president of EA Sports, said: "FIFA 12 is a stunning achievement by our team at EA Canada."

  Published: 07/10/2011

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