Just in case you haven’t checked out our exclusive interview with EA Sports about their upcoming soccer sim, FIFA 11, click here to do so now.
When GB asked EA Sports’ David Rutter about any plans for Kinect/Move support in future FIFA games, and the possibility of face detection via the Kinect camera to make the character creation even more authentic, he said, “Kinect and Move are personally very interesting. But our team has a philosophy of not adding things just because they are there. It’s not that they are difficult – it’s just our priorities lie elsewhere.”
Kinect support would actually be interesting, for once. Not only can the players’ faces be detected and be incorporated in the game for player creation, skilled footballers can also switch to motion and forgo of the limitations of the remote control. But alas, it is an unexplored potential, and might always be so.
Later in the interview, when EA Sports was blamed of porting over FIFA games to the Wii as half-assed after thoughts, and that the upcoming FIFA 11 Wii version won’t be incorporating half the aspects that will make FIFA 11 on the HD consoles so great, Sid Misra, FIFA 11 Wii producer said “The goal of the EA SPORTS FIFA development teams is to create the right experience for the platform and consumer. FIFA11 Wii was designed with that in mind and we are very proud and excited to be able to deliver not only the traditional 11v11 club football experience, but also a street gameplay experience that lets you play with your favourite teams and players in different environments and customized game rules.
“Also included is indoor gameplay which football fans and gamers have not seen since FIFA98. Hit the Streets with players decked out in street wear and use the walls to jump past defenders or bank passes to teammates. Choose to play arcade style and you can build up and then activate your power meter to blast shots, ignite a speed burst or send shockwaves over your opponents. Or, hit the pitch with traditional 11v11 gameplay to play a more simulation style football match.”
Later, he went on to say, “FIFA11 Wii also features a re-write of our fundamental gameplay layer and 100’s of new animations which provides more variety and longevity within the gameplay. Shooting, tricks and set pieces have all been modified with improved animation and control responsiveness which means that control over the outcomes in the game are purely in the gamers’ hands. FIFA11 Wii’s game modes (still to be announced later in the summer) means that there is an experience for you whether you choose play head-to-head, with friends or on your own.”
“Wii consumers generally have different buying habits and gaming expectations and we build our FIFA Wii experience keeping that in mind. We know through our research that the Wii consumer is not predisposed to iterative purchases, so we set out to deliver a FIFA Wii experience that distinguishes itself from previous FIFA Wii titles thus providing reasons for new & old FIFA Wii gamers to jump into the series.
“We also know that there are a large number of consumers with a Wii and a 360 or PS3 in their homes, so we also set out to deliver unique football gaming experiences so football fans can experience the sport in multiple ways. Again, it’s about knowing who the consumer is and what the platform can deliver, and then building the right experience. FIFA11 Wii is a product of learning about our market/consumer and listening to feedback from all football gamers. We look forward to our fans getting their hands on the game October 5,” he concluded.
We are genuinely excited about FIFA 11, and will keep you updated on more information on this game (and others) as it comes.
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