EA: Kinect won't "screw" with FIFA

By Robert Purchese Published 22 July, 2011

"Potentially some cool stuff we can do."

Kinect will not encroach upon the core FIFA football-match gameplay, EA Sports vice president Andrew Wilson has told Eurogamer

"The core FIFA gameplay is very, very strong based on the control mechanism we currently have," Wilson said.

"I'm not sure that we want to screw around with that if you will.

"What we're looking for," he added, "is how can a Kinect experience be additive to that without de-focusing or de-prioritising that core 11 on 11 twitch gameplay that happens on the pitch which, to be frank, the controller does a very good job of facilitating."

FIFA 13 remains the target for Kinect's FIFA debut, Wilson re-confirmed. A Kinect team at EA Sports is experimenting with newly received developer kits and the results, Wilson said, were surprising.

"We have already seen abilities and opportunities and capabilities of that technology that we didn't think were there."

Andrew Wilson, vice president, EA Sports

"We're in pre-production right now. We have a core Kinect incubation group that's looking at various different capabilities of Kinect. We have already seen abilities and opportunities and capabilities of that technology we didn't think were there," Wilson said.

"Based on some of the new technology in the SDKs we're getting, there's some things we can do there that give a greater granularity of control and fidelity that we didn't know were there. That points to what I think could be a very promising opportunity for us.

"What we're seeing is: through optimisation that Microsoft has done, and that some of our engineers are doing, there is potentially some cool stuff that we can do."

Kinect headers and volleys? Kinect Wembley? Kinect wall-ball? Kinect goal celebrations? Kinect dives? Kinect four? Oh the possibilities.

Andrew Wilson's boss, Peter Moore, took to Microsoft's E3 stage to announce planned Kinect support for mega-franchises FIFA, Madden NFL and Tiger Woods PGA Tour. His pledge of Kinect allegiance was a surprise, given his trepidation months earlier.

FIFA 12 won't support Kinect.

Picture of Robert.

About Robert Purchese

Bertie is Eurogamer's Senior Staff Writer. When he's not hunting down news stories he's often found playing with his kids or gabbling about fantasy games and strange online worlds. @Clert on Twitter.

Read more articles from Robert by visiting the Robert Purchese archive page.

You may also like...

Comments (17) Latest comment 10 months ago

Comments for this article are now closed, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • dsmx #1 10 months ago

    Why do I get the feeling that penalties in FIFA with kinect is marching over the horizon.

  • dpb135 #2 10 months ago

    I quite liked the football in kinect sports. If they can expand it and bit and make it with more features, could be a good little side option to play for a laugh with my mates.

  • NotSoSlim #3 10 months ago

    Harry Hill and GOAL comes to mind lol

  • arcam #4 10 months ago

    I know it's hardly an elegant use of the technology but really the best use would be to just have some mini-games that work with Kinect - penalties, headers. keepy-uppy etc. Fiddling with the main game to much probably isn't a good idea.

  • Markitron #5 10 months ago

    I cant see them going the kinect sports route. It will probably end up being voice commands, menu navigation and a crappy minigame

  • tancredo #6 10 months ago

    The only way kinect could have a meaningful impact would be for the game to get the camera a little closer to the player. With Kinect and by slightly moving your head (similar to Forza's siemirror demo) , the camera could close up on the player a little bit and the camera angle also could twist a bit to focus on a particular side of the field, opening up more passing options or pass strategies.

    Complicated to achieve but it could add a little extra to the game.

  • Mr_Brown #7 10 months ago

    I think this says alot about motion controls in general. When they become an obstacle for both developers and gamers, maybe there isn't much of a future for them.

  • BabylonForever #8 10 months ago

    wont screw with, but have a quick fumble behind the bike sheds?

  • The-Bodybuilder #9 10 months ago

    If you have sense EA, you would use kinect as part of the team management and on-fly-tactical changes whilst playing, making it like a RTS, or similarly use it like the PES on the wii).

  • Sid-Nice #10 10 months ago

    After hours of enjoying Kinect Sports; I can categorically testify that “A football simulation would be geometrically and physically impossible” even with a top of the range super computer and a motion sensor suit. If Kinect tracked your body movements perfectly without lag; there’s still the problem of “No Ball” to calculate whether you are controlling, kicking, passing, juggling or shooting.

    It was almost the last kick of the game in Kinect Sports Football; I was playing my son and the score was 4-4 and he was awarded a free kick. I guessed the right way and dived across the room full length, crashing through the coffee table only to see the ball hit the back of the net with my keeper routed to the spot.

    I can only see simplistic mini games added as Kinect compatible add-ons; unless in 2013 we get motion sensing shoes and gloves?

  • gandhimaster #11 10 months ago

    it needs to be used as a way of recognising your reactions to decisions etc.

    dissent maybe? if really needs to be a very simple added thing rather than having separate modes or mini games.

    imagine it reacting to your cries for a penalty? or when you shout "fuck off ref" you get a yellow card?

  • bobfish09 #12 10 months ago

    I'm fine with Kinect for penalties... cause frankly the FIFA 11 penalty system is horrible.

    Also, wouldn't mind see it as a way for custom celebrations :)

  • steagz #13 10 months ago

    @bobfish09 the fifa11 penalty system is only horrible if you do not know what you are doing
    if you would of said the penalties in pes are horrible i would of corrected you and said no they are fucked beyond belief
    Edited by steagz at 22/07/11 @ 13:55

  • Subdominator #14 10 months ago

    Read: Kinect coinflip before kickoff, Kinect dance scenes after goals, Kinect Voice lineup changes, Kinect shake hand the opponents, maybe even Kinect goalkeeper mode for penalties. Cause for everything that requires shooting Kinect is just not accurate and fast enough.

  • natureboy #15 10 months ago

    We shall see as they say. In my dreams i would like to see Solar Striker on Kinect or Move:)

  • TheBrow #16 10 months ago

    Apologies for saying this, Sid Nice, but when I read your post all I could think of was Competitive Dad from the Fast Show.

  • FuzzyDuck #17 10 months ago

    It will allow you to film an image of yourself flipping the bird and send it to the latest rage quitter you encounter.