FIFA team eyes playable TV replays News
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by
Johnny Minkley
EA has outlined its "dream" for FIFA - synching up with a live game to offer playable replays of the action fans have just witnessed. And EA Sports' marketing boss reckons the huge technical challenges involved will be overcome "very soon".
"The dream will be that you can watch that Sky Sports replay, you're watching it through your Xbox 360 and at half time or during the game you press the controller, dive straight into the game and actually then play out what you've just seen," FIFA marketing boss Matt Bilby told Eurogamer TV
.
EA already has a deal with ESPN in the US, with the broadcaster using Madden to recreate game highlights. But Bilby explained the relative complexity of football makes it a much tougher nut to crack.
"[There's] 22 players, 22 AI running around on the pitch at the same time," he said. "Madden benefited from the fact that it's very stop-start and the players line up in a formation that you can create straight away and there's only a certain amount of things that could happen.
"With football there's randomness with 22 players, and if you don't replicate every player in the right position at the right time, facing the right way with the right movement of legs it just looks inauthentic. That's the biggest challenge - actually being able to recreate it in a way you as a football fan would believe it, and it is a real analysis tool rather than just something that looks nice."
With FIFA 10 out next week, Bilby revealed that EA is having serious discussions about the long-term direction of the franchise, not just next year's version.
"We have outstanding meetings now where we're not talking about FIFA 12 or FIFA 13, we're talking further out and we're being very thoughtful about what we need to do now so that we continue leading and creating the games we want to play, you want to play," he said.
"There's 300 million people in the world that paid to interact with a football game last year. We don't sell 300 million copies of FIFA, so until we're at that level we haven't got to the biggest potential of this franchise."
You can watch our full feature on the making of FIFA over on Eurogamer TV now. FIFA 10 is out on all major formats on 2nd October.
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Comments: 1-22 of 22 in total
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M_of_the_sys
24/09/09 @ 16:13
0
How does this work? Would you actually control anything? Does the opposing team do what one team does and you do exactly what the other team did? I don't understand or see the point.
Edited 1 times,
most recently on 24/09/09 @ 17:14
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INSOMANiAC
24/09/09 @ 16:17
+9
I think the 'dream; ultimately is to sell 300 million copies of fifa 2150 using gimmicks
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Waffleaber
24/09/09 @ 16:28
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0
I think you would be able to take control - it says 'playable,' after all. Imagine being able to turn around the European cup last year so Man Utd win it, if that's your fancy.
If they manage to put in some past footballing replays (Maradonna's famous goal against England, for one) I think it has some potential. |
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0
The use of the word playable is very misleading here.
Virtual replay systems in admittedly Amiga-level 3D have been available on websites for quite a while now, so EA could perhaps get the people who create those involved as surely it's just working out how to get their player movement data talking to FIFA's engine? |
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M_of_the_sys
24/09/09 @ 16:40
+1
"If they manage to put in some past footballing replays (Maradonna's famous goal against England, for one) I think it has some potential."
I have youtube for that... @moggsy Still seems kinda pointless to me :-\ I'd be happy to be dropped in at the start of the match. |
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-2
Someone said they were going to do exactly this with live F1 races and it still hasn't happened.
The issue is: when does the replay action stop controlling the 21 other players and the AI start reacting to what you do? Surely the point is so you can take control of that attack down the left wing where Downing skied the cross into the crowd and instead cut inside, get right to the bit where the D meets the edge of the box and curl it into the top corner (as it's the only way to ever score in FIFA). That or double-tap to cross then overhead kick to score! |
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BiscuitBase
24/09/09 @ 18:37
+2
Pointless. Clearly thought up by some marketing executive who doesn't know fuck all about games.
Edited 1 times,
most recently on 24/09/09 @ 19:37
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ObiChrisKenobi
24/09/09 @ 20:10
0
Wow, surely, you'd all complain if EA didn't TRY and add new features and angles to the game. Football is football, and EA are getting closer and closer (closer then any other developer) in recreating that in a 3D engine.
If they can keep delivering the core element of the game (the football), they can add all the little cool extra features they want, as that's what they are - extra features. Features that, hopefully, enhance and prolong the enjoyment of the game. Why are people so quick to say 'it won't work'? Madden Moments works pretty well, which I assume the EA guys are referring to in part.
Edited 1 times,
most recently on 24/09/09 @ 21:11
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Well to be fair this is inovating so I dont see a reason to not encourage them to impliment it. Plus the fact when there is Olympiakos - Aek/Panathinaikos game here in Greece I bet you already that the most obsessed of my buddies will LOVE replaying recreated phases from the games on the console. I dont see why not ofc, just im not so into sport on console any longer. Got too tired of it. Hopefully somethign will spark me back in, though i have to admit, this feature wont be it as interesting and inovating as it sounds.
Anyhow, good thinking and yeah, it will take a bit out of them to make it happen as "dreamed" of. |
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andywilkie35
25/09/09 @ 09:05
0
So you'd just be playing a pre scripted event? So it would be a quick time event FIFA?
You've done so well with the last few EA, just stick to improving it as you have. |
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EarlBassett
25/09/09 @ 09:20
-1
If they actually at down and worked everything through for 2 years and then released a game, it might live up to their 'dreams'.
But they probably don't have time as they have to be ready to milk the cash cow every year |
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thesonglessbird
25/09/09 @ 13:07
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I'm normally at the ground or in the pub at half time. Only one pub I know of in Manchester that has a console in it and they have PES, not FIFA.
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Comments: 1-22 of 22 in total
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