Skip to main content

Long read: The beauty and drama of video games and their clouds

"It's a little bit hard to work out without knowing the altitude of that dragon..."

If you click on a link and make a purchase we may receive a small commission. Read our editorial policy.

EA hopes you'll buy FIFA and FIFA Street

Explains how both games link together.

EA hopes football fans will buy both FIFA and FIFA Street.

FIFA Street, due out early next year on PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, launches a number of months after FIFA 12, due out in September. FIFA 13, which EA has already confirmed will support Kinect and Move, will no doubt launch in September 2012.

"There are people who are looking for authentic football that's fast paced with more flair and a little bit more pizzazz," new EA Sports president Andrew Wilson told Eurogamer. "They may or may not play FIFA already, but that's just the game and experience they're looking for. We'll get to those gamers.

"But then there's a FIFA gamer out there who says, listen, I love the strategy of 11 11 football. I love the build up. I love having to build from the midfield right through in order to score. But I'd also like something quicker and higher scoring. So I think we're going to get both."

FIFA Street, announced during EA's Gamescom press conference last week, is a reboot of sorts. EA Canada is using the main FIFA engine to create the game, which focuses on authenticity and realism in a street setting. This will be the first time the FIFA team has built a Street spin-off.

Despite this, Wilson did admit that some FIFA fans simply won't be interested in FIFA Street.

"I don't think we'll get all FIFA gamers, because there's a core FIFA gamer that likes it just the way it is. But we'll get some who are looking for something different."

FIFA Street uses EA Sports Football Club, EA Sports' persistent profile platform.

"Even if you only go and dabble in FIFA Street for a while it's going to benefit you in FIFA as well," Wilson explained.

EA Sports Football Club, which launches with FIFA 12, connects gamers with real world football and connects play across multiple titles.

"You might be level seven in FIFA. You go and play FIFA Street and you progress that and end up at level eight. By the time you get back into FIFA, there are new things available to you as a result of that ongoing progress you have in that world.

"It's the start in FIFA 12. It's us moving to deliver FIFA as a service. It's just the beginning. It'll be more robust every week we come out. It will change, advance and evolve. Ultimately you end up with a very cool persistent 365 day a year service around football."