2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa is going to be a killer take on football/soccer’s most cherished tournament. If you are a fan of EA Sports’ FIFA series, or just enjoy the excitement associated with South Africa, World Cup is set to encompass the thrill of the competition.
PSU recently had the chance to put some questions to Matt Prior, producer for 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa on PlayStation 3. In our interview, we explore everything from new gameplay improvements, online features, and why the game is worthy of a full release instead of DLC.
See below for our full interview:
PSU: What new features can we expect in FIFA World Cup compared to FIFA 10?
PRIOR: There are lots of new features. Gameplay has taken big strides forward with over 100 improvements plus some major new features specifically for the World Cup. The look of the game has greatly improved with lots of brand new features that help capture the special atmosphere of the World Cup event and there are numerous new game modes that you can’t find in FIFA including the entire World Cup Finals Tournament online.
PSU: How does the development of World Cup differ from other FIFA games?
PRIOR: In many respects it is developed similarly to FIFA but with a completely separate team dedicated to the World Cup product. As we are based around a single event, from an authenticity perspective we want to ensure the game looks 100% authentic so we work very closely with FIFA and the host nation in achieving that. Likewise we tend to have more freedom in features as they can be directly associated with the single World Cup event whereas FIFA has many different teams and leagues so they do not have that luxury. It’s one of the reasons we were able to create the amazing in-game atmosphere that has already been well received by anyone who has played the game.
PSU: In regards to building a game that has the essence of World Cup soccer, how did the development team build upon details – stadiums, fans, teams, etc?
PRIOR: The World Cup is such a special event that capturing the essence of it was one of our highest priorities. If anyone has been lucky enough to attend a World Cup, they will know exactly what I mean. You get the fans of 32 countries from all over the world descending upon the host nation and it creates this spectacular, colourful, carnival atmosphere. We wanted to get that across to the users and we have added many effects to achieve that including confetti, streamers, camera flashes, fireworks, seat cards & managers to name just a few. One of the key factors in capturing the atmosphere was incorporating the fans so for the first time ever we have got fully rendered cut scenes. We have every single national team in the world in the game and each team has its own unique set of fans so it was no small undertaking. We’ve also greatly improved the look of the game by making big improvements to the quality of the pitch and the overall lighting.
Additionally, as the first ever World Cup to take place in Africa, it’s an historic tournament and we wanted to ensure we captured that. In addition to having all the official South African World Cup Stadiums in the game, you’ll also notice a distinct African look to the menus, African influence in many of the EA tracks and we even included the Vuvuzela horns in the crowd. The Vuvuzela is a horn commonly blown at football games in South Africa and as a result, it creates a very unique sound and one not commonly heard at other football games. We went to South Africa and recorded the horns and added it to the game to ensure we captured the true atmosphere of South Africa 2010.
PSU: What can you tell us as far as future DLC for World Cup?
PRIOR: DLC for World Cup will be free and it will come in the form of an exciting new feature called the Story of the Finals. Story of the Finals will re-create moments from the real World Cup during the actual tournament and will allow gamers to play them out in the game.
From June 11th to July 11th, as the actual World Cup is taking place in South Africa, we will select the most interesting match scenarios each day and gamers will be able to download them for free and play them out in the game. For example, if in the real World Cup, England were losing to the USA with 10 minutes to go but ended up winning with two late Rooney goals, we would re-create that scenario and allow gamers to download it. It may take the form of a scenario where the gamer plays as Rooney and joins the game in the 80th minute in an attempt to re-create Rooney’s real life heroics or alternatively we may chose to let the gamer take control of the USA team and try and prevent the loss.
PSU: Are there any new gameplay mechanics in World Cup, or will it run on the FIFA 10 engine?
PRIOR: It is based on the common gameplay engine that is also used for FIFA, but it is a much improved version. As mentioned earlier, there have been over 100 improvements made to the engine and as a result FIFA 2010 World Cup South Africa represents the best football game EA has ever produced. We have improved core mechanics such as trapping, shooting, dribbling, etc., and have completely re-written certain features such as the penalty kick system which is all new. We have also added subtle improvements like altitude effects (many games are played at high altitude in the qualifying campaign), and Home & Away tactics, so playing a team away from home will feel different than when playing away, just as it does in the real world. We have also addressed some of the major issues people had with FIFA, so all in all it’s a big step forward all round.
Additionally, one thing we realized through research is that the World Cup is the most accessible product; meaning that of all the football titles, it is the one that attracts the most casual gamers, presumably as they get swept up in World Cup fever. We also discovered that a lot more of these more casual gamers would like to play our game but are put off somewhat by the complex controls. To embrace these gamers, we have added an optional new controller configuration called 2 button controls that allows novice gamers the ability to pick up and play World Cup without needing to be an expert at the game. Essentially it puts all of the complex control system onto just 2 buttons: pass and shoot. It allows an inexperienced player to enjoy the game immediately and have a competitive match against a much more seasoned player, so it’s a much more accessible game than FIFA, catering to both hardcore & casual gamers.
PSU: What can you tell us about the online features?
PRIOR: Online was an area where we focused a lot of attention and with some great results. We have a brand new mode surrounding regular online ranked matches called World League Ladder. This adds a lot more interest and meaning to each game with a promotion and relegation system that means every game matters.
The most exciting feature though is the online World Cup. For the first time ever, we have managed to get the entire finals tournament online so that when you play online, you will always be matched up against another human player regardless of the time of day or night. You’ll choose your team, and then play the three group matches, attempting to finish in the top two before heading into the knockout phase where you’re four wins away from lifting the FIFA World Cup Trophy. It’s the most exciting online mode we’ve ever done and one that will be very rewarding and very challenging to win. When you get to the later rounds you’ll be facing some very good gamers.
PSU: Will there be any special events in-game that occurs during the actual World Cup?
PRIOR: The Story of Finals free DLC will run throughout the duration of the tournament.
PSU: Can you tell us if there will be any support for the PlayStation Motion Controller – or 3D gaming? What about in future FIFA games?
PRIOR: There is no current support for either but I would certainly expect them to feature at some point in the future.
PSU: In terms of new content – is World Cup something that could have been delivered to FIFA 10 as DLC? What are the benefits of having a standalone game?
PRIOR: The World Cup is such a massive event that having it as DLC would not do it justice. It is the single biggest sporting event on the planet that is watched by more people than any other event so to create a product worthy of it takes a lot of effort and resources. We are actually much bigger in terms of content than FIFA, which gives you an idea of just how much we have put into this game. As DLC, we wouldn’t be able to do that, so the experience wouldn’t be nearly as good. Likewise, as DLC, we would not be able to improve the core gameplay experience (for many technical reasons) and as soon as people play World Cup they will notice that it is a great improvement over FIFA. As a standalone, we can put much more into, and improve every facet of the game. World Cup is another step in continuing the evolution of the EA football games, which get better and better with each iteration.
PSU: Finally, what can you tell us about commentators, weather, and other features found in previous FIFA games – we presume these will be included, but will there be anything changed/new to these features?
PRIOR: Yes, a lot has changed. For the commentary we used different talent than FIFA. We used Clive Tyldesley & Andy Townsend so the game will instantly sound very different. We did a lot with the commentary and it represents by far the biggest and most complex system we have ever done. There is much more specific commentary that relates to where the user is in the tournament, what they must do in this game in order to advance, etc., so it really helps tell the story of the gamers progress. e.g. If you are going into the final game in the group stage and must win it in order to advance, the introduction will indicate that as it would in a real world broadcast. You’ll also get score updates from the other game taking place so the whole game feels much more authentic.
In terms of other features that have changed or improved from FIFA, there are far too many to mention. A few examples that you might instantly notice are the pitch and the lighting. The pitch is such an important part of our games as it occupies 90% of the screen for about 90% of the time people are in the game, so we have made great improvements to it. It has much more detail, is much more vibrant and generally just looks way better than before. Likewise the lighting has improved greatly which you will notice in how realistic the players look now. We also have authentic overlays that will look exactly like the ones you see when you watch the game on TV, a brand new celebration camera, brand new celebrations and many more new & improved features.