FIFA Soccer 08 Community Day Event Wrap-up

Recently Xbox Solution was invited to Vancouver BC for the FIFA Soccer 08 community event. I attended last year’s event and was looking forward to see the changes for the Xbox 360 version. This is a little different than our normal Community Event coverage since the review will be up soon.

On Wednesday morning we arrived at the studio. The size of the place is amazing. We soon were signed in and on our way to the conference room. This year we got time to look and play each console version but the focus here will be the Xbox 360, except for a few comments on the Wii at the end. Last year FIFA took a giant step in gaining not only new gamers but bringing back the hard core fans to the series. I really expected a lot from this year’s version and, yes, due to scheduling the day we arrived was also the North American release of the game. I still wanted to see what the team had to show us and the new features.

On to the Game

We first heard from Kaz Makita and Benoit Lambert from the Xbox 360 FIFA 08 team. As they talked, they showed us some of the new features and some plans for the game during the next few years. As they spoke, I could tell they were proud of the game and the progress FIFA 08 gained on last year’s version. We ended the session with a short Q&A session.

Hands on with New FIFA 08 Features

I sat down at an Xbox 360 and started a game as well as looked around at the new features. FIFA 08 for soccer or “football” fans has plenty to offer and not just a next year version with the latest uniforms and rosters. This year fans will notice that all the MLS teams are added and this certainly shows EA wants to make FIFA more popular in the North American market. The controls are very responsive and the game looks outstanding.

FIFA Soccer 08 Xbox 360 Screenshot

See all FIFA Soccer 08 Screens

One little control addition may have been the most exciting part of the event. Every sports game out there has a button to hit to get to the player with the ball Madden, NHL, etc. I have complained, moaned and flat out ranted that as a gamer you are somewhat penalized if you hit that button due to the fact you almost always get beat at the end. Now switching is as simple as hitting the right analog stick. This is a feature I hope EA adds in every sports title starting next year. I asked about this and got an explanation of why gamers experience this “penalty.”

FIFA Soccer 08 Xbox 360 Screenshot

See all FIFA Soccer 08 Screens

The animations are changing when you hit the B button and for the first few frames, it’s switching to the closest player. In the meantime the other player is already set so no need to switch the animation and the forward progress continues. Makes sense but still damn frustrating and after seeing how smooth the switching is using the right stick, it just seems more natural. With sports games becoming more realistic, I think you will see this in more games.

More on FIFA 08’s Controls

Control-wise FIFA seemed very solid and easy to learn even with the new controls added. Graphically, the game looks great but I am still not a fan of the side-view camera and hope they find a way to bring in the camera closer. There is a new camera angle when a player has the ball and is running towards the goal. You can toggle this on or off and at times it did seem a bit distracting.

FIFA Soccer 08 Xbox 360 Screenshot

See all FIFA Soccer 08 Screens

I hope this is another indication that EA is working on new camera angles for the franchise. I just like to feel right in the game and at times FIFA’s set up can make you feel more like controlling rather than playing. In all fairness it looks great and that is what counts. The players look good and the stadiums are improved from last year. I just got my copy of FIFA 08 so be sure to read the full review for a more in-depth look at the game. My goal here was really to give my first thoughts on the game.

FIFA 08 on the Wii

We all have talked on the podcasts about owning Wiis. Jason, Jim and I all own one and have fun playing the games with the remote. Tim, Brad and Jamie from the Wii team took time to come up and show off the FIFA 08 Wii version. At first I honestly didn’t expect much. Let’s face it, while the Wii is a blast to play, the sports games are somewhat limited and more mini-games than real sports when compared to the Xbox 360 or the PS3.

I was surprised when they loaded up the full version. While it didn’t have all the features, it looked and played great. I almost forgot it was a Wii title and that is a compliment. Instead of trying to change the Wii’s appeal, EA made the game to fit the audience and made the game fun yet realistic enough for fans. We than saw the mini-games and everyone who attended loved them. They are addicting yet fun and showcase FIFA very well on the Wii.

EA is the first third party company to have the bragging rights of having a Mii-like character in the game. While it was not created using the Mii tools, little Ronaldinho looks great. Kids are going to love him and college students are going to have a blast playing footsie, the mini games name. These three games are highly entertaining and would be a hit in any arcade or bar. They are simple yet fun and keep with Nintendo’s plans for the Wii. I was highly impressed and the team was very proud of the title.

In Closing

I know this was a very short recap of the event and the game but I wanted to end it here as it is a perfect place to start the review. I will also talk about the replay save feature and a few other things once I have more hands-on time with it. In closing, I would like to thank a few people at EA for their time and efforts.

Next-Gen Team

Kaz Makita – Gameplay Lead Producer 

Benoit Lambert – Associate Gameplay Producer

Wii Team

Tim Tschimer – Group Producer 

Brad Porteous – Lead Producer 

Jamie Toghill – Lead Designer

Worldwide Football Community Manager

Andrew Collins

EA Community Manager

Marcus Stephenson

Links

• FIFA 08 Website

Filed under: Editorials • Xbox 360

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