FIFA Soccer 12: New features revealed at Gamescom
11 billion. Impressive number, no? That’s the number of sales FIFA Soccer 11 has racked up so far. However, as popular as FIFA 11 obviously is, there are quite a few features and game improvements that EA feels it has enough reasons to produce FIFA Soccer 12. According to EA Sports Senior Producer David Rutter’s presentation of FIFA Soccer 12 at Gamescom, the new player impact engine is one key feature to keep an eye on. In fact, he mentioned a few other new improvements that are sure to pique the interest of even the most hardened game simulation fan.
In addition to the new player impact engine, FIFA Soccer 12 will come with a true injury system which poses squad selection dilemmas. This is quite a welcome addition. Previous “injury” systems were weak because there was no true systemic strategic impact. Squad selection is one of the foundational elements of managing a football team. Of course, AI is also getting some improvements. When it comes to sports simulation games, AI is always a key part of the “secret sauce” that differentiate one simulation game from another.
Screenshot from Fifa 12 (Credit: EA)
The focus on this AI improvement is greater player behavior authenticity. A robust AI system means star players like Kaka and Rooney move and play closer to their real world counterparts. Online components are also getting an improvement in FIFA Soccer 12. It will be easier to organize friendly games while community matches will have tighter integration with the EA Sports Football Club. All told, Rutter has made a very convincing case for FIFA Soccer 12 and I wouldn’t be surprised if the 11 billion game number achieved by FIFA Soccer 11 will be exceeded by its successor.
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