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Summer Of Football starts today

gazzara — Fri, 11 Jun 2010 14:29:08 +0000

This month Xbox is launching the “Summer of Football”, a variety of football themed games and entertainment to mark the most anticipated football tournament of the year in South Africa.

Running from 11^th June until Sunday 11^th July, the “Summer of Football” includes a new collaboration with the sporting giant adidas, so Xbox LIVE members will be able to dress their avatars in a range of branded clothing.

Xbox has also joined forces with Konami to allow fans to dress their avatars up in their country colours. LIVE members can download officially licensed football kits for the Brazilian, Dutch, French, Australian, English, Spanish, German, New Zealand and Italian national sides, which will then appear as options within the avatar marketplace.

Additional items such as animated balls and banners as well as fan hats and caps will also be available in the Konami Soccer Kit Collection – each available in the user’s chosen national colours. Costs vary from 240 Microsoft Points for a shirt, and 320 Microsoft Points for balls and additional items.

Xbox is also celebrating the big kick off in South Africa with a LIVE “unlock weekend” for a limited time only (11^th – 13^th June). During that weekend, all LIVE members will be given Gold member access including multiplayer gaming opportunities.

The celebrations continue with a range of promotions on football games with up to 50% off top titles such as FIFA 10 Ultimate Team, Football Genius and Sensible World of Soccer as well as a tournament predictor tool and a free “penalty shoot out” application – a fun game in which fans can test their soccer skills and even compete against their friends.

Those who can’t make it to South Africa can sit back and enjoy daily updates from the tournament including news and interviews with fans as well as celebrity views and gossip.

Xbox has also joined forces with the charity 1Goal, which aims to get all children into school, to offer LIVE members the chance to download a free avatar t-shirt to show their support for the cause. 1Goal is seizing the power of football to engage people and over the course of the summer it aims to secure 72 million signatures to an online petition to take to world leaders.

For more details on the upcoming promotion as well as the opportunity to join in the fun and win some superb prizes visit www.xbox.com.

Tiger Woods 11 demo available now

gazzara — Tue, 18 May 2010 12:18:09 +0000

Major Nelson has tweeted an hour ago that the latest version of the Tiger Woods game from EA Sports has a demo on live now.

Weighing in at a massive 2GB, you can expect to see your first look at the Ryder Cup and the Twenty Ten course at the Celtic Manor resort that EA Sports has brought into the game this year. This new feature will enable you to team up with 11 other golfers and challenge other teams online.

Tiger Woods PGA Tour 11 is set to hit the shelves on the 2nd July for the PS3, 360 and Wii. Expect our review and what we think of the latest addition to the Tiger Woods stable around the same time.

Reviewed: 2010 Fifa World Cup: South Africa (PS3, 360)

gazzara — Fri, 14 May 2010 18:31:59 +0000

With one of the biggest sporting events taking place this summer, a game to accompany it, was inevitable but instead of the usual dross 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa actually serves up a playing experience on a par with EA Sports big football series.
Initially the only real obvious difference between the game and FIFA 10 is the vibrancy of its presentation. Menus are much more colorful than that of the some what subdued looks of FIFA 10. However once this initially shock is out of your system then the differences aren’t completely obvious. The same modes are mostly included albeit, World Cup South Africa as you would expect focuses solely on international competition and as such doesn’t feature all the domestic leagues of FIFA 10. With this in mind and the fact the game revolves around this summers football extravaganza means the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa may have slightly limited lasting appeal.

The game allows you to play the full World Cup tournament, including qualifying or just part of it. The game also features the story of qualification mode that we saw in UEFA 2008. If you’re unfamiliar with that game than think of the Virtual Pro mode in FIFA 10, you can even import your pro from FIFA 10 into World Cup South Africa. So far the game doesn’t seem to offer that much more of interest than FIFA 10, in fact it includes less teams, players and competitions however it does offer some tweaks that improve the football action over that of FIFA 10.

Matches have been made more realistic in a number of ways, firstly players jostle with each other a lot more and it’s not uncommon for defenders to try pulling on you to prevent you from making breaking runs. Also players tend to band and bounce off each other a lot more, often resulting in losing control of the ball which can lead to the odd tense moment. All this contributes to making the playing experience on offer in the game quite a bit more realistic than that on offer in FIFA 10. Whilst it does make it harder to score it does make the whole penalty process much more interesting.

These aren’t the only differences between the two games, World Cup South Africa poses much more of a challenge and matches tend to be much closer, especially with equally matched teams. This in all honesty made World Cup South Africa far more interesting than I thought it would be, often serving up some interesting results. Something which also contributes to the challenge on offer in the game is the fact that referees are very strict and the most innocuous looking challenge can and often does result in the referee waving a card at your player, something which we will probably see at this years tournament.

The biggest change however comes with the games penalty taking system, at the bottom of the screen a colour coded meter gauges your players composure. Hit the green and you’re more likely to score anyrthing else and there’s a good chance the ball will go screaming past the post. This new penalty system also allows you to easily perform actions such as stopping during your run up and excecuting chip shots.

Visually the game is largely in seperable from FIFA 10, it does have more of a TV haze about it and I would go as far as to say the stadium lighting effects are much better and realistic but other than that there’s very little to seperate the two games. Sound wise there game follows the style of FIFA 10 as you would expect. However the game does feature an all new commentary team Clive Tyldesly and Andy Townsend who do a very good job and comment on the match progress.

2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa may not be overly different to FIFA 10 but it does introduce some changes that do enhance the playing expereince, possible serving as a preview to FIFA 11? If you don’t own FIFA than this is a very good football game to test your skills against, but FIFA 10 owners shouldn’t instantly dismiss it as it features just enough tweaks to make it worth a look.

Fifa Interactive World Cup finals in May

gazzara — Wed, 21 Apr 2010 10:55:09 +0000

With over 775,000 people having taken part, the world’s biggest virtual football event, the FIFA Interactive World Cup (FIWC), is set to reach its dramatic climax at the Grand Final in Port Olympic, Barcelona on 1st May.

Following months of heated online competition and qualifying events around the world, just 32 players from 22 countries remain. The finalists will go head-to-head in Barcelona with EA SPORTS FIFA 10 on the PS3 for the title of FIFA Interactive World Champion 2010. Hoping to defend his crown is reigning champion Bruce Grannec from France, who is facing an incredibly strong field including a number of previous Grand Finalists such as FIWC 2008 winner Alfonso Ramos.

Spectators at the Grand Final on 1st May will enjoy an action packed day of football, gaming and top music action in a fantastic party atmosphere. In addition to watching the FIFA Interactive World Cup Grand Final unfold live, they can check out all the latest EA and PlayStation games in the interactive arenas and test their real-life football skills at the FIFA beach soccer clinic with Spain’s beach soccer star Amarelle. There will also be exclusive live DJ set from Groove Armada’s Andy Cato.

The 2010 Grand Final winner will receive a cheque for $20,000 along with an invitation to join the world’s elite football talent at the FIFA World Player Gala 2010 in Zurich to receive their official FIWC champion’s award. The 2010 runner up will receive $5,000 whilst 3rd place will receive $1,000.

“I am delighted to see the huge interest of fans from all over the world in this event, which keeps growing every year”, said FIFA Executive Committee member Chuck Blazer, who will attend the Grand Final in Barcelona. “I enjoyed last year’s final very much and I am looking forward to watching the best interactive players in the world face off once again to be crowned the FIFA Interactive World Champion of 2010”, he added.

“With over 775,000 participants we have set a new record for the FIWC 2010 which will culminate in the exciting Grand Final in Barcelona. This amazing number of gamers highlights the importance of the FIWC for football fans worldwide,” said Jon Rosenblatt, Senior Marketing Director Europe EA SPORTS. “FIFA 10 has proven to be the best football video game ever and it’s great to see so many players from all over the world competing on the PlayStation Network and in the Live Qualifiers to become the FIWC 2010 Champion on May 1st.”

“The FIFA Interactive World Cup continues to go from strength to strength, growing each year at an enormous rate,” said Darren Carter, Vice President, Consumer Marketing, Sony Computer Entertainment Europe. “To have had over 775,000 participants clearly shows the passion of both the EA SPORTS FIFA 10 and the PlayStation fans. I have no doubt that it is going to be the best final yet and we look forward to welcoming everyone to Barcelona in May.”

Tiger Woods 11 will support Sony’s Motion Controller

gazzara — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 09:38:40 +0000

EA announced today that one of the most prestigious tournaments in golf, The Ryder Cup, will be featured in Tiger Woods PGA TOUR 11.

In addition, Tiger Woods PGA TOUR 11 will support Sony’s new PlayStation 3 Motion Controller to give gamers an authentic interactive swing experience. The game will be available on June 8 on the Wii, 360, PS3 and iPhone platforms.

Gamers will select a team and square off to try and bring home The Ryder Cup for their squad in Tiger Woods PGA TOUR 11 on all console platforms. The Ryder Cup is one of the last great sporting events to be founded in prestige rather than prize money. Choose from the U.S. or European squad and participate in the various competition formats – foursomes where players hit alternate shots, fourballs and singles which traditionally bring the biennial event to a close with players going head to head. When playing The Ryder Cup mode offline, gamers will have the option to swap matches, thus giving you the ultimate control over the outcomes of other matches.

The Ryder Cup, a competition hosted by Ryder Cup Europe LLP and the PGA of America, brings together the best American and European golfers in a team competition format, and the cover of Tiger Woods PGA TOUR 11 is a direct reflection of the tournament – as Tiger Woods denotes the U.S. team and Rory McIlroy represents the Europeans. McIlroy, hailing from Northern Ireland and currently ranked 9th according to the Official World Golf Rankings, has posted several impressive showings early in his professional golfing career. Last year, McIlroy had five top 10 PGA TOUR finishes including a third-place tie in the 2009 PGA Championship and made the cut in all four majors. As an amateur, McIlroy also has a strong history in team play events, which include appearances in the Junior Ryder Cup and Walker Cup.

“This is a huge honor for me to be the on the cover with Tiger Woods as I grew up idolizing Tiger,” said McIlroy. “The Ryder Cup has always been my favorite sporting event and the tournament is being played at The Celtic Manor Resort in Wales in 2010. Also, I’m hopeful to have an opportunity to represent the European team later in the year – it’s all very special.”

Not only will players have the ability to participate in team play but they will now be able to take a team online via the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. A first for the franchise, this all-new mode will allow up to 24 players to compete head-to-head as members of team. Team members can also talk strategy with their teammates over Xbox LIVE or PlayStation Network.

Tiger Woods PGA TOUR 11 on the Wii brings the links to your living room with two all-new enhanced swing mechanics while using the Wii MotionPlus. The Advanced Plus swing difficulty will read rotation and swing angle while the Tour Pro swing mechanic assesses rotation, swing plane and point of contact. The Tour Pro swing features an innovative first-person camera angle from the tee box to the putting green called True View. True View creates the most immersive and authentic golf experience in any video game – you are no longer watching the golfer, you are the golfer!

FIFA World Cup 2010 details

gazzara — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 10:51:31 +0000

EA will celebrate the single largest sporting event on the planet with the only official and exclusively licensed videogame for the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa. Now everyone can play in the 2010 FIFA World Cup on the PS3, 360, Wii, PSP and mobile in April 2010 in anticipation of the real-world tournament which begins in June.

EA SPORTS 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa will feature all the emotion and passion of the fiercest national rivalries battling on the world’s biggest stage, with all 199 national teams that took part in qualification, all 10 official stadiums to be used in South Africa and stadiums from each qualifying region. Gamers will be able to play as their home nation from qualification right through to a virtual reproduction of the FIFA World Cup Final and feel what it is like to score the goal that lifts a nation. Everything fans love about the World Cup will come to life in spectacular detail, including confetti rain, streamers, & fireworks—just like the official tournament.

For the first time ever in a videogame compete in a full and authentic online World Cup tournament. Carry the hopes and dreams of a nation into battle against fans from rival countries, from the group stage through the knockout rounds to the chance to be crowned 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa TM champion. For fans of nations that failed to qualify for South Africa this is the chance to replay and re-write history. Plus, gameplay innovations capture the journey from qualification to the final tournament with home and away strategies for every nation, situational tactics in-game, and altitude effects that fatigue players faster and even impact the flight of the ball.

Presented in an art style that celebrates the cultural vibrancy of the first FIFA World Cup TM to be held in Africa, EA SPORTS 2010 FIFA World Cup on the Wii is an action-packed football game that brings friends together in their living rooms to compete for the 2010 FIFA World Cup TM. Travel around the world virtually to take on all 32 nations competing in South Africa in head-to-head challenges in Zakumi’s Dream Team mode. Start the journey with random players and then build your team by stealing an opposition player after each victory. Win a challenge and pick a player until you have conquered the world. Plus, take your team to a friend’s house on your Wii Remote.

Phase 2 of Fifa 10 world cup kicks off

gazzara — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 11:24:54 +0000

FIFA, EA and Sony today announced the official kick-off of the second phase of the 2010 FIFA Interactive World Cup online competition. This year’s FIWC season has been split into two phases to ensure that even more players have the opportunity to compete in the tournament. The first phase, which concluded on 18th December 2009, saw over 400,000 players from around the world compete online on FIFA 10 on the PS3 , via PlayStation Network to secure the first 11 places at this year’s FIWC Grand Final, which will take place at Port Olympic in Barcelona on 1st May 2010.

The online leaderboard from the FIWC 2010 phase 1 has now been wiped clean, giving those players who weren’t able to participate or didn’t make it into the top ten another shot at claiming one of the remaining 11 online Grand Final spots*. To participate in the FIWC 2010 online, players can register directly inside the retail version of FIFA 10 on PS3 from 5th January 2010 and start competing right away. Alternatively, live qualifier events for an additional nine Grand Final places will take place at:

Sydney, Australia – 9th – 11th April
Sao Paulo, Brazil – 27th March
Paris, France – 12th – 14th March
Milan, Italy – March
Tokyo, Japan – 21st March
Copenhagen, Denmark – 13th March
Warsaw, Poland – 6th February
Moscow, Russia – 6th – 8th November
Johannesburg, South Africa – 6th March
London, United Kingdom – March

Following the culmination of this year’s competition in Barcelona, the FIWC World Champion will be crowned officially at the FIFA World Player Gala 2010, a once in a lifetime opportunity to meet the real life football stars in person.

FIFA Interactive World Cup kicks off

gazzara — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 15:41:48 +0000

FIFA, the world’s governing body of football, Electronic Arts and Sony Computer Entertainment Europe today announced the new season of the FIFA Interactive World Cup (FIWC), the world’s only official FIFA global football gaming competition.

The FIWC is a season-long tournament mirroring the real world of football in which competitors from all around the world participate playing FIFA 10 on PlayStation.

This year marks the sixth FIWC season, which kicks off today inside FIFA 10. Players will be able to compete for their spot in the Grand Final at one of 10 FIWC Live Qualifier Events across the globe, taking place in Australia, Brazil, Denmark, France, Italy, Japan, Poland, Russia, South Africa and the UK, or by playing online. For the first time in the tournament’s history, the online competition of the FIWC via PlayStation®Network will be split into two seasons. Season one starts with the launch of FIFA 10 on 2nd October and concludes on 18th December 2009. The ten best players of season one from across the FIFA confederations will go through to the Grand Final, which will take place at Port Olympic in Barcelona on 1st May 2010. Players who didn’t make it during season one have another shot at their spot in the Grand Final in season two, which kicks off on 4 January 2010 and concludes on 31 March 2010. Registration for participating in the online leg of the FIWC 10 tournament will take place directly inside the retail version of FIFA 10 on PS3 from 2 October across Europe and Asia and from 20 October in North America.

Alongside the 2009 FIWC champion, Bruce Grannec from France, the 31 finalists will compete to be crowned FIFA Interactive World Champion of the Year, rewarded with an invitation to the FIFA World Player Gala along with a USD 20,000 cash prize. The runner up will receive USD 5,000, while the player coming third will be awarded USD 1,000.

“More than 500,000 players vied for a spot in the Grand Final at last year’s FIFA Interactive World Cup. This makes it the FIFA tournament with the most competitors,” highlights Chuck Blazer, member of the FIFA Executive Committee and patron of the FIFA Interactive World Cup (FIWC). “The FIWC is becoming more and more popular among all age groups and the great thing is that everybody can participate. Players can face each other whenever they want and wherever they are – this is truly unique.”

“With the real life football season already underway, FIFA fans the world over are itching to show off their skills in this year’s FIFA Interactive World Cup tournament and they won’t be disappointed ,” said Matt Bilbey, VP Marketing, EA SPORTS. “The FIFA development team in Vancouver have worked incredibly hard to deliver players the most authentic football gaming experience ever with FIFA 10. With the game out now, we’re excited for players around the world to start their journey to the top of the FIFA Interactive World Cup league on the PlayStation 3.”

”The FIFA Interactive World Cup 2009 was a truly incredible tournament, with over half a million people competing, many of which via PlayStation Network,” said Darren Carter, VP for Brand and Consumer Marketing, SCEE. “The FIWC is a great example of what can happen when you take one of the worlds best selling games, mix it together with the world’s favourite games console, and open it up to the community. We are very excited about this year’s tournament and wish everybody competing the best of luck.”

Details about the live qualifier events will be made available over the coming weeks at www.FIFA.com/FIWC, so check in regularly to keep your fingers on the pulse of the FIFA Interactive World Cup 2010.