It's official: FIFA is dead, long live EA Sports FC

[Julius]

Thought it deserved a thread, seems pretty huge, but has been rumoured for a while now. Who could've guessed that the one entity greedier than EA would be FIFA itself? 

I'm sure FIFA will continue to be used as the shorthand, but it's going to be very confusing in the future with an entire generation trained to call it FIFA and bringing their kids up on it.

This is all a very long and roundabout way of me pointing out how absolutely awful a name EA Sports FC is, even if it is the name of the virtual catalogue that's been around in these games for ages 

[drahkon]

8 minutes ago, Julius said:

it's going to be very confusing in the future with an entire generation trained to call it FIFA

Not for my friends and me. We've been calling it Pro Clubs for years and that will not change  

"How about a few rounds of Pro Clubs?"
"Let's go clubbing!"
"Clubs?"

Fuck FIFA  

Edited May 10, 2022 by drahkon

[Ashley]

I know FC is a common initialisation for Football Club but in that montage in the tweet I can't help but read it as "fuck" over and over again

[Sheikah]

They should have just renamed it FEEFA.

[Dcubed]

1 hour ago, Ashley said:

I know FC is a common initialisation for Football Club but in that montage in the tweet I can't help but read it as "fuck" over and over again

Nice to know it wasn’t just me who saw that 

Shall be very interesting to see how much the rebranding will affect the game (and EA as a whole).  If this rebranding falls flat, EA’s days as an independent publisher could well be over…

[Hero-of-Time]

7 minutes ago, Dcubed said:

Nice to know it wasn’t just me who saw that 

Shall be very interesting to see how much the rebranding will affect the game (and EA as a whole).  If this rebranding falls flat, EA’s days as an independent publisher could well be over…

I don't think the rebranding will do that much damage. People will still want their football gaming fix and there are pretty much no other alternatives. Fans will know about the rebranding. That and there are millions of gamers addicted to Ultimate Team. As long as that is part of the game then EA are laughing all the way to the bank.

[Dcubed]

22 minutes ago, Hero-of-Time said:

I don't think the rebranding will do that much damage. People will still want their football gaming fix and there are pretty much no other alternatives. Fans will know about the rebranding. That and there are millions of gamers addicted to Ultimate Team. As long as that is part of the game then EA are laughing all the way to the bank.

Let’s not forget the last time that EA were forced to rebrand a long running sports series…

 

 

EA’s track record for rebranding ain’t so hot… 

… and with the rumour mill hinting that FIFA (the organisation) are planning to launch their own football game series with the FIFA branding? I wouldn’t say that success (or even survival!) is a sure thing for EA.

[Ashley]

Just now, Dcubed said:

… and with the rumour mill hinting that FIFA (the organisation) are planning to launch their own football game series with the FIFA branding? I wouldn’t say that success (or even survival!) is a sure thing for EA.

Doesn't seem to be a rumour based on this bullish statement

 

 

[Dcubed]

7 minutes ago, Ashley said:

Doesn't seem to be a rumour based on this bullish statement

 

 

Oh shit! That was way faster than I thought!

So 2024 it is then… It’s Harvest Moon vs Story of Seasons all over again!

[Hero-of-Time]

Their golf series was big but certainly not FIFA big. EA will do everything in their power to make sure that Ultimate Team remains a thing and stays relevant. 

An EA made football game has a lot of sway with gamers and football fans. Back in the PS2 era Pro Evo was by far the superior game and remained that way for that generation and yet it was FIFA that football fans and the casual market still played. 

Don't me wrong, I agree that this could be doom and gloom for them, especially if they lose the cash cow that is UT, but I suspect most people who play FIFA will happily migrate over to the new named game, just as long as everything else remains the same.

Thinking about it, another example of this was the Champ Man series on PC. That football sim was iconic back in the day (lost many hours playing it) but they had to change the name to Football Manager. That series is still going strong today, despite the name change, because fans knew the gameplay was the same and it was only the name that was different.

[Dcubed]

12 minutes ago, Hero-of-Time said:

Their golf series was big but certainly not FIFA big. EA will do everything in their power to make sure that Ultimate Team remains a thing and stays relevant. 

An EA made football game has a lot of sway with gamers and football fans. Back in the PS2 era Pro Evo was by far the superior game and remained that way for that generation and yet it was FIFA that football fans and the casual market still played. 

Don't me wrong, I agree that this could be doom and gloom for them, especially if they lose the cash cow that is UT, but I suspect most people who play FIFA will happily migrate over to the new named game, just as long as everything else remains the same.

Thinking about it, another example of this was the Champ Man series on PC. That football sim was iconic back in the day (lost many hours playing it) but they had to change the name to Football Manager. That series is still going strong today, despite the name change, because fans knew the gameplay was the same and it was only the name that was different.

Difference here though is that FIFA didn’t win the football war because it was the better game with better gameplay, but rather because EA were the only ones that could afford the full FIFPRO licence…

… this time though? They’re gonna have competition that can afford to compete on even footing when it comes to securing the rights to clubs & players… AND they’re gonna also have exclusive rights to the World Cup, on top of the familiar FIFA game branding itself.  That FIFPRO licence is non-exclusive, and FIFA certainly have the power to outbid EA on local club licences… I think that EA may well be getting a taste of their own medicine as they start getting bullied about by FIFA’s superior leverage and buying power.

EA have long traded on the power of branding rather than the quality of their gameplay… as such, this isn’t necessarily going to be a repeat of Championship Manager/Football Manager.

Edited May 10, 2022 by Dcubed

[Hero-of-Time]

I guess all we can do is wait and see how things play out.

I'm all for more competition in the gaming footy space. I've not touched FIFA in years, mainly due to EA's obsession with UT. However, it wouldn't surprise me if the official FIFA game tries to pull the same thing when it eventually releases. There's far too much money to be made and any money hungry CEO will be wanting a bit of it.

[Cube]

54 minutes ago, Ashley said:

Doesn't seem to be a rumour based on this bullish statement

 

 

Does Donald Trump now run FIFA?

[killthenet]

Why didn't they just call it EA Ultimate Football or something - does EA not control the rights to the Ultimate Team name?

[Sheikah]

Let’s not forget the last time that EA were forced to rebrand a long running sports series…

 

 
EA’s track record for rebranding ain’t so hot… 
… and with the rumour mill hinting that FIFA (the organisation) are planning to launch their own football game series with the FIFA branding? I wouldn’t say that success (or even survival!) is a sure thing for EA.

It won't hurt them at all. At the end of the day FIFA have the name and EA have the game. I know who I'd put my money on to release a successful football game in 2024.

Given how little changes between annual releases of FIFA I can imagine the game pretty much looking and playing more or less the same. Once it becomes known that this is just FIFA rebranded then the punters will just carry on buying it. Meanwhile, EA now keep all the profits.

[Cube]

EA have built up their brand over a very long time, including building relationships with leagues, clubs and even individual players. Which includes access to a lot of information and scans.

 

From the FIFA pr release, it seems that FIFA don't have a developer in mind, and whoever agrees to pay the FIFA licencing fees will also need to negotiate with many other leagues and clubs. At most, I expect some kind of cheap mobile cash-in with international teams only.

[Jonnas]

If FIFA start releasing a separate series called "FIFA [year]", then I can definitely see the public at large buying into that before checking the specific in-game licenses.

Gonna be cathartic to see one of EA or FIFA eat some humble pie in the coming years.

[darksnowman]

10 hours ago, drahkon said:

Not for my friends and me. We've been calling it Pro Clubs for years and that will not change  

"How about a few rounds of Pro Clubs?"
"Let's go clubbing!"
"Clubs?"

Fuck FIFA  

Pro Evo tho bro.

6 hours ago, Sheikah said:

It won't hurt them at all. At the end of the day FIFA have the name and EA have the game. I know who I'd put my money on to release a successful football game in 2024.

Given how little changes between annual releases of FIFA I can imagine the game pretty much looking and playing more or less the same. Once it becomes known that this is just FIFA rebranded then the punters will just carry on buying it. Meanwhile, EA now keep all the profits.

Bit of a Harvest Moon / Story of Seasons situation. It will be fun to see how it all goes. I reckon the next FIFA will sell as normal and if it's a stinker then gamers might waken up to the existence of EA Sports FC and gradually head back to it. 

 

Watch out for them debuting with EA Sports FC Legacy Edition on Switch...

[drahkon]

It all depends on whether EA has the rights to Ultimate Team. If they do and they get the word out to gamers they have absolutely nothing to be worried about.

[darksnowman]

Quote

While the gameplay mechanics and core modes of play will be similar to what players have come to expect in recent years, this change will likely see the title offer a broader range of other experiences, beyond just the ability to play.

Speaking to the BBC, David Jackson, vice president at EA Sports, explained that the studio thinks it's time to move in a different direction in order to build a "brand for the future".

Although the details of those experiences are vague at the moment, it's fair to assume that being able to watch real-life matches, experience Fortnite style live in-game events and have access to a broader range of branded in-game items are the kind of things EA would like to be able to offer.

Jackson says: "The world of football and the world of entertainment are changing, and they clash within our product.

"In the future our players will demand of us the ability to be more expansive in that offering. At the moment, we engage in play as a primary form of interactive experience. Soon, watching and creating content are going to be equally as important for fans.

"Under the licensing conventions that we had agreed with Fifa 10 years ago, there were some restrictions that weren't going to allow us to be able to build those experiences for players."

The Fifa franchise has been so successful in part down to detailed licensing agreements, that allowed for accurate representations of team kits, players faces and stadia to be seen on screen.

Players have been able to play as Premier League teams like Liverpool for years whereas competing games like Pro Evolution Soccer, offered fictional teams like Merseyside Red.

EA say they will continue to offer real-world experiences, having signed up 19,000 athletes, 700 teams, 100 stadiums and over 30 leagues for future games.

They include the Premier League, Bundesliga, La Liga and Uefa.

However, the move means that games released to tie-in with the World Cup, such as Fifa: Road to World Cup 98, will no longer be made by EA.

There will be one final Fifa release, with this year's edition - Fifa 23 - on sale this autumn as usual.

EA Sports FC will hit the shelves in late 2023.

https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-61383672

Got this article texted through so it looks like the news is going to be out there in the mainstream to make sure Santa knows what to deliver next year. There's more at the link, including a screenshot of Fifa International Soccer. Classic. Wonder if I can sell that cartridge after this and retire off it.  

 

[Sheikah]

5 hours ago, darksnowman said:

Pro Evo tho bro.

Bit of a Harvest Moon / Story of Seasons situation. It will be fun to see how it all goes. I reckon the next FIFA will sell as normal and if it's a stinker then gamers might waken up to the existence of EA Sports FC and gradually head back to it. 

 

Watch out for them debuting with EA Sports FC Legacy Edition on Switch...

I'd say it's quite different because Harvest Moon never had the biggest following and even I was never aware of the switch in dev teams/ownership until someone explained it to me.

Think of the advertising might EA will unleash on this, people are going to know about it and what it is. Word of mouth is also very strong with this series, and people will get the same game as their friends to play with them.

What will FIFA realistically even be able to deliver in 2024? Who will develop their game? Certainly not Konami. EA have 25 years of experience making these games; it's very likely their unbranded football game will be good. FIFA's game though? They would really have to play their cards right.

Edited May 11, 2022 by Sheikah

[Dcubed]

30 minutes ago, Sheikah said:

What will FIFA realistically even be able to deliver in 2024? Who will develop their game? Certainly not Konami. EA have 25 years of experience making these games; it's very likely their unbranded football game will be good. FIFA's game though? They would really have to play their cards right.

Visual Concepts? If FIFA could strike a deal with them/Take Two, I bet they could put out a belter of a game...

Edited May 11, 2022 by Dcubed

[Sheikah]

3 minutes ago, Dcubed said:

Visual Concepts? If FIFA could strike a deal with them/Take Two, I bet they could put out a belter of a game...

Correct me if I'm wrong but doesn't FIFA 2024 need to be out next year, since numbered titles come out a year early? So FIFA would have to strike a deal with Visual Concepts, who presumably have never made a football (i.e. soccer) game before, and it needs to be completed within a year or so? Sounds like a monumental ask.

[Dcubed]

5 minutes ago, Sheikah said:

Correct me if I'm wrong but doesn't FIFA 2024 need to be out next year, since numbered titles come out a year early? So FIFA would have to strike a deal with Visual Concepts, who presumably have never made a football (i.e. soccer) game before, and it needs to be completed within a year or so? Sounds like a monumental ask.

You're assuming that they haven't already gotten in contact with a developer and haven't already started game development some time ago...

Also, FIFA said that the game is launching in 2024, NOT 2023.  So we're looking at a likely 2+ year development timeframe.

Edited May 11, 2022 by Dcubed

[Sheikah]

Just now, Dcubed said:

You're assuming that they haven't already gotten in contact with a developer and haven't already started game development some time ago...

Also, FIFA said that the game is launching in 2024, NOT 2023.

Ok, but they've never made one before. Meanwhile, EA have 25+ years of experience. I don't think it's an easy ask at all to just start making these games.

Not saying it's impossible, but certainly if you're used to FIFA and like those games then the easiest way to carry on playing that sort of game is to buy EA's unbranded series from now on.