FIFA 12
Encyclopedia
FIFA 12 is the nineteenth game in Electronic Arts
' FIFA series of association football video games. It was developed by EA Canada
, and published by Electronic Arts worldwide under the EA Sports
label. David Rutter, the line producer for FIFA 12, promised "a revolutionary year for FIFA ... especially in the gameplay department."
An "Ultimate Edition" of the game will be available through Game
and Gamestation
stores. It includes four monthly Ultimate Team gold packs, with each pack containing 12 items including players, contracts, stadiums, managers, staff, fitness, healing, footballs, kits and badges. Each pack contains one rare item, such as enhanced player attributes, longer contracts and the most coveted players. On 22 June 2011, EA Sports announced that the Microsoft Windows
version of FIFA 12 will have the same engine, features, and competitions as the PlayStation 3
and Xbox 360
versions.
Along with several other new EA Sports titles, FIFA 12 was available three days early to purchasers of the EA Sports Season Ticket.
The release date of the FIFA 12 demo was announced at the Gamescom
event in Germany on 16 August; the demo was available from Xbox Live Marketplace
and EA's Origin Store for Microsoft Windows on 13 September 2011, though the Playstation 3 demo was not available in Europe until the following day.
In development for several years, the Impact Engine improves collision variety, accuracy, and momentum preservation. A new advanced procedural animation system is used along with collision physics to produce different results depending on the players and physical forces involved. This affects all players, so even those off the ball may have collisions. The Impact Engine has been cited as a game changer, making FIFA 12 less structured and synthetic than its predecessors, and has been described by producer David Rutter as the biggest technological change to the series since the transition to the current generation of consoles. The Impact Engine also directly affects injuries sustained by players during a match.
The new Tactical Defending system aims to change the approach to defending by placing equal importance on positioning, intercepting passes and tackling. When defending there will be more of an emphasis on slowing attackers down and containing them, and pressuring them into making mistakes. This is intended to be a more manual form of defending, requiring greater timing and precision when compared to the defensive "press" system used in previous FIFA games. The old system, now dubbed "legacy defending", where a button press causes an AI player to home in on the player in possession of the ball, can still be used offline, and in online friendlies and custom unranked matches.
The Precision Dribbling feature allows players to dribble whilst shielding, meaning you can still move around the pitch whilst holding players off, rather than being rooted to the spot. Close control has been added below jogging as a way of allowing players to take smaller, more frequent touches, keeping the ball closer and keeping tighter control. Players will now be much more aware of their surroundings. As an example, players in possession near the touchline will understand their position, and keep tighter control of the ball to stop it running out of play.
An improved artificial intelligence system named Pro Player Intelligence aims to make AI-controlled players react to the skills and capabilities of other players with appropriate actions. For example, a winger will be more likely to cross the ball into the box when he has a waiting team-mate with aerial ability, whereas he might look for support and play the ball along the ground if that team-mate is less of an aerial threat. Players will also make better use of their own strengths, so for example a creative player might look for less obvious opportunities such as playing long accurate passes, where another player in his situation would be more likely to play it safe with a short pass.
Match presentation has also been overhauled with a new default camera angle and improvements to the broadcast-style match build-up. Some in-game cutscenes have been removed, such as those before throw-ins and corner kicks. Instead, a player will simply run to perform the task in question with no interruption.
integration has been implemented.
A new online service called EA Sports Football Club launches simultaneously with FIFA 12, and has been compared to a social network that tracks what players do in the game and awards XP. This will be linked to both friend-based and worldwide leaderboards, and include a levelling system. The player also chooses a particular football club to support which will be apportioned a share of all XP earned, with league tables for clubs based on the average XP contributed by their fans. Each week will count as a "season" with clubs being promoted or relegated based on the skill of those who support them. EA Sports Football Club will in future connect play across multiple titles, starting with FIFA 12 and the forthcoming FIFA Street
. By playing both games XP earned in one will be carried over to the other.
– Austrian Football Bundesliga – Pro League – Brasileiro
– Danish Superliga
– Barclays Premier League, Npower Championship
, Npower league 1, Npower league 2 – Ligue 1
, Ligue 2
– Bundesliga
, 2. Bundesliga
– Serie A
, Serie B
– Hyundai Oilbank K-League
– Mexican Primera División – Eredivisie
– Tippeligaen
– T-Mobile Ekstraklasa – Primeira Liga – League of Ireland
– Russian Premier League
– SPL
– Liga BBVA
, Liga Adelante
– Allsvenskan
– Axpo Super League/
Canada – MLS
s.
returns as the main commentator, with former Arsenal
and England
player Alan Smith as co-commentator. Smith replaces long-term FIFA contributor Andy Gray following the controversy surrounding him earlier in 2011 and his subsequent dismissal from the Sky Sports
commentary team. FIFA 12 producer David Rutter described Smith as "one of the top-tier broadcasters on the UK football scene, [who will bring] a fresh, new perspective and insight ... working alongside the trusted and well-known voice of Martin Tyler" A second English commentary team will be included in the form of ITV
's Clive Tyldesley
and Andy Townsend
, who will be used for tournament modes, though they can also be set as the default commentators.
FIFA 12 will be the first in the series to be released in Arabic, with Essam El Shawaly and Abdullah Mubarak Al-Harby providing the commentary.
and England striker Wayne Rooney
, or Real Madrid
's Brazilian international Kaká
, along with one or two other players, often from the country in question. In the UK and Ireland, Jack Wilshere
of Arsenal and England is featured alongside Rooney, while Everton
's Australian midfielder Tim Cahill
partners Rooney and Kaká on the Australasian cover. Rooney appears for the first time on the North American cover along with Los Angeles Galaxy
forward Landon Donovan
and Rafael Márquez
of New York Red Bulls.
The German cover only features two Germans Mats Hummels
of Dortmund
and FC Köln's
Lukas Podolski
.
The cover players are also utilised in the FIFA 12 advertising campaigns, and other promotional and social media activities worldwide. EA spokesman Matt Bilbey claimed that the chosen players all "passionately play our game" and will be talking to fans about their own experiences with FIFA.
that was described as "unprecedented in both its scale and scope within the computer game industry". The deal will involve content distributed through the digital channels of both the club and EA, including "match simulations" before the actual fixtures and "unique visuals of the City stars in action", as well as a "virtual kit launch" held on the 21 July 2011. EA will be making available a downloadable Manchester City-themed game cover as well as installing gaming areas around the City of Manchester Stadium
. The entire first team squad have had their heads scanned in 360 degrees for more accurate in-game representations.
For the third year running, EA Sports co-sponsors English Football League Two
side Swindon Town
, with the FIFA 12 logo featuring on the back of the home shirt and on the front of the away shirt.
for the Xbox 360
and PS3
versions. IGN
gave the game a 9.5 out of 10 rating. 1UP.com
gave it a A score, praising its refinements and new features. Eurogamer
gave it a 9 out of 10 rating, calling it a "welcome edition" and a step forward for the series."
s performance. This makes it the "fastest selling sports game ever", according to publisher EA.
Electronic Arts
Electronic Arts, Inc. is a major American developer, marketer, publisher and distributor of video games. Founded and incorporated on May 28, 1982 by Trip Hawkins, the company was a pioneer of the early home computer games industry and was notable for promoting the designers and programmers...
' FIFA series of association football video games. It was developed by EA Canada
EA Canada
EA Canada is a video game developer located in Burnaby, British Columbia. The development studio opened in January 1983 and is EA's largest and oldest studio...
, and published by Electronic Arts worldwide under the EA Sports
EA Sports
EA Sports is a brand of Electronic Arts that creates and develops sports video games. Formerly a marketing gimmick of Electronic Arts, in which they tried to mimic real-life sports networks by calling themselves "EA Sports Network" with pictures or endorsements of real commentators such as John...
label. David Rutter, the line producer for FIFA 12, promised "a revolutionary year for FIFA ... especially in the gameplay department."
An "Ultimate Edition" of the game will be available through Game
GAME (retailer)
The Game Group plc is a British video games retail company. It is listed on the London Stock Exchange and is a constituent of the FTSE SmallCap Index....
and Gamestation
Gamestation
Gamestation is a chain of UK retail shops selling used and new video games, and was the second-largest specialist video game retailer in the UK until it was bought out by Game in 2007...
stores. It includes four monthly Ultimate Team gold packs, with each pack containing 12 items including players, contracts, stadiums, managers, staff, fitness, healing, footballs, kits and badges. Each pack contains one rare item, such as enhanced player attributes, longer contracts and the most coveted players. On 22 June 2011, EA Sports announced that the Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows is a series of operating systems produced by Microsoft.Microsoft introduced an operating environment named Windows on November 20, 1985 as an add-on to MS-DOS in response to the growing interest in graphical user interfaces . Microsoft Windows came to dominate the world's personal...
version of FIFA 12 will have the same engine, features, and competitions as the PlayStation 3
PlayStation 3
The is the third home video game console produced by Sony Computer Entertainment and the successor to the PlayStation 2 as part of the PlayStation series. The PlayStation 3 competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
and Xbox 360
Xbox 360
The Xbox 360 is the second video game console produced by Microsoft and the successor to the Xbox. The Xbox 360 competes with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
versions.
Along with several other new EA Sports titles, FIFA 12 was available three days early to purchasers of the EA Sports Season Ticket.
The release date of the FIFA 12 demo was announced at the Gamescom
Gamescom
gamescom is a trade fair for video games held annually at the Koelnmesse in Cologne, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is organised by the Bundesverband Interaktive Unterhaltungssoftware...
event in Germany on 16 August; the demo was available from Xbox Live Marketplace
Xbox Live Marketplace
The Xbox Live Marketplace is a virtual market designed for Microsoft's Xbox 360 console that allows Xbox Live members to download purchased or promotional content...
and EA's Origin Store for Microsoft Windows on 13 September 2011, though the Playstation 3 demo was not available in Europe until the following day.
Changes and new features
According to EA, FIFA 12 sports several new features and improvements over its predecessors. For the first time in several years the game's presentation and front end has been redesigned with the familiar vertical menus being replaced by a side-scrolling menu bar system and the new Impact engine.Gameplay
Three major gameplay changes have been implemented in FIFA 12; these are the Impact Engine, Tactical Defending, and Precision Dribbling.In development for several years, the Impact Engine improves collision variety, accuracy, and momentum preservation. A new advanced procedural animation system is used along with collision physics to produce different results depending on the players and physical forces involved. This affects all players, so even those off the ball may have collisions. The Impact Engine has been cited as a game changer, making FIFA 12 less structured and synthetic than its predecessors, and has been described by producer David Rutter as the biggest technological change to the series since the transition to the current generation of consoles. The Impact Engine also directly affects injuries sustained by players during a match.
The new Tactical Defending system aims to change the approach to defending by placing equal importance on positioning, intercepting passes and tackling. When defending there will be more of an emphasis on slowing attackers down and containing them, and pressuring them into making mistakes. This is intended to be a more manual form of defending, requiring greater timing and precision when compared to the defensive "press" system used in previous FIFA games. The old system, now dubbed "legacy defending", where a button press causes an AI player to home in on the player in possession of the ball, can still be used offline, and in online friendlies and custom unranked matches.
The Precision Dribbling feature allows players to dribble whilst shielding, meaning you can still move around the pitch whilst holding players off, rather than being rooted to the spot. Close control has been added below jogging as a way of allowing players to take smaller, more frequent touches, keeping the ball closer and keeping tighter control. Players will now be much more aware of their surroundings. As an example, players in possession near the touchline will understand their position, and keep tighter control of the ball to stop it running out of play.
An improved artificial intelligence system named Pro Player Intelligence aims to make AI-controlled players react to the skills and capabilities of other players with appropriate actions. For example, a winger will be more likely to cross the ball into the box when he has a waiting team-mate with aerial ability, whereas he might look for support and play the ball along the ground if that team-mate is less of an aerial threat. Players will also make better use of their own strengths, so for example a creative player might look for less obvious opportunities such as playing long accurate passes, where another player in his situation would be more likely to play it safe with a short pass.
Match presentation has also been overhauled with a new default camera angle and improvements to the broadcast-style match build-up. Some in-game cutscenes have been removed, such as those before throw-ins and corner kicks. Instead, a player will simply run to perform the task in question with no interruption.
Career Mode
The manager's relationship with players and the media will play a larger role, with team selection, success, and salaries all affecting individual players' attitudes and morale, and the press picking up on injuries and unrest, all of which can impact performance on the pitch. Unhappy players can talk to the press and stir up interest from other clubs, with transfer AI also having been improved upon. Transfer targets will sometimes demand excessive wages if they think they can get away with it, and rival clubs will chance tempting your star players away for a bargain price. Each club will be assigned a particular transfer mentality, where the richest clubs will tend to concentrate on acquiring the very best players available, whereas smaller clubs may look more for youngsters, older players, and loans. The AI will fine-tune this element to prevent it becoming too predictable. The transfer window has been overhauled, with the last day being slowed down to progress on hours rather than days and featuring a ticking countdown clock as clubs hurry to complete last-minute deals. It will be possible to delay transfers until right up to the deadline in order to see how others pan out, and the club's Chief Executive will help with pointing out potential late signings. Other improvements to Career Mode include the calendar, news story displays and news feeds, which aim to make information such as upcoming events, transfers, and rumours more accessible. FacebookFacebook
Facebook is a social networking service and website launched in February 2004, operated and privately owned by Facebook, Inc. , Facebook has more than 800 million active users. Users must register before using the site, after which they may create a personal profile, add other users as...
integration has been implemented.
Online modes
EA claims to have "revolutionized" the online side of FIFA 12. Among the changes is a new mode called "Head to Head Seasons", a variation on regular ranked matches where league points are awarded for winning or drawing matches. The aim is to progress up through ten divisions, with each "season" consisting of ten games. All players will start in the tenth and lowest division, with promotion and relegation based on a target number of points won in each season. There will also be related "cup" tournaments every few weeks. Multiplayer matchmaking has been expanded with the addition of the "flow" mode. This involves choosing various options such as team and line-up before being matched with an opponent. This change is intended to counter the problem of being paired with opponents who choose one of a small number of five-star teams, a situation that often results in repetitive matches between the same few clubs. By selecting a team beforehand, an opponent with similar team preferences to your own will automatically be chosen. There is also the option for players who use the "manual" control method, with reduced AI assistance on shots and passes, to choose to be paired against other "manual" users only. The percentage of games an opponent has finished can be specified too, making it easier to avoid "rage quitters".A new online service called EA Sports Football Club launches simultaneously with FIFA 12, and has been compared to a social network that tracks what players do in the game and awards XP. This will be linked to both friend-based and worldwide leaderboards, and include a levelling system. The player also chooses a particular football club to support which will be apportioned a share of all XP earned, with league tables for clubs based on the average XP contributed by their fans. Each week will count as a "season" with clubs being promoted or relegated based on the skill of those who support them. EA Sports Football Club will in future connect play across multiple titles, starting with FIFA 12 and the forthcoming FIFA Street
FIFA Street (2012 video game)
FIFA Street is a forthcoming game in EA Sports' FIFA Street franchise based on the sport of street football. It will be the first such game in almost four years, and a reboot for the series...
. By playing both games XP earned in one will be carried over to the other.
Leagues
– A-LeagueA-League
The A-League is the top Australasian professional football league. Run by Australian governing body Football Federation Australia , it was founded in 2004 following the folding of the National Soccer League and staged its inaugural season in 2005–06. It is sponsored by Hyundai Motor Company...
– Austrian Football Bundesliga – Pro League – Brasileiro
Campeonato Brasileiro Série A
The Campeonato Brasileiro de Clubes da Série A , popularly known as the Brasileirão , is a professional football league at the top of the Brazilian football league system held annually since 1959. Contested by twenty clubs, it operates a system of promotion and relegation with the Série B...
– Danish Superliga
Danish Superliga
The Danish Superliga is the current Danish football championship tournament, and administered by the Danish Football Association. It is the highest association football league in Denmark and is currently contested by 12 teams each year, with 2 teams to be relegated, which proves to be one of the...
– Barclays Premier League, Npower Championship
Football League Championship
The Football League Championship is the highest division of The Football League and second-highest division overall in the English football league system after the Premier League...
, Npower league 1, Npower league 2 – Ligue 1
Ligue 1
Ligue 1 , is the French professional league for association football clubs. It is the country's primary football competition and serves as the top division of the French football league system. Ligue 1 is one of two divisions making up the Ligue de Football Professionnel, the other being Ligue 2....
, Ligue 2
Ligue 2
Ligue 2 , formerly known as Division 2, is a French professional football league. The league serves as the second division of French football and is one of two divisions making up the Ligue de Football Professionnel , the other being Ligue 1, the country's top football division...
– Bundesliga
Fußball-Bundesliga
The Fußball-Bundesliga is a professional association football league in Germany. At the top of Germany's football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. It is contested by 18 teams and operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the 2. Bundesliga...
, 2. Bundesliga
2. Fußball-Bundesliga
- Changes in division set-up :* Number of clubs: currently 18. From 1974 to 1981 there were two conferences, each of 20 teams. In 1981–91 it had 20...
– Serie A
Serie A
Serie A , now called Serie A TIM due to sponsorship by Telecom Italia, is a professional league competition for football clubs located at the top of the Italian football league system and has been operating for over eighty years since 1929. It had been organized by Lega Calcio until 2010, but a new...
, Serie B
Serie B
Serie B, currently named Serie bwin due to sponsorship reasons, is the second-highest division in the Italian football league system after the Serie A. It is contested by 22 teams and organized by the Lega Serie B since July 2010, after the split of Lega Calcio that previously took care of both the...
– Hyundai Oilbank K-League
K-League
The Korea Professional Football League is South Korea's only fully professional association football league. At the top of the South Korean football league system, it is the country's highest and most prestigious level of football competition currently contested by 16 clubs.-Establishment:The...
– Mexican Primera División – Eredivisie
Eredivisie
The Eredivisie is the highest football league in the Netherlands. The league was founded in 1956 two years after the start of professional football in the Netherlands. It is currently ranked the ninth best league in Europe by UEFA....
– Tippeligaen
Tippeligaen
Tippeligaen is a Norwegian professional league for association football clubs. At the top of the Norwegian football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. The league is also unofficially known under its neutral name Eliteserien , although the name has never been official...
– T-Mobile Ekstraklasa – Primeira Liga – League of Ireland
League of Ireland
The League of Ireland is the national association football league of the Republic of Ireland. Founded in 1921, as a league of eight clubs, it has expanded over time into a two-tiered league of 22 clubs. It is currently split into the League of Ireland Premier Division and the League of Ireland...
– Russian Premier League
Russian Premier League
The Russian Premier League , currently called SOGAZ Russian Football Championship due to sponsorship reasons, is the top division of Russian football. There are 16 teams in the competition...
– SPL
Scottish Premier League
The Scottish Premier League , also known as the SPL , is a professional league competition for association football clubs in Scotland...
– Liga BBVA
La Liga
The Primera División of the Liga Nacional de Fútbol Profesional , commonly known as La Liga or, for sponsorship reasons, Liga BBVA since 2008, is the top professional association football division of the Spanish football league system...
, Liga Adelante
Segunda División
The Segunda División is the lower tier of the two professional football leagues in Spain. From the season 2008-09 onwards, the name of the league is Liga Adelante.-History:...
– Allsvenskan
Allsvenskan
Allsvenskan is a Swedish professional league for association football clubs. At the top of the Swedish football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. Contested by 16 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with Superettan...
– Axpo Super League/
Canada – MLSMajor League Soccer
Major League Soccer is a professional soccer league based in the United States and sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation . The league is composed of 19 teams — 16 in the U.S. and 3 in Canada...
Soundtrack
The official soundtrack for FIFA 12 was announced on 12 September 2011. The game features 39 established and breakthrough artists from 15 countries and covers a variety of music genreMusic genre
A music genre is a categorical and typological construct that identifies musical sounds as belonging to a particular category and type of music that can be distinguished from other types of music...
s.
Commentators
Martin TylerMartin Tyler
Martin Tyler is an English football commentator who was voted as the FA Premier League Commentator of The Decade...
returns as the main commentator, with former Arsenal
Arsenal F.C.
Arsenal Football Club is a professional English Premier League football club based in North London. One of the most successful clubs in English football, it has won 13 First Division and Premier League titles and 10 FA Cups...
and England
England national football team
The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
player Alan Smith as co-commentator. Smith replaces long-term FIFA contributor Andy Gray following the controversy surrounding him earlier in 2011 and his subsequent dismissal from the Sky Sports
Sky Sports
Sky Sports is the brand name for a group of sports-oriented television channels operated by the UK and Ireland's main satellite pay-TV company, British Sky Broadcasting. Sky Sports is the dominant subscription television sports brand in the United Kingdom and Ireland...
commentary team. FIFA 12 producer David Rutter described Smith as "one of the top-tier broadcasters on the UK football scene, [who will bring] a fresh, new perspective and insight ... working alongside the trusted and well-known voice of Martin Tyler" A second English commentary team will be included in the form of ITV
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
's Clive Tyldesley
Clive Tyldesley
Clive Tyldesley is an English sports commentator, who since 1998 has been the main football commentator for ITV. He has commentated on eleven Champions League finals, five FA Cup Finals and numerous World Cup and European Championship matches.-Career:Tyldesley was born in Radcliffe, Bury,...
and Andy Townsend
Andy Townsend
Andrew "Andy" David Townsend is a former professional footballer, who played in two World Cups for the Republic of Ireland and is now a television and radio pundit....
, who will be used for tournament modes, though they can also be set as the default commentators.
FIFA 12 will be the first in the series to be released in Arabic, with Essam El Shawaly and Abdullah Mubarak Al-Harby providing the commentary.
Covers
As with previous FIFA games, a number of different national covers are used. Most of them depict either Manchester UnitedManchester United F.C.
Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...
and England striker Wayne Rooney
Wayne Rooney
Wayne Mark Rooney is an English footballer who plays as a striker for Premier League club Manchester United and the England national team...
, or Real Madrid
Real Madrid C.F.
Real Madrid Club de Fútbol , commonly known as Real Madrid, is a professional football club based in Madrid, Spain. The club have won a record 31 La Liga titles, the Primera División of the Liga de Fútbol Profesional , 18 Copas del Rey, 8 Spanish Super Cups, 1 Copa Eva Duarte and 1 Copa de la...
's Brazilian international Kaká
Kaká
Ricardo Izecson dos Santos Leite , commonly known as Kaká , is a Brazilian football attacking midfielder who currently plays for Spanish La Liga club Real Madrid and the Brazilian national team. Kaká started his footballing career at the age of eight, when he began playing for a local club...
, along with one or two other players, often from the country in question. In the UK and Ireland, Jack Wilshere
Jack Wilshere
Jack Andrew Garry Wilshere is an English footballer who plays as a midfielder for Arsenal and the England national team....
of Arsenal and England is featured alongside Rooney, while Everton
Everton F.C.
Everton Football Club are an English professional association football club from the city of Liverpool. The club competes in the Premier League, the highest level of English football...
's Australian midfielder Tim Cahill
Tim Cahill
Timothy Filiga "Tim" Cahill is an football player of Australian nationality who plays for Everton and the Australian national football team...
partners Rooney and Kaká on the Australasian cover. Rooney appears for the first time on the North American cover along with Los Angeles Galaxy
Los Angeles Galaxy
The Los Angeles Galaxy are an American professional soccer team, based in the Los Angeles suburb of Carson, California, which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. It is one of the ten charter clubs of MLS, and the league's second...
forward Landon Donovan
Landon Donovan
Landon Timothy Donovan is an American soccer player for the Los Angeles Galaxy in Major League Soccer in the United States. He usually plays as a withdrawn forward, and can also be used as an attacking midfielder on either wing....
and Rafael Márquez
Rafael Márquez
Rafael Márquez Álvarez is a Mexican footballer who plays for New York Red Bulls in Major League Soccer and the Mexico national team. He plays as a centre back or defensive midfielder....
of New York Red Bulls.
The German cover only features two Germans Mats Hummels
Mats Hummels
Mats Julian Hummels is a German footballer who plays for Borussia Dortmund, as a central defender.-Club career:...
of Dortmund
Borussia Dortmund
Ballspielverein Borussia Dortmund, commonly BVB, are a German sports club based in Dortmund, North Rhine-Westphalia. Dortmund are one of the most successful clubs in German football history. Borussia Dortmund play in the Bundesliga, the top league of German football...
and FC Köln's
1. FC Köln
1. FC Köln is a German association football club based in Cologne, North Rhine-Westphalia. It was formed in 1948 as a merger of the clubs Kölner Ballspiel-Club 1901 and SpVgg Sülz 07....
Lukas Podolski
Lukas Podolski
Lukas Josef Podolski ; born Łukasz Podolski ) on 4 June 1985 in Gliwice, Poland) is a German footballer who plays as a striker/winger for 1. FC Köln and for the German national team. He joined 1. FC Köln in 1995 where he broke into the first team in 2003 and made 81 appearances for the club before...
.
The cover players are also utilised in the FIFA 12 advertising campaigns, and other promotional and social media activities worldwide. EA spokesman Matt Bilbey claimed that the chosen players all "passionately play our game" and will be talking to fans about their own experiences with FIFA.
Sponsorship and promotions
As part of their promotion of FIFA 12 EA Sports have signed a deal with English Premier League club Manchester CityManchester City F.C.
Manchester City Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Manchester. Founded in 1880 as St. Mark's , they became Ardwick Association Football Club in 1887 and Manchester City in 1894...
that was described as "unprecedented in both its scale and scope within the computer game industry". The deal will involve content distributed through the digital channels of both the club and EA, including "match simulations" before the actual fixtures and "unique visuals of the City stars in action", as well as a "virtual kit launch" held on the 21 July 2011. EA will be making available a downloadable Manchester City-themed game cover as well as installing gaming areas around the City of Manchester Stadium
City of Manchester Stadium
The City of Manchester Stadium in Manchester, England – also known as the Etihad Stadium for sponsorship purposes– is the home ground of...
. The entire first team squad have had their heads scanned in 360 degrees for more accurate in-game representations.
For the third year running, EA Sports co-sponsors English Football League Two
Football League Two
Football League Two is the third-highest division of The Football League and fourth-highest division overall in the English football league system....
side Swindon Town
Swindon Town F.C.
Swindon Town Football Club are a team based in Swindon, Wiltshire. Currently in League Two, Swindon have been managed by Paolo Di Canio since 23 May 2011...
, with the FIFA 12 logo featuring on the back of the home shirt and on the front of the away shirt.
Reception
FIFA 12 has received universal critical acclaim with a score of 91 and 92 on MetacriticMetacritic
Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
for the Xbox 360
Xbox 360
The Xbox 360 is the second video game console produced by Microsoft and the successor to the Xbox. The Xbox 360 competes with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
and PS3
PlayStation 3
The is the third home video game console produced by Sony Computer Entertainment and the successor to the PlayStation 2 as part of the PlayStation series. The PlayStation 3 competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
versions. IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
gave the game a 9.5 out of 10 rating. 1UP.com
1UP.com
1UP.com is a video game website owned by IGN Entertainment, a division of News Corporation. Previously, the site was owned by Ziff Davis before being sold to UGO Entertainment in 2009....
gave it a A score, praising its refinements and new features. Eurogamer
Eurogamer
Eurogamer is a Brighton-based website focused on video games news, reviews, previews and interviews. It is operated by Eurogamer Network Ltd., which was formed in 1999 by brothers Rupert and Nick Loman. Eurogamer has grown to become one of the most important European-based websites focused on...
gave it a 9 out of 10 rating, calling it a "welcome edition" and a step forward for the series."
Sales
FIFA 12 sold 3.2 million copies in its first week of availability, up 23 percent over FIFA 11FIFA 11
FIFA 11 is the 18th title in Electronic Arts' FIFA series of football video games. Developed by EA Canada, it was published by Electronic Arts worldwide under the EA Sports label...
s performance. This makes it the "fastest selling sports game ever", according to publisher EA.