FIFA 2003 PRODUCER INTERVIEW
Although World Cup fever has died down, soccer remains by far the most popular sport worldwide -- and EA SPORTS' FIFA series has long been the most complete soccer video game available.
The series takes a major leap forward this year with FIFA 2003, scheduled for release in the fall. We sat down with FIFA 2003 associate producer Danny Isaac to get the inside scoop on the new features and stunning capabilities of the latest, greatest entry in this signature line of games.
EA SPORTS: What are some of the graphical and physics improvements in the all-new engine?
Danny Isaac: This year we’ve spent a significant amount of time moving towards realistic environments and players. Previous versions of FIFA have had a very distinctive style; this year our direction and influence has been from the real places and the real people who play the game. For example, our player models have been refined to look more athletic, where previously they were a little more muscle-bound. We also visited the top stadiums in Europe and have accurately represented them in the game.
We had a very clear goal with the physics -- focus on the ball and how the player controls it. The actual physics of the ball have been refined and improved, giving us a solid realistic ball that reacts perfectly within its environment. But most of all, we have fundamentally changed the way in which the player interacts with the ball itself.
EA SPORTS: That sounds interesting -- what changes have you made?
Danny Isaac: Previously, the ball was tethered to the player and would move without being touched. If I ran with the ball, it would move ahead without my player touching it; if I turned the ball would magically turn with me. That's not very realistic. With the new system, the ball is moved by the player’s foot, so now when I run with the ball it will roll, then slow and then be kicked again when the player catches up with it. For the player to turn he has to be near the ball so that he can get his foot to it, which is more realistic, looks better and improves the overall gameplay experience markedly.
EA SPORTS: Tell us about the Club Championship Mode. What will these teams have that others don’t?
Danny Isaac: The Club Championship allows the user to play against the top 18 teams in Europe both as a friendly competition and within a league structure. We’ve managed to drill down into these top teams and focus on recreating their home environments as closely as possible. As an example, we’ve included team specific and player specific chants, accurate stadium modeling and player- and team-specific commentary covering such areas as rivalries and history.
EA SPORTS: What are the changes in the new A.I.? Will the computer react with tactical changes befitting the situation, as would a real manager?
Danny Isaac: For FIFA 2003 we have re-written large areas of the AI and one of the key areas is the computer intelligence. In previous years we describe the user-versus-CPU experience as "flat" -- this means that at minute 1 and minute 90 the game experience is basically the same. The goal this year was to make games ebb and flow, and to do this we’ve had to change the way the CPU plays. For instance, if you’re up 1-0 in the 80th minute, the CPU will start pressing hard to get hold of the ball, he’ll tackle more aggressively and break fast looking for the equalizer. If the roles are reversed he’ll pass the ball around trying to hold on to possession and killing off the game. In addition to this, he’ll change his formation and make substitutions, which will give him better defensive or attacking options depending on the situation.
EA SPORTS: Certain players have their best skills highlighted. Can you give us a couple of examples of the players and which skills they’ll have that are exceptional?
Danny Isaac: Sure, as mentioned one of the areas we’ve improved upon this year is ball control. As we’ve detached the ball from the player, it’s allowed us to implement a cool feature whereby the user can do a quick knock-on and move the ball past approaching defenders. If you’re controlling a highly skilled player, such as Edgar Davids, then he’ll perform an extra special move to get past. We’ve also improved player attributes so that each player will feel different whether they’re running, heading, shooting or tackling, so you’ll feel the speed of Ryan Giggs and the shot power of Roberto Carlos.
EA SPORTS: How many stadiums will be in the game? How about team-specific chants?
Danny Isaac: Within FIFA 2003 we will have 24 different stadiums (18 team specific, 4 generic and 2 unlockable). We have a number of teams that have specific chants which you’ll recognize if you’ve ever heard the crowd at Old Trafford or San Siro and we’ve also included context-specific chants, so if you’re down 3-0 the crowd will let you know about it!
EA SPORTS: Will there be online play capability?
Danny Isaac: For the PC, definitely! The PC will utilize the match-up from EASO (EA SPORTS Online) and will also feature the usual IP peer-to-peer connections. You’ll be able to have a friendly game of FIFA against people all over the world!
EA SPORTS: Are there customizable Cup competitions?
Danny Isaac: There certainly are -- we have a customizable multiplayer mode that allows you to play league, league-plus-knockout or just knockout phases against seven of your friends (8 players total).
EA SPORTS: What are some of the Set Piece changes that have been made?
Danny Isaac: With set pieces we’ve looked to add a little more control over what we’ve had previously. Obviously within soccer, set pieces are very important and present numerous scoring opportunities, which we wanted to recreate. With this in mind, we’ve redesigned the freekick interface to give you more control over the shot. You now have to pick a point on the goal, select the amount of spin you want to apply to the ball and then hit the ‘sweet spot’ to send the ball curling and dipping towards your opponent’s net. When one of those goes in it’s very, very rewarding. We’ve added a similar but more simplistic design to corner kicks, which allows more accuracy and gives you a better chance to score.
EA SPORTS: Any secrets or hidden stuff that you can give us clues to?
Danny Isaac: We have some cool-looking stadiums that can be unlocked, if you’re good enough, and winning specific tournaments will allow you to access new competitions. The majority of the "hidden" material is in the game itself, if you experiment with different moves in different situations you’ll get some really great results.
EA SPORTS: Anything else you want to add about FIFA 2003?
Danny Isaac: It’s hard to convey all the great changes and different direction we’ve made to FIFA for 2003. We’ve strived to improve the realism both through graphics and gameplay, and I hope that you enjoy the changes we’ve made.
Can't wait.
