The Yearly FIFA iterations are often described either in terms of evolution and revolution. Where does 13 sit on the scale?
Last year we brought in a very big piece of technology in the Player Impact Engine and we fundamentally changed our defending mechanic. This year, what that’s allowed us to do is really develop some game-changing features and really change the way our game plays.
We actually feel revolution-wise, First Touch Control is one of the biggest changes we’ve ever made. It makes our game that much more realistic, it gets that separation of ball and foot, which I think is really important as having the ball stuck to your foot isn’t very realistic.
The game is built on a platform which has allowed us to build on the technology from FIFA 12, which is really exciting. What that’s allowed us to do with the Impact Engine is really work on the jostling - both on and off the ball. We’ve got physics now off the ball as well so you can have contact and create that real battle for possession.
The other thing around the dribbling is being able to do it all on the left stick. We wanted everyone to feel like they could dribble and get around the defender - or feel like they had the opportunity to. In the past we had to rely on times on skill moves to do that, which not everyone does. So the fact it’s all on the left stick makes the game feel very different. If you want to, you have full control using the triggers as well.
And then the biggest complaint from the community on the attacking side is the AI’s movement off the ball. Last year bringing in Tactical Defending gave you so much more time on the ball and at times it felt like your team mates were static. So changing that brings a lot more flow and fludity to the game.
As the controls and moves have gradually increased in complexity, is there now a massive gulf between skillful players who know how to do everything, and casual players who maybe buy the game every other year? Interestingly you've introduced new Skill Games this year to teach players how to pull of more advanced moves.
There’s always a difference with truly hardcore players. One of the inspirations for the new Skill Games mode - and putting them in the pre-game Arena so everyone gets to see them - was that. We wanted to make sure everyone knew the basic mechanics of our game and then start layering in the newer mechanics and teaching them those as well.
When you know all the different things within our game it’s very, very rewarding. And there’s so much there. We wanted to do a tutorial that was fun but also by making them more competitive, hopefully people will keep playing them and learn more about the mechanics of our game. We think that will enhance players’ experience.
The First Touch Control system really does change the feel of the game. How do you balance the unpredictability it introduces with playability?
We’ve spent a lot of time on that. It’s not random in any way. It’s a system that’s looking at context, where the ball’s coming from, who the player is, the distance and even the conditions. We’ve spent a lot of time in the last three or four months working on that system and refining it in the sense you’re not getting really bad touches, cos that’s not what we want.
We want it to feel realistic and I think what’s really coming through is the fact that while you can take more touches, you can actually use it to your advantage as the attacker as well. Maybe that separation will help get you around the defender. What we’re finding is that sometimes just the ball getting out of your feet means you can get a better shot off. It makes more emergent gameplay, more opportunities and creating a game that we feel is more fun.
As player stats also affect first touch, does that mean it's even harder to play with poorer sides?
There’s a level to it. We don’t want to go the point where everyone’s making bad plays. There is a differentation, but it’s capped. We don’t want it to be so bad that it’s no fun.
Talk us through the new Match Day feature you've announced at Gamescom.
We’ve really restructured our Kick Off mode. What we’ve found is lots of people play that at weekends socially. They'll go to the pub on a Friday night and talk about their team: who’s playing; who’s not; who’s on transfer lists. And the inspiration really was that people come home and play and we wanted the game to reflect those conversations.
So what we’re going to be doing is regular updates to our database. You’ll go into the mode and if there’s one available, it will take a new one. We’ll look at form, we’ll look at injuries, suspensions, who’s playing well, who’s not, league position, goals scored... and that will then be reflected in your game.
And what’s cool is the commentary will reflect it too. So at the beginning it will talk about the teams' league position. If it’s a big game, it will talk about it. It will mention how many goals a certain player has scored, if somebody’s on the transfer list or if someone’s been left out of the team for a reason. We’ll be doing this on a regular basis for the major leagues.
There are now so many different and distinct modes within FIFA - Career, Online, Ultimate Team etc - is it hard to keep all those plates spinning?
Take Head to Head Seasons as an example. It was something that we brought in last year but it’s worked so well that it’s now just refinement. Career Mode has been the same thing. Last year was about making the package work and really solid, and that’s allowed us to do internationals this year.
We look at different things at different times. If one thing’s working really well then we’ll do some tweaks, look at what the community’s saying. And then Football Club is the glue that brings everything together. With the introduction of the catalogue this year we’re actually rewarding you. And it was really important to us that we had rewards in all areas. Because we do know that people have their preference and they don’t play all of our modes. They’ll have one or two that they stick with.”
One innovation that's really caught the imagination is voice recognition via Xbox Kinect. Will you really be picked up for swearing at the referee?
Yes - although obviously it’s only one part of the Kinect offering. In certain situations in the game we put the microphone on and we listen. And if something is said then the commentary will talk about it. And in Career Mode we’re putting some things in so it will have consequences as well.
You're also introducing new PS3 Move controls and then there's the new opportunites offered by the Wii-U and Vita versions too. How is new technology enabling you to push FIFA's boundaries?
What we want to do is create great experiences on the different platforms. The Wii-U team are doing a great job with the stuff they’re doing on the controller with player runs, and things like that. We’re very fortunate that we do things on all the different platforms. They're all unique and we try and fit in with that.
The really exciting thing at the moment is Football Club, which we’re trying to make consistent across all the different titles. And bringing more social elements to our games - that’s something we’re very excited about to move forward.
In the past few years FIFA has really taken off with real-world footballers. That must be gratifying for you as a team?
Very. FIFA’s done quite well over the last few years but we’re very conscious as a team not to become complacent with that. Ultimately we’re very driven to make the best game that we can and to improve it every year and the ultimate recognition of that is when you see players playing.
I’m a big Liverpool fan and watching them on tour this year, the number of times it was mentioned in articles that the guys were playing FIFA - to me, that’s huge. Hopefully that means we’re doing something right. To me, it's the ultimate compliment.
Do they give you feedback?
Occasionally. Teams have been in contact with us, and talked about some things... this, that and the other! And that’s great. We do what we do because we love football. And when you’ve got people that you look at and think, you’re a player, it's very, very cool that they’re talking about your game.
Do players grumble about their appearances and stats?
No! That’s funny - I’ve had very little of that, which is cool.
Finally, what will FIFA 23 look like?
I have no idea! Ultimately if we can continue to enhance gameplay every single year and create the supporting features around it and continue to innovate every single year, I’ll be very, very happy.
