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FIFA 08

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FIFA 08
FIFA Soccer 08
The UK cover featuring Wayne Rooney and Ronaldinho.
Developer(s)EA Canada
Publisher(s)EA Sports
Designer(s)Joe Booth
Jonathan Gallina
Darren Hedges
David Hoffmann
Kaz Makita
Gary Paterson
Jamie Toghill
SeriesFIFA series
Platform(s)PlayStation 3
PlayStation Portable
PlayStation 2
Nintendo
Nintendo DS
Wii
Microsoft
Xbox 360
Windows
Nokia
N-Gage 2
Tectoy
Zeebo
Mobile[1]
Release
  • JP: September 27, 2007

  • AUS: September 27, 2007

  • EUR: September 28, 2007

Genre(s)Sports
Mode(s)Single-player, Multiplayer, Multiplayer online

FIFA 08 (named FIFA Soccer 08 in North America) is the 3rd most recent installment of EA Sports' series of football video games. Developed by EA Canada, it is published by Electronic Arts worldwide under the EA Sports label. It was released on all popular gaming formats in September 2007 in Europe and Australasia, and in October 2007 in North America. The PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions of the game feature an improved game engine with superior graphics and different commentators and are dubbed "next-generation" by EA. On all other platforms - including the PC - the game utilizes an older engine. The Nintendo DS version features fewer teams, stadiums, game modes and kits due to the limitations of the machine's storage medium. Commentary comes from Sky Sports' Martin Tyler and Andy Gray on next generation consoles; however, ITV Sports' Clive Tyldesley partners Gray on current generation consoles, and the PC version of the game. On the DS version of the game, Tyldesley is by himself.

The tagline for the game is "Can You FIFA 08?." [2] The theme song is "Sketches (20 Something Life)" by La Rocca, from the album The Truth.

New features

New features that were not in FIFA 07 include "Be a Pro Mode", where the player plays as only one player (the player can be changed) throughout the entire match.[3] However, this mode is not available for goalkeepers.

New features for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 include cooperative online play and a change of controls which features the right stick as a way of selecting which player to be on defense. However, this control setting can be changed back to the FIFA 07 configuration as well as other preset control configurations. In addition, the online mode has a new addition with interactive leagues, where players choose a league, a team, and play against real-life opponents. While not an entirely new feature, FIFA 08 includes new trick moves which can be used by using the right analog stick which were for the most part, absent in FIFA 07. In general, the speed of game also has decreased in FIFA 08.

Leagues and teams

FIFA 08 includes 621 licensed teams, 30 leagues (including all 27 leagues from FIFA 07),[4] and more than 15,000 licensed players.[5] Out of the 621 teams that comprise the game, 29 appear unlicensed, 13 of them being national teams.

Leagues

National Teams

FIFA 08 has 43 teams in its international division. The most notable exclusion is Japan (who made it into the round of 16 in the 2002 World Cup, but whose licensing rights currently belong to Konami). The following international teams are playable in the current generation consoles. But not all the teams are fully licensed e.g. Netherlands and Russia.

1 - new in FIFA 08
2 - contains fictitious players
3 - without national federation's crest included in game, and without branded kits [6]
4 - with an Adidas Libero generic kit badgeless
5 - league isn't completely licensed. Cagliari, Genoa, and Napoli feature unlicensed team names, badges and kits.
6 - league isn't completely licensed. América Futebol Clube (RN), Fluminense, and Internacional feature unlicensed team names, badges and kits.
7 - league isn't completely licensed. Dyskobolia Grodzisk Wielkopolski, Korona Kielce, and Lech Poznań feature unlicensed team names, badges and kits.
8 - league isn't completely licensed. AIK, Djurgården, Hammarby, and Göteborg feature unlicensed team names, badges and kits.
9 - Rheindorf Altach and Sturm Graz appear without licensed badges, but with licensed team names and kits. All other teams in league are fully licensed.
10 - Vitória de Guimarães appear without licensed badge, but with licensed team name and kits. All other teams in league are fully licensed.

Stadia

FIFA 08 also includes licenced stadia from many of the featured leagues, as well as international stadiums.

All of these stadiums are available in exchange for challenge points in the "Fan Shop". When purchasing them, the user will play in them with empty seating in the practice mode. In some packs and on its own, the now demolished Highbury Stadium, formerly of Arsenal, is available for practice mode only. Generic grass stand-less areas "Rural Area" and "Suburb Area" are available for free.

1 - First time included in FIFA series
² - Can be unlocked in the Fan Shop, does not appear on Xbox 360
³ - New to the PlayStation 2 and other consoles except Xbox 360
4 - Old Trafford does not have the new quadrants, except in Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 versions
5 - Does not appear in the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 versions
Stadia in Bold, are used as the country's national ground.

Manager Mode

The Manager Mode on 08 has few enhancements from its predecessor, however, some of the new features include the chance to schedule training on certain dates, via the manager's calendar, and the option to play up to four pre-season friendlies.

Soundtrack

EA Sports officially announced FIFA 08s ' soundtrack on September 11, 2007.[7]

Critical reception

The game was well-received garnering an average of 81.5 on both next-generation consoles (Xbox 360 and PS3) because of its refreshing new game mechanics which broke out from the series' criticised past record of not making much of an effort to innovate, instead adding what were often described by critics as "gimmicks".

Awards

In 2008, FIFA 08 was nominated for BAFTA Children's Kids Vote Award. BAFTA Children's Kids Vote 2008 nominees

Rival games

References

  1. ^ "N-Gage Game Showroom - FIFA 08". Nokia. Retrieved 2008-05-09.
  2. ^ EA SPORTS - FIFA 08
  3. ^ www.fifa08.com
  4. ^ FIFA 08 First Look by ign.com
  5. ^ Master the skills required to play like a pro in EA's FIFA 08 for Xbox 360 and Playstation 3 by EA Sports. June 5, 2007
  6. ^ FIFA Soccer Blog: FSB EXCLUSIVE: FIFA 08 International Team List
  7. ^ [1] (September 11, 2007), EA Sports