FIFA becomes EA Sports FC: Why nothing changes for us players

"Never again EA Sports Fifa!" Electronic Arts burst this bomb last Tuesday and thus caused mighty vertebrae in the sports game world! Rumors that the paths of the eponymous World Football Association and the game manufacturer would sooner or later separate the round since last year. It was not until October 2021 that various reports appeared that EA wanted to continue without FIFA branding in the future. The costs are too high, the benefits are too low. "We don't get more than four letters on the cover," said company boss Andrew Wilson in a meeting. The license has become more and more a curse than a blessing.

• Contents
• new name, old game
• no more World Cup for EA Sports
• more freedoms, more monetization options
• no competition from FIFA

The fact that the efforts to find a compromise between the two parties, but have now really failed, are a little surprising. Because it not only means the end of a well -known game series, but also the end of an incredibly successful cooperation that ran over almost three decades - and brought in a lot of coal in both sides. EA Sports is said to have earned over $ 20 billion with the series in the past 20 years, and the World Association received $ 150 million of license fees annually. Nevertheless, the final thing was now followed.

Contents

1. 1 new name, old game
2. 2 not more for EA Sports
3. 3 more freedoms, more monetization options
4. 4 no competition from FIFA

new name, old game

The current deal was extended again until summer next year to take the World Cup in Katar and the Women's World Cup in Australia. At least FIFA 23 will appear as usual this autumn. After that, however, the franchise will continue under the name EA Sports FC, but the FIFA itself wants to do its own thing. Both sides are facing enormous upheaval and a lot will change for the players. At least that's how it works. However, I am the relatively firm conviction: really much will not happen in the virtual football world!

The majority of the nine million players who bought FIFA 22 (now buy € 25.22) who have put thousands of euros in microtransactions will not matter, the change of name will not matter - as long as the presentation, gameplay and content are correct. The hardcore gamblers don't suddenly migrate to Konami. They continue to access EA, because there is only the possibility of pulling Pelé out of a card package.

no more World Cup for EA Sports

And that will certainly remain the case, because after all, it is not shaken on the basic structure of the game. "Everything you love about our games will be part of EA Sports FC," said Cam Weber, General Manager of EA Sports, in an official statement. "The same great experiences, modes, leagues, tournaments, [...] Ultimate Team, the career mode, pro clubs and Volta football will be there."

So you can go so far to say in the old Raider-Twix manner: FIFA is now called EA Sports FC, otherwise nothing will change. It would also be naive to believe that rebranding would result in any revolution for the game design. Even if EA sells it very differently.

more freedoms, more monetization options

"A new era begins in July 2023," says Electronic Arts, for example, on the in -house website. Independence from the World Football Association would offer completely new opportunities in terms of innovation and creativity. EA Sports FC would be a symbol of change. Most beautiful marketing finish. Anyone who believes it will be blessed.

The developers would be nice and stupid to adapt even a little something on their gold donkey and thus scare off the players. "Never Change A Running System" and such. And only because you are supposed to enjoy more freedom in the future does not mean that you reinvent the gameplay from scratch, revise career mode or rely less on pay-to-win. On the contrary: It is quite possible that only more ways will be found in the future to squeeze money from the game-for example through Fortnite-like live events that, according to EA-Sports Vice President David Jackson, will become part of the "Entertainment" experience must. Or through lucrative advertising deals with ticket and jersey sellers or betting providers. A cooperation between EA and Nike was only announced on Tuesday. It was not yet possible because the FIFA has a contract with Adidas.

no competition from FIFA

But stop, you can now say: If FIFA will soon develop its own football game, then the EA could force you to put a little more effort into your own title? And yes, it is also absolutely correct that we could currently use a little more competition in the genre. Electronic Arts has recently built up a beautiful monopoly, so another rival would cause some movement on the market. Apart from a few gameplay scenes at last year, you didn't see anything from UFL. No idea whether the free-to-play kick based on the unreal engine will ever really be able to keep up with the top dog. And efootball. Well, let's put it this way: Despite the now acceptable 1.0 version, they should continue to work on getting their own game up and to submit promised content.

Who should implement the thing? 2K sports? A separate developer studio? And what should that look like if you have nothing apart from a big name: neither licenses nor technical know-how? To believe that a serious alternative could arise here for everyone who is no longer in the mood for EA Sports: this is illusory. From an association that allegedly demands 300 million alone for his license, who wants to carry the WMS every two years and has sold a tournament to Qatar because of the corruption - at least I expect no game that I will have fun in the end.

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