EA and Microsoft Kiss and Make up... A Whole New FIFA World Cup Tournament
FIFA Interactive World Cup to kick off this October.
Despite the early quibbling between EA and Microsoft over the arrangements for online gaming, the two corporate giants are now enjoying a period of mutually-beneficial cooperation. Indeed, with the Xbox confirmed as the official console of the FIFA 2006 World Cup (even though the Xbox 2 should have been revealed by that point) EA has selected Microsoft as its partner in organising the FIFA Interactive World Cup.
This officially sanctioned online tournament will pan out over three months, from the release of EA's FIFA 2005 game in October, up until the December-time FIFA Player Of The Year Gala in Zurich – where the finals of the tournament will be held. Aside from the Live! enabled gaming itself, there will also be real-life meetings, where international football experts will be on hand to dish out various tips and tricks. There will, of course, be prizes for the choicest players: although these have yet to be detailed in full.
This all bodes well for online Xbox gamers. With both the Ninja Gaiden Master Ninja Tournament and the FIFA Interactive World Cup competition taking the concept of multiplayer gaming one step further than the norm, it could be an interesting precedent for the future.
This officially sanctioned online tournament will pan out over three months, from the release of EA's FIFA 2005 game in October, up until the December-time FIFA Player Of The Year Gala in Zurich – where the finals of the tournament will be held. Aside from the Live! enabled gaming itself, there will also be real-life meetings, where international football experts will be on hand to dish out various tips and tricks. There will, of course, be prizes for the choicest players: although these have yet to be detailed in full.
This all bodes well for online Xbox gamers. With both the Ninja Gaiden Master Ninja Tournament and the FIFA Interactive World Cup competition taking the concept of multiplayer gaming one step further than the norm, it could be an interesting precedent for the future.
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Comments
Joji 19 Aug 2004 10:45
1/8
These are some of the benefits of online gaming. I think it's a great idea, and with football being our national sport it should have a lot of football fans bagging an Xbox.
If they Fantasy Football idea took off so well that it's been done with other sports, this idea should sky rocket to the same kind of success. I'd like to see more online competitions of this type in the future, since it only helps to boost gamings acceptance.
If they Fantasy Football idea took off so well that it's been done with other sports, this idea should sky rocket to the same kind of success. I'd like to see more online competitions of this type in the future, since it only helps to boost gamings acceptance.
schnide 19 Aug 2004 11:00
2/8
This has only just occurred to me but if EA hadn't taken up this opportunity with Microsoft, Pro Evo 4 would have absolutely ruled the waves of Xbox Live..
Could they have become more open-minded to make sure that FIFA could stop Pro Evo seeing too much success?
Schnide
Could they have become more open-minded to make sure that FIFA could stop Pro Evo seeing too much success?
Schnide
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taza 19 Aug 2004 14:57
3/8
would have been better if they cross networked with the ps2 online or if ps2 gets it own tournement.
As appelling as it is i aint gunna rushout 2 join x-box live 4 1 tournement.
a ps2 online pro evo tournment is da 1 2 look out 4!
As appelling as it is i aint gunna rushout 2 join x-box live 4 1 tournement.
a ps2 online pro evo tournment is da 1 2 look out 4!
ohms 19 Aug 2004 18:34
4/8
>ps2 online pro evo tournment is da 1 2 look out 4!
isn't pro evo 4 an xbox live exclusive tho ?
saurian 19 Aug 2004 18:34
5/8
I think that the idea of a joint Xbox - PS2 live game is appalling.There is no way I or any other Xbox live user would downgrade to the service level you get on PS2. Don't get me wrong, I am not talking about the lag or the poor graphics, because this would only affect the PS2 users. I would not accept the fact that there could be no more downloads or patches. As SOCOM has demonstrated, once a glitch has been found, or someone hacks the game, the game is not worth playing any more. A decent game ruined by a few idiots. On PS2, this cannot be rectified. On Xbox it can. Thats why we can have tournaments with meaninful prizes. Not possible on PS2.
auzdafluff 19 Aug 2004 21:27
6/8
ohms wrote:
"ps2 online pro evo tournment is da 1 2 look out
4!
isn't pro evo 4 an xbox live exclusive tho ?"
Thats not been confirmed but the smart money is on that being the case.
And as Saurian said, EA know that PS2 Online is too expolitable to hold a tournament on it, otherwise it won't be who plays hardest, it'll be who cheats hardest who will win...
"ps2 online pro evo tournment is da 1 2 look out
4!
isn't pro evo 4 an xbox live exclusive tho ?"
Thats not been confirmed but the smart money is on that being the case.
And as Saurian said, EA know that PS2 Online is too expolitable to hold a tournament on it, otherwise it won't be who plays hardest, it'll be who cheats hardest who will win...
Mecha Ghandi 20 Aug 2004 12:15
7/8
Ben Furfie wrote:
>ohms wrote:
"ps2 online pro evo tournment is
>da 1 2 look out
4!
isn't pro evo 4 an xbox
>live exclusive tho ?"
Thats not been
>confirmed but the smart money is on that being
>the case.
Nope, Pro Evo 4 will not be online in any way shape or form. That means not for PS2 and not for Xbox.
if Pro Evo 4 was to be Live exclusive, I can't really see MS going for the whole FIFA tournament thing. Plus, the jap PS2 version on which the Pro Evo games is already out and it's not online.
So, Pro evo 4 isn't online (did I already say that?)
and FIFA is, again.
>ohms wrote:
"ps2 online pro evo tournment is
>da 1 2 look out
4!
isn't pro evo 4 an xbox
>live exclusive tho ?"
Thats not been
>confirmed but the smart money is on that being
>the case.
Nope, Pro Evo 4 will not be online in any way shape or form. That means not for PS2 and not for Xbox.
if Pro Evo 4 was to be Live exclusive, I can't really see MS going for the whole FIFA tournament thing. Plus, the jap PS2 version on which the Pro Evo games is already out and it's not online.
So, Pro evo 4 isn't online (did I already say that?)
and FIFA is, again.
crecente 20 Aug 2004 13:51
8/8
<a href="http://www.redassedbaboon.com/index.cfm?show=blog#69">RedAssedBaboon</a> interviewed execs with EA, Xbox and FIFA about the International World Cup tournament that the three will be hosting. It's pretty interesting. Apparently the group plan on releasing a FIFA Xbox as well.