FIFA to Release New Football Game Without EA Sports
FIFA President Gianni Infantino has said that FIFA will work with third party developers to create a new game following their split from EA Sports. EA Sports will continue to make football games under the new name EA Sports FC.
FIFA To Make New Football Game
After lending their name to the EA Sports FIFA game franchise for almost 30 years, FIFA and EA are parting ways. FIFA 2023 will be released later this year and will be the last EA game to bear the name of football's governing body. The end of the partnership means FIFA will no longer receive their annual $150 million paycheck from EA. In a characteristically greedy move, FIFA wanted at least double that to renew the deal, while simultaneously refusing an exclusivity agreement which would have meant only EA could use the FIFA name for games.
FIFA wanted to sell their name to multiple developers, maximising their profits. Naturally, EA were unwilling to accept these terms. Peter Moore, a former head of EA's sports division summed it up well when he said:
“I’m going to say, ‘Wait a second: We have literally spent hundreds of millions of dollars building this and you’re telling me that Epic Games can come in and get a license to the name that we have built and that we have put front and center and that has become synonymous with games?’”
EA sports have the experience, the technology, the know-how and the expert developers so fans needn't fear. The change of name won't affect the game that they love. It is really just a rebranding, the game will remain much the same as it always has been, with EA Sports holding the licenses for over 700 teams and 30 leagues so it shouldn't lose any of its authenticity.
FIFA on the other hand, do not have these licenses. They have not really got anything to offer except for their name. They will be banking on this to be enough to attract fans to the new product. We will have to wait until 2024 for FIFA's first game without the expertise of EA Sports.
Will you try the new FIFA game when it comes out? Or will you stick to EA Sports FC? Comment below.
