DUBLIN, Ireland, 23 September, 2009 - Faceoffgames attends a preview of M.A.G. (Massive Action Game) presented by Ed Byrne, Creative Director of Zipper Interactive, the developers. The evening was hosted by SCEE (Sony Computer Entertainment Europe) as this MMOFPS (Massive Multi-Player Online First Person Shooter) was developed exclusively for Sony’s PlayStation 3. The lucky few invited to the Merrion Hotel, venue for the preview looked around at what was once known as Mornington House, home to Lord Mornington, till all eyes fell on a few PlayStation 3 consoles, then the fighting began. The Georgian hotel stands opposite the Irish Parliament or Dáil Éireann, in the shadow of all these surroundings and history could M.A.G. stand up to the scrutiny of the press? The presentation kicked off late, this was entirely Zipper’s fault as they have created a cocaine cocktail of fun - ready for any crack shot gaming addict to become hooked. According to Ed, “when the servers go offline for updates the beta testers complain.” The presentation had begun and as eloquent, entertaining and informative as Ed is, this game can speak for itself. It is a testimony to the talents of Zipper. The game is set in 2025 where humanity is challenged and a global crisis rages due to food shortages. People riot, currencies are plummeting, fuel reserves are dwindling and the once oil-rich nations begin to ration what remains of their resources. Governments go to war until the populations cry halt. Politicians are forced to the negotiating table; the result is the Mellium Accord, a peace settlement. The world turns away from a nuclear war. Peace reigns or so it seems. In reality, the military landscape is changed forever. The official militaries of the world are disbanded according to the terms of the Accord. S.V.E.R. In Action   This is the premise for the game. The governments of the world have disbanded their militaries and in day to day life there appears to be peace. However, states need to protect their interests. This gives rise to the hiring of contract armies or P.M.C.’s (Private Military Corporations). The P.M.C.’s namely, S.V.E.R., Raven Industries and Valour Company is where you will find the ultimate online shooter experience. Each faction has different attributes, S.V.E.R. is a punked-up army who like to customise the way they wage war. Whilst Raven Industries are more like a special ops army, equipped with futuristic weaponry to serve their aims. Valour Company as Ed said, “are more like ex- vets who have been through war and are able to handle themselves, however, they have more standardised gear.” Raven Industries Laying Down the Rounds   M.A.G. takes full advantage of the PlayStation 3’s capabilities, the graphics are wonderful, parachute into this arena and you will find yourself in a game worth playing. You won’t be alone – M.A.G. supports up to 256 players online – recipe for anarchy perhaps? Ed explained that "Zipper employed a ranking system which allows highly ranked players to direct combat from the Commander of the faction down”, this keeps order in the game. Appropriately, your faction and rank determines who you can speak to over head sets. This is obviously done for logical reasons. But beyond that, it would reflect the chain of command in a real combat situation.  This is not surprising given Zipper’s SOCOM U.S. Navy SEALS games which were created in conjunction with the Naval Special Warfare Command of the United States.  To become any sort of leader in M.A.G. you have to earn your stripes. When signing up you chose your faction and from there you can establish yourself in the game, become a Squad Leader and continue to work your way up through the Command. There will be some renegade lunatic players who don’t fall into line before they get shot in the general game play, but this won’t spoil the overall game. It is the co-operative play that makes this game so intriguing. It is in achieving the overall objective set that you personally succeed in the game. The objectives are ever changing as there are many maps in this virtual warzone. Your objective could be to secure government resources or some other equally challenging task. The 'Shadow War' as it is known is a war hidden from the mass population where the factions fight for the future objectives of governments and to be the preeminent P.M.C. in the field. There is a lot of money at stake in winning government contracts. The action is unrivalled, no other shooter supports this many players or is on such a vast scale. Players can drop into games when others drop out, however, a balance is always kept between the sides and the state of play in a particular task is respected at any given point in time. Somehow, the overall effect of this is to make M.A.G. feel more like a real war. If you play, you’ll be addicted and in that addiction you will find happiness. This game is going to be huge. The game should come with a warning! Play the game make up your own mind, it speaks for itself, Teddy Roosevelt once said: "It is not the critic who counts, not the man who points out how the strong man stumbled, or where the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena; whose face is marred by the dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again; who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions and spends himself in a worthy course; who at the best, knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who, at worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly; so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory or defeat." Theodore Roosevelt (Paris Sorbonne, 1910)

World’s top publishers pledge support for “Project Natal,” helping pioneer a new category of controller-free games and entertainment. September 24, 2009 — Xbox 360 today announced widespread enthusiasm from the world’s leading video-game publishers for “Project Natal,” a whole new way to play — no controller required. Developers across the globe have embraced the technology and have begun work on titles that will deliver extraordinary entertainment experiences for everyone to enjoy. Coming just three months after “Project Natal” was unveiled at E3, the announcements at the Tokyo Game Show underscore the swift industry support for the revolutionary controller-free experiences being developed exclusively for Xbox 360, the premier games and entertainment system. Among the elite publishers actively working on games for “Project Natal” are   Activision Blizzard, Bethesda Softworks, CAPCOM, Disney Interactive, Electronic   Arts, Konami, MTV Games, Namco Bandai, Sega, Square Enix, THQ Inc. and   Ubisoft. Together, these publishers account for more than 70 percent of third-party   software sales for this generation of console and most of the world’s most   recognized video game franchises. “‘Project Natal’ gives the industry’s creators and storytellers the freedom to dream of new experiences and to tell stories never before possible,” said Don Mattrick, senior vice president for the Interactive Entertainment Business at Microsoft Corp. “The support of these creative partners testifies to the excitement that ‘Project Natal’ is generating among the most innovative minds in the industry, and is proof that Xbox 360 not only offers the best games and entertainment today, but will lead with innovation and new ways to have fun in the future.” Further details of publishers’ new “Project Natal”-inspired projects will be released at a later date. Underscoring the widespread enthusiasm for “Project Natal” among the industry’s top creative forces, Xbox 360 is hosting a high-powered panel at the Tokyo Game Show featuring three acclaimed Japanese industry luminaries: CAPCOM’s Keiji Inafune, creator of “Mega Man” and “Dead Rising,” Sega’s Toshihiro Nagoshi, creator of “Super Monkey Ball,” and Konami’s Hideo Kojima, creator of the “Metal Gear Solid” series. The three developers will discuss the possibilities for the groundbreaking new experiences that can only be achieved with “Project Natal.” Unveiled for the first time in June, “Project Natal” is a code name for a whole new way to play. Combining an RGB camera, depth sensor and multi-array microphone running proprietary software, “Project Natal” enables gamers to play in a natural and inviting new way, free from the boundaries of a controller through the use of sight, sound and motion. Publishers, who received development kits from Microsoft in early June, used the opening of the Tokyo Game Show to voice their excitement about “Project Natal.” “Microsoft ‘Project Natal’ could fundamentally change the way players experience sports games,” said EA Sports President Peter Moore. “At EA, some of our top development teams are experimenting with these tools with the goal of delivering a completely fresh take on genres like sports and racing.” "Activision is encouraged by the innovation that Project Natal will bring to the industry and how it can transform consumers' video games experience. We have development teams working on Project Natal development kits to explore the creative possibilities this new technology affords," said Dusty Welch, Senior Vice President and Head of Publishing at Activision/Blizzard. “I strongly feel that ‘Project Natal’ will expand the possibilities of gaming. It’s yet another component that adds to the appeal of Xbox 360 and demonstrates to users the broad level of entertainment it provides,” said Keiji Inafune, managing corporate officer and head of Research & Development Management Group at CAPCOM. “Personally, I too am extremely excited about ‘Project Natal.’ It’s really going to stir up our creative spirits. I think it’s going to bring new ways to play and new surprises to Xbox 360 fans and help further the development of completely original content. ‘Project Natal’ is definitely something people should look out for.” “Ubisoft sees enormous opportunities with ‘Project Natal.’ With the 3-D camera, your body can become the interface,” said Yves Guillemot, chief executive officer of Ubisoft. “Any barrier related to the use of pad controllers that may have existed for potential gamers is now abolished. Ubisoft is already taking advantage of this major evolution to design new types of gaming experiences and attract more people to play video games.” In addition to the broad industry support, Microsoft Game Studios is busy at work creating a diverse slate of experiences that will appeal to a wide variety of entertainment interests. “‘Project Natal’ is enabling our team of developers to create experiences we couldn’t have accomplished before,” said Phil Spencer, corporate vice president, Microsoft Game Studios. “Microsoft Game Studios will help lead the way in bringing ‘Project Natal’ to life.” While laying the foundation for tomorrow with “Project Natal,” Xbox 360 remains the premier device for home entertainment today. Hot new titles for Xbox LIVE Arcade were also unveiled at the Tokyo Game Show, including “Toy Soldiers,” “Snoopy Flying Ace,” “Bomberman Live: Battlefest” and “RayStormHD,” positioning Xbox LIVE Arcade as the premier destination to enjoy the most innovative downloadable games. Xbox 360 is also set to deliver the best new gaming, entertainment and social experiences for consumers this fall. Not only is Xbox 360 home to the most-anticipated exclusive games such as “Halo 3: ODST,” “Forza Motorsport 3,” “Left 4 Dead 2,” and new content from Rockstar Games including the Xbox retail exclusive Grand Theft Auto: Episodes from Liberty City featuring The Ballad of Gay Tony, which will also be available for download over Xbox LIVE, it will also be the only place to watch instant-on HD in 1080p1 with Zune video, and listen to personalized streaming radio right in the living room with Last.fm on Xbox LIVE. And with new social experiences custom-made for the television, Xbox LIVE continues to offer many ways to connect and share with friends and family on Facebook, and post tweets on Twitter.2      

Ubisoft has announced that Assassin’s Creed II: Discover for the Nintendo DSi and Nintendo DS systems will launch on November 20. The game is rated “16+” by the Pan European Game Information (PEGI). Assassin’s Creed II: Discovery takes players through an untold chapter from the Assassin’s Creed II console storyline utilizing the unique strengths of the Nintendo DS platform. In this new adventure, Ezio travels to Spain to rescue fellow assassins being held under the guise of the Inquisition, only to uncover a Templar plot to sail west and discover the New World. The game takes platforming into the next generation with an emphasis on exhilarating speed and breathtaking acrobatics. The in-game animations provide players with a true visceral experience and the intuitive controls enable players to easily execute assassinations and nimbly navigate obstacles or reach high speeds. Nintendo DSi owners will be able to take pictures of themselves and put them directly into the game as “WANTED!” posters. “Assassin’s Creed II: Discovery is a great way for fans to experience a new chapter of the Assassin’s Creed II storyline,” shared John Parkes, EMEA Marketing Director at Ubisoft. “We think Nintendo fans will be impressed with all the unique features in the game designed specifically for Nintendo DSi and Nintendo DS.” Assassin’s Creed II: Discovery is being developed by Griptonite Games. More details on Assassin’s Creed II: Discovery can be found at www.assassinscreed.com

Motion Controller equipped with high-precision motion sensors, combined With PlayStation Eye Camera, will deliver a whole new entertainment experience on PlayStation 3. TOKYO, Japan, September 24, 2009 – Sony Computer Entertainment (SCE) today announced that it will release a new Motion Controller for PlayStation 3 (PS3) computer entertainment system in Spring 2010.  The new controller, equipped with high-precision, highly accurate motion sensors, can deliver a whole new entertainment experience on PS3 when combined together with the PlayStation Eye camera.  Capable of recognizing and tracking a user’s face and voice as well as body motion, PlayStation Eye can also output the player’s image onto the TV screen.  SCE plans to vigorously promote the expansion of this new experience only possible on the PS3 platform. The newly announced Motion Controller is equipped with two motion sensors, three axes gyroscope and three axes accelerometer that can detect the controller’s angle and movement held in the user’s hand.  Together with the PlayStation Eye camera for PS3 which can accurately track the absolute position of the controller, the controller can detect the natural and intuitive movement of the hand and reflect the precise movement on to the game.  The sphere placed on the top of the controller is not only used to track the absolute position but can also give visual feedback to users by changing the colors or the illuminating patterns of the sphere.  Furthermore, the new controller is also equipped with a rumble feature, familiar to the PlayStation DUALSHOCK series controller, delivering an immersive gaming experience to users. Further expanding the new experience on PS3, SCE Worldwide Studios intends to  deliver many exciting software titles for the Motion Controller in 2010.  SCE, with support from software developers and publishers, will deploy various measures to enhance the software title line-up for the new Motion Controller and vigorously promote the PS3 platform. Motion Controller is a tentative name as no name has been assigned to the product yet. 1. Users will need to use the PlayStation Eye camera to enjoy Motion Controller on  PS3. Product Outline Motion Controller (Tentative)Product name    Motion Controller (tentative)Release date    Spring 2010Recommended Retail Price has not been decided yet. Key Features Three axes gyroscope, three axes accelerometer Bluetooth® 2.0 Lithium-Ion rechargeable internal battery Shame the Motional Controller and PlayStatioin Eye won't be hear for Christmas - won't stop me from writing to Santa Claus you never know!

LucasArts president Darrell Rodriguez has indicated that while no business models have been announced for the forthcoming BioWare-developed MMO Star Wars: The Old Republic, a variety of options might be employed - including subscriptions and micro-transactions. It will be interesting to see how the game will be received by the fan base should it include microtransaction features. What will be the cost price of the game? Or will it follow the South Korean games business model. Generally, games of this nature have to be designed from inception; microtransactions cannot easily be introduced at a later date. Therefore an allowance must have been made for such features and now presumably it is a commercial decision. At this year's Gamescom event in Cologne Rodriguez was up-beat that the game would stand the test of time, following the seven years-plus that original MMO Star Wars Galaxies has so far clocked it wouldn't be surprising - but then it is up to the players as Rodriguez knows. The Star Wars universe has been developed into a number of titles over the years - Jedi Knight, X-Wing vs Tie Fighter, LEGO Star Wars, Knights of the Old Republic come to mind. It will be interesting to see how this game will match up.  

Dublin, Ireland – Quantic Dream offers Faceoffgames an opportunity to get to grips with a rather unique video game. The title Heavy Rain is set on the east coast of the United States. It is at its root an interactive experience that is story driven. A dark thriller that combines dialogue and exploration of crime scenes in a series of highly cinematic action packed sequences. You are seeking the serial murderer know as the Origami Killer. This name is derived from the fact he leaves an origami in the hands of his victims. David Cage & Guillaume de Fondadaumiere Guillaume de Fondaumiere, Co-CEO of Quantic Dream and Executive Producer of Heavy Rain is passionate about this game with good reason. It is a video game designed to produce an emotional response. To let us experience a range of emotions while playing which we are more akin to investing in a movie. This is the Everest of game design and not a completely new concept, but has Quantic Dream reached the summit by succeeding in creating a new genre in gaming? While we may enjoy shooters and the like, I’m thinking titles such as the Grand Theft Auto series - there is something missing! We leave our sense of humanity aside when we pick-up the controller, there is no empathy for a legless character - it’s more a source of amusement. The fact that I write “it” indicates the disassociation felt by myself and dare I say it the gaming public? So how does Heavy Rain draw us in? In truth, the game works as a story. You have to make moral choices. You write your own story - every significant action has a consequence. There are four main characters. To date; two have been revealed to the public, Madison Paige based on French-American actress Aurelie Bancilhon and Norman Jayden based on British actor Leon Ockenden. The other two main characters are set to be revealed at Gamescon in Colgne, Germany. Can you lose some of these characters and still finish the story? Yes, as you play all of them, however if characters die will you feel distraught? You might because you’ll exclude yourself from certain scenes that would otherwise be made been available to you. But then, this gives you an incentive to play the game again and experience it in a new way. The story has different paths to the ending. This brings us to the storyline which has been a closely guarded secret by Quantic Dream. David Cage President and Co-CEO of Company personally wrote a 2,000 page script that encompassed more than 30,000 words. This gives you an idea of the scale of this project. So what can we tell you about it? Well you wouldn’t want someone to tell you the end of a really good movie would you? Read on we won’t, I promise! There have been 3 scenes of a possible 60 released to the gaming press: 1. The Taxidermist scene This is more like a trailer as is not actually part of the main game but a promotional feature piece that was requested by Sony. Quantic Dream haven't decided how this first playable will be used. Maybe as a bonus scene that players can unlock in the game. 2. The Mad Jack scene Mad Jack                             We have played the Mad Jack scene which takes place in a junkyard. The character you play here is Norman, who works for the FBI. He has already done some investigation and believes that a car the Killer used came from this yard. The interface is seamlessly integrated into the 3-D environment and all actions are contextual. The conventional game control set-ups have been changed in favour of a more dynamic arrangement. You use R2 on your controller to move forward. L1 to switch your camera angle as you are always offered two points of view. L2 allows you to listen to what your character is thinking, this brings you into the story. You know Norman is looking for a blue Chevrolet Malibu ’83 as he stops his car and walks towards the open garage and begins to investigate. Norman has a special gift called ARI (Augmented Reality Interface) which Guillaume likes to call “pocket CSI, this enables you to scan your environment and check for probes”, he says. You can immediately gain information about the environment, you could find: blue paint, blood or residues of Orchid pollen – the killer likes to leave a flower on his victims’ chests. There is also a database built into the game for managing your crime scene intelligence which you can use for future reference. Norman Jayden ARI Interface       “Hey Craker what you doin in there?” Mad Jack appears, with a gun to the back of your head as you stare into the orbital holes of a fleshless skull floating in an acid bath. Does your heart race and do palms sweat? Can you identify with Norman? “One of your cop buddies asking too many questions”, Mad Jack continues. The graphics is where this game will make or break you emotionally. The rendering of characters that have been scanned into the game in incredible detail is something special. Actors are actually scanned into the game: Norman's face has a scar on the right side of his face. This is because the actor playing him has that same scar. Time to make your move or you’re going to be one character less and Norman is going to have more than a fanciful scar on the side of his cheek. You’ve got choices, maybe duck and swing a hoist and if the tables turn you could find yourself pointing a gun at Mad Jack saying: “enough f~#king around, you are going to tell me about the man with the blue car”.        “Go f~#k yourself in the ass”, yes Mad Jack is quite a man until he’s threatened with some gas tanks instead of a straight bullet. Yes you too can be creative in every way and such subtle methods of persuasion work well! Jack will tell you of a man named Paco who owns a nightclub called The Blue Lagoon. While Norman has the gift of ARI, he also has an addictive weakness, the drug known as Triptocaine, so you might have to act fast, pulling your pills to ease the pain and stop your world from swirling. Manage this and you'll get out alive.         3. Madison at the Blue Lagoon The Blue Lagoon   Madison is a journalist who for some unknown reason can’t find sleep accept in motels. Guillaume says: “she bumps into another character and is then dragged into the Origami case”, before he begins to demo the nightclub scene for us. Madison has been given a lead and is going to the Blue Lagoon to investigate. She needs to find the owner of the club. Where better to ask than at the bar? She is looking for Paco Mendez and the barman points her to the VIP lounge. Nice and easy hey - but then bodyguard blocks your entrance. Madison needs to be inventive to find a way to draw Paco’s attention as he sits there in his zebra skin jacket. Try leaning on a dancing podium and smiling? It won’t work. Paco the ladies man has a wide variety of choice. Perhaps Madison could dance on a podium. Still no response! You can also listen to what Madison is thinking, “time to play the sexy girl”. Now that might echo your own thoughts if you're identifying with her. While powdering your nose in the bathroom, you can fix your make-up, play with your hair, rip your skirt and unbutton your blouse. The movements are all intuitive. If I had to criticise anything here it would be the eyeliner which seemed more like a razor blade to me. But then I’m no expert. Now Madison can make her way back to the podium and make it her own. “I hope you know what you’re doing!” she says. With rhythm, movement and more than before on show Paco wants her in his VIP lounge. Bathroom Scene   Guillaume says, “Madison normally puts you in delicate situations but she usually has a plan”. We play on, Paco invites Madison to his private apartment within the nightclub. “Show me what you can do girl – do your thing!”, he says. Paco is pulling his gun, it’s a dangerous situation but you got to play. You have options striptease being one. Guillaume favours this, demonstrating the scene to us, we appreciate his work. Paco is hypnotised by Madison's ass as it swings and sways while she bends over and places her hands on a lamp and then smack you’ve guessed it? We’ve hit the monitor with our hands – no Madison has laid Paco out with a swing of ehem - the light! Guillaume had explained earlier that motion capture was really important to conveying a reality. Interrogation by Madison   Now Madison takes her chance to question Paco and she goes to town on him having strapped him to a chair. A bodyguard comes back to check on all the commotion and says from outside, “Boss everything alright?” Madison has choices; you always have choices in this game. In this case, one of which is to fake an orgasm. Guillaume hits the right button. The bodyguard leaves the couple undisturbed. Now she has Paco literally by the balls, she starts to interrogate him with a twist about an apartment he rents out on Malborough Street and to whom? It wasn’t so hard and Paco gives up the name Don? You have your next lead... Heavy Rain lets you make multiple choices and in doing that you find your own ending. You are investing in the game emotionally whether you realise it or not. Is it an emotional rollercoaster? Well, that depends on how you as an individual identify with the characters. If you do, then Quantic Dream has done what they set out to achieve which is pioneering and they are to be congratulated. There are 58 sets in the 60 scenes that make up the game. Playtime is approximately 12-13 hours depending on how you play through the game. The example is based on all your characters remaining intact. There is no online element to the game at the moment, nor is there any downloadable content but it is something that is being considered according to Guillaume. Heavy rain is due for release in the first quarter of 2010. It could just be emotional!  

This is my first preview for FACEOFFGAMES and, being the Editor here, I had the choice of choices - which game? For me, there is only one answer  - the beautiful game! Has Electronic Arts done ‘the game’ justice with FIFA Soccer 10? Well that’s for you all to decide on October 02, 2009 the release date and happily my sister’s birthday, so everyone knows what she’ll be getting! EA has gone a long way to take on board what fans have taken exception to in FIFA SOCCER 09 – yes 09 which has won 25 international gaming awards! Seems we soccer fans are a tough crowd to please. Tell me what brave soul would disagree and where is he? So this begs the question: what’s been done to the FIFA game engine to sex it up like WAG! If it looks as good as Belladonna Italian-American model Melissa Satta, who won the heart of Christian Vieri, we’ll all be celebrating. We have heard tell of core refinements based on responsiveness and intelligence. Sounds interesting now, and I bet you can’t wait to get your hands on 10. It gets better - the Manager Mode includes more than 50 improvements – SCORE! 09 placed us in a surreal position on the pitch. Every tackle made us spin, kick, scream like Ronaldo or laugh and dance on through to cartwheels, having nailed the ball like a lunar projectile past the godforsaken goalie. The goalies needed an upgrade. All we were short of was el escorpion de  Higuita. That Columbian always going too far and yet we loved him for it. He may be crazy, but at least he was intelligent which is less than could be said for 09 goalies.      Goalie scores are the ultimate humiliation in FIFA, and who in their right mind doesn’t showboat when their ahead. Players could justify this kind of behaviour to themselves in 09.  In all sincerity, the offside trap in 09 was a Forrest Gump fiasco. So why not keep the ball? Gamers cried “stop” at the screens so often that EA heard – no more mindless off-sides and I know everyone is going to appreciate that, even the neighbours. Back to the field of dreams, 10 is supposed to be more in touch with the reality of the professional game. In all this reality my only concern was that EA had not lost sight of what we gamers love to have in our hands, ahem - exceptional abilities! 10 has got physical and sophisticated at the same time, we have tip our hat to the developers for there is a fine line to walk in striking the right balance. Players interact more, and yet we now have more finesse on the ball. Space relations are now part of the built intelligence of a player, and the off side trap, how was it fixed? It has been tampered down by curved running of players. So what are the key areas of improvement according to EA? You’ve probably heard of ‘360° dribbling’ but what exactly does that mean? That you can dribble around in a circle? No, it allows you to find space between defenders, according to EA. These terms are coined for our benefit but the effect is what is important to us, and yes you can find more space on the pitch and there is a fluidity and responsiveness that just wasn’t there before. Using an all-new animation warping technology, skilled dribblers now have the ability to face the defender, fake and fade laterally dribbling the ball to then skip past. You can change feet. The new concept of ‘Freedom in Physical Play’ allows players to perform wider dribble touches making faster players, like Eto’o, a force to be reckoned with. However, for those Italians among you, collision sharing creates a varied, less predictable and extended fight for the ball between the attacker and defender. A point Materazzi will appreciate. Collision sharing on the pitch There is a logical artificial intelligence; more than 50 new movement cycles have been introduced. The players stay focused on the ball and more appropriately positioned while at the same time moving with the course of the action. So no ‘Looking for Eric’ in the stands then! Ouh Ah we miss you Cantona! Players now have a better awareness of where the easiest, most natural ball trapping position is so they can get the ball on the ground and under control easier and earlier. This is good for those cross field passes in our experience. Defenders multi-task and play the pitch more intelligently by covering dangerous spaces left by out-of-position teammates. Tell me what you think about this when you get your hands on 10? Players better analyze space, resulting in more accurate passes that give their receivers more options and time to outrun defensive pressure. I can see everyone smiling at this. How many times have you said “I wasn’t passing to him” when using 09. EA have heavily invested in the goalkeepers, they now have more speed and agility. This, coupled with a better perception of where to intercept loose balls, results in a more responsive and powerful rushing system. The animation warping technology provides realistic goalkeeper positioning and momentum, resulting in more varied scoring opportunities. Goalies don’t so readily change direction once committed.   Goalie rushing The refinements to the shooting system and modifications of the ball physics create a wider, more realistic variety of shots. Good players of 09 had finely tuned their nimble fingers to execute free kicks with such accuracy that fouling anywhere near the box was tantamount to conceding a goal. Now with more shots types available, the goalie enhancements are going to be tested. The goalie has more to do. The lay-off shot has been fixed - players never could get the proper power in 09 for this play. One thing we liked, you can sneak a driven shot under the wall in set pieces now.     Goalie Beaten Slide tackle targeting has been enhanced so skilled players have more reach and avoid tackling through the dribbler. This makes it easy not to give away penalties so, for all those players who never went for the slide tackle in the box, have no fear. Better effort clearance logic gives defenders more options when attempting to get a foot on the ball before an attacker. Efforts, such as sliding to block crosses and overhead kick clearances, give defenders more tools to prevent goal-scoring opportunities. More than 50 major improvements were made to the manager mode. It has been designed to create an authentic experience to mimic the real-world game. Match results are based on team and player strengths and weaknesses. Player transfers are determined by multiple decision points, including club finance and prestige, availability of similar players, and competition from AI-controlled clubs. Player development is more realistic with true-to-life growth curves based on factors such as age and environment. With all these improvements you’ll need somewhere to practice and yes the practice arena has been developed. This is something fans of the game always wanted. EA are listening and the fact that they are means 10 is a game which we, the customer, want! It was designed upon our feedback. "We have benefited from 275 million games played online to refine FIFA Soccer 10 in a way that matters most to our fans," said Andrew Wilson, Vice President & Executive Producer for the FIFA Soccer franchise. My sister doesn’t even like soccer, but anyone will enjoy this game. It truly is a field of dreams because of its reality. So congratulations to Gary Paterson Creative Director and David Rutter Producer of FIFA 10. So once you’ve perfected your new found skills, why not play to win? FACEOFFGAMES will be starting a new competitive gaming section soon, called Duel. If you’re not in, you can’t win! FIFA Soccer 10 will be available in stores world-wide in October 2009, this year. 10 has been developed  for PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Wii, PC, PlayStation 2, Nintendo DS, PSP (PlayStation Portable) system and mobile.