FIFA 13 to follow set formula to continue brand popularity

Salamu

FIFA 13, the latest version of the popular football based gaming brand developed by Electronic Arts, looks set to continue the popularity of the brand by following a marketing strategy which has made the FIFA brand one of the best selling gaming franchises of all time.

The concept that EA follows is simple. Release the game across all game playing platforms, listen to input from users when developing the next installment of the franchise and incorporate strategic thinking when deciding on the best release date for the next installment of the franchise.

One of the most important aspects that makes the game popular is that EA spends as much money as possible to make its titles as realistic as possible.  In FIFA 11 and FIFA12, a huge number of players are meticulously digitized using expensive motion capture technology so the exact movement of the player can be replicated in the game. Fans who regularly watch live broadcasts of soccer matches could recognize the similar gait and movement of their favorite players, especially if they plaid for a popular club.

One of the major complaints in the past was that players were able to run through the opposing team as if they weren’t standing there. In FIFA 11, the collision mechanics have been revised to provide a good level of body jostling and physical bumps.

Another reason that makes the brand so popular is EA’s strategic thinking on setting the release dates of the titles.

When EA developed its first game in the franchise, FIFA International Soccer (known as FIFA94 in some markets), it decided to launch the game in 1993 in the weeks leading up to the busy Christmas period. At the time the game was available across all platforms that were developed at the time so EA was hoping to cash in on this. EA  played around with the release dates of some of the other titles in the franchise but returned to the end of year release date with FIFA 2000 and has not changed it since.

To date, the franchise has sold over 100 million copies since the inception of the brand.  This places it into an elite club where it is one of two sports based games to reach this milestone.

These sales were helped in part by the extreme popularity of FIFA 11, which was released soon after the 2010 Fifa World Cup and sold 2.6 million units, and FIFA12, which sold 3.2 million units.

This makes it the most popular football based game in the market. Its closest competitor Pro Evolution Soccer, which is developed by Konami, has sold 76.13 million units. In fact, Konami was so impressed by the sales of FIFA12 that it said in a statement that its game has lost ground to FIFA in certain markets.

FIFA13 is set to be even more realistic as FIFA12
as gamer's have to out muscle opponents when
balling for possession in the  same way real
footballers do. 

With FIFA13, EA might be taking the realism and specialized game play of the title to new levels. In a statement released by the company, the new additions to the game play will include attacking intelligence: where players have the ability to analyze space, work harder and smarter to break down the defense, complete dribbling, where players face opponents and use precise dribble touches combined with true 360-degree mobility with the ball and first touch control, a new system which transforms the way players control the ball.

This makes the game as close to real life as possible without physically being on the pitch with the players, a feature which has contributed to the brands success over the 18 years since the first title.

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