Product Description
FIFA Soccer 09 -
PC Game
Product Details
- Amazon
Sales Rank: #3149 in Video Games
- Brand: Electronic Arts
- Model:
014633153736
- Released on: 2008-10-14
- ESRB Rating:
Everyone
- Platforms: Windows Vista, Windows XP
- Format:
DVD-ROM
- Number of items: 1
- Dimensions: .50" h x 5.50" w
x 7.50" l, .24 pounds
Features
- ESRB Rating: E
(Everyone)
- Game Platform: PC
Editorial
Reviews
Amazon.com
Product Description
Lace up your cleats, strap on your shin
guards and step onto the pitch and play professional soccer your way in
EA Sports'
FIFA Soccer 09. Customized and designed exclusively
for the Windows operating system,
FIFA Soccer 09 allows players
to experience the most authentic soccer simulation EA Sports has ever
delivered on the PC platform as you live the fantasy of playing as a
professional soccer player on the international stage.
Explode
into the open field.
View larger. |
Strike
like Rooney.
View larger. |
Soar
like Ronaldinho.
View larger. |
Show
your midfield technique.
View larger. |
New
Collision and Shielding Systems
Designed with a new 360-degree
collision and shielding systems-representing the biggest innovations to
the game engine in four years-
FIFA 09 delivers more responsive,
intelligent and realistic physical action than ever before. The
combination of these enables players to behave according to their
physical attributes. Player speed, direction and strength now determine
everything from the severity of the collision to the outcome of
possession. Plus, contact occurs with shoulders, arms and legs. Stronger
players possess the strength to knock down smaller players or use their
body and arms to shield the ball in challenges. These changes to the
animation system reward the skillful gamer during one-on-one situations
between attackers and defenders. Tuned acceleration attributes enable
swifter players to possess quicker first steps and gain advantage in
sprints.
PC-Specific Controls
FIFA 09 also
features new customizable mouse and keyboard controls that deliver
deeper, more intuitive command over your squad for more fluid soccer
action. Now utilize the mouse as a point-and-click tool to send
teammates on runs, make pinpoint accurate passes, and blast powerful
shots on target. Plus, you have the tools to draw up trick moves using
the mouse or perform one of 32 skill moves in your arsenal, including
new scoop turns, rainbow flicks, heel-to-heel knocks and ball rolls just
like Ronaldinho.
Key Game Features:
- Detailed,
authentic gameplay - Gamers will be able to enjoy gameplay that has
enjoyed years of improvement and innovations. Details such as new
physical collision system, shielding, quick free kicks, and disguised
throw-ins deliver a complete soccer experience.
- Leading Edge
Visual Quality - FIFA Soccer 09 on PC now delivers the jump
in quality demanded by PC gamers around the world. The latest shader and
visual techniques leverage hi-spec graphics cards for a visually
spectacular recreation of the beautiful game.
- PC Specific
Controls - Customizable mouse and keyboard control configurations
deliver PC-specific control unique to sports games. Determine exactly
where you want the ball played with a click of the mouse button.
Furthermore, send your players on pinpoint accurate runs using similar
commands.
- PC Connected Experience - A unique, fully
customizable widget design integrated into the menu system. You
determine what information you receive directly through your game from
online rankings and the Interactive Leagues to real-world soccer news.
- Pro Skill Moves - Use your mouse to draw trick plays or
perform one of 32 skill moves, including new scoop turns, rainbow
flicks, heel-to-heel knocks and ball rolls.
- EA Sports
Interactive Leagues - Represent your club online in the Barclays
Premier League, Bundesliga, Italian League, French League or Mexican 1st
Division. Play and knock–off rival clubs more often in new-to-PC Rivals
Match-up option.
- Manager Mode - New options for
pre-season friendlies, and the ability to create formations to customize
your club for each opponent.
- Multiplayer Options -
Local multiplayer supports 1-8 players. Online support 1-2 players.
Leading-edge
Visuals and Interactive Leagues
FIFA 09 on PC now
features new, leading-edge visuals that deliver graphics that exploit
the power of hi-spec gaming PCs, as requested by PC gamers. Through this
players will now be able to see their in-game players featured in
photorealistic quality with remodeled likenesses that show off skin
tones and muscles in greater detail for ultra-realistic action. In
addition, the online feature set of
FIFA Soccer 09 includes
access to EA Sports' Interactive Leagues, where players can represent
their club online against rivals around the world and 61 tournaments,
making
FIFA 09 the most interactive version to date.
System
Requirements:
| Minimum Specifications: |
| OS: | Windows XP with SP2/Vista |
| Processor: | 2.4GHz single-core or faster |
| RAM: | 512MB or more (XP)/1GB (Vista) |
| Disc
Drive: | 8x DVD ROM or faster |
| Hard
Drive: | At least 4.4 GB free space |
| Video
Card: | Direct X 9.0c compatible video
card (card must also be 128MB or more and contain one of the following
chipsets: GeForce 6600 or better; ATI Radeon 9800 or better; supports
shadel model 2.0 or above) |
| Sound Card: | Direct X 9.0c compatible sound card |
| Other: | Multiplayer requires: one player per PC,
Internet or network (up to 8 players), keyboard or dual-analog gamepad.
Play in general requires: Internet connection, online authentication and
acceptance of end user license agreement. |
Customer Reviews
A Step In the Right Direction
FIFA 09 is a step in the
right direction by EA Canada.
The New Features:
The new
collision engine and the shielding system add value to a gameplay engine
that was already fun since 07. Tackling now looks and plays more
realistic than before. These new mechanics add more spontaneous moments
to the flow of the game. Physical attributes play a stronger role now
thanks to both the collision and shielding system. Players like Drogba
or Adebayor can muscle their way into the box, or hold on to the ball
until reinforcements arrive like never before.
The mouse control
that has been introduced this year for the first time is a welcome
addition and is a fresh breath for the genre as well as the franchise
itself. Although I'm not a huge fan of this style of control so far, I
can see its merits. It will take getting used to, but it is well
executed and fun. Undeniably, the most successful video games are the
ones that build upon the strength of the system's native controller e.g.
the mouse and the keyboard for the PCs. And that is what EA Canada have
done with this approach. Being able to execute skill moves via mouse
gestures is very interesting and a lot of fun.
The connected
widgets that have been placed around the main menu bring the menu to
life with statistics from your matches as well as real world news and
information on your favorite teams. These online widgets combined with
the periodical podcasts (automatically downloaded and played) make sure
the players keep coming back to something new almost every time they
boot up the game. Yet there is still room for improvement here. I'd like
to be able to maximize any widget I like. And the fact that the main
menu is now smaller because of the widget layout is a bit inconvenient.
The
new graphics definitely look way better even if mostly during cut
scenes and close-ups. The actual graphics during the gameplay also look
better with the new shader effects, depth of field, and 3D grass
options, as well as improved animations. It's too bad they have not
changed the cutscenes at all. Even though people start skipping them
after a short while, they occasionally add some flavor to the game when
it starts getting too formulaic. One other nice new feature is the
support for widescreen monitors.
The soundtrack as usual with
this franchise is phenomenal. The sound fx are pretty much the same, so
are the commentaries, except for a few additions that get repetitive too
soon anyway. It would be really nice to hear the same level of detailed
background information on certain teams and stadiums as in the next-gen
counterparts of FIFA.
The Adidas Live Season is a nice concept,
but I realized I didn't care too much for it. And having to pay for
additional subscriptions is a turn off for me. It's nice to know that
Ronaldo's stats may and will go down if his performance does not hold
up, but seriously, it's not a feature valuable enough for me to pay
extra money for. I can certainly understand why EA may want to charge
for this service unlike the DNA thing in the NBA game, but ROI here is
not substantial. I'd say this a failed attempt at incorporating the
trendy micro-transactions concept into the FIFA franchise.
They
have finally payed more attention to the 'Be A Pro' game mode this year
for the PC. You can now play as your favorite footballer or your custom
created player (possibly yourself) throughout multiple seasons. Starting
with 09, the player is now tasked with various goals for each game.
e.g. call for the ball 40 times, take 20 shots, do not get caught
offside, etc. And the player is rewarded points not just based on his or
her performance during the game but also based on the completion of
these objectives. What makes this game mode even more fun this year is
the addition of the Be A Pro camera that gives you a 3rd person
perspective view of your player on the pitch. Oh, and by the way, if you
keep sprinting with your player continuosly for too long, your gamepad
starts vibrating in short intervals until your guy catches his breath.
This gives you the feeling that you are actually on the pitch. Nice
little touch...
EA Canada have finally dropped the aging online
component they had been employing for the past few years. Starting this
year, we get pretty much the same interface and features the console
owners get. Similar layout and structure of menu items, and focus on
quick player match ups is the result of this switch. It's nice to
finally have native VoIP support. It's too bad that the lobby system
that was popular among the FIFA PC fans is a second priority with this
new approach. The quickie-style match ups made sense among the
12-year-old console crowd that do not have or need much of a community
sense, but it simply falls short for the PC user-base. The availability
of a keyboard and mouse should have triggered a change of design
decision for the main vessel to get the online players together, and
that vessel should have been the lobby system. It's all too disconnected
with this new approach. Oh, and quitters and disconnectors are still an
issue.
In general, I think this price is a great deal for this
game, because it comes packed with lots of content in the form of
various game modes, tons of unlockables, and online play. There's the
manager mode, be-a-pro-seasons, challenge mode, tournament mode, etc.
Basically, there's enough replay value here to keep the player coming
back until the next season. Plus, in addition to the already fully
licensed rosters and teams, you get mid-season roster updates, too.
EA
have already released two patches for the game that address several
important issues including difficulty level being adjusted to world
class for online games (hence fixing the easy goals problem). After
applying these patches the users are now allowed to de-authorize their
PC for running the game. This DRM fix should allow the users to reuse
their authorization after re-installing their Windows, or switching to a
new PC.
Could it have been better? Yes. But the same can be said
for pretty much the majority of video games in history. However, this
is a solid football game, and is a no-brainer for football fans for this
price. Especially when its competition has gone horribly stale at this
point.
A Welcome Change
To begin with, I agree with
the numerous complaints regarding DRM. The gaming industry needs to
adopt a less draconian method for protecting intellectual property that
doesn't compromise the privacy of the end-user. That said, this review
is of the game itself.
As a long-time FIFA fan, I'll admit to
having been very cynical regarding EA's promise to introduce updated
graphics to the PC version of this game. As an Xbox 360 owner who enjoys
playing FIFA on the PC as well, I felt very much ripped-off by the past
years' PC editions. While the next-gen console editions of the game
offered life-like graphics and physics, PC users were continually
offered mere ports of the PS2 version of the game. FIFA 08 was relegated
to the dust heap after about a month of disappointing play.
I'm
happy to report that EA kept its promise, at least in my humble opinion.
FIFA 09 for the PC is a much-improved product.
Admittedly, the
PC version still lacks the complete physics and graphical immersion of
its next-gen counterparts. However, the game is no longer a port of the
PS2 version and is a fairly radical departure from past offerings.
While
most of the updated graphics is for cut-scenes and close-ups, the
in-game experience also has been updated. New moves have been added and
the game itself looks and plays much better than past years' editions.
Most of the major leagues and licenses are there and the game comes
replete with a Web 2.0 interface. Konami's PC counterpart, PES 09 [that I
also own], no longer compares to FIFA 09.
One common criticism
is of the lack of anistrophic filtering in-game and the choppiness of
game play. These criticisms are valid. As a PC gamer with a decent
system (GTX 260 SC/Q6600 Core 2 Quad/2 Gb RAM/XP SP3) I was disappointed
that despite an objectively better product the game's visual
presentation remains 'dumbed-down' to the lower common denominator
rather than offering end-users the ability to take advantage of better
systems. Hopefully EA can maintain its commitment to the PC user by
adding a patch that will enhance the in-game graphic experience.
All
in all, FIFA 09 for the PC is vastly improved and a welcome change.
Hopefully, this version is the beginning of a new trend.
SecuROM DRM, Limited Activations, and
Micro-Transactions!
Electronic Arts thinks
everyone is a pirate waiting to happen and for some reason they seem to
think that paying customers will put up with just about anything to play
their games...
So if you buy this game, be aware that you'll be
limited to 3 or 5 activations and then you'll have to call Electronic
Arts at your expense if you want to install it again. Your expense is
currently about $[...]/minute in the US, check EA's support page for
your rate if you don't line in the US. Say you sit on hold and get the
call done in ten minutes. There goes another $[...] to play a game you
supposedly already own!
What is an activation? Install the game,
that's an activation. Change a piece of hardware, that uses an
activation. Reinstall Windows without changing any hardware, that uses
up an activation. You might even use up an activation upgrading a video
or sound driver. Adding a USB peripheral device could use up an
activation. You get 5 of these, then the game ceases to function and
you'll get a message saying that you need to buy a new copy (not call
them for more activations as it should say).
SecuROM has been
known to give users errors or not allow an installation to occur due to
CD/DVD drive incompatibility problems (usually older drives). You will
typically get CRC or checksum errors while a file is being read from the
drive. SecuROM also maintain a "black list" of processes where it won't
allow the game to run if you have one of these black listed programs
installed or running.
SecuROM is just plain bad news for the
honest customer and to make matters worse it hasn't had much impact on
piracy at all. In fact, the pirates enjoy greater freedom and far less
headaches than the honest customer. Spore is a great example of why
SecuROM is bad all the way around.
For more info, search google
or wiki for SecuROM, there's lots of info out there.
Micro
Transactions are probably for externally licensed material within the
game. So if you like some pro team's logos or names, you likely have to
pay for them. Sort of a bummer, but not totally unwarranted I guess...
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