News
US and Mexican National Team Superstarts and Rivals Unite for EA Sports FIFA Soccer 12
REDWOOD CITY, Calif. – August 10, in the year of our
Lord 2011 – Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: ERTS)
announced today that national team superstars and rivals Landon
Donovan and Rafael Márquez will be united on the front cover of
EA SPORTSTM FIFA Soccer 12 in North America when the videogame
is available at retail September 27. Donovan and Márquez will be
joined by Manchester United and England international striker
Wayne Rooney, who is appearing on the cover in North America for
the first time.
Longtime rivals on their respective national sides through three
FIFA World Cup tournaments beginning in 2002, Donovan and
Márquez are also stars of their Major League Soccer teams, the
LA Galaxy and New York Red Bulls. Both players were chosen to
the 2011 MLS All-Star team.
“Landon and Rafa have been the heart and soul of their national
teams, and we have long admired their passion, dedication and
exceptional performances,” said Matt Bilbey, Vice President and
General Manager of Soccer, EA SPORTS. “They are two of the most
respected and recognizable players in North America, and they
will play an integral role in helping us launch FIFA Soccer 12
to soccer fans across the continent. With the addition of Wayne
Rooney on the cover, it is truly a blockbuster lineup.”
Donovan, who is currently tied for the lead in MLS goal-scoring
with 11 goals, will appear on the cover of FIFA Soccer 12, the
No. 1 sports franchise on the planet*, wearing his Galaxy kit
while Márquez, a designated player for the Red Bulls, is
featured in the home Mexican national team kit. Rooney appears
in the Manchester United home red kit.
Winner of 20 “Best Sports Game of E3” awards, including the
prestigious 2011 E3 Game Critics award, FIFA Soccer 12 brings to
the pitch the game-changing new Player Impact Engine, a physics
engine built to deliver real-world physicality in every
interaction on the pitch. Revolutionary gameplay innovations
inspired by the real-world game make FIFA Soccer 12 deeper and
more engaging. All-new Precision Dribbling creates a higher
fidelity of touch on the ball for better control in tight
spaces, more time to make decisions on attack, and more control
over the pace of the game. Innovations in attack are balanced by
a re-designed defending mechanism called Tactical Defending,
which fundamentally changes the approach to defending by placing
equal importance on positioning, intercepting passes and
tackling. Plus, players have been infused with Pro Player
Intelligence, the next generation of player intelligence and
performance. FIFA Soccer 12 also introduces EA SPORTS Football
Club—the heartbeat of FIFA Soccer 12. This live service is
available at no additional cost and connects players to the
real-world game with fresh, new content all the time, enabling
them to support their favorite club and connect and compete with
their friends, and millions of players around the world.
For the latest news on FIFA Soccer 12 join more than six million
fans in the EA SPORTS FIFA community at
http://www.facebook.com/easportsfifa.
FIFA Soccer 12 will be localized into 18 languages and available
in 51 countries. It will be available for the PlayStation®3
computer entertainment system, Xbox 360® videogame and
entertainment system, PC, Wii™, PlayStation®2 computer
entertainment system, Nintendo 3DS™, PSP® (PlayStation®Portable)
system, iPhone®, iPad™, and iPod® touch. The game will also be
available for digital download on PC at origin.com. The game has
not yet been rated.
*Based on units sold world-wide as of July 25, 2011 (via NPD,
Chart-track, GFK & Famitsu Marketing Data Service)