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[sonycowboy]

http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/040819/sfth011_1.html

Thursday August 19, 3:01 am ET
Xbox and EA Present the FIFA Interactive World Cup; Xbox Is Named Official Licensed Video Game Console of 2006 FIFA World Cup

# LEIPZIG, Germany, Aug. 19 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- FIFA, the Xbox® video game system from Microsoft Corp. (Nasdaq: MSFT - News), and Electronic Arts Inc. (EA), the world's leading interactive entertainment software company, will team up to bring a newly developed FIFA competition, the FIFA Interactive World Cup(TM), to football lovers around the world.(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20000822/MSFTLOGO )

In addition, Xbox will serve as the Official Licensed Video Game Console of the 2006 FIFA World Cup, which will be held from June to July 2006 in stadiums across Germany. Xbox will work with FIFA to introduce specially branded retail offers celebrating the 2006 FIFA World Cup.

Xbox and Electronic Arts will be the presenting partners of The FIFA Interactive World Cup, a new series of tournaments combining online and offline football action featuring EA's "FIFA Football 2005" on Xbox and the Xbox Live(TM) online game service. Kicking off this year, the FIFA Interactive World Cup will travel to six continents from October to December 2004, with the finals being played at the FIFA World Player of the Year Gala in Zurich in December 2004.

Throughout the three-month tournament on Xbox Live, each heat will see players in the FIFA Interactive World Cup compete on EA's "FIFA Football 2005." Players will also enjoy participating in real-life football drills and tips and tricks sessions with international football experts in between heats. In addition, a host of guest appearances, prizes and musical surprises are planned throughout the tour. More details on the events will be released later this year.

"We're excited to be part of the 2006 FIFA World Cup," said Mitch Koch, corporate vice president of the Home Entertainment Division at Microsoft. "The world's most popular sporting event is teaming with the world's most powerful and exciting video game console to give fans a whole new reason to love football -- and they can only experience it through Xbox Live. With the FIFA Interactive World Cup, we're starting a new tradition of virtual football on Xbox and Xbox Live -- fans will truly understand why 'it's good to play together.'"

"This innovative project concept will enable us to exploit further opportunities to promote and develop the game of football at all levels worldwide," said Urs Linsi, general secretary of FIFA. "The FIFA Interactive World Cup will be launched just as FIFA steps into the second century of its existence and will give fans an additional reason to love football. The FIFA Interactive World Cup will herald a new tradition of football games and test football players' virtual abilities in a completely new way. We are proud to pay tribute to a completely new category of football player at the next FIFA World Player of the Year Gala."

"The FIFA Interactive World Cup is going to be the place for authentic, interactive play for football fans all over the world, and we're pleased to be working with Xbox and FIFA to bring it to life," said Jan Bolz, vice president of Marketing and Sales for EA Europe. "Our game enthusiasts asked us for a way to broaden the scope of their gaming challenge, and this event is for them, combining the excitement of 'FIFA Football 2005' from EA with Xbox Live support and real-world football tournaments, to test their physical as well as virtual abilities in a completely new and interactive way."

 

[Ghost]

Xenon 2005 Rumours crushed?

 

[Cloudy]

With the WE games not being online here, who won't buy this?

 

[cja]

I'm trying to fathom the enormity of the, now official, announcement.

Have EA just screwed Sony big time? Is the beautiful relationship coming to an end?

Drawing an analogy for americans this is probably the equivalent of EA offering premium pass only on Xbox and for Xbox to be the sponsor of the Superbowl/World Series/Stanley Cup.

 

[Ghost]

huh? Fifa is already online on PS2 and Fifa 2005 is online for Xbox and Ps2. This deal is basically just for a global Xbox live tournament, similar to the master ninja tournament.



I predict the score in the final of this tournament will be

25 - 14


Damn sucky fifa.

 

[sonycowboy]

I'm trying to fathom the enormity of the, now official, announcement.

Have EA just screwed Sony big time? Is the beautiful relationship coming to an end?

Drawing an analogy for americans this is probably the equivalent of EA offering premium pass only on Xbox and for Xbox to be the sponsor of the Superbowl/World Series/Stanley Cup.

LOL!

The enormity of it all? Sony is d00Med! I think you're trying a little too hard here.

 

[thorns]

For the Americans the World Cup IS the biggest sport event of the world (I think it's even bigger than the olympics in terms of interest..), there are a humongous amount of people who watch the world cup so depending on how much coverage the xbox is going to get it might really be a big deal (or not if it's just going to be a footprint in the worldcup page or whatever).

 

[cja]

Ghost, when have EA ever given an Xbox game an extra mode/tournament/functionality over the PS2?

Throughout the three-month tournament on Xbox Live

This isn't available to PS2 owners, online or not. Perhaps EA's hand was forced by a tie-up between Microsoft and FIFA because of caveats in the WC2006 agreement, who knows, I do know that Xbox will get a superior version of FIFA this year and FIFA is the king of casual games.

The enormity of it all? Sony is d00Med! I think you're trying a little too hard here.

Awww, damage control to the nth degree. Xbox is the official console of World Cup 2006, Xbox is the only machine that can play the FIFA Interactive World Cup on. This is a huge announcement, it doesn't cost peanuts to become an official sponsor of the World Cup and Microsoft obviously feel the enormous payment will be worthwhile.

 

[pilonv1]

This is indeed pretty big news. Shame it's not PE4 though

 

[Brofist]

huh? Fifa is already online on PS2 and Fifa 2005 is online for Xbox and Ps2. This deal is basically just for a global Xbox live tournament, similar to the master ninja tournament.



I predict the score in the final of this tournament will be

25 - 14


Damn sucky fifa.

Haha, thats with a 5 minute game.

I've been playing WE8 on 6 star lately...now that's how a football video game should be played.

 

[thorns]

fifa 2005 is supposed to be much more improved.. we hear that every year but one day EA is really going to do it, and PES won't have any excuse left for it's really crappy presentation/retarted save/load systems/non-existing licenses etc.

 

[Prine]

God damn, MS sure know how to make the right moves. As a fan i couldnt be more happier with their PR work. Seriously, no compliants, they've done everything right in my eyes.

Well, except for the starwars bundle

 

[cja]

FIFA Interactive World Cup Promo Video & FIFA webpage & pr

fifa 2005 is supposed to be much more improved.. we hear that every year but one day EA is really going to do it, and PES won't have any excuse left for it's really crappy presentation/retarted save/load systems/non-existing licenses etc.

EA "is really going to do it", heh, they've been saying that for the past eleven years. Monkeys, typewriters and Shakespeare come to mind

 

[ElyrionX]

fifa 2005 is supposed to be much more improved.. we hear that every year but one day EA is really going to do it, and PES won't have any excuse left for it's really crappy presentation/retarted save/load systems/non-existing licenses etc.

Uhhhhhhh........no.

 

[Socreges]

I've been playing WE8 on 6 star lately...now that's how a football video game should be played.

My friend and I just unlocked that yesterday. I was afraid that the CPU would just become faster and more precise, but they actually play a more intelligent game. I love it.

 

[Subitai]

Well, this is good news, but it doesn't undermine the fact that sports gamers in Europe and Japan already have a PS2.