EA has produced a dedicated version in every World Cup year going back to 1998; Pasta Padre notes the most recent was released in late April as well. And April 27 is indeed a Tuesday. Sounds like a good bet to me.

I've emailed EA Sports but I've got a better chance of a fat elf in a red suit poking his head out of my fireplace than hearing back on Christmas Eve. And I don't have a fireplace.

2010 FIFA World Cup Release Date [Pasta Padre]

Soccer comes to Free Realms in a big way with today's Goal Time update, which unlocks the various playing fields scattered across the land, allowing players to begin progressing in the Soccer Star job class. The update brings 20 new quests for the soccer aficionado, with new gear and equipment aimed at making the best of your footy career. Special skills and powerups will grant you an advantage on the playing field, as you test your skills against several AI teams or go 3-on-3 with a group of friends.

The Soccer Star job is available to free players up to level 5, with paying customers able to take their skills all the way up to the level 20 cap.

More authentic manager modes, a different practice set-up, and 360-degree dribbling - because I didn't suck enough with just 45 degrees of it - also go into FIFA 10. Looks like you can customize set pieces too.

In addition, they put out three screenshots featuring Frank Lampard and Chelsea cavorting on the pitch with Barcelona and Xavi.

The English team - currently at 7th place in the Barclays Premier League - have signed an exclusive deal with Sports Interactive that will give manager David Moyes full access to the database of performance statistics used in the game. Moyes will be able to use the games dataset of players within 20,000 active FIFA teams across 50 countries to look for untapped talent in time for January's transfer window.

"The game’s database is a valuable resource with the most extensive scouting network in football so Everton FC is making a top signing," said game designer Paul Colyer, "I am personally delighted with today’s announcement as I’m a Toffees fan."

Everton Use Football Manager 2009 [Inc Gamers]

Young Theo felt out of place when he first started training with the national team. According to the Star, the England team often try out tactics using Pro Evolution Soccer or FIFA and the older players were able to bond with him over a quick game or two.

“We coaxed him out by playing on the computer around the hotel," said England captain John Terry, “It’s the little things like that which get younger lads out of their shell and it has shown in his performances.”

COMPUTER GAMES MADE THEO A STAR [Daily Star] [Pic]

The Adidas Live Season add-on will use a network of real-world fact finders and stat-grinders to compile performance reports on all the players in Britain's Barclay’s Premier League, Spain's La Liga BBVA, France's Ligue 1, the German Bundesliga, Italy's Serie A and the Mexican Primera Division.

Phew. That's a lot of stats. EA's Andrew Wilson claims that

“The game will feel and play differently each week. With Adidas Live Season if Ronaldinho has a great match on the weekend you’ll feel the difference when you pick up the controller as his in-game attributes increase.”

Contrariwise, it might be a bit galling to be playing your favorite team only to find that real-world injuries rob you of your virtual dreams as well. So much for escapism.

Take a look at the full details after the jump.

REDWOOD CITY, Calif. – August 20, 2008 – Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: ERTS) today announced a new premium service for EA SPORTS™ FIFA Soccer 09 called adidas Live Season that will redefine the soccer videogame experience by dynamically updating player form in-game on a weekly basis so that player attributes mirror real-world performances. FIFA Soccer 09 will now feel and play differently throughout the entire 2008-2009 season matching the weekly rhythm of soccer. The new service will be available for Barclay’s Premier League, La Liga BBVA, Ligue 1, Bundesliga, Serie A and Mexican Primera Division on the PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system, the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system and PC.

FIFA Soccer 09 is now powered with dynamic real-world data and analytics, lifting the game to new heights of authenticity for soccer fans and gamers connected online. The adidas Live Season service is based on how real players performed in the most recent real-world matches. Gameplay will change dynamically as the performance of players and soccer teams in the real world experience the highs and lows during their campaigns.

“This is an ambitious and completely unique feature that has never been attempted before for football videogames,” said Andrew Wilson, Vice President & Executive Producer for the franchise. “The game will feel and play differently each week. With adidas Live Season if Ronaldinho has a great match on the weekend you’ll feel the difference when you pick up the controller as his in-game attributes increase.”

A global network of scouts will monitor every player in the adidas Live Season leagues throughout the season to supply accurate and in-depth player and team data each week. Player attributes will be impacted and player performance will change dynamically. The adidas Live Season service is downloaded into FIFA Soccer 09 each week and will run from the launch of the game to the end of the 2008-2009 season. Gamers will have access to one league of their choice for a free* trial from the moment they activate it to the end of the 2008-2009 season.

Today, EA also announced it has secured an exclusive licensing agreement with the Spanish Liga BBVA and Adelante. The exclusive partnership with the Spanish La Liga grants EA SPORTS sole rights to include every Spanish La Liga club and enables the EA SPORTS FIFA franchise to deliver the most realistic and up-to-date game with current kits, squads and player likenesses.

"La Liga is widely regarded as one of the most exciting leagues in the world and we’re delighted to have been able to secure this deal," said Romain Rossi, Marketing Director, EA SPORTS. "The FIFA franchise has always delivered the most authentic game experience and this relationship will enable us to maintain the high standards fans have come to expect from EA SPORTS."

A FIFA Soccer 09 demo will be available for download on September 11 worldwide on the PLAYSTATION®Network and Xbox LIVE™.

This year FIFA Soccer 09 delivers unique, platform specific experiences that takes advantage of the hardware specifications of each available platform— the PS3, Xbox 360, Wii™, PC, PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system, Nintendo DS™, PSP® (PlayStation®Portable) system and mobile.

To learn more about FIFA Soccer 09 visit www.FIFA09.ea.com.

Players changing teams in the European domestic leagues is common, and Edu is nowhere near as iconic a player for TFC as Favre was for the Packers. But if Edu does end up with Rangers, will EA update their cover art with a downloadable/printable replacement? Will we see guerrilla shoops a week after he changes teams? It's one thing to second-class the sport over in the U.S. How would it be taken in Europe? Or since it involves an MLS player, would anyone even care ...

Another Cover Change for EA? [XeNonX, thanks Ben]

(Ulterior motive: A football post allows me to boast about San Jose dismantling Revolution 4-nil last night. We are absolutely the best last place team in anything on the face of the earth right now.)

For a mere five English pounds (or 7 Euros - weirdly, there are no US Dollar prices. Can't think why) you can fill your PSP with 45 minute chunks of footy clips provided by Sky Sports as well as other sporting highlights in the Go!View Sports Pack.

Hit the jump for the full press release, with more details of what will be shown

Barclays Premier League Football available on GO!VIEW

Don’t just talk about the football – re-live it!

Football fans will be thrilled to hear that the best of this season’s Barclays Premier League will be available on GO!VIEW, the video on-demand service for the PlayStation Portable (PSP™). Following the big kick off this weekend, from Sunday 17th August, PSP™ owners will be able to transfer 45 minutes of extended highlights from Sky Sports matches to watch on the go - or wherever they want!

Throughout the new season, GO!VIEW customers will be able to watch a great range of Barclays Premier League football from hundreds of Sky Sports games. Sky Sports will show 92 Live Barclays Premier League games this season and a further 242 ‘near live’ matches, ensuring that all GO!VIEW customers will be able to access games involving their favourite Premier League team.

In addition, highlights from the season’s best games so far will also be available ongoing from October for fans to transfer to their PSP™ so they can relive the highs and lows of the current campaign.

The football content on GO!VIEW is available as part of the monthly ‘Sports’ subscription packs which offers content from across the sporting world, and includes cricket, golf, boxing and extreme sports. New GO!VIEW customers can get a one month trial subscription to the Sports Pack as well - as the two other Subscription Packs; Comedy and Entertainment - absolutely free!

In addition to the subscription packs, selected Movies to Rent and Latest TV to Rent can be transferred via the rental service on GO!VIEW. Subscription packs are priced at £5 (€7) for 1 pack, £8 (€11) for 2 packs and £10 (€14) for all three packs and with everyone who registers for the service at www.goview.tv receiving a free month’s subscription, there’s no better time to be a PSP owner!

www.goview.tv

GO!VIEW is a joint venture between Sony Computer Entertainment Europe and Sky who have established the joint venture ‘GO!VIEW Entertainment UK’. This is being used to bring the PSP video-on-demand to market in the UK, Northern Ireland, Republic of Ireland, Channel Islands & the Isle of Man. Sky is providing their expertise in building successful video-on-demand platforms as well as content acquisition. Sony Computer Entertainment is providing the marketing for the service.

"At EA SPORTS our dream is to create a full 11 versus 11 online gameplay experience in which each user will have a set position during the match and train specifically for that position," said Joe Booth, producer of FIFA Soccer 08. "Be A Pro is the first step in this direction, and now, with the ability to deliver five versus five online gameplay as free downloadable content, we are moving even closer towards the realization of this dream."

EA UNVEILS PLANS FOR 10 Players to Connect online playing a single game of FIFA SOCCER 08 ON NEXT-GEN CONSOLES

Be A Pro Online Team Play Enables 5 Friends To Play On One Team Online Against 5 Rivals From Another Team

REDWOOD CITY, Calif. - August 22, 2007 - Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: ERTS) today unveiled plans for a new feature called Be A Pro: Online Team Play that will enable10 people anywhere in the world to connect online to play a single match of FIFA Soccer 08. The new feature, available for the Xbox 360™ video game and entertainment system and the PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system, will be offered as a free downloadable feature six to eight weeks after the game ships to stores. FIFA Soccer 08 will be available in stores in Europe on September 28 and beginning October 9 in North America.

Be A Pro: Online Team Play is the evolution of a new play mode featured in FIFA Soccer 08 called Be A Pro that locks you into the role of a single, fixed player the entire game and challenges you to master the same disciplines as a real soccer player—from positioning and tackling to reading the field and passing. Users receive real time feedback and analysis on the fly and a unique camera angle keeps both player and action in focus, zooming in when you're on attack. Now in Be A Pro: Online Team Play, up to five friends on different consoles will be able to select and take control of their own individual players on the same team, supported by AI teammates, to play against up to five rivals of another team. Alternatively, online users can select to play with free roaming players, and teams can have a combination of both.

"At EA SPORTS our dream is to create a full 11 versus 11 online gameplay experience in which each user will have a set position during the match and train specifically for that position," said Joe Booth, producer of FIFA Soccer 08. "Be A Pro is the first step in this direction, and now, with the ability to deliver five versus five online gameplay as free downloadable content, we are moving even closer towards the realization of this dream."

"Be A Pro forces you to think and react like a professional player where you experience the whole range of emotions players go through during the course of a game," said Andrew Wilson, Executive Producer of FIFA Soccer 08. "Now we are taking this experience online for you to share with your friends. You will have to learn to work together as a team much like any real teams go through in order to be successful."

In addition to Be A Pro: Online Team Play, the online feature set in FIFA Soccer 08 includes the award-winning Interactive Leagues, where you represent your club online against your rivals throughout the season in the F.A. Premier League, Bundesliga, French League or Mexican 1st Division and features weekly in-game pod casts by the development team, and Online Leagues, where you create and organize your own multiplayer Friends Leagues and tournaments with all the tools in-game.

EA SPORTS™ FIFA Soccer 08 for the Xbox 360 system and the PLAYSTATION 3 will create a soccer experience that matches the complexity, finesse and beauty of the real-world game. FIFA Soccer 08 features a new, organic building-block system that enables you to combine tricks and skill moves together to recreate signature moves from the real-world superstars or define your own style of play. You can even capture video of your best moves and goals in-game and upload to the FIFA Soccer 08 website to show off your style and celebrate your glory with friends across the globe. In addition, FIFA Soccer 08 features a true next-generation ball-striking engine that re-creates the drama and unpredictable nature of shooting, and the inclusion of 576 licensed teams, 30 leagues, and more than 15,000 players.

FIFA Soccer 08, developed by EA Canada in Vancouver, B.C., will be available in North America on October 9 for the Xbox 360™ video game and entertainment system, PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system, Wii™, Nintendo DS™, PSP® (PlayStation®Portable) system, PC and mobile, and on October 16 for the PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system. FIFA Soccer 08 is rated "E" (Everyone) by the ESRB and 3+ by PEGI.

###

But is the game any good? Hit the jump for our Frankenreview: every bit of every review in the entire Universe thrown out, so you can read less.

Cubed3
Straight away you may grasp from that comment that the Wii's motion controls are hardly put to the test. Other than waggling the remote quickly to do a shoulder barge (pressing on the directional pad makes players do a slide challenge, which is much less distracting than shaking the controller all the time to tackle) and the reflex-testing goalkeeping aspect...this definitely feels just like the game the GameCube title really should have been.

N2Gamer
As well as letting you tackle from behind, Mario mixes things up and lets you hammer the ball into another player, tackle players that don't have the ball and even use such items as bombs and turtle shells... Mario Strikers takes a lot of inspiration from the 'old school', which is something I respect. If you grew up on NBA Jam, Nintendo World Cup or Speedball, then you'll know what I'm talking about. Rules are out! Biffo is in!!

Eurogamer
The captain can unleash a Super Strike...holding down the shoot button triggers a Super Smash Brothers style screen spasm of light and a power barometer which needs to be stopped at the right time, just like a golf game...this is where the remote comes in - the screen rotates and lets you see approaching shots through the eyes of the keeper. You direct the on screen hands and press A to make a save. It's great fun and ironically, more realistic than the simplistic hit and miss penalty shoot-outs in Pro Evolution Soccer.

BoomTown
In comparison to its rivals' online services what you get here is quite rudimentary, no voice communication and long friends codes instead of easy to remember names, but it still works well enough. Games occasionally take a while to connect to, but once connected there are no real problems, after playing numerous games online I'm yet to encounter any lag or dropped connections.

1up
And for all of its random nonsense, Charged is balanced surprisingly well. Each character has enough "weapons" on offense and defense for skilled players to overcome the deluge of items, power kicks, and field hazards. On higher levels, the A.I. is a bit too good — in that annoying "I have decided that I will score a goal riiiiiiiiiight...now" sort of way.

All the descriptions remind me of Pigskin Football. Maybe I actually have something new to play for the Wii.

Nothing quite like selling out for a big Arsenal game only to watch it on your PSP. Heck, nothing quite like selling out for a PSP! Sony has developed a system called S.PORT (requisite ALL CAPS — love it!) that will let fans watch the game at the stadium on *get this* their PSP. It's still in the prototype phase, but the system will let you see replay, status and scores via the wireless hook-up. Says Sony's Eric Siereveld:

It could be used at any stadium around the UK, or even a golf match where it is sometimes hard to see the ball flying through the air.

A trial period with 4,000 Arsenal fans should commence shortly, and the product is expected to launch by the end of the year. Brian Ashcraft

PSP For Arsenal Fans [Gizmodo via Alice]

PlayStation 3 advert appears in Xbox 360 game [360 Gamer via Xbox Scene - Thanks T.G.!]

Mid-last week, Sony announced that unfortunately the PS3 will not be hitting Europe until next spring. While we had thought Sony had put its Euro ad campaign on ice, Spanish game site Todo Juegos reports that the company advertised the PLAYSTATION 3 at yesterday's UEFA Champions League match between Barcelona and Levski Sofia. Worse yet, the ad appeared next to a Mastercard banner. Todo Juegos' Alejandro tells us that the ads could be seen in all the games yesterday and were viewed by millions of soccer fans. This all just goes to show two things: A) The Sony advertisement was planned way in advance. B) The Europe delay wasn't. Brian Ashcraft

More Here [Todo Juegos]

Via the lovely Alice, comes this dope cell phone game:

The all new Bob Marley Burnin' game combines all of Marley's passions into a fun interactive experience right on your cellphone. The game is set in Jamaica, where players can experience fun games based around Marley's favorite pastime: soccer.

I thought Bob Marley's favorite pastime was smoking prodigious amounts of pot? Regardless, this cell phone game features soccer ball juggling on a relaxing Jamaican beach, includes Bob Marley trivia questions, boasts hit songs like "One Love" and gives players the munchies. Brian Ashcraft

More Here [Wonderland]

Brazil was supposed to be a shoo-in for this year's World Cup. In a shocker, the team was knocked out of the Quarter-finals. The team wasn't scoring enough goals, critics said. Striker Ronaldinho was. Every night, he was scoring with French model girlfriend Alexandra Paressant and his PlayStation 2. To ensure everyone focused on the game, Brazil's coach prohibited players from visiting wives and girlfriends in an exercise of utter futility. Alexandra dishes:

So nearly every night he would come to my hotel room and we would make love all night. He missed me too much and I don't think it harmed him. He likes to relax afterwards by playing his games. He was playing the FIFA 2006 football game during the World Cup.

A professional soccer player having it out on FIFA 2006, the cover of which he appears on, during the FIFA World Cup? That is soooooo post-modern. Brian Ashcraft

More Here [The Sun] Thanks, Kyle!

Ubisoft is a French company; France's ignominious defeat in the World Cup pained them more than anyone short of Marco Materazzi. Why Materazzi? Because French player Zinedine Zidane headbutted him at high velocity.

But Ubisoft is working through it the only way they know how: hacking Zidane headbutts into Splinter Cell: Double Agent and then uploading the resulting video to the Internet. Thanks, McWhertor, you bastard. Florian Eckhardt