FIFA 09 Comes with Player Form Fluctuation

Video games are quickly starting to become an accurate virtual version of what happens in real life and Electronic Arts, with its latest installment in the FIFA franchise, plans to prove us that everything is possible. And that is something that really manages to make us actually want to get our hands on the game - unlike previous versions, which didn't bring in any revolutionary features.

So, EA is planning to implement an in-game service called Adidas Live Season that will completely redefine the soccer experience: it will dynamically update your player's form, so it matches the day-to-day reality. Is Cristiano Ronaldo having a bad day and a drop in form in real life? His performance will drop in the game, too. And that is something really exciting (as long as long-term injuries are not implemented). However, this new feature will only be available for Barclay's Premier League, La Liga BBVA, Ligue 1, Bundesliga, Serie A and Mexican Primera Division - but this should be quite enough for starters.

"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."

So... how does this whole thing work? Well, a global network of football scouts will monitor every player in the supported adidas Live Season leagues during the entire season and they will send on a weekly basis accurate data regarding players' form - which will have an impact on player attributes and performance. As you can imagine, this service will only run until the end of the 2008-2009 season. However, it seems that it will be a paid service, since Electronic Arts announced that just one league chosen by the player will be available for free.