If there's one thing that Electronic Arts has always known how to do is to build up on a successful franchise. The publisher really needs to push its profitable and favorably seen videogames as its earnings reports have been mostly in the red lately and as it has announced it's cutting 10% of the workforce it employs.

FIFA 09, the latest installment in the long-running football simulation game, has seen good sales. It was launched on a wide array of platforms, including the Nintendo Wii, the PC, the Nintendo DS, the PlayStation Portable, the Xbox 360 and both the PlayStation home consoles and has managed to sell more than 7.8 million units since release. Electronic Arts is also saying that 141 million online matches have been played over the PlayStation Network and over Xbox Live.

Now, the company is planning to release a new mode, only via download, for FIFA 09, called Ultimate Team Mode. It will cost 1200 Microsoft Points or 14.99 dollars if you don't want to deal in Microsoft money. No clear date for its release is available but there are some details on how the mode will work.

The Ultimate Team Mode will allow all players to assemble a fantasy football team using playing cards modeled to represent the stats of the game's vast football star line up. Using the card deck they put together, players will compete against one another and victors will earn virtual cash that can then be redeemed in order to get more virtual playing cards.

In each of the packs, players will find three types of cards: bronze, silver and gold. The cards will not only contain players but also formations, tactics, different staff and even contracts. Players will be able to get decks by paying for them with real money and not only by using in game currency.

The only question now is whether those who embody Ronaldinho or Gerard in FIFA 09 will be interested in also playing them in a card game.