14 DAY TRIAL // Electronic Arts has talked a bit more about FIFA 15, the next iteration in its soccer simulator and has confirmed that more intelligent players, as well as a more responsive pitch, are going to be included in the new title.
FIFA 15 is the second iteration in the football simulator series that's powered by the Ignite engine on PS4 and Xbox One, and EA's Sports division has gotten way more adept at using the technology to produce better gameplay.
The game still has some time left in development ahead of its release this fall and EA's Aaron McHardy, the gameplay producer for FIFA 15, has highlighted some of the standout features from the next title.
First up, players on the pitch will be more intelligent and are going to remember how their teammates interacted with them throughout a match, in order to produce better results.
"For the first time ever we're modelling the emotional intelligence, attitudes and opinions of players on the pitch for all 22 guys on the pitch towards all other players on the pitch. We're storing information on them throughout the game so they have a memory of what's happening throughout the match," he told GRTV.
What's more, the actual pitch is going to be more responsive to player actions, so that the experience feels as realistic as watching an actual football game on TV.
"We've always wanted to do better things with the grass, and not just the grass. The pitch wear specifically is a big one for me as a gameplay producer, because you see if from the TV cam when you're playing all the time. And it really grounds the player and makes the game feel a lot more like real football."
However, don't expect deformed pieces of the pitch to have an impact on the ball, at least not in FIFA 15, as divets aren't going to play a factor in the trajectory of a ball.
"Right now the ball doesn't react to divets. We don't have many divets and we wanted to keep it very surface level for this year. It's something we'll be considering for the future for sure, but what you do see its marks from players as they slide tackle, you'll see the pitch tearing or streaking if you will where they slide tackle."
It seems that EA is certainly leaving the door open for new gameplay elements in the inevitable FIFA 16, so don't expect that many new things from this year's FIFA 15.