FIFA Goes Free to Play, Moves Online

Electronic Arts has announced that it plans to release a new spinoff of its popular football simulator called FIFA Online. The new game will be downloadable by anyone who has an Internet connection and will be free to play to all those who are interested in getting a football experience on an average PC or on a laptop. A beta release is planned for Europe in June and the English version of the game will likely come out officially before the end of 2010.

Starting with February 3, all those interested will be able to register for the closed beta of FIFA Online on the official website. Electronic Arts is saying that approximately 20,000 people will be included and that their feedback will be crucial to creating an experience costumed to the needs of the player rather than reflecting the vision of the developer.

FIFA Online is set to include more than 15,000 players with their stats fully simulated, alongside 50 clubs and 30 licensed leagues from around the world.

The closed beta stage will offer those who get in the game mode based around the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa tournament a control scheme built around the player only using the mouse.

Kaz Makita, who is the executive producer working on FIFA Online, stated that “Listening to and engaging football fans has been one of the driving forces behind the success of our FIFA franchise and now we are inviting European football fans - in mass numbers and earlier than we ever have before - to help us develop a new football game. Fans will determine the features that matter most, and at the end of this process, our goal is to deliver a game for fans looking for a quick football fix at home or at work.”