New FIFA title likely to be part of Wii U's launch line-up
A senior EA Sports executive has hinted that a FIFA title will probably release as part of the Wii U's launch line-up of games when the console debuts sometime next year.
"FIFA has the great fortune of being invited to all the VIP parties," EA Sports' senior vice president of worldwide development Andrew Wilson teased when Eurogamer asked him whether FIFA will be a Wii U launch title.
When asked about how FIFA plans to make use of Wii U's innovative new controller, Wilson said.
"This concept of cleaning up everything you see on the big screen and putting all that here [on the controller screen], is an interesting proposition."
"We don't have that problem solved, but the opportunity to change the way you interact with a game based on moving everything from the HUD to here, is interesting."
"The radar can go there. You could trigger wing play. You could play an offside trap here. There are a whole bunch of things you could do here that before, you had to remember a two-button combination or a d-pad combination, or you had to see it represented up on a screen, which meant if anyone else was watching they saw it."
EA Boss John Riccitiello, who pledged the publisher's support for the new console during Nintendo'spress conference, commented that the Wii U version of FIFA won't include gimmicky features that utilize the console's unique new features just for the sake of it.
"Between now and when that launches, we'll be working diligently to make sure it adds value, that it's not a gimmick, but it truly adds value," he said.
"As a FIFA gamer, if I could have touch-screen controls that said wing play, offside trap, push forward, pull back – all these things that no longer were assigned to a d-pad – I would feel pretty good about it."
"I'm sure we're going to do more than that, but as the lowest common denominator, that would be pretty cool. That would change the way I play."
The HD-capable Wii U has a unique controller with an in-built touch-screen allowing it to display content sent wirelessly from the console, and is slated to release in 2012.