EA has been in the head-lines for some bad press of late. Controversy of a potential law-suit over the quality of Battlefield 4, and being nominated as one of the worst companies of the year for three years in a row has resulted in a lot of head-aches and heartaches at EA head-quarters. However, after speaking EA themselves they seem to be very optimistic that 2014 will indeed be the year for them.
The bad press that was orbiting around EA did more than have an affect on their stocks; the personal lives of a lot of the EA employees were affected in bad way. Stress levels were through the roof.
I called my friend who has been working for EA for the the last 7 years and invited him out for a beer just to see how he is coping, and much to my surprise he seemed to have lifted his spirit. Once I asked him whether he will continue working for EA despite the stress he had endured over the last two years he replied, “I couldn’t be happier, and prouder to be a part of the EA team than I am right now”.
After a couple of stouts he began to open up a little and probably revealing (leaking) things he probably shouldn’t. Among the most notable things he mentioned, what he had to say about FIFA 15 really piqued my interest. I initially mentioned the cancelation of the FIFA Manager series and how I felt it was a little disappointing to see EA just throw in the towel like that. He was quick to let me know that this was probably one of the smartest moves EA could make for the FIFA franchise. He continued to explain that their (EA’s) FIFA series is unrivaled in the industry and that Football Manager is not even coming anywhere close to the sales that FIFA is. He also pointed out that the vast majority of the Football Manager audience prefer FIFA over Pro Evolution Soccer. At this point I could already predict where he was going with this, and I was very right. FIFA 15 will contain the most in-depth career player/manager mode that you will see in any football game.
“EA have been surveying forums and websites and picking the ideas they best feel will help create the ultimate football video-game”, he stated. I asked if he knew what were some of the best ideas that the FIFA team seemed excited about and he didn’t hesitate to answer, “in-game economy, online integration of career mode, and a completely revamped FUT experience”.
I didn’t ask him to go into details but I did ask whether we will see any of these features implemented in the World Cup game that is due out later this summer; he merely laughed. World Cup 2014 will run on the same engine as FIFA 14 with updated kits and rosters with the addition of the now-removed tournament mode. The good news is that EA may not sell it at full-game price.
As it turns out FIFA 15 will actually be the first true next-gen football game from EA. The PlayStation 4 and Xbox One will showcase just how the significant changes are in the new ignite engine later this year.
This leak was sent into us by an individual whom wishes to remain anonymous. Email and name has been withheld. Please consider that anyone can send us leaks by emailing us, and we do not verify the credibility of the content nor the source.
