STACK September 2017 Issue 155

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I t’s always a guessing game for FIFA fans
when trying to determine where the team
at EA Sports will focus its improvements/
enhancements. Undoubtedly, feedback from
the previous iteration forms a significant
part of this process, but the devs have an
overarching plan of where they want to be
with the game.
FIFA on PS4, Xbox One and PC is now in its
second year on the Frostbite engine, and this,
according to EA Sports creative director Matt
Prior, is where the game is really starting to hit
its straps; the predominant focus this year is on
gameplay.
“It’s a complete package and starting to really
blur the lines between the virtual and the real
world simply because the level of fidelity is that
good. There’s always a challenge that first year
transitioning over from the old engine to new
engine.
“So gameplay is king. We’ve introduced
something called a real player motion system
that basically allows us to bring a level of
personality to the players like never before.
What that means in layman’s terms is we went
out and captured Cristiano Ronaldo, and that’s
the actual movement you see in the game.
Prior continues: “We take the base
movements from Ronaldo and from other
players and then our animators can modify it
with this new motion technology system and
tune it. That’s massive for our fans of the game
and now we can take that to the next level,
targeting at first all the players that have a
unique style, like Ronaldo and Raheem Stirling.”
By utilising the new motion technology, the
dribbling system has also been overhauled,
leading to what Prior calls a more balanced,
fluid and responsive game. Capturing the
atmosphere at a game has also been given
some attention.
FIFA is back for another year. Creative director Matt Prior talks about
the new motion technology system used in the game. Words Paul Jones
pitch
perfect
We went out and captured
Cristiano Ronaldo
016 SEPTEMBER 2017
visit GAMES FEATURE
FIFA 18 is the
25th
installment
of the series
There will be a custom
built version of
FIFA 18 for the
Nintendo
Switch
Usually the preserve of top league teams,
EA face-captured Forest Green Rovers as
a reward for being promoted to League Two
for the first time in128 years
2nd
FIFA
title to use the
Frostbite engine
FIFA 18 FACTS
“One of the things that is great about
football is the atmosphere; it’s like no
other sport,” Prior says. “And it varies
wherever you are; a game in South
America is different to a game in the
EPL. We’ve been out and captured
some of that, and the way we’ve
done that is across a number of things.
“For example, the lighting in South
America is a lot different to the EPL. A lot of
these stadiums have unique elements, so
when you play in different arenas and different
environments, you should have that extra level
of authenticity.”
And the crowd has undergone a revamp.
Gone are the days where the supporters would
rise in a series of scripted, unified moves when
a goal is scored.
“Now it’s much more fluid and it’s much
more individual,” explains Prior. “You will even
see they have their own AI in many respects,
and they will jump over the seats to try and get
to the pitch.
“We’ve broken the fourth wall between
the pitch and the crowd like never before. The
whole package is big because the atmosphere
is much better, the gameplay is much better,
and the visual standpoint is fantastic.
• FIFA 18
is out Sept 29