Every four years when the world cup comes around, the current game license holder pushes out a themed version of their football title. This year is no different with Electronic Arts announcing the April release of 2006 FIFA World Cup on as many platforms as possible.
"The FIFA World Cup will be the single most watched sporting event by a worldwide television audience, bringing together football fans from around the world," said Joe Nickolls, lead producer of the game. "Our game, 2006 FIFA World Cup celebrates this passion by capturing all of the national rivalries in-game, enabling fans to play their heroes and be a part of 2006 FIFA World Cup Germany."
With enhanced player animations, EA SPORTS has emulated close to 100 of the world's superstars, capturing their playing styles and individual likenesses. In addition to enabling gamers to participate in the 2006 FIFA World Cup Germany by taking control of one of 127 national teams, the game features new compelling modes of play, including the groundbreaking Global Challenge that will test even the most hardcore football fan by recreating classic moments in FIFA World CupTM history. Furthermore, the game supports up to eight-way multiplayer matches and boasts a plethora of in-game unlockable content such as legendary players and exclusive apparel.
For the first time ever, the officially licensed game of 2006 FIFA World Cup Germany will be available for download via mobile phones. Upon release, gamers can purchase 2006 FIFA World Cup through major North American carriers and will have the option of downloading either English or the Spanish language version of the game. This robust title features all of the 32 international teams vying for the most coveted title in football and offers gamers on-the-go a compelling gameplay experience that truly captures the essence of the sport and this global event.
The press release, whilst focussing on the availability of the game on the Xbox 360 also mentions that there will be a version released for mobile as well, although details of the platform or supported handsets wasn't included.
March 1st, 2006 at 6:39 pm
I like the idea of being able to play different games and such on your cell phones, but I do not think that a game of this calibur will be given it due justice. I don’t think the game will live upto its expectations on this type of platform and is not the wisest move for EA. They might get some interest in countries other than the US, but that will subside after the novelty wears off, which I guess does not matter to EA because they get their money when it is downloaded the first time. So it might make them some money in the short run, but will not substantially benefit them.