Simon Humber on UEFA Euro 2008

We take a look at the latest 'FIFA'...

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Journeying to darkest Surrey, I was unsure what to expect of the new UEFA Euro 2008. I shouldn't have worried, however, because EA Sports have improved further upon the marked-step in the right direction that was FIFA 08, and even seem to be going out of their way to ensure this is more than a heavily licensed cash-in.

The response times and overall pace of the game has been speeded-up by a couple of percentiles, while new weather effects will make a great deal of difference to the pitch and therefore the sort of game you'll experience.

Battle of the Nations will also add regional interest to the usual online modes, while Captain your Country sees you taking control of a fringe player in singleplayer mode, leading him into the squad and eventually the captaincy.

Ahead of a full review, and with the game due out at the end of this week, we sat down for a few words with lead producer Simon Humber of EA Sports.

How big are you expecting online mode Battle of the Nations to be?

I really don't know.

A shot in the dark?

Well, not so much a shot in the dark, I mean, we know people get competitive about international teams. So we were thinking, what's the best way to make 16-53, so people can really get behind their country, regardless of whether they qualified or not. So, it made sense to have a fans competition to see which country's gamers are the best.

We're not sure what's going to happen, though. It's going to be fascinating.

Which country will win, do you think?

Well obviously England, I'd imagine! I'm sure we'll do a lot better in the game than we did on the actual pitch. No, seriously, it'll be interesting to see if its the countries you expect [to win], or whether some other smaller countries with smaller markets will provide real quality. Somewhere like Finland, perhaps!

Will England's absence from the tournament damage game sales?

A certain section will definitely buy the game in order to experience the tournament. However, I like to think there's a bigger segment who want to play the game simply because its the best on the market. People who are football gamers. Given that it's six month from the latest FIFA and PES, and six months to FIFA and PES - we think people will buy it because it's the best game out there.

How is EA's dream of full 11-vs-11 online play shaping up?

Very well, actually. I know FIFA are doing more work on that. I know the FIFA team released their 5-vs-5 online patch some months ago, and as we've already stated we'd like to get it to 10-vs-10. Or 11-vs-11 if we do goalkeepers. We've always said the next World Cup will be the zenith of this.

We've always said it would be fantastic if we could take a bunch of gamers who have proved to be the best, to South Africa, to play against the French, the Germans, everyone else. Its progressing well at the moment.

How important is the social side of the gaming experience these days?

Critical I think. The times of playing by yourself, are over. Football is such a social environment. Even if you're playing at home, alone, take say a Leeds United fan; let's connect him with other Leeds fans - or gather friends as a clan. As we build technology, we're constantly aware of where things should be going. The designers want to draw people in, attract new players.

Online needs to be for everyone. We just need to ensure everyone can be a part of it, and get something out of it.

How do you convince players unimpressed by the tournament-centred approach?

Personally, I'd buy it just because it's the best game on the market. I realise the event itself is in June, but come July 1st, this will still be the best football game on the market. We've spoken to so many people who played the demo and then tried to go back to FIFA 08, who said that they couldn't play it any more. They've got used to the increased pace, and they think the game is better.

If you can get out of this head-space of 'FiFA's got more clubs'... how many clubs do people really play with? It's probably a small percentage. People will want to play the best game, and this will be the best game for six months.

How do you balance realism and fun when designing the game, with reference to the manner in which this release is a little quicker, etc?

Its difficult, isn't it. We wanted this to be more responsive. FIFA could be frustrating. Players not quite responding in time. But while we've made it a little quicker, we don't want to lose the realistic look. We don't want players doing things they wouldn't do in real life.

However, it is a game - people do want some kind of hyper-realism - they want the spectacular to happen a little more than it would in real life. And the mundane a little less. It's a difficult balancing act.

Will there be more impromptu moments, the random events players so love?

Yes, there will be plenty of variety. It'll be situational. Bad teams, wining 1-0, will panic, clearing the ball out of play, not trying to compete, etc.

Random events can certainly happen. But it depends how long you have to play to see it. For example you might not see anything unusual for 20 games, or you might get two occurrences in one match.

Like a water-logged pitch seeing a goal-bound shot stop dead on the line. You design with these things in mind. You don't want to script these things, but you want the amazement. One reviewer might see that and rave about it. Another will miss it and will say that water doesn't impact the pitch. Its about realism. This is the way it has to be.

How do you assign players' skills?

We've got departments in Canada and Germany. They run and maintain databases, and they have a community across the world who gather the stats. Then the EA guys balance it, give their own opinions. We always have our eye on the next big player.

Are England any good?

Individually they're okay. As a team... no.

Very realistic. Thanks for your time!

By Luke Guttridge