Info from IGN August 28, 2002 - At the EA Play event held the day before ECTS 2002, Electronic Arts showed off three new in-development versions of its worldwide-known FIFA soccer series, FIFA 2003. All versions of the game were playable at EA's event, and strangely, the PlayStation 2 version outshined the GameCube version, while the Xbox version looked best overall. Nintendo fans shouldn't fret, the GC version simply looked further behind in development, and it didn't look that far behind the others, with washed out colors, softer edges, and less textual variance. FIFA 2003 features a brand new, updated roster of players and teams from the FIFA organization, as well as standard improvements in animations, character textures, and various new cutscenes and interfaces. FIFA 2003 was quite early and many aspects of the game weren't ready to show off. Most notable was the regular player AI, as well as the goalie AI. One could see new animations being worked on, for instance. There is a slight tweak in the way in which the ball is handled: This year's version looks to let the player have slightly less automatic control of the ball, giving him or her the skillset to handle it with more precision and care. The new interface is still in development, so it's hard to write to clearly about it, but all of the options from previous builds appear to be presented in an entirely new manner. Menu screens are more often text-based, with smaller text and more colorful broad color palettes. Other than that, there isn't much to speak about with regard to FIFA 2003, since the game looked and felt very early. We'll have more on FIFA 2003 in the near future. http://mediaviewer.ign.com/ignMedia...agetype=article&page_title=FIFA+2003+Hands-On
It will suck. The game is gonna suck. PC / Xbox versions are due in October. That's one month from now, essentially. If the code hasn't "gone gold" by now, it'll never do so. What they saw WAS the final gameplay...it just sucks, and that means it will suck for us as well. They need to give the FIFA franchise to a company as committed to world football as Tiburon (Madden) is to American football.
I bought FIFA 2002 for the PC the other day for like $20 at Best Buy. The game sucks. The graphics are stunning, no doubt. But the physics of the game are ridiculous. It has an arcade type feel. Goal kicks seem to be rockets. Actual shots are even faster. Looks like it's back to World Cup 98 on N64 for me.
I guess you should be glad you only paid $20...also: Thanks for the great insight into FIFA 2003... Until '03 becomes available try WC '02 from EA and try playing the game on a PS2 instead of your PC. I was impressed with the WC version and I even liked the FIFA 2002 game because I found it a vast improvement over the 2001 version in terms of game play and the general challenge of the game (sorry EA/FIFA bashers...I don't have access to the 'real game', Pro Ev., nor have I played any soccer games from other manufacturers).
I got World Tour 2002 and I love it. Can't wait for World Tour 2003....it's gonna be better !!!!!!!!!!111
lk Try Fifa 2002 on the PS2. I have the World Cup only version, and it's great. From what I understand the gameplay is the same as Fifa 2002, the only difference is the different modes and clubs. Anyways, the game is friggin' amazing. To beat the computer on World Class mode it takes real skill. You have to set up great plays. It can be a big challenge. 3 months after buying it I still fit in a game or two every day, and still can't win every game on World Class mode.
Re: lk Amen!! I think I may have done it once with Germany, but I wanna say I had at leas one tie. Anyway, yes, it is very difficult, even though I managed to score two goals from 40 yards out with Asamoah... If FIFA '03 is an improvement on WC '02, then it will kick so much ass your head will fall off!!
Lol Those long shots are great. I managed to put four in the net in one game against a friend to beat him 4 to 1. His jaw stayed on the floor. =P
Exactly a reason why FIFA isn't a good soccer simulator, it's way to arcadish, which is fine, but it's not the best "soccer game".
They're anything but easy, Profile. You have to fire a rocket over the goalie and into the corner when the goalie comes off of his line, ala quite a few goalies in some situations irl. 99% of them dont work. You can go a whole game and not get any in the net from a ways out. It has to be perfect.
Looks pretty phat...Anyone else besides me think that they should run that Soccer Council commercial here in the USA?? Maybe add a Yank like Reyna or Donovan to it?? If not, at least people will see Davids showing off his ball skills and realize he is one bad MF'er. I just hope it is as good as advertised, it seems like they are really putting alot into this one.
Like Ictar said, it rarely happens, only when you happen to catch the keeper off his line, and your shooter has the skills to do it. Think about Reyna against Germany, if that had been someone with absurdly accurate shooting skills, like Mathis, it may have been a tie game. The only people I recall doing it with are Asamoah and Emile Mpenza.
FIFA is not a great simulation of real football, but every year it gets a little closer and this year I have a feeling that it will be a great game. I like Pro Evolution Soccer as much as anyone else. I play it all day long, but you know what - you can't tell me that having 8 directional players is a simulation either.
It's not that hard to score from far out. Especially free-kicks just beyond midfield. You can put it straight over the gk's head. Either you score or the goalie punches it over for a corner. The GK part that sucks is hitting a shot from the bottom corner of the 18 and watching the goalie just stare at it and flap his hand at it once it's already past him. That said, I hope the passing is improved on 2003 b.c. the passing system on 2002 promotes pulling a Mathis vs. Dallas and taking it all the way yourself almost every time.
Well when you say you put 4 past your friend in one match, it makes me think they are rather easy. Of course no game is a perfect soccer simulation, hell real life games rarley come close to being a good simulation of the beautiful game, however some are closer then others. It really all depends on what you're looking for in a game I guess, so i'll go back under my winning eleven rock and hide. Sorry for interupting.
Hey, like has been said, if we could get it somewhere in America, without jumping through hoops to do it, we would. Until then...I'll be busy scoring 40 yard rockets with Gerald Asamoah.
I have the World Cup version. You can't edit your players on that. Otherwise, I'd make the USA as good as Brazil stat wise. Which is something I hope is done in 2003. I've been waiting since the days of early Nintendo soccer games to be able to be the USA without sacrificing player stats, and I hope we're much better in Fifa 2003. =)
It's not all that hard to use the USA to win in earlier versions of FIFA, with the exception of W/C '98 (NOT RTWC '98, but the one with Nats only). I use them from time to time on WTS 2002 with decent results (semis and finals on World Class Level). That said, expect a small USA boost for FIFA 2003. I've always wondered how game developers rank players from leagues that never play each other (Say, MLS and anybody else). My guess is that they just go with popular opinion- which we all know amounts to zero credibility. The game needs a true world championship for clubs as well, perhaps held every four years. I'm sure some of the poor SA, African, MLS, MFL and Asian players would love to be able to tell their kids that they played against guys like Ronaldo, Saviola, R. Carlos, Veron, Elber, Ze Roberto, Batistuta, Samuel, Crespo, Cafu, Simeone, Rivaldo, Burgos, and the others. Perhaps between the Euro years and World Cup years, I don't know.
Dude, why did you only name Argentinian and Brazilian players?? There are other countries with good professional footballers!!
You're right... Okocha, Diouf, Babayaro, Nakata, Chilavert, Kewell, Viduka, Bosnich, Reyna, Friedel, Keller, Radebe, Dublin, Yorke, Wanchope, and others.