Why we play FIFA?

Anonymous (perhaps a girl, I'd dare to guess) had commented one of my posts:

I don't get you guys - what is so special in that Fifa stuff??? My boyfriend keeps playing it constantly. I don't think it is interesting to spend ur spare time sitting in front of computer and playing imaginary matches. Do u guys feel like real football players then? Is it an attempt to make childish dreams come true or what?

The comment is angry enough, I should notice. However, it is very valuable because rises philosophical question why one plays FIFA. And offers some answers or, to say more accurately, gives one widely spread point of view towards sports simulation games.

Dear Anonymous, I can't claim You are absolutely wrong cause there is a vast diversity of FIFA gamers around the world and some of them in deed feel like real football players and others try to make childish dreams come true while playing. EA Sports even included Be a pro mode which is a way to make imaginary football player carrier.

However, I want to give a wider context about playing the game.

First of all, a lot of people like football, goes to watch matches to stadiums or play in Sunday leagues.



But it doesn't mean all of them wants to be real footballers. It's just their hobby, their way of spending leisure time. Those who want to have alternative life go to Second life, not FIFA.



What is more, playing FIFA series is more similar to working as a coach or as a club manager, not a footballer. Except Be a pro, in other game modes gamer controls the whole team: outside the stadium he/she buys, sells and sets position for players, works on their contracts, administrates training calendar, etc.; inside the stadium he/she manages the whole team, sets strategy and so on. All in all, trying stay in Your point of view, dear Anonymous, we should say that playing FIFA should occupy those who had childish dreams to be football club managers or coaches. However, they should prefer game "Football manager" or "FIFA manager" then.

To go further, in my opinion, playing football simulators is just one more way of loving this sport. To feel it's majesty from other corner or from above. From a special kind of inside and outside to set things more clear (if they get clearer, of course).

So, being afraid of going too far, I am going to finish. Just want to mention one more personal feature of playing FIFA. Doing that means nothing but the relaxation for me sometimes. It's an area where I can just play, make those figures on a screen running, passing and shooting without any attempts to intervene in my mind, therefore I can be with my thoughts. However, to be honest, when I'm playing in this way, my team loses more games than wins:)
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New winners! Congratulations!

Finally , the second voting for FIFA'08 best episodes TOP3 has finished.



And here we have the winners....

3 place. Zhenia and his clip, which got the 4th number, now gets the third place and like those in higher places will participate in the next top.



2 place. 7th start position, 7 votes and Wepeeler with his "Goal of the Month October" gets the second place.



1 place.Florentherzog and his "Del Piero goal" won second time in turn! (One more time and will begin to believe it's the best goal scored in FIFA'08 ever...:)





The new contest will be announced soon and You can participate in it by sending Your clips or links to them to or pasting their links here in comments.
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Vote for the TOP till Monday

Let me remind You, that the voting for the FIFA 08 BEST EPISODES ends on Monday, so You still can vote here.

The voting is expired. Look for newer voting.

Three clips here are the winners of last top and we have a few new competitors. So, please vote now and let me remind You (once more) that You can participate in the contest by sending Your clips or links to them to or pasting their links here in comments.

Which three episodes are the best?
	1st
	2nd
	3rd
	4th
	5th
	6th
	7th
	8th
pollcode.com free polls

First three - winners form las week:

1)Florentherzog - Del Piero goal



2)Florentherzog - Nasri goal




3)Björn Olsson Rooney scores - difficult angle



Zhenia sent some clips by email

4)




5)




6)



And two goals from Wepeeler

7)Goal of the Month October



8)Koorany's GotM October 2007 2nd Entry


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More than a month of playing. What can I say? (3) - Enchanced AI

More than a month has gone since I played FIFA'08 for the first time and the time has come to analyse whether some of my hopes and wishes were fulfilled or not.

Here I am again after a week of holidays. Let's analyze the improvement of Artificial Intelligence in FIFA'08 (if it was improved, of course).

Enhanced AI — New defensive and positioning logic requires greater tactical expertise to break down the opposition. New AI ensures players are in the right place at the right time. Player and team traits differentiate the stars, EA Sports claimed before releasing the game. And what shows the experience?

The AI had been improved, in fact. My wish of no guaranteed situations to score became true, at least I hadn't discovered them. In this FIFA version finally I am not able to get the ball with a side midfielder or forward and run straight to the end line and then turn square to the goal and then just beat the keeper, like in FIFA'07. I haven't even found some particular points from which one can score every time if he doesn't fail with the strength yet!

However, to say the truth, I'm a little bit afraid that didn't happen because I usually play on 3th or 4th level. "Where does this fear come from?" One can ask. And I'll answer. I played one match on Amateur level recently. And won 8-0 in first game. But this fact doesn't show that I'm a great FIFA'08 gamer (unfortunately for me). It was just because You can run straight, turn left or right in front of defenders a few times and then kick the boal. 50 percent at least that it will be a goal...

On the other hand, that trick with running straight to the end line succeeded almost every time in FIFA'07, no matter of the level...

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Poll results: which FIFA is better?

The poll table had been hanging on the top of this page about a month. 104 voters declared their opinion and now we have heavyweight conclusion about Fifa'08, I think.


Almost three quarters claim FIFA'08 is the best. 14 of them remember FIFA'07 with nostalgia and only two think of FIFA '06 as the best member of FIFA series. Four voters are angry with the EA cause it's products for football are, in their opinion, getting worse for many years.

What the conclusions could be? First of all, to my mind, a rule the newer - the better played it's role. And it is rather logical. More new features and better graphics and better movement of players and so on couldn't make FIFA fans unsatisfied.

However, a quarter of voters liked previous products more than the new one and it is a serious signal for creators that not everything is perfect (I wrote about it a little here and here and in older posts. What is more, I'll write about it in the feature too). Imagine that somebody had bought FIFA'08 because he/she loved FIFA'07 and was disappointed in it. There will be a little miracle if he/she still buy FIFA'09. (mmm...maybe next generation FIFA would be far more attractive?...)

On the other hand, it is obvious that in spite of some criticism, the majority of gamers like new FIFA'08 version. And if it is so, no arguments are required.
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