EA Sports Unveils Global Stars for FIFA Soccer 12

Electronic Arts today revealed an iconic lineup of international stars that will help launch EA SPORTS™ FIFA Soccer 12, winner of 20 “Best Sports Game of E3” awards, including the prestigious E3 Game Critics award.*

Headlining the group of players is Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney and Real Madrid’s Kaká, who will be joined by stars Philippe Mexès in France, Gerard Piqué in Spain, Giampaolo Pazzini in Italy, Mats Hummels in Germany, Jack Wilshere in United Kingdom and many others all over the world to launch FIFA Soccer 12 on September 27 in North America and September 30 worldwide. The international stars will grace the cover of FIFA Soccer 12 packaging, be integrated into marketing and advertising campaigns, and utilized in social media activities around the world.

“This is an iconic group of players who all passionately play our game, and we are excited to have them speak to fans around the world about their own personal experiences playing the best sports game on the planet,” said Matt Bilbey, Vice President and GM of Soccer, EA SPORTS. “With all the accolades FIFA Soccer 12 has received so far we are confident we have the most authentic and highest quality game we have ever created, and these superstars will play an integral role in sharing their excitement for its highly anticipated launch.”

For the first time ever, Rooney will appear on the cover of FIFA Soccer 12 in North America. Rooney has won the England Player of the Year award twice, in 2008 and 2009, and played for the England national team in the 2006 and 2010 FIFA World Cup. Today is the first of a series of announcements as the complete FIFA Soccer 12 player lineup is unveiled leading to the game’s launch. Rooney will be joined on the cover of FIFA Soccer 12 in North America by two additional players, and other stars will be revealed in other countries around the world.

 

Player		Nationality		Club
Wayne Rooney		English		Manchester United
Kaká		Brazilian		Real Madrid
Jack Wilshere		English		Arsenal
Philippe Mexès		French		AC Milan
Karim Benzema		French		Real Madrid
Giampaolo Pazzini		Italian		Internazionale
Gerard Piqué		Spanish		FC Barcelona
Xabi Alonso		Spanish		Real Madrid
Mats Hummels		German		Borussia Dortmund
Tim Cahill		Australian		Everton
Valentin Stocker		Swiss		FC Basel
Vasili Berezutski		Russian		CSKA Moscow
Balázs Dzsudzsák		Hungarian		Anzhi Makhachkala

FIFA Soccer 12 brings to the pitch the game-changing new Player Impact Engine, a physics engine built to deliver real-world physicality in every interaction on the pitch. Revolutionary gameplay innovations inspired by the real-world game make FIFA Soccer 12 deeper and more engaging. All-new Precision Dribbling creates a higher fidelity of touch on the ball for better control in tight spaces, more time to make decisions on attack, and more control over the pace of the game. Innovations in attack are balanced by a re-designed defending mechanism called Tactical Defending, which fundamentally changes the approach to defending by placing equal importance on positioning, intercepting passes and tackling. Plus, players have been infused with Pro Player Intelligence, the next generation of player intelligence and performance.

FIFA Soccer 12 also introduces EA SPORTS Football Club—the heartbeat of FIFA Soccer 12. This live service is available at no additional cost and connects players to the real-world game with fresh, new content all the time, enabling them to support their favorite club and connect and compete with their friends, and millions of players around the world.

FIFA Soccer 12 will be localized into 18 languages and available in 51 countries. It will be availablefor the PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system, Xbox 360® videogame and entertainment system, PC, Wii™, PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system, Nintendo 3DS™, PSP® (PlayStation®Portable) system, iPhone®, iPad™, and iPod® touch. The game will also be available for digital download on PC at origin.com. The game has not yet been rated.