FIFA 11 PC to have revamped game engine

Big news for FIFA-loving PC-till-I-Die virtual athletes—the football engine that drives gameplay on the console circuit has finally arrived for PC. Two years in development, the console game engine has been optimized for PC, delivering the much lauded console-quality gameplay to FIFA 11 PC.

For those not familiar with how EA Sports has developed games for PC in the past, the console offering of their franchises often times were leaps and bounds ahead of the PC release in terms of gameplay, visuals, and optimizations. In other words, the PC will finally be on the same playing field as the sports-heavy consoles when it comes to the FIFA franchise. Hopefully, this means a shift in thinking across the rest of EA Sports PC development as well.

“The EA SPORTS FIFA franchise is committed to investing and innovating for PC and this is a watershed moment,” said Executive Producer Kaz Makita. “We are delivering to FIFA 11 PC the high quality gameplay, innovative game modes and stunning graphics that have made FIFA the highest rated sports game on the PlayStation3 and Xbox 360 and winner of over 50 sports game of the year awards.”

The physics-based, data-driven technology behind the football engine has been optimized for PC to deliver levels of player control and movement, sophisticated ball touches, and physical interaction between players no soccer game before it has had. Finally, the PC community will get to experience the joy the new engine delivered for the game.  Icrontic’s FIFA10 review briefly discussed some of the advancements made by EA Sports.  FIFA 11 PC will feature the true 360° dribbling system that gives players precise control of the ball and next generation animation technology that delivers Skilled Dribbling, enabling skilled dribblers to face defenders and use highly responsive lateral dribbling to skip past them.  In addition, Physical Play has been improved using collision sharing, creating a varied, less predictable, and extended fight for possession between players.

Lace them up, boys, FIFA11 will be available October 1 in Asia and across the EU and October 4 in North America.