The blockbuster soccer video game franchise from Electronic Arts (EA), no longer linked to FIFA, allows mixed-gender lineups in fantasy matches that have triggered sexist pushback even before its release on Friday.
Early access to the game, now renamed FC 24, began last week with the novel feature of female soccer stars virtually taking to the pitch with male counterparts for fantasy squad matches in an “Ultimate Team” mode of online play.
A version of the game tailored for mobile devices powered by Apple or Android operating systems was released on Tuesday.
Photo: AFP
Spotlights on female soccer stars such as Sam Kerr and Alexia Putellas reflect the reality of the sport today, something the franchise wants to capture, EA Sports FC vice president of brand David Jackson said.
“It’s not a moral thing; it’s not a cause-related thing,” Jackson said of fielding women soccer stars. “It’s a faithful replica representation of the real world of football.”
Fans of the franchise offended by the idea of women and men athletes battling in mixed matches have bashed the game in online posts.
“This is like putting go-karts in F1 and racing them together,” a critic groused in a chat forum on YouTube.
“Putellas is actually good though,” another commenter said. “Don’t be sexist.”
The launch of FC 24 marks the end of an alliance with world soccer governing body FIFA that spanned three decades.
Since launching the franchise in 1993 with FIFA, the annually refreshed lineup has become a key part of EA’s business, boasting 150 million players last year alone.
The franchise has shed the FIFA name for the first time as the California-based video game giant pursues a vision of becoming a “global football platform” incorporating broadcast games, live match play and more.
“There are a number of different ways we can grow and expand and we intend to do that in the future,” Jackson said.
Along with freeing EA from contractual constraints that came with carrying the FIFA name, the rebranding also enables the franchise to avoid being marred by scandals at the governing body.
“If we’re going to carry the name of the organization as the name of our product, we’ve got to make sure that name carries the requisite level of quality, integrity and weight over time,” Jackson said. “Now that we own that name, it’s all on us.”
As the franchise evolves, EA could explore incorporating advertising or real-time matches into its game engine, eventually allowing live-action viewers to play out matches their own way.
“You could be watching an English Premier League game,” Jackson envisioned.
“If you don’t like the score at halftime, then you jump out of that and into our game and kind of rewrite history,” he said.
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