FIFA 13 First Touch Makes Simulation Unpredictable

FIFA 13 needs to improve upon an already very solid predecessor and that means that the team at EA Sports working on the football simulation needs to take care to make solid changes that do not affect the player experience in any negative way.

One of the big new concepts introduced in FIFA 13 will be the first touch, which will introduce an element of uncertainty that the series has so far lacked.

Nick Channon, who is a producer working on the game, has told Eurogamer that, “It makes the game way more realistic and has a huge impact in a positive manner. Just by making the ball separate from the foot gives so many opportunities.”

He added, “What we're seeing is you're scoring goals you've never seen before because people are in different positions,” compared to FIFA 12, which “at times could be a little bit predictable.”

EA Sports is striving to bring the FIFA series as close to the real world of football as possible and that means introducing the gaffes and the mistakes that bring so much drama to the game and allow smaller teams to pull of surprising upsets.

The first touch system will be complemented by changes made to the Artificial Intelligence of the game, allowing players on the pitch to take into account not just where the ball is but where it might be after several phases of play.

FIFA 13 will also tweak the Player Impact Engine and will make it harder for all players to control balls at high speed or in weird angles, making it harder to deliver perfect tackles or shots on the first touch.

EA Sports will launch FIFA 13 on the PC, the Xbox 360 and the PlayStation 3 in late September and a version for the upcoming Nintendo Wii U is also under development.

Via: FIFA 13 First Touch Makes Simulation Unpredictable