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Association football is undoubtedly the most popular sport in the world, played in almost every country and watched by billions. EA Sports’ FIFA video game has thrived off this popularity, becoming the most successful sports game franchise of all time.
At its premise, the game allows players to become Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, or play alongside them.
But it has developed into something much bigger than that.
FIFA’s initial success stems from the popularity of the sport, and continues to thrive off big footballing events. During the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil, EA Sports saw a 24 per cent increase in revenue, undoubtedly due to the showpiece being played at the time.
However, FIFA has become so popular that it has made its way into mainstream gaming, meaning that more people are exposed to the sport, the clubs and players than ever before.
People who have no interest in the sport will play FIFA and become invested in the game, and when they start seeing the players and the team they control on television, they will become invested in football.
In the United States, approximately 57 per cent of Americans that watch the Premier League on NBC would have zero interest in football altogether were it not for the FIFA video game.
Australia’s A-League is expanding in size and in popularity. Stars are travelling abroad to coach and play in the league, as football continues to grow in this country. FIFA can be therefore seen as a certificate of legitimisation. Clubs and leagues that are ‘good’ enough to appear in the game appeal to fans, and aid in building a nation’s footballing culture.
EA Sports introduced their first ever football game, FIFA International Soccer, in 1993, and since then have managed to keep the franchise alive by adapting to the game every year.
In FIFA Road to World Cup 1998, you could play in indoor venues. In the 2000s, players were making transfers and leading their favourite sides to success. They swallowed another franchise, where a player could run a professional football team in the league, and incorporated it into the game elements of FIFA.
The players mattered. Who you had mattered. How you moved players around mattered. It all fed into the endless rumour mill about footballers in the media; the screen reflected life.
In the 2010s, the process and gameplay became much more sophisticated. The goalkeeper became controllable, the players had ‘feelings’, and the player could choose to lead a team to glory, or strive for individual success.
Today, FIFA continues to adapt, with the introduction of goal-line technology in the game, and women’s football making their first appearance in the franchise.
FIFA’s (the governing body) tarnished reputation let the video game give football fans the full sporting experience, both as a footballer and a manager, without the controversy and negative headlines. It allows fans to get to know clubs and players on a deeper level, and gives insight into the complicated business that is football.
Don’t get me wrong, the video game is only popular because the sport already had a vast and diverse audience.
However FIFA has become its own individual entity, and the title that was once successful because of the sport is now aiding the growth of the world’s most popular sport by exposing entirely new audiences to The Beautiful Game.
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