The thrilling excitement of scoring that last-minute, title-clinching goal. That incredibly satisfying moment experienced when pulling off one of the many ‘skill moves’ whilst playing as Lionel Messi. Living vicariously through the digital representation of one of the world’s best footballers is something many gamers take for granted, it’s one of the thrills that the FIFA series should create effortlessly. Examining the humble beginnings of the FIFA franchise makes it clear that there’s been countless hours of work to get to this point. FIFA 16 was critically heralded as a wonderful piece of software, one of the best football games in history. It hasn’t always been an easy ride for EA Sports, they’ve had to deal with ups and downs since the first game was launched back in 1993. Whether it’s been battling Konami’s own long-running series, Pro Evolution Soccer, or continually striving to ensure that the finished product is better than last year’s, the fight is ongoing at EA. This article explores some of the crazy and remarkable stories to have come out of FIFA’s continued development, stretching right back to the first game. FIFA International Soccer was a world away from what was achieved in FIFA 16, but it still led to many sleepless nights for the men and women working on each game.
