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Score A Goal With FIFA 09 This Fall

Although the gaming headspace of Summer 2008 was dominated by the landmark release of Madden 09, sports fans have a different kind of football to look forward to this fall with the release of FIFA 09 from EA Sports. The demo for the game is already live on Xbox Live and the PlayStation Network, and the scheduled North American release date for FIFA 09 is October 14, 2008. To capitalize on the popularity of soccer in different regions, the game will boast different covers with regional athletes. In the US, the game's cover features American Rangers FC standout Maurice Edu and Brazilian superstar Ronaldinho.

According to FIFA 09's production staff, the game features 250 improvements over its predecessor, including a total overhaul of the game's collision detection and physics based on the players' relative strength and speed. Other new features include a revamped weather system, new animations during player substitutions and an increased role for team captains.

FIFA 09 also looks to deliver on a perennial promise of sports games in the online-enabled era – real-time roster updates, a carrot that's been dangled in front of gamers since the days of the Dreamcast nearly a decade ago. The game is slated to feature 30 leagues, comprising 500 teams, and 15 new stadiums.

As with any EA Sports title, the soundtrack is a standout, with hits from popular artists like Duffy, Tom Jones, Kasabian, Ladytron, CSS, The Fratellis, The Veronicas and more, for a total of 42 tracks.

Like all other new EA Sports titles, FIFA 09 will bow on the Nintendo Wii under the All-Play brand. The Wii title will include a console-exclusive 'Footii Match' mode, an 8 vs. 8 match in which players can unlock characters.

If you're a die hard football fanatic (or soccer hooligan), you can get FIFA 09 from GameQuestDirect.com. No waiting in line, no gutted games or settling for preowned copies, and no supply problems because a store manager predicted that “nobody likes soccer.”