EA SPORTS CELEBRATES UEFA EURO 2012 WITH EXCLUSIVE FIFA 12 EXPANSION PACK
EA SPORTS UEFA EURO 2012 Digital Expansion Pack To FIFA 12
Gives Fans The Best Way To Experience The Drama Of The Real-World Tournament
Electronic Arts Inc. announced today that EA SPORTS will celebrate UEFA EURO 2012 with the only officially licensed videogame of the 2012 European Football Championship which begins June 8 in Poland and Ukraine. EA SPORTS UEFA EURO 2012 will be available as a paid digital expansion pack to fans who own EA SPORTS FIFA 12 on the PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system, Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system, and PC. The videogame will be available to fans beginning April 24, 2012.
EA SPORTS UEFA EURO 2012 recreates all the drama and excitement of the official tournament with all 53 UEFA member national teams, all eight official stadiums in the tournament, and all the pageantry and atmosphere of one of the largest and most-watched sporting events on the planet. Fans will be able to compete online* for national pride and glory as their favourite European country in the UEFA EURO 2012™ tournament against rival nations in the group stage, progress through the sudden victory knockout rounds, and ultimately compete for the chance to be crowned UEFA EURO 2012™ champion. Plus, a live service will drive real-life story lines from the UEFA EURO 2012™ qualifying campaign and during the tournament into the game, enabling fans to relive dramatic moments with challenges based on real-life matches. Challenges will enable fans to earn experience points and level up their EA SPORTS Football Club profile.
“This game will tap into the passion fans have for their national teams by capturing all of the national rivalries in-game, and re-creating all the emotion of the UEFA EURO 2012™ tournament,” said Producer Sebastian Enrique. “We are utilizing the best-playing FIFA videogame ever, driving live, digital content created from the biggest headlines from the tournament into the game, and offering an exclusive new mode that will challenge gamers in unique and compelling ways.”
The all-new Expedition Mode designed exclusively for UEFA EURO 2012 enables fans to build, manage and compete with a customized team against other European nations, crafting the perfect strategy for European domination. Fans will choose their favourite European player or FIFA 12 Virtual Pro to captain their customized team, win matches to earn better players from defeated nations, and then defeat the best nations to earn the best players in a campaign quest to defeat all 53 countries and complete the journey to conquer Europe.
UEFA EURO 2012 is developed by EA Canada in Burnaby, B.C and is scheduled for release on April 24, 2012 in North America and Europe, and April 25 in other countries around the world. It did escape our attention that the screenshots feature up-to-date federation kits. The new Tango 12 Adidas match ball doesn’t feature yet and we expect all the boots on display to be replaced by the time Eur 2012 comes around. We expect Ea Sports to be up-to-date when the expansion pack is released however.
EA SPORTS RELEASE FIFA STREET
EA SPORTS invites football fans from around the world to free their game with FIFA Street, available in retail stores today in South Africa for the PlayStation3 computer entertainment system, and for the Xbox 360 videogame and entertainment system. The community buzz and appetite for an authentic street football game has pushed the FIFA Street demo to near-record levels of global excitement. More than 2.1 million people have downloaded the demo in the past two weeks, making FIFA Street the second most downloaded demo—behind only FIFA 12—released by EA SPORTS over the past year.
FIFA Street is the first street football videogame that authentically replicates the way the game is played around the world. It is described as “spectacular” by Official Xbox Magazine, earning an Editor’s Choice award and a review score of 9 out of 10. PlayStation: The Official Magazine calls the action, “chaotic, tense, and above all, super fun.”
From the creators of the award-winning EA SPORTS FIFA franchise, and powered by the revolutionary FIFA gameplay engine, FIFA Street delivers an arsenal of authentic street dribbling styles and trick moves that ignite the one-on-one battles. Utilize the groundbreaking new Street Ball Control to experience the highest fidelity of touch on the ball and responsiveness ever developed by the FIFA franchise. Compete everywhere from parking lots to prestigious 5v5 futsal-style tournaments on the streets of the world’s most renowned cities. Enjoy unique and entertaining game modes like Panna Rules and the new Last Man Standing, which were created exclusively by the FIFA Street team. Play with and against the stars of the most popular clubs in the world—or real-life street players—and compete at more than 35 locations in the world.
World Tour story mode, where gamers create a team of friends and compete in a connected world against other FIFA Street gamers’ teams, is described by Official Xbox Magazine as “setting the standard for all other sports games.” In the mode, players will be able to follow each other’s journey as they build their squads, unlock new tricks, and progress through the story of their pursuit of street football glory. Players will be able to share and compare progress with friends directly in the Street Network and it will also broadcast in-game videos like “Goals of the Week”, and alert friends to each other’s accomplishments throughout the game.
FIFA Street delivers a unique, fun experience where everything from the environments to the gear to the music is true to street football and its culture. Hand-selected to bring the beautiful game back to the streets, the FIFA Street in-game soundtrack features 24 songs gathered from around the globe, including artists like Foreign Beggars What’s Good Feat; Lazer Sword; Spank Rock Feat; Santigold Car Song; Kano All + All Together Feat; Hot Chip; The Big Pink Hit The Ground (Superman); Wretch 32 Unorthodox Feat; Example; Drop The Lime Let’s Go; and a brand new Moguai Remix to reinvent the classic Fat Boy Slim track “Ya Mama”.
For the latest news on FIFA Street join more than 8 million fans in the EA SPORTS FIFA community at http://www.facebook.com/easportsfifa or follow them on Twitter at www.twitter.com/easportsfifa.
UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE TROPHY TOUR
This season is the 57th season of UEFA Champions League championship and 2th since it was rebranded from the European Champion Clubs’ Cup. The knock-out phase is well underway and we will soon be heading to the Allianz Arena in Munich, Germany hand the famous UEFA Champions League trophy to the winners.
Football fans from three different continents have the chance to see the world-famous UEFA Champions League trophy in real life when it goes on tour this March and April.
The 2012 UEFA Champions League Trophy Tour is presented for the sixth consecutive year by Heineken, a UEFA Champions League partner, and will give football enthusiasts in Mexico, Africa and China the chance to see and get up close to the famous trophy. The trophy has now become a true global icon representing the excellence of the UEFA Champions League worldwide and for all the world’s greatest players playing at club level, the trophy symbolises the ultimate achievement in European club football.
The UEFA Champions League Trophy Tour is currently in Mexico City until18 March, before it moves on to Guadalajara. The trophy will then start its African journey travelling from Dar es Salaam to Mombasa and Nairobi and will end its tour in Shanghai, China.
This year three internationally renowned football legends will accompany the UEFA Champions League Trophy Tour acting as UEFA ambassadors; two-time UEFA Champions League winner, Christian Karembeu in Mexico, Chelsea FC former legend Celestine Babayaro in Kenya and Dutch footballing hero Ronald de Boer in China.
In addition, Heineken are also bringing two legendary ambassadors; former Manchester United FC goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar in Mexico and Dutch legend Ruud Gullit in Kenya and China.
To celebrate the launch of the 2012 UEFA Champions League Trophy Tour Heineken gave a group of unsuspecting travelling fans the football moment of their lives. Heineken set up an imaginative hoax to find out exactly what football fans would do if they got closer to the Trophy than they’d ever imagined.
To see more Champions Hotel films go to http://youtube.com/Heineken and click on the UEFA Champions league playlist.
The full schedule of the UEFA Champions League Trophy Tour 2012 presented by Heineken is as follows:
• Mexico (Mexico City & Guadalajara) 9-18 March
• Tanzania (Dar es Salaam) – 24-27 March
• Kenya (Nairobi & Mombasa) – 28-31 March
• China (Shanghai) – 6-15 April
Commenting on the Trophy Tour, David Taylor, CEO of UEFA Events S.A., said:
“The UEFA Champions League has a long and distinguished heritage and is the pinnacle of European club football. The Trophy Tour really demonstrates the true global reach and appeal of the UEFA Champions League. We are delighted that together with Heineken we can reward the passion and dedication of football fans around the world by taking the trophy to them.”
Hans Erik Tuijt, Heineken’s Brand Activation Manager, commented:
“Each UEFA Champions League season, Heineken strives to ignite fans conversations. This year’s UEFA Champions League Trophy Tour launch brings football fans around the world closer to action in an unexpected and surprising way enabling them to interact with Heineken and the tournament. As we get closer to the final, we will continue to engage with fans by offering legendary experiences.”
WHY MESSI IS NUMBER ONE
Following Lionel Messi’s five goals for Barcelona against Bayern Leverkusen and Pep Guardiola’s claim that “Messi’s the best.’ a furious debate has sparked over whether or not Messi is indeed the best in the world. Now the Castrol EDGE Rankings confirm that the little Argentine is in fact currently the best footballer on the plant.
Messi (1st) continues to dominate the Castrol EDGE Rankings ahead of his rival attackers. This season, Messi has scored an incredible 40 goals in 31 La Liga and Champions League appearances at an average of a goal every 68 minutes. This is considerably better than Cristiano Ronaldo (6th), who has scored 34 goals in 30 games at an average of a goal every 78 minutes. Messi also has 13 assists to his name – four more than Ronaldo and Karim Benzema (3rd) and five more than Robin van Persie (4th).
While Messi is generally considered peerless, Mario Gomez (2nd) remains the only player to rival him in the scoring department, with his 24 goals coming with a 69.5% shooting accuracy (superior to Messi’s 68.7%) and a 29.3% chance conversion rate (only marginally behind Messi’s 29.9%). Aside from this and average minutes per shot (where he sits behind Cristiano Ronaldo), the Argentine genius outdoes his rivals in every department.
Top 6 players in Castrol EDGE Rankings – League/Champions League data 2011/12
In the Premier League, Edin Dzeko (5th) continues on his way up the Rankings. The Bosnian striker had his fair share of doubters after his first six months with Manchester City. However, he has kicked on this season and currently boasts a better minutes per goal ratio than Premier League top scorer Robin van Persie. Dzeko has found the net every 96 minutes in the league and Champions League this season, compared to 98 minutes for the Dutchman. However, van Persie is a more complete player, having delivered eight assists for his teammates this season as opposed to three for the Bosnian striker, despite Dzeko creating a chance every 39 minutes compared to van Persie’s 41.
ST GEORGE’S PARK – TAILORED BY UMBRO
St George’s Park has been a dream for the English FA for 30 years and now the National Football Centre is close to completion. St George’s Park will serve as the home of English Football Development and become a one-stop coaching and support environment featuring the best and latest facilities to aid football development in England.
St George’s Park will act as a base for England teams at every level, from the senior men’s side to the youngest squads of aspiring footballers.
Umbro are the projects leading long term partner and have provided valuable support and funding. St George’s Park opens later this summer and Umbro promises to provide plenty of insider knowledge on St George’s Park and how it’s going to lead the way for football players, coaches and referees at every level here in England. So stay tuned.
NIKE LAUNCHES ‘THE CHANCE’ FOR A SECOND TIME
Pep Guardiola Calls on Young Guns to Showcase Talent on Global Stage
Pep Guardiola today launched ‘The Chance’ 2012 – a unique global football talent search that gives young amateur footballers from around the world the chance to prove themselves on an elite stage and take their game to the highest level.
Created to support talented youngsters who are not currently in the professional game, ‘The Chance’ will allow the best young footballers (over 16 years old on March 1st 2012) to train and play at the leading facilities in world football, showcase their skills in front of elite coaches and mentors, and develop and improve their talent, with one aim; to get noticed.
Players from 55 countries around the world will take part in ‘The Chance’ trials in 2012. The best 100 players from these trials, watched by top Nike coaches, will then travel to a global final in Spain, to be held at FC Barcelona’s famed youth academy. There, they will experience world class facilities, elite coaching, and input from nutritionists, psychologists and fitness conditioners as they progress in the programme.
‘The Chance’ was first launched in 2010, and has since seen thousands of talented footballers participate in coaching at the very best level. And this year’s programme promises to be the most global and competitive yet.
The final 100 players will take part in an intense training and competition schedule in Barcelona, while being evaluated by a world-class team of coaches and scouts. Players will be assessed through training drills including Nike SPARQ, a training and conditioning system that helps build better athletes.
The best 16 footballers from the global finals will be chosen by Nike to experience the ultimate training tour as their reward; facing some of the most renowned academy teams in world football, including Manchester United and a U.S. Youth National Team during a once-in-a-lifetime four week tour.
Players will live the life of an elite footballer and train at the best facilities under the watchful eyes of club coaches and scouts. A golden chance to get noticed and potentially win a professional contract.
Players can register themselves and their teams by building a ‘team page’ on The Chance app which is available via the Nike Football South Africafacebook page (facebook.com/nikefootballza). In addition, they can receive programme updates via @NikeFootballza on Twitter. Nike scouts will then select teams to visit and watch them play, with a view to spotting talented individuals and rewarding them with entry to their local country final. Nike scouts will also talent spot individuals from local football networks.
Pep Guardiola, global ambassador for The Chance and FC Barcelona Manager, said: “The Chance gives young players from around the world the opportunity to showcase their talent and develop their skills on a global stage.
“The programme celebrates those players with passion for the game and the best technique, giving them the chance to get noticed and reach their potential.”
South Africans Jonathan King and Reyaad Pieterse impressed in the 2012 ‘The Chance’ trails.
Seon Min Moon from Seoul in South Korea, a winner of The Chance in 2010 proves that the programme can change lives. After joining the Nike Academy in the UK last season, (last year’s prize for finalists) his performances against sides including Arsenal FC and Inter Milan caught the eye of Swedish scouts, earning him a two-year contract with OstersundsFK.
He adds: “The Chance gave me the opportunity to play with and against players from all over the world, helping my game, and getting me noticed by my new club. It’s a dream come true. I hope my story inspires the players in this year’s programme.”
Running alongside ‘The Chance’ is a competition that recognizes and celebrates emerging talent within the creative industry. Young photographers and film makers from across the globe will be encouraged to participate in the programme, working with creative mentors from Nike and ambassador for the project, the film director, writer, producer and actor, Spike Lee. The winner’s prize is to be become part of the team who will shoot the Spring 2013 Nike Sportswear campaign and travel to Barcelona to cover the global finals.
For more information on The Chance visit www.nikefootball.com. Players can register from now. Visit www.nikefootball.com for more information.
PUMA SHARE THE LOVE ON VALENTINE’S DAY
PUMA, the Official Supporter of Men’s Declaration of Love to their Beloveds
Following its Valentine’s Day success with the Hardchorus campaign in 2010 PUMA introduces ‘PUMA share the love’ campaign to help the true football fans share their love with their beloved ones. Once again PUMA helps all the football fans to cope with the problem that occurs every year on February 14. How not to miss the game and still make a grand gesture on Valentine’s Day, so she feels like she’s your number one.
PUMA knows that men can do anything when it comes to declaring their love for their favorite football club – they always find the words. It is so easy to say it to your team and it is so hard to say it to your girl. Look no further. Pumasharethelove.com gives your girl her own fan site, complete with a video professing your love.
The mechanic is simple. Upload your girl’s picture and type in her name and yours and presto you have an entire fan page complete with an anthem dedicated to her. Go ahead share the love!
Love football and each other! Make this Valentine’s Day special and share your love at Pumasharethelove.com!
YAYA TOURE PUMA AFRICAN FOOTBALL STORY; PART 4
Having scored possibly the goal of the tournament against Equitorial Guinea, Ivory Coast and Manchester City star Yaya Toure now, along with his fellow Mighty Elephant teammates, turns his attention to the African Cup of Nations Final against Zambia.
Ahead of Sunday’s Final showpiece, Puma caught up with one of their star athletes to talk about the Ivory Coast national side and playing for them.
What’s the spirit like when all the players get together from different countries and are back playing for the Ivory Coast?
It’s unbelievable, because a long time ago many of us played together. Gervinho, me, Salomon Kalou, Emmanuel Eboue; a lot of players played together in the same academy. When we come back together for the national team, it’s always amazing, always unbelievable, we always enjoy it. We always sit around the table and talk about the old days, when we were young.
Who’s the joker, who does everyone take the mickey out of and what’s your role in the team off the pitch?
We’ve got a lot of fantastic guys. We love Eboue, because he’s always fun. But all the guys are good guys, fun guys. We have some experienced people in the team, but if you look at Gervinho, Tiote, they are all young. They are all good guys. It’s coming, but they need help. Drogba, Kolo, me, Zokora: we’ve been in the national team a long time. I think, for me, this is my eighth year. For my brother it’s 10 or 12 years. For Drogba it’s the same. We’ve been there for a long time. And when the young lads come, we try to help them.
Are there any particular games you play to help you relax during matches?
Table tennis, we play that and we play Playstation together, any game like that. Or we play cards, watch TV and watch football games. Anything to make us relax.
Who’s the table tennis king?
We’ve got a lot. Drogba is a fantastic player. Eboue plays well too and my brother.
Any songs you sing on the team bus. Who leads those songs?
Eboue’s got a lot of songs. He sings very well. He’s a fantastic guy. He’s always smiling – a very good guy for us.
What do you think of the new Ivory Coast shirt, designed by the artist Ernest Dükü?
Yes, it’s fantastic, Ernest is unbelievable. I love it.
What do the elephants, as an icon, represent, to yourself and Ivorians?
Elephants are very important to my country. This logo, elephants, means we are strong together and work hard to go through. Elephants are massive animals, very strong and powerful. When we go to competitions, we have to do something, we have to do everything to go through, and work hard, and be strong like an elephant. And for my country, elephant is such an important symbol … This logo represents everything in my country.
To follow Yaya Touré’s full African football story visit puma.com/football
PUMA MAKE FEBRUARY THIERRY HENRY MONTH
February is Thierry Henry month on puma.com, with a series of video interviews that provide an exclusive look into his world.
Throughout the month of February, www.puma.com/football is digging deep into the French international’s mind, to get some answers to the questions that so many fans are eager to hear. Every weekday on www.puma.com/football, video interviews will explore what really makes the French legend tick, how it feels to return to the London club where he made his name as a world class footballer and why he is so adverse to Tomato Ketchup!
Different interviews will run each day from the 1st February and continue throughout the month. Check www.puma.com/football for your daily dose of Thierry Henry.
FIFA STREET TO LAUNCH WITH IN-GAME SOCIAL NETWORK
Praised by critics like IGN.com as “spectacular to watch and play,” FIFA Street is the most authentic street football game ever made. From the creators of the award-winning EA SPORTS FIFA franchise, and powered by the revolutionary FIFA gameplay engine, FIFA Street delivers an arsenal of authentic street dribbling styles and trick moves that ignite the one-on-one battles. Utilize the groundbreaking new Street Ball Control to experience the highest fidelity of touch on the ball and responsiveness ever developed by the FIFA franchise. Compete everywhere from parking lots to prestigious 5v5 futsal-style tournaments on the streets of the world’s most renowned cities. Play with and against the stars of the most popular clubs in the world—or real-life street players—and compete at more than 35 locations in the world.
Now EA SPORTS™ have announced a new feature in FIFA Street called the Street Network* that will encourage social competition among players when the game launches at retail stores (in South Africa on March 16, 2012) for the PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system and the Xbox 360® videogame and entertainment system. Through the Street Network, players will be able to capture video of their best tricks and share them in-game with friends, showing off their personal favorites and embarrassing their opponents. In addition, friends will be able to track and compare each other’s progress throughout the game, including World Tour story mode and Head-to-Head Online Seasons, and follow each other’s status in EA SPORTS Football Club.
“Street football is all about the one-on-one battle, when you pull off a trick to roast your opponent,” said producer Sid Misra. “The Street Network brings that real-world swagger into the game by enabling players to capture video of those moments and share them with everyone in their street network to see, and providing friends with a way to compare each other throughout the game.”
The Street Network will enrich the World Tour story mode, where gamers create a team of friends and compete in a connected world against other FIFA Street gamers’ teams. Players will be able to follow each other’s status as they build their squads, unlock new tricks, and progress through the story of their journey to street football glory. Players will be able to share and compare progress with friends directly in the Street Network and it will also broadcast in-game videos like “Goals of the Week”, and alert friends to each other’s accomplishments throughout the game.
Featuring Barcelona and Argentina superstar Lionel Messi on the cover, fans who pre-order FIFA Street from leading retailers around the world will receive exclusive in-game access to an adidas™ all-star team featuring Messi and 12 of the greatest footballers in the world. The pre-order offer also includes exclusive access to the Lionel Messi Barcelona venue, an environment inspired by street footballers playing in and around the Plaça de Catalunya in the historic center of Barcelona, that Messi helped design. Fans with EA SPORTS Season Ticket will get full-game digital access to FIFA Street three days in advance of launch.
For the latest news on FIFA Street join almost seven million fans in the EA SPORTS FIFA community at http://www.facebook.com/easportsfifa or follow them on Twitter at www.twitter.com/easportsfifa. For more information you can also visit: http://www.ea.com/uk/football/fifa-street.