Electronic Arts have announced that the latest instalment in the FIFA franchise, FIFA 10 will take on player feedback from "more than 275 million online games", with a number of game play refinements, and a promise to "deliver a new standard for authenticity" in soccer games.

The refinements will include "sophisticated ball control", increased physical interaction between players, and more realistic, fluid animations that see players move into position more realistically.

Further details of the of the game have arrived, along with some of the first screenshots.

In FIFA 10, defence will play an important role, with a new concept call "position priority" allowing defenders to multi-task, filling open ground that team-mates leave open. Players will be able to target their slide tackles with greater precision, and the AI will make use "better-urgency clearance" to remove the ball from the danger zone.

Andrew Wilson, Vice President and Executive Producer of the FIFA franchise had the following to say:

We have benefited from 275 million games played online to refine FIFA 10 in a way that matters most to our fans. We’ve listened and responded to their feedback to improve player control, responsiveness and intelligence and create what we believe is the world’s most authentic football videogame.

The game will introduce other new features such as "improved goalkeeper intelligence" (stop the ball, dummy!), better strikers (so they don't hit the goal posts as much) and the addition of a new practice arena to allow players to hone their skills.


Finally, the introduction of a new "360° dribbling system" will presumably give players the ability to dribble the ball in three dimensions, allowing them to "find spaces between defenders that previously were not possible. As a result, the game will be less predictable, and players will see that fights over possession of the ball will be even more frantic.

More features from the game will be revealed in the "upcoming" months, and the game is expected to be released in "Fall 2009" (so, the Spring, in Australia), and will be available on the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Wii, PC, PlayStation 2, DS, PSP, and mobile phones. More details are due to arrive shortly.