it’s in the game

This post has been “commissioned” by a friend. If you like it and fancy challenging me to another topic, write it in the comment box here.

Having owned consoles and PCs for the majority of my life, I have had a large degree of exposure to EA Games. Particularly, as a European, I have played a lot of their football / soccer franchise FIFA. In tribute to this fact, and also the fact that my friend has bet £5.00 that I can’t, here’s 500 words on “Will and FIFA: A life-long obsession”.

The first time a FIFA game came remotely close to a sensible and playable football game was way back in 1996. The European Cup was taking place, Gazza was lobbing Scots, and EA had made FIFA 96, what seemed to be their first real attempt at left to right style football simulation. It wasn’t great by today’s standards, with pointy booted players and slight glitches that allowed you to score from one place in the 18 yard box every single time. But it played well. It started my multiplayer football obsession.

The arrival of University in my life brought along the integration of Pro Evolution Soccer. But even then, Marc and I would find time for a blast on FIFA on his scatty Playstation perched by the TV. We played a lot. What always impressed me was how, every few games, out of nowhere an absolute blinder of a match would pop up. It would all start with some kind of horrendous error, leading to a speculative and extremely long shot that somehow, the keeper then manages to let dribble through his pixelated legs. Cue screams of frustration and celebration at exactly the same time. I don’t even know how to type the sound that occurs in those instances. Its always a blend between NooooArrrrrghhhhh! and Yeeeeeeeeaaaaaaah! respectively. Perhaps you could imagine it as a Nyeeeaaarrrrrrghhhhh!

If you want best results though, emulate it with a friend.

Back to the reflections. Uni came and went, and now, such games can only be relived through the powers of internet connections, for the distance between Manchester and Hampshire is rather vast. Which does of course destroy the manic scream meshing. Not that it stops me screaming anyway. People watching me could probably tape it and youtube it as the next angry gamer video. Tape it. Does anybody still “tape” things? I think I may have just used a term which in the modern world might be defined as archaic. Dammit.

What is it that we “do” now anyway?

Er… I meant what is the word for it nowadays.

C’mon people. Don’t be foul with those minds of yours. God.

There’s only ever one issue with FIFA, and football games in general that really irks me. The commentary. If you’ve played FIFA 09 for any length of time, you’ll notice after you utterly chop and dominate someone, that Andy Gray loves to announce that, though he really enjoyed watching it and felt it a very well executed tackle, he fears that the tackler (who of course by now is running around on the pitch again) has possibly taken on an injury as a result of his timely lunge (sometimes its as a result of not lunging at all – which begs the question how?). He says this a lot. A lot. We’re talking any instance where a tackle has taken place (or not in some instances) then boom – “… I think he might have injured himself with that one”.

Idiot.

If there’s anything that anybody can take away from this post, it is that playing games with your mates is nigh on one of the best things you can do in your living room. Whether your poison is singing, guitar replicating, shooting or playing football, consoles are there for you to completely hammer the crap out of each other in a safe and often most hilarious way.

If there’s one thing my good friend Marc can take from this, its that he can transfer the £5 English that he now owes me for the FIFA post.

…

As a parting gift, here’s an informative video on how to correctly pronounce “EA Sports: It’s in the game”.

Theatrics of Football

Action Shot

I always enjoy looking at photos of football matches in full swing. The best are the postures that are created through a player kicking the ball. Just look at any football coverage site, at action shots, and you’ll see players seemingly floating, their faces contorted in complete concentration, eyeballs flaring at the spherical object they’ve just pounded.

the face says it all

Or better still, the tackle shots, where you see one man flying sideways across your image as the other hangs with matrix like prowess above, possibly with open mouthed outrage as he heads for his inevitable tête a tête with the grass.

The same can be said for many sports. That instance, that fleeting moment captures so much energy and intent that you have to admire the photographers instinct. He or she has tapped into a raw display of competitivity that reminds me so well of what it’s like to focus so purely on one thing.
It shows us both concentration and aggression; commitment without a clear idea of the outcome. It also shows that kicking a ball about looks like, and is, damn good fun.
However, there are times when despite all the grace that a still catches, a moving image tells so much more. Especially in terms of trying to attain that “I feel your pain” factor. What better example of such a moment, than Reggie Bush’s painful end to a well read play.

American Football may well have few true fans in Europe, but the power demonstrated in every game they play goes so much further it seems, than any football match ever could. For brief 10 second periods ever single player on that pitch is giving 110% to effectively eradicate their opponent, who by no freak of planning, is an equal match up in all aspects of the human build – the huge guys take on similarly huge guys, and the quick nimble ones are opposed to nifty counterparts. Each play seems like a Darwin-esque duel between them – every player blocks, runs or tackles someone and until the ball is released, the outcome is never clear. No amount of planning can pre-empt being mauled like Reggie.

Where am I going with this? I don’t know. However what is known, and well understood, is that I like sports. And disconcertingly, images of people being hurt. Worrying.