In 2023, the FIFA video game series celebrates a significant milestone—its 30th anniversary. It began back in December 1993 with FIFA International Soccer, released for the Sega Mega Drive/Genesis. This title marked the start of what would grow into a colossal global franchise—selling upwards of 325 million copies worldwide and becoming one of the industry's best-selling series.
The journey of FIFA International Soccer is storied and groundbreaking. A small team at EA Canada developed the original FIFA with additional support from EA UK. Their goal was to create an authentic football simulation experience akin to the beloved NHL Hockey and John Madden Football games. With its release, FIFA International Soccer didn't just introduce a game; it launched a cultural gaming phenomenon that continues to resonate with football fans worldwide.
The idea for an EA football game first took root in the offices of EA UK. At the time, EA UK was mainly a supporter, marketer, and translator of North American products for the European market. It was Neil Thewarapperuma, an EA marketing manager, who first proposed a football game to match the success of EA’s other sports titles. The idea initially did not take off until Matthew Webster, an EA UK member, reignited the concept with a deeper design document for "EA Soccer."
EA UK lacked internal development capabilities, leading Webster to collaborate with external developers Jules Burt and Jon Law. Despite previously working on a volleyball demo, the pair shifted gears constructing three football prototype perspectives, ultimately impressing EA with their isometric view. The isometric prototype stood out against other football games which primarily featured top-down views.
Despite Burt and Law's foundational work, the project was moved to EA Canada, where a new team led by producer Bruce McMillan, development director Joe Della-Savia, and engineers Jan Tian and Brian Plank took over the development. The team focused on authenticity, analyzing football mechanics, and strategies to create realistic gameplay.
One major challenge was adapting their work from a PC testbed to the Sega Mega Drive, mainly due to the limitations of the available compilers. Plank took on the task of converting the code to C, a more suitable language for the console. After two days of intensive work, the testbed was up and running on the Sega Mega Drive. The sudden advancement compelled the team to work even harder, refining elements such as passing, positioning, and dribbling.
Meanwhile, the development was not without personal challenges. Jan Tian, the lead programmer, recounts his struggle with work-life balance as he dedicated himself tirelessly to perfecting the game, often at the cost of his health and family life.
As the game neared completion, the team pursued the FIFA license, which was obtained through an agreement with ISL, the organization that managed the licensing of the FIFA brand. Yet, the license came with limitations—it did not include official player names or likenesses. To address this, EA used names of employees and random selections for the in-game players.
Launching in December 1993, FIFA International Soccer was warmly received, and it immediately reshaped sports gaming. Each subsequent entry in the series sought to enhance and expand upon the original's foundations.
Despite its success, in 2022, EA announced a split with FIFA after negotiations for license renewal faltered. This marked the end of an era as the game transitioned to EA Sports FC. Nevertheless, the significance of FIFA International Soccer's legacy cannot be overstated; it forged a new path for sports gaming and established an iconic franchise that influenced generations.
As we look back on the creation and rise of FIFA International Soccer, it's clear the game was much more than just pixels and code—it was a labor of passion, commitment, and a touch of genius that forever changed the landscape of sports video gaming.
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