Things we want to see in this year’s FIFA 15

In this day and age of bountiful and prolific video game franchises there’s a tendency for developers to engage in replication (as far as annual installations go, that is).  Creating an entirely new title from the ground up requires not only loads of time, but also key personnel as well as extensive financing.  In other words, these large purveyors like EA, who release a new game for multiple series every single year, have adopted a strategy of incremental improvements rather than trying to do too much too fast.  The benefit here is two-fold, of course – you can learn in hindsight from past mistakes / successes and massive development costs are somewhat mitigated as well (being spread out across a few years time).

It could be argued that the FIFA series is perhaps the definitive example of how such development methods can lead to bigger and better things (which might not have otherwise have been possible).  As such, FIFA 13 was a major turning point for the franchise in terms of gameplay improvements and the like, and as a result many feel as though progress has been somewhat slower or more deliberate.  With that in mind, here are some of the things that dedicated FIFA fans have been asking for with the upcoming installment, FIFA 15…

Why are there still no career options for multiplayer?!

Given that FIFA is a major enterprise in its own right and there are multitudes of people who love to jump online and bash through matches on a daily basis, the fact that there is still no type of integrated multiplayer career mode is extremely perplexing.  Yes, we realize that there are a number of problems relating to logistics, stats and other factors, but surely there’s a compromise that can be made somewhere to make up for this.  Just imagine how smashing it would be to be able to play though an entire season with a group of your friends…

Player upgrades

If you’ve been playing FIFA 14 you should already know about how the teams’ loyalty can be increased by merely playing more matches.  This is a very sensible mechanic that attempts to accurately measure just how much better a tightly knit and experienced team responds in game versus one that’s relatively unpracticed or fresh.  However, what about applying the same principle to individual players?  Just imagine how much more dynamic every aspect of a career would be when you add the ability to trade players (for a profit, mind you) which have been beefed up in terms of their stats.  Moreover, there could be various rules governing level caps and whatnot, adding yet another layer of intrigue to the big picture.

No disappearing achievements (or, protection from opponents who suddenly drop out)

How many times have you been playing FIFA, maybe even doing extremely well in a session, only to have your opponent suddenly quit, thereby erasing your amazing goals, etc.  The fact that people can rage quit, which effectively steal their opponents’ stats and achievements, is very lamentable.   It is for this very reason that many hope to see FIFA 15 address this problem with a method of saving successful players from this sort of stuff. Simply put, it’s just too hard to build up impressive stats in areas like shooting without some way of preventing a jealous or raging adversary from stealing it away by suddenly switching off their console.

Realistic Manager Characteristics

Managers can be as entertaining to watch as players at times take Arsene Wenger for example or Jose Mourinho, they’re real characters. We’d like to see managers act like they would in real life, jumping up out of their seat, complaining furiously to the ref, etc.

More Offical Stadiums

FIFA 14 offered 60 stadiums, including 32 real-world venues. However, if you’re a supporter of a smaller club, you’ll likely find the stadium looks nothing like what it should do. We’d like to see this list grow with 100s of stadiums included in FIFA 15.

Even more language options

Some international fans have also suggested even more language options.  For example, perhaps adding additional commentary in various languages would improve the experience for some in a significant way. Likewise, doing that might very well attract even more attention to the game from gamers globally.  It’s impossible to say without referencing demographics and statistics, of course, but surely a lot of people who speak obscure languages/dialects would be extremely pleased.  The point is, people are asking for it, so why not just record some additional audio tracks and maybe even tap into a new market in the process?

Where’d the mini-leagues and tournaments go?

Let’s face it; one of the biggest quips concerning FIFA 14 is a lack of mini-league play and briefer tournaments.  The simple fact of the matter is that a lot of players seem to like being able to quickly run through a few games with everything being neatly tracked and tabulated, rather than having to do it yourself on paper.  For those who simply want a quick workaround, we suggest purchasing a large marker board easel or taking the time to even print out tournament brackets beforehand, distributing them among their friends.  Sure, it might be somewhat crude and most decidedly low-tech, but it works and that’s what’s important.