Kaz Makita, FIFA 08 (PS3, Xbox 360), Gameplay Producer
We have a philosophy when it comes to building FIFA and the creative direction we want to take the game. We don’t just look at how we are going to build the game this year but we consider a long-term approach to developing the game; this is a very important part of our overall plan. As an example, the reason we built the next-gen engine was to utilize the power of the consoles in a way that porting over the engine from current-gen never could. FIFA 07 was “Year One” of the new soccer engine and, now after another year working on it and building out our feature set, we believe you will feel the difference in the gameplay within the first five minutes of playing the game.
Last year we focused on the technology of the new game engine to maximize its long-term potential, to make sure there was a strong foundation in place. This year we are focusing on making the game exciting, fluid and visually appealing. Our number one priority was the foundation of our gameplay which is the locomotion engine. This consists of passing, shooting, dribbling, positioning, etc. All these elements have to be as solid and as clean as possible to create a great experience.
