EA Sports FC is a brand new game arriving in 2023, signalling the start of a new era in football gaming.
It will be the first time that EA has released a Football Game away from the FIFA title, and this new era promises to bring about necessary change in the genre.
As with any new beginning, there is almost certain to be some teething issues, which means it's paramount that EA takes their time and looks to other successful franchises for inspiration.
One such franchise is Football Manager, the management simulator that continues to improve year-on-year.
It may seem strange to say, but Football Manager could hold the key to EA Sports FC's success.
EA Sports FC X Football Manager
It's worth saying that these games are, of course, very different.
EA Sports FC 24 will follow the FIFA formula and be a game far more geared to the online experience, with Ultimate Team likely to be the main money maker once again.
Conversely, Football Manager is a game that focuses on immersion and single-player modes, dripping in multiplayer where it sees fit.
FM has led the way for years when it comes to immersive football gaming, with the carefully considered new features providing something new for budding managers to sink their teeth into.
This single-player experience has clearly captivated an entirely new community of players, many of whom also play FIFA.
The successes and triumphs of Football Manager apply to one key feature that will be prominent in EA Sports FC 24, Career Mode.
For the last 5 years, EA's management mode has felt stale and flat, resulting in many players taking to forums to voice their frustrations and demand change.
In fairness to EA, some alterations have been made to Career Mode, but none of them have truly had the desired effect.
Adding contract negotiation cutscenes was an exciting concept at first, but the idea quickly loses its novelty once the same scene plays over and over again.
Instead, EA needs to look at how FM structures their management mode in order to reignite a community of players that feel left out in the cold.
FM Knows Best
EA are, and we dare say always will be, the kings of the football gaming royal family.
However, complacency only breeds negativity and EA Sports FC 24 is an important release for EA in many ways.
If the game falls flat and feels too familiar to the offerings found in FIFA 23, fans will inevitably doubt the company's ability to innovate.
With that in mind, it's key that EA brushes away the noise by making meaningful changes to their major modes.
Career Mode is the runt of the litter desperately in need of some love, and it's also the mode with the most potential for growth.
As Football Manager 2023's record sales prove, people want more immersion in their games and EA can easily apply this to their Career Mode offering in EA Sports FC 24.
By fleshing out things like contract negotiations, club vision and adding in a meaningful youth academy system, you can take the mode from 0 to 100.
Football Manager is effectively a spreadsheet game with no real bells and whistles aside from the complex features and never-ending calendar.
Whilst EA can't implement all of these into EA FC, they absolutely can take advantage of things that have worked for FM and match them with their unrivalled graphics.
The Football Manager community has been yearning for better graphics for years, so why don't EA put their ear to the ground and realise that they can capitalise on this gap in the market?
Defining Moments
There's talk of an Online Career Mode being implemented in EA Sports FC 24, and we think this will be a disaster.
Whilst the first few hours will be fun, we remain extremely dubious over the longevity of such a mode.
Instead, EA Sports FC 24 should be more interserted in creating an immersive Career Mode that will keep people engaged.
Instead of every season at every club feeling the same, innovate in a way that keeps people glued to their consoles, creating the 'one more game' effect that has become so synonymous with the Football Manager series.
EA Sports FC 24 is the defining moment of the last decade for EA, and failing to hit the sweet spot with their core fanbase and communities will only serve to start this new era in the worst way possible.