One of the big selling points for FIFA over the years has been the resemblance it holds to real life.
Whether that is from player likenesses, real-world stadiums or competitions like the Champions League, FIFA has been the go-to football game if you want to immerse yourself in a game that reflects reality.
This has largely been down to their partnership with FIFPRO, and working together they give us a very authentic game.
Who is FIFPRO?
Many people will know of EA and FIFA, but not necessarily some of the people behind the scenes that help bring the game together.
One of those entities is FIFPRO, and it's probably best that we let them introduce themselves:
"FIFPRO is the global union of professional football players with nearly 70 affiliated player associations worldwide. FIFPRO Commercial Enterprises B.V. brings together agreements from each participating country to offer the world’s most comprehensive package of active football players for use, on a collective basis, in the digital entertainment sector. This includes tens of thousands of real-world football players, their names, image and likeness, in both club and national team environments."
So, in basic terms, FIFPRO brings all the players together and puts them in a nice package to use "in the digital entertainment sector".
What has happened
On Tuesday, 12 October, EA and FIFPRO extended their partnership.
The parties agreed on a long-term renewal, which will see them working together to bring "Unparalleled Realism in Football Games".
Why this is important
If it wasn't for FIFPRO, EA wouldn't have all the rights and details to compile such a comprehensive database which matches the real world.
We've seen what happens when other games get hold of club rights, such as Konami aquiring a few Serie A teams, that has left us playing with Piemonte Calcio instead of Juventus.
FIFPRO means that we can use real life players, competitions and stadiums within FIFA.
Looking to the future
Although there hasn't been a specific date given for when this renewed deal will last until, there were a few mentions that it could be for a while.
Sayings like "long-term" and "next generation" were used in the release, meaning FIFA looks to be in safe hands for the future.
What EA had to say
David Jackson, the VP of EA SPORTS Brand, had this to say:
“Our players regularly remind us that one of the most important aspects of an EA SPORTS experience is the deep immersion created through authentic use of the world’s greatest leagues, teams and talent -- it’s how we continue to uniquely blur the lines between the digital and physical worlds of football. FIFPRO will continue to be an important partner as we build the next generation of EA SPORTS football experiences for players around the world”.
He seems to be very pleased with the deal, giving players the experience they want will keep them coming back to the game, and grow interest in it for the future.