EA Sports FC 24<\/em> \u2014 or FC24<\/em>, for short \u2014 is a huge release for Electronic Arts, launching today on PlayStation, Xbox, PC, and Switch. But you wouldn\u2019t necessarily know its importance from playing the new game. FC24<\/em> is the first title since the publisher\u2019s split from FIFA<\/a>, the sport\u2019s global governing body, a chance for EA to break out on its own with one of the most popular franchises in gaming. But the game also feels like well, FIFA<\/em>. Instead of a whole new franchise, it plays a lot like the one that came before it, with the kinds of updates and additions that are typical of an annualized sports game. It\u2019s not a jarring change if you\u2019ve spent a lot of time with FIFA 23<\/em><\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n This is not to say that FC24<\/em> is a bad game. I\u2019ve mostly been enjoying my time with it. It looks better, particularly when it comes to animations, with new tech called HyperMotion V that uses real-world data so that players move like they do in the real world. It\u2019s especially notable for big-name players who now look ripped out of a TV broadcast, with distinctive movements so that you can pick out Lionel Messi from afar. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n There\u2019s clearly been a lot of attention put on materials; jerseys sway and move like real cloth. Similarly, the new PlayStyles feature uses analytics data to make it so players behave more like they do in reality; some have an impeccable first touch, while others are good at thumping opponents on defense.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n There\u2019s also been a continued focus on improving the women\u2019s side of the game, most notably by adding the top leagues in Germany and France and introducing \u2014 to much complaining in the comments sections of various social sites \u2014 female superstars in the game\u2019s most popular mode, Ultimate Team.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n These changes are notable and overall make for a better game. But they\u2019re also expected. Sports franchises typically evolve slowly, with small shifts year to year that eventually create a totally changed experience. FC24<\/em> isn\u2019t all that different from FIFA 23<\/em>, but it\u2019s light-years away from FIFA 10<\/em>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n And according to Nick Wlodyka, general manager of the FC<\/em> franchise at EA, this year\u2019s release is just the start of a much more ambitious plan to create an ecosystem of soccer-related experiences. \u201cTo become a football platform isn\u2019t going to happen overnight,\u201d he explains. \u201cAs we transition from an almost sole focus on building video games, to expanding into other things, that\u2019s going to take some time.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n \u201cWe don\u2019t want to have those communities separate.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n So what\u2019s actually changed from FIFA <\/em>to FC<\/em> aside from the name? Wlodyka says it comes down to an ethos that involves bringing the various games \u2014 including FC24<\/em> on PC and console, FC Mobile<\/em>, and a new turn-based smartphone experience called FC Tactical<\/em> \u2014 closer together. That\u2019s not the case right now, but it\u2019s a longer-term goal. Wlodyka cites Ultimate Team as an example.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n \u201cThat\u2019s by far our number one most engaging play experience. But Ultimate Team, and progression in FC Mobile<\/em>, isn\u2019t connected to FC<\/em> on console,\u201d he explains. \u201cThat\u2019s one of the things that we need to figure out: how do we create these socially connected experiences for our community, especially when you think about the scale of hundreds of millions of people across the world, each connecting on a device that makes the most sense to them? We don\u2019t want to have those communities separate.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Mobile, in particular, is a bigger focus this time around, with the goal of making a smartphone experience that\u2019s more in line with what\u2019s available on console \u2014 but yet one that remains accessible to the many people who play primarily on their phone. I\u2019ve played a bit of the newest release, and it definitely looks better, with a presentation that \u2014 while not on par with the console and PC version \u2014 is much more realistic than its predecessors. But like the main FC24<\/em>, it doesn\u2019t feel like a drastic departure from what came before it.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Even still, the reason for this renewed focus on mobile is obvious: the audience is just so much bigger. \u201cIt\u2019s still only a fraction of the football fanbase,\u201d Lawrence Koh, VP of FC Mobile<\/em>, says of the traditional audience for these games. \u201cA big reason is that not all of the 4 billion football fans around the world have access to a PlayStation 5, or an Xbox, or a PC capable of playing our premium FC24<\/em> product.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n For now, much of the future of the franchise remains theoretical. FC24<\/em> is a solid start, but it\u2019s also not the seismic shift that many might\u2019ve expected. The goal right now is to continue to expand the franchise\u2019s presence on mobile and improve the experience in relatively newer \u2014 and quickly growing \u2014 areas like women\u2019s soccer.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n \u201cOne of our principles is representing what is happening out in the real world.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n \u201cOne of our principles is representing what is happening out in the real world,\u201d Wlodyka says. \u201cWe\u2019ve seen this amazing growth in the women\u2019s game. And going back to our responsibility to deliver authenticity and representation of what\u2019s happening in the real world, that is why it\u2019s something that we\u2019ve invested significantly in. We think it\u2019s something that\u2019s going to be tremendous for all players.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n All that said, the biggest challenge might actually come down to the name itself. Over the last three decades, FIFA<\/em> has become a shorthand for \u201cvideo game soccer,\u201d culturally pervasive in a way that few games have achieved. It\u2019s up there with Call of Duty<\/em> and Pok\u00e9mon<\/em>. FC<\/em> is a much more generic name, clearly associated with soccer but not necessarily video games. It\u2019s unclear whether it will ever catch on in quite the same way, but Wlodyka and his team are playing the long game.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n \u201cWe\u2019re not fooling ourselves, we know it\u2019s going to take a little bit of time,\u201d he says. \u201cWe\u2019ve had 30 years that people have come to know and love the franchise in a particular way.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n