FIFA and EA Sports were one of the biggest third-party features from January’s Nintendo Switch presentation, but the game’s official naming in a press release has got some buyers of the hybrid console a little concerned. Unlike its PS4 and Xbox One counterparts, this game isn’t called FIFA 18. It’s EA Sports FIFA. What might that difference mean?
The top concern on every Switch fan’s list is that the game may not include enough content to be truly comparable to FIFA 18. Shortly after its reveal, rumors from Eurogamer’s Tom Phillips suggested “I’ve heard FIFA Switch is based off of the 360/PS3 versions that still get made.”
This speculation prompted former EA COO Peter Moore to respond in February by saying that FIFA would be “custom built” for Switch by the series’ Vancouver studio. At the time, Moore did not address how the Switch build would compare to PS4 and Xbox One.
Read: EA Sports FIFA Is Being Custom Built For Switch
With the different EA Sports FIFA monicker in mind, however, one would have to guess there’s a reason why the FIFA 18 name can’t be shared. Is it because the title doesn’t run on EA’s proprietary Frostbite engine? Does EA feel that naming the Switch version FIFA 18 might do the larger brand a disservice? Does EA plan to augment the Switch variant with smaller content updates for several years instead of releasing a new game annually? These are all realistic possibilities.
It also doesn’t help perception that EA Sports FIFA isn’t even listed alongside the FIFA 18 versions. In the press release, the Switch build is dead last below mobile titles for Madden and NBA Live. Is this a sign that the product itself isn’t strong enough to earn more representation? Maybe.
On the other hand, a restructured naming convention for FIFA portable games is actually standard for Electronic Arts. When FIFA first released for PlayStation Vita in 2012, it debuted as FIFA Soccer. Despite the Vita’s sluggish sales, a yearly build was released for the platform for quite some time. The same was also true for PSP’s FIFA Soccer 2005 iteration. While the portable builds have been historically been stripped of some hallmark console features, the main reasons to play FIFA are still there. The Vita 2015 title included essential modes like Be A Pro, Career Mode and Tournament Mode.
Read: FIFA 17 Patch 1.08 Brings Fixes For Ultimate Team & Adds MLS Teams
The other concern for Nintendo fans is that EA Sports FIFA will substitute those franchise mainstays with gimmicky modes more tailored to the Switch hardware. There’s certainly some precedence for this given that Wii U and Vita versions of FIFA took full advantage of unique qualities like the GamePad and touchscreen support. New ways to play aren’t necessarily a bad thing, but their addition felt more like a half-baked forced activity than a substitute for content that doesn’t exist. We expect Switch features will be present in this game given EA’s strong partnership with Nintendo for the project, but the hope is that any variation will feel like a meaningful one.
EA Sports FIFA will release on Nintendo Switch around the same time as the console versions.
Are you concerned FIFA 18 and EA Sports FIFA aren’t the same game? Will the Switch port suffer? Tell us in the comments section
