Q&A from LetsPlayFifa.com.

LetsPlayFIFA.com have sent questions from their users regarding FIFA 08 … and EA has answered them, exclusively for LetsPlayFIFA.com.

Click on “Read the rest of this entry” to see all the questions and answers.

CG = Current Gen Version (PC, PlayStation 2)
NG = Next Gen Version (XBOX360, PlayStation 3

Are there more official goalkeeper kits?
CG: All the top teams will have their official goalkeeper kits in FIFA 08, currently we’re looking at more then 140 original goalie kits for FIFA 08.
NG: Yes, we’ve created more kits this year than in any other version of FIFA. In fact I can tell you that we have close to 1400 kits in the game this year. This includes the obvious official home and away kits as well as official goalkeeper kits for all the top teams. We also have a selection of 3rd kits that can be accessed via the Fan Shop within the game.

Will there be real money in manager mode, and will you be able to select between Euro, Pound Sterling, and US Dollar?
ALL: Yes, in Manager Mode you’ll have the option to select which currency will be used. The options are Euro, Pound Sterling and the US Dollar. This option is available from the Manager Contract screen at the start of the game mode.

Can we use official boots like in FIFA 07 for created players and edit existing players boots?
CG: No and no, however there are more generic boots to choose from for created players – fifteen in all.
NG: Yes, we have all the latest official boots in FIFA 08 and you’ll be able to edit existing and created players and select which boots you want them to wear

Will there be real companies for sponsors in manager mode or will it be generic ones?
ALL: No, it will be fictional companies as in FIFA 07.

Can keepers get sent off or injured this year?
CG: Yes! In 08 you can take full control of your keeper with GK Control. This lets you directly control your GK in one-on-ones, corners and free kicks. You can also get injured or even sent off and you’ll need to put someone else in goal. Keep this in mind when you’re deciding which players you want on the bench.
NG: Unfortunately we weren’t able to add this feature into the game this year but it’s on the list for next year.

Has defensive heading been improved?
CG: Yes, attributes now play a bigger role when deciding who wins or loses an aerial battle, since defensive players are generally stronger then attacking players this feels more realistic in FIFA 08.
NG: We have done lots of work on our trapping system and our in air trapping system to give the user more control over in air situations. Headers are definitely balanced a lot better this year as a result.

Will players be able to choose from the whole squad rather than just fifteen players when playing online?
ALL: Unfortunately, it will be the same as FIFA 07. You get to play with the pre-selected squad of 16 players. However, this list will be updated once around launch and once after the January transfer window with our transfer database updates. If you think the first 16 players for the teams are wrong please let us know in the forums and we’ll look at making changes for the winter update.

Is there a free-kick editor?
CG: No but it’s a nice idea but we have got some good changes to the formation system this year.
NG: No we don’t have this feature. We spent a lot of time working on the free-kick system to give the user more control over their shot using topspin, backspin and sidespin.

Is the crowd 3D?
CG: No. We still have a very nice looking crowd but they are 2D. We spent a lot of our “graphics” energy this year introducing our new dynamic lighting and exposure (aka HDR for lighting gurus). It looks really good.
NG: Yes and they look lovely.

Will it be possible to simulate individual matches or dates in Manager Mode?
ALL: Yes, individual matches can be simulated via the visual or quick-sim however it won’t be possible to sim to a specific date but who would want to as in FIFA 08 you have the option to schedule mid-week practices to improve specific player attributes.

Can we now save replays?
CG: You’ve always been able to save replays in FIFA PS2 and PC. However, in FIFA 08 PC we have added 2 new options. First, you can save/record a replay of the entire match. This is great for analyzing your performance in a match, as well as recording the finals of gaming tournaments. Second, you can now export your saved replays to a video file on your hard drive. This makes putting together your own highlights package (or blooper reel) even easier for you to share with your friends or everyone on the Internet through video sharing sites.
NG: This is one of the exciting new features we’re introducing into FIFA 08. You can now upload your replays directly to a specific location on the internet and then access it straight away. You can now share that replay with the entire FIFA community. We’ve been testing this feature internally and it’s generated a lot of banter and debate as to who has scored the best goal of the day and who had the worst result

Will weather be a feature in FIFA 08?
CG: In FIFA 08 PS2 and PC, we added the Winter weather effect. This comes with variable snowfall during the match, visible breath, snow/frost on and around the pitch. It’s a great looking package that really makes you feel like you’re playing on a frozen pitch mid-winter.
NG: Not in FIFA 08 unfortunately. When we do weather, we want weather to affect primarily the pitch and how the ball and players move across the surface and then we want to ensure our visuals are ultra-realistic with kits, player’s skin and hair and the stadium and crowd all being affected by the weather conditions.

How have free kicks changed from FIFA 07?
CG: We have done a couple of things to Free Kicks in FIFA 08. First, we have tuned the shooting model so that you have to work even harder to put the ball in the back of the net. Second, we’ve added a feature where you can lock the camera, but change where you are aiming. This is great when you’re playing against your mates. When you’ve locked the camera, a little rumble will let you know when aiming directly at either post. When you combine this with our new goalkeeper controls, free kicks turn into a real duel.
NG: We re-worked the free-kick system from 07 and it now gives the user more control over the power and spin of the ball

Will there be more club crest gamer pictures available?
NG: We are still working on our downloadable content plan and will announce something closer to launch

Will there be a full practice pitch in the next-gen version like we have seen in previous titles on current gen; not the arena but the full-on pitch where you can select how many players on each side?
NG: Not for FIFA 08. Our focus was to really invest in our core 11 v 11 gameplay experience and we’re still using our Arena to showcase the new gameplay features that you’ll see this year. The skill move feature alone has a huge impact to what you can do in the Arena.

How are the goal keepers going to change based on the new shooting system?
NG: Increasing the variety and realism of the shooting system has allowed us to make similar strides with the GK. Some of these improvements include:
- Shot Preparation: The GK will prepare to save by hopping forward to narrow the angle and getting into a crouch position, thus narrowing the angle and enabling him to dive further.
- Reaction time: After a shot is taken the GK will take a little time to react to the shot to enable him to ‘read’ the ball trajectory.
- Line of sight: If he cannot see the ball being kicked then his reactions will be slower
- Anticipation Saves: In 1-on-1 situations the GK will realize that the shot is too close to react to and thus preemptively dive as soon as the attacker starts to kick
- Momentum: More realistic momentum will enable the user to wrong foot the GK. If the GK is moving left for example it will inhibit his ability to save shots that go to his right.
- Animations: All of the GK animations have been reworked making them more fluid and realistic.

Will the pitch degrade during a match or over the course of the season?
NG: Yes, we have seasonal pitch wear to show how the pitch will degrade throughout the season and improve slightly towards the end of the year when the weather improves. But through the winter months in Manager Mode you will see a noticeable difference. The stadium you’re playing in will also make a difference. For example, playing in a Division 2 stadium will not have the same maintenance as the big top league grounds.

Can we play 2 vs 2 online?
NG: Yes you will be able to play 2 vs 2 online using Multi-Player Co-op

Is shirt-pulling part of the game?
NG: No however we have done lots of work on physical play including a new jostling system and a re-written collision system with 100’s of new collision animations.

How many seasons can you play through?
CG: 15 seasons.

Will there be awards i.e. “Player of the Year”, “Man of the Match” etc.?
CG: There will be an 11 of the month and national squad nominations if you players perform well.

Is the Champions League licensed (all aspects, including the official CL music)?
CG: No, Champions League is a different game (and license) altogether.

Will crucial games (cup-finals for example) be any different from other games?
CG: Yes, there are several differences in crucial games such as the intro sequence, NIS’s, team momentum…

Will it be possible to manage international teams?
CG: No.

Is it possible to view the results and standings of leagues other than the one in which you are playing?
CG: No.

Will team’s third kits be un-lockable?
CG: Yes, there are more then 30 3rd kits waiting for you to unlock them.

Does winning tournaments and leagues earn you money?
CG: Yes, based on the agreements you made with your sponsor.

Will computer controlled teams bid for players realistically?
CG: Yes, CPU controlled teams will try to make their teams stronger based on the amount of cash they have.

Will computer controlled teams be managed realistically (and not abuse star players)?
CG: Not sure what this means, but no there will be no abused star players.

Will loaned players gain experience and will their stats improve?
CG: Yes, in case they play loaned players will gain experience. When they come back into your squad and get playing time their stats might increase.

Will teams spend the money that they receive from transfers on upgrading their squad?
CG: Yes, they will also try to replace the player they lost.

Will quick set-pieces be in FIFA 08?
CG: Yes, Quick Free kicks are a new feature for FIFA 08. This is the “real deal” compared to prior implementations, and like in real life you’re only able to use it if the ball doesn’t roll too far away from the point where the foul happened.

When playing co-operative multiplayer, will it be possible for each player to choose whether they want to use manual passing and crossing?
CG: Yes, automated through balls or crosses can we switched on/off for each individual user.

Will there be new “Rest of World” teams? If so, which teams?
CG: Compared to last year, there are 6 more teams in ROW. The new teams are from Poland, Brazil and South Africa.

If a player receives a minor injury, will he leave the pitch for treatment and return after receiving treatment?
CG: No, a player is either injured or not injured, there are no “off pitch treatments”. If a player is injured the user can decide to sub him off.

If a player receives an injury but can not be substituted, will they remain on the pitch or will you be able to take them off?
CG: The player will have to stay on the pitch but only if you have run out of substitutions.

What is the structure of the online leagues? Is player growth a feature? Will players be transferable?
CG: Interactive Leagues will work as last year. We are planning on adding a couple new leagues this year.

What are the two new leagues?
CG: We have added three new leagues in total, the Australian League, the Irish League and the Czech League.

How many levels of difficulty will there be? Are these available to the player from the start?
CG: There are 5 difficulty levels that have been completely reworked for FIFA 08. As in last year, users have to unlock the hardest difficulty level “Legendary”.

Is there a noticeable difference between players depending on their stats? For example, does Ronaldinho have noticeably better ball-control than Giuly?
CG: Yes, player attributes will make a noticable difference in FIFA 08 and decide how good a player is in a certain skill. On top of that we’ve introduced player traits, when playing against the CPU these ensure more life-like behaviour of the AI players (i.e. Gerrard shooting from distance, Ronaldinho dribbling, Gattuso slide tackling)

How many teams can be included in League Mode?
CG: Not sure what you mean by “League Mode”, but within the “Tournament Mode” you can create a League Type Tournament with up to 24 teams.

Can music be played during training mode?
CG: Only on your stereo …no, FIFA 08 doesn’t support music within the Practice Mode, nice idea though we’ll think about it for the future.

Is it possible to “nutmeg” players?
CG: There is no control to “nutmeg” players on purpose, however I’ve seen it happen accidentally when using the manual through ball. We’re looking into adding this for coming iterations of FIFA.

Do kits have official numbering, rather than generic?
CG: We have several official fonts for player numbers in FIFA 08, a new addition this year was the MLS player number font.

Are manual passes affected by a players attributes?
CG: Player attributes have an effect on manual passing, however this type of pass is mainly dependent on user skill.

Are there a greater variety of injuries which have different recovery times?
CG: Injury types within the Manager Mode are the same as last year (20 in total).

Is it possible to modify a players appearance, physique and boots?
CG: Yes. You have all the editing control from last year, plus we’ve added some new hairstyles and boots.

Is it possible, when creating a player, to use a generic face?
CG: Created players always use generic faces.

Is player growth more restricted (a player with 99 overall stats is unrealistic)?
CG: Player growth is not more restricted then last year, but I think a player with 99 should be quite rare.

Do players still have “exclusive” growth (whereby they only reach certain attributes when playing in the player controlled team)?
CG: The player growth system within Manager Mode works very similar to last year, we made two additions this year that will support Player Growth even further – Pre-Season Friendlies and Mid-Week Training Sessions. Especially the new training feature will allow the user to target specific key attributes based on the training type.

Is it possible to play games in different lighting conditions (day, night, overcast, sunny etc.)?
CG: Yes. And based on popular demand we even added a winter mode this year.

Is the right analogue still the only way to perform “tricks” (such as stopovers)?
CG: Yes…and no. The classic right stick skill moves still exist, however there are new additions such as a cheeky lob pass or heel passes that are context based and not triggered by the right stick.

Are goal-keepers affected by fatigue?
CG: Yes, GK attributes are affected by fatigue in the same way as field players. However the GK doesn’t have to run nearly as much as a field player and therefore the effect is minor.

Will cup-finals be played at a neutral venue?
CG: This is different per country, i.e. for Germany the cup final will always be played at the Berlin Olimpic Stadium.

Will FA Cup games go to a replay if the game is drawn?
CG: No, we need a decision in these matches, therefore they will go to OT and PK shoot-out if needed.

When editing players, can you set all of the attributes to maximum, and will this affect Manager Mode?
CG: Yes, if the user wishes he can set all the attributes of a created player to maximum…but where’s the fun in that .

***** PC MANAGER MODE QUESTIONS & ANSWERS *****

Will the fans support fluctuate depending on transfers?
CG: If you can bring in a new fan favourite – yes, definitely.Will board expectations be more realistic (appropriate)?
CG: Yes, this is especially due to the “Dynamic Board Expectations” which enable to board to update their expectations mid-season based on your performance in the first half of the season. Will the MLS be structured realistically (two conferences and play-offs)?
CG: No.

Will the SPL be structured realistically (after 33 games, the top and bottom 6 “split”)?
CG: No.

Will the Dutch leagues be structured realistically (with play-offs)?
CG: No.

***** PC VERSION [IN GENERAL] QUESTIONS & ANSWERS *****

Is it possible for your goal-keeper to be sent off or injured if you have no substitutions left? If so, will the player that you put in his place be dressed in a goal-keepers kit?
CG: Yes.

Is “FIFA Lounge” available on current generation?
CG: Only on PS2.

Will the “new dribbling styles” be included or are they PS3/360 exclusive? Have any changes been made to dribbling controls?
CG: CG already the right stick dribbling feature last year.

Will there be immediate substitutions during a game?
CG: Like in a real game, the game has to be stopped in order to be able to perform a substitution.

What international teams will be included in the game?
CG: Below the list of international teams…

Argentina
Austria
Australia
Belgium
Brazil
Bulgaria
China PR
Croatia
Czech Republic
Denmark
Ecuador
England
France
Germany
Greece
Holland
Italy
Mexico
North. Ireland
Norway
Paraguay
Poland
Portugal
Rep. Ireland
Republic Of Korea
Romania
Scotland
Slovenia
Slovakia
Spain
Sweden
Turkey
United States
Switzerland
Ukraine
New Zealand
Uruguay
Wales
Finland
Cameroon
South Africa
Hungary
Nigeria
Russia

How are pre-season friendliest selected?
CG: The user is able to select up to 4 teams for potential pre-season friendlies. Based on their schedule and star rating they will either accept or decline the request.

Will FIFA 09 be developed for the current generation platforms?
CG: We’ll have to let you know nearer the time but there’s a lot of life left in PS2

Is it possible to purchase players who are on the game, but do not play for a club team?
CG: No, you won’t be able to transfer international players to club teams.

Has the Interactive League changed at all? If so, how?
CG: The one change for the IL is that it will be available Xbox 360, PS3, PSP and Wii as well!

Is it possible to see how many players are actually online while waiting for a match in Interactive League mode?
CG: Yes.