Finally, the wait is over for FIFA lovers around the world, as Electronic Arts released its annual edition of the most popular football simulator franhcise- FIFA 15- on September 23 in North America, September 25 in Europe and September 27 in the United Kingdom. Unlike the last year’s edition, it was released on both the new generation consoles-Sony’s PlayStation 4 and Microsoft‘s Xbox One- and previous generation consoles (PS3 and Xbox 360) together. The game is the most awaited title every year and the excitement is much more this year due to the recently held Brazil FIFA World Cup. Apart from improved graphics, this year’s edition has new exciting features such as addition of new soccer legends in the all new “Concept Squad,” new stadium chants and songs, as well as addition of all 20 Premier League stadiums, requested by FIFA fans last year.

That sport remains expertly represented. FIFA has steadily improved over the past five years, tweaking every aspect until it creates an instantly pleasing video game. Even if you don’t care about soccer, FIFA 15 is fun to play on the field. The feeling of bouncing a ball between players, running up to tackle an opponent with possession, and just holding down a button to sprint is convincingly physical in just the right way. Even FIFA 15‘s skill games, which teach basics like shooting, passing, dribbling, etc., have enough style that they could stand on their own as entertainment.

As much as it must rankle the pantheon of critics, developers and influencers pleading for games and the hardware that powers them branch out in new and innovative directions, FIFA is probably the closest thing Sony and Microsoft has to a killer app at this stage. For example, take The Last of Us Remastered, currently one of the main titles being used to push new PS4 bundles. It's an unfair charge the uninformed occasionally level at the FIFA series, even if the only truth to the claim is the inability of bruisers like David Luiz and Pepe to make a dent in the pitch with ankle-high assaults.



EA SPORTS FIFA 15 Companion is the perfect app for those who play FIFA 15 online. It allows you to access the bulletin board and the latest results from your friends playing in the multiplayer challenges. You can also send private messages to these friends and see who's online or not. With EA SPORTS FIFA 15 Companion you can check out your Ultimate Team, manage your own squad of players, participate in player sales and loans, buy new FUT packages and much more.

EA has added a new price range system to all transfers on the FIFA Ultimate Team marketplace. EA now sets the highest and lowest any item can be sold on the FUT marketplace. The new coin values will be applied to players, in-forms, consumables, and club items. According to EA, the new feature is designed to further restrict illegitimate coin transfers and to make high-rated players more attainable. New item prices will be different from the current ones, but will retain the same relative value. Because of this, open bid transfers will be unavailable. You’ll now need to set a “buy it now” price within the new price range. All ranges will be set by EA “based on analysis of past transfer market prices,” and will be reflected on all platforms. EA said that the price range for all players will still be wide enough to allow flexible trading, and the range for certain players may be adjusted in the future.

The problem with Maximum Pricing is that to buy a highly coveted player like Cristiano Ronaldo, you have to have either no life, or be willing to part with funds in your wallet for the chance. Or, you know, just play the other features in the game. Now EA Sports faces a backlash from their loyal fanbase – some of whom have threatened the company with the ultimate insult: converting to Pro Evo. Incidentally, the new Pro Evo is actually really fun. Just saying. Now consider that hundreds of such transactions are occurring on a daily basis, and it’s easy to understand why the company has a real problem on its hands, and was forced to take some action to block the scenario once and for all.

It’s nonetheless fair to wonder whether EA has gone too far in the opposite direction. Would retaining the auction system with an upper, but not lower, limit for each card not have achieved an identical result? The upside lost on critics of this move is that many cards have come down in price since the switch was made, exactly as promised. For instance, any Crystal Palace fans biding their time to purchase an in-form Yannick Bolasie card may have been unable to stretch to the 90-100,000 coins he’s been selling for over the last month or so. Now he’s suddenly much more affordable, ranging between 17-25,000 coins. That great news for new purchasers, but less wonderful for Palace fans who may have purchased the card last week when it was going for around 86,000 FUT 15 coins.