Before FIFA 13: The Evolution Of Football's Biggest Gaming Franchise

2006 - FIFA 07

Wembley Stadium and the Emirates Stadium made their debuts in the series, and after a seven year absence, the Turkish Leagues returned. The graphics engine remained the same on the Playstation console as in previous iterations, however the graphics on the Xbox system were completely rebuilt. The game received criticism on the Xbox 360 for featuring a much reduced team line-up, with lower divisions being banished with more emphasis being placed on the top division in Italy, Spain, England and Germany. On the Playstation however, there were more than 510 teams within 27 leagues and 20 countries with over 10,000 licensed players. For the first time in the series, during career mode, players aged, which affected their rating (younger players gaining more experience, older players losing their edge) and the kicking strength of each player was taken into account for extra realism. There were also new ball physics such as top spin and backspin which took into account the pitch, weather and player conditions. For the first time, the player could add spin to free kicks in different directions, something which was not possible in FIFA 06 or any other iterations of the game. With the emergence of "Next Generation" consoles, this was the last time FIFA would be available on the Xbox.
Contributor
Contributor

Joseph is an accredited football journalist and has interviewed nearly all of the current 20 Barclay's Premier League managers. He is also a correspondent for Bleacher Report and has written for Caught Offside and Give Me Football.