Soccer or Football

March 31, 2005 2:40 PM

Non-Americans: Having recently purchased FIFA Soccer 2005 here in the U.S. I was wondering if they reprint the cover to say FIFA Football 2005 for the rest of the globe (or if the American version is the reprint).
posted by untuckedshirts to society & culture (6 comments total)

FIFA Football 2005
posted by calico at 2:49 PM on March 31, 2005

Or, sorry, I might have misunderstood the question: is it whether they do rename, or is it that, given they do rename, which is the original name?
posted by calico at 2:52 PM on March 31, 2005

I don't know the figures, but I imagine the sales of non-US FIFA far outstrip the sales of US FIFA, so i'd go with the 'Soccer' being a reprint
posted by derbs at 3:30 PM on March 31, 2005

FIFA Soccer/Football is developed by EA Canada in Vancouver, BC. The sport is typically called Soccer in Canada, so one could argue that the "original" title is FIFA Soccer.

Strangely enough, the more highly regarded World Soccer Winning Eleven (which goes by that title in Japan and the US) is called Pro Evolution Soccer in Europe. They changed the name but kept "Soccer".
posted by zsazsa at 3:46 PM on March 31, 2005

When I finally decided to get a soccer game for my PS2 (in the States) I kept hearing about Pro Evolution Soccer. I had a hell of a time trying to find it until I contacted Konami directly and they were kind enough to fill me in on their bizarre naming scheme. Owning both FIFA 2004 and Winning Eleven 7, I have to say that WE7 wins hands down. In case you cared.
posted by Who_Am_I at 5:31 PM on March 31, 2005

Yes they do. It's "FIFA Football" everywhere else. The US version is renamed "Soccer" and the players on the cover are usually different, to reflect the "local" market. (The 2005 US box I have prominently features Mexican goaltender Oswaldo Sanchez, as this is the first FIFA incarnation to include the teams of the Liga Mexicana.)

If you look at the sideboards in the stadiums during matches, you'll notice the references to "fifafootball.co.uk" even in the USA edition.

Winning Eleven 8 just came out in North America. EA has also released the superb new "UEFA Champions League" (which is wonderful--like FIFA with certain elements of WE/PES), but it's only available in Europe.
posted by First Post at 12:15 AM on April 1, 2005