FIFA 13 Sold 353,000 Games on Opening Day in North America

[Steve_OS]

EA SPORTS FIFA SOCCER 13 DAY ONE SALES UP
42 PERCENT IN NORTH AMERICA

Biggest Launch-Day Performance On iOS In EA History
Anticipation For European Launch Peaks With 1.3 Million Pre-Orders Worldwide
Critics Rave with More Than Three Dozen 90+ Review Scores

Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: EA) announced today that EA SPORTS™ FIFA Soccer 13 has launched to unprecedented opening day sales in North America with 353,000* games sold—a 42* percent increase year-over-year—on the PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system and Xbox 360® videogame and entertainment system. Those fans across North America played a staggering 1.4 million online games in the first 24 hours after the game launched, up 35 percent year-over-year. It was also the biggest global launch-day performance of any iOS game on iPhone®, iPad®, and iPod touch® in EA history. FIFA Soccer 13 launched Tuesday across North America and will be available around the world beginning Friday.

Momentum in North America was fuelled by a launch event in New York hosted by Snoop Lion that propelled the hashtag #SnoopsFIFA13 trending in the United States and worldwide on Twitter, midnight openings at over 2,000 retail stores across the country, and game quality. Critics are praising FIFA Soccer 13 with 39 review scores of 90 or above. Eurogamer Spain awarded FIFA Soccer 13 a perfect 100 score, Multiplayer in Italy called it the “best FIFA ever” and JeuxVideo Magazine said “FIFA 13 approaches a form of perfection.”

It was also a record-setting opening for FIFA Soccer 13 on iOS around the world. FIFA Soccer 13 for iPhone, iPod touch and iPad achieved the biggest launch-day performance of any EA iOS game in history, with downloads up 62 percent over last year*. FIFA Soccer 13 also hit No. 1 in Top Paid Games in 55 countries and No. 1 in Top Grossing Games in 24 countries on the App Store.

Similar to North America, there is unprecedented anticipation for FIFA Soccer 13 around the rest of the world. For the first time in the history of EA SPORTS, over 1.3 million games** (and still counting) have been preordered worldwide, pointing toward a historic opening when the game launches around the world on Friday.

“We’re thrilled that fans throughout North America have embraced FIFA Soccer 13 in such a big way,” said Andrew Wilson, Executive Vice President of EA SPORTS. “North Americans appreciate a great-playing game and their level of engagement with our game is helping to drive the sport’s popularity in the United States.”

During the month of September four North American cities—Los Angeles, New York, Toronto and Chicago—trailed only London, England, among the top five cities with the most engaged fans among the 10 million fans in the EA SPORTS soccer community on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/easportsfifa. Additionally, the FIFA Soccer 13 demo was played by 294,000 first-time FIFA Soccer fans in the United States. In a story published Tuesday on ESPN.com that can be read here http://es.pn/OnKiwc, leading soccer journalist Roger Bennett credited the EA SPORTS FIFA Soccer franchise as being a key driver in the popularity of soccer in the United States.

[Gotmadskillzson]

Boom.......EA's Flagship title has spoken.

[BrianFifaFan]

I LOVE the ESPN article. This game did make me a soccer nut. While we can argue until we're blue in the face about how true to the real sport it is; you can't argue about how it has become such a driving force in growing new fans to the sport. It is perfect in that regard. And pretty darn good at capturing the essence of the sport into a playable form. This is EA's flagship sports title, and for good reason.....

[ps3veron]

Wow those are serious numbers!

Soccer is here people and its making itself comfy.

[kingsofthevalley]

All those sales and the players actually move like real people and not androids with rocket skates on. FIFA angers me for the simple fact that I'm not a soccer fan and its friggin good. Everytime I play it I get steamed wondering why my favorite sports game avatars (NCAA/Madden you reading this?) can't move like the FIFA players with weight and momentum represented well.

[kingsofthevalley]

The FIFA players move about the field similar to how the PS2 versions of NCAA/Madden moved. Gravity and physics are respected and you can feel the mass of the players. That is a good thing. Tiburon should probably take notes and quit this arcade crusade they've been on for the last 8 years.