FIFA 08

Infobox VG
title = FIFA 08


caption = The UK cover featuring Wayne Rooney and Ronaldinho.
developer = EA Canada
publisher = EA Sports
designer = Joe Booth & Kaz Makita (PS3, Xbox 360, Wii)
Paul Hossack (PS2, PSP, DS, PC)
series = FIFA series
engine =
version =
released = vgrelease|Japan|JP|September 27, 2007 vgrelease|Australia|AUS|September 27, 2007 vgrelease|Europe|EUR|September 28, 2007 vgrelease|USA|USA|October 8, 2007
genre = Sports
modes = Single player, Multiplayer, Multiplayer online
ratings = vgratings|ESRB=Everyone|OFLCA=General|PEGI=3+
platforms = PlayStation 3, PlayStation Portable, PlayStation 2, Nintendo DS, Wii, Nintendo GameCube, Xbox 360, PC, Mobile, N-Gage [cite web |url=http://www.n-gage.com/ngi/ngage/web/g0/en/showroom/gamedetail.244.GameDetail.html |title=N-Gage Game Showroom - FIFA 08 |publisher=Nokia |accessdate=2008-05-09]
media = Blu-ray Disc, DVD, Wii Optical Disc, UMD, Cartridge
requirements = Processor: 1.3 Ghz (Windows Vista: 1.5 Ghz)
RAM: 256 MB (Windows Vista: 512 MB)
Video card: 64 MB RAM to 128 MB RAM
input =
footnotes =
picture format =

"FIFA 08" is the next to latest installment of Electronic Arts' series of football video games. Developed by EA Canada, it is published by Electronic Arts worldwide under the EA Sports label. It was released on all popular gaming formats in September 2007 in Europe and Australasia, and in October 2007 in North America. The Playstation 3 and Xbox 360 versions of the game feature an improved game engine with superior graphics and different commentators, and are dubbed "next-generation" by Electronic Arts. On all other platforms - including the PC - the game utilises an older engine. The Nintendo DS version features fewer teams, stadiums, game modes and kits due to the limitations of the machine's storage medium.Commentary comes from Sky Sports' Martin Tyler and Andy Gray on next generation consoles; however, ITV Sports' Clive Tyldesley partners Gray on current generation consoles, and the P.C. version of the game.

The tagline for the game is "Can You FIFA 08?". [ [http://fifa08.ea.com/ChooseTerritory.aspx EA SPORTS - FIFA 08 ] ] The theme song is "Sketches (20 Something Life)" by La Rocca, from the album "The Truth".

New Features

New features that were not in FIFA 07 include Be A Pro mode, where the player plays as only one player (the player can be changed) throughout the entire match. [www.fifa08.com] However, this mode is not available for goalkeepers.

New Features for the Playstation 3 and Xbox 360 include cooperative online play and a change of controls which features the right stick as a way of selecting which player to be on defence.

Leagues and teams

FIFA 08 includes 621 licensed teams, 30 leagues (including all 27 leagues from "FIFA 07"), [ [http://ps3.ign.com/articles/793/793715p1.html "FIFA 08" First Look] by ign.com] and more than 15,000 players. [ [http://www.fifa07.ea.com/news/?id=13184&lang=en&delta=1 Master the skills required to play like a pro in EA's "FIFA 08" for Xbox 360 and Playstation 3] by EA Sports. June 5 2007] Out of the 621 teams that comprise the game, 29 appear unlicensed, 13 of them being national teams.

Leagues

* flagicon|New Zealand Australian Hyundai A-League¹
* Austrian Bundesliga⁹
* Belgian League
* Brazilian League⁶
* Czech League¹
* Danish Superligaen
* Barclays Premier League
* flagicon|Wales Coca-Cola Championship
* flagicon|Wales Coca-Cola League 1
* flagicon|Wales Coca-Cola League 2
* flagicon|MonacoLigue 1
*Ligue 2
* German Bundesliga
* German 2. Bundesliga
* Ireland FAI Eircom League¹
* Italian Serie A⁵
* Italian Italian Serie B
* K-League
* flagicon|Canada Major League Soccer
* Mexican 1st Primera Division
* Dutch Eredivisie
* Norwegian Tippeligaen
* Ekstraklasa Polish⁷
* bwin Liga¹⁰
* Rest of World
* SPL
* Spanish Primera
* Spanish Liga BBVA
* Swedish Allsvenskan⁸
* Swiss Axpo Super League
* Turkcell Süper Lig
* World League

National Teams

FIFA 08 has 43 teams in its international division. The most notable exclusion is Japan (who made it into the round of 16 in the 2002 World Cup, but whose licensing rights currently belong to Konami). The following international teams are playable in the current generation consoles. But not all the teams are fully licensed e.g. Holland and Russia.
*flagicon|Argentina Argentina
*flagicon|Australia Australia
*flagicon|Austria Austria
*flagicon|Belgium Belgium
*flagicon|Brazil Brazil
*flagicon|Bulgaria Bulgaria
*flagicon|Cameroon Cameroon³
*flagicon|China China⁴
*flagicon|Croatia Croatia
*flagicon|Czech Republic Czech Republic
*flagicon|Denmark Denmark
*flagicon|Ecuador Ecuador
*flagicon|England England
*flagicon|Finland Finland³
*flagicon|France France
*flagicon|Germany Germany
*flagicon|Greece Greece
*flagicon|Hungary Hungary³
*flagicon|Italy Italy
*flagicon|KOR Korea Republic
*flagicon|Mexico Mexico
*flagicon|Netherlands Netherlands^{1 2 3}
*flagicon|New Zealand New Zealand^{1 3}
*flagicon|Nigeria Nigeria³
*flagicon|Northern Ireland Northern Ireland
*flagicon|Norway Norway
*flagicon|Paraguay Paraguay
*flagicon|Poland Poland
*flagicon|Portugal Portugal
*flagicon|Ireland Republic of Ireland
*flagicon|Romania Romania²
*flagicon|Russia Russia³
*flagicon|Scotland Scotland
*flagicon|Slovenia Slovenia³
*flagicon|South Africa South Africa¹
*flagicon|Spain Spain
*flagicon|Sweden Sweden
*flagicon|Switzerland Switzerland³
*flagicon|Turkey Turkey
*flagicon|Ukraine Ukraine³
*flagicon|United States United States
*flagicon|Uruguay Uruguay³
*flagicon|Wales Wales³ col-end

¹ - new in FIFA 08
² - contains fictitious players
³ - without national federation's crest included in game, and without branded kits [ [http://www.fifasoccerblog.com/2007/09/fsb-exclusive-fifa-08-international.html FIFA Soccer Blog: FSB EXCLUSIVE: FIFA 08 International Team List ] ]
⁴ - without federation crest but with branded kit
⁵ - league isn't completely licensed. Cagliari Calcio, Genoa C.F.C. and S.S.C. Napoli feature unlicensed team names, badges and kits.
⁶ - league isn't completely licensed. América Futebol Clube (RN), Fluminense F.C. and S.C. Internacional feature unlicensed team names, badges and kits.
⁷ - league isn't completely licensed. Dyskobolia Grodzisk Wielkopolski, Korona Kielce and Lech Poznań feature unlicensed team names, badges and kits.
⁸ - league isn't completely licensed. AIK Fotboll, Djurgårdens IF, Hammarby IF and IFK Göteborg feature unlicensed team names, badges and kits.
⁹ - SC Rheindorf Altach and SK Sturm Graz appear without licensed badges, but with licensed team names and kits. All other teams in league are fully licensed.
¹⁰ - Vitória S.C. (Vitória de Guimarães) appears without licensed badge, but with licensed team name and kits. All other teams in league are fully licensed.

Stadiums

"FIFA 08" also includes licenced stadia from many of the featured leagues, as well as international stadiums.

;flagicon|England England:
* Anfield (Liverpool F.C.)
* Emirates Stadium (Arsenal F.C.)
* St. James' Park (Newcastle United F.C.)
* Old Trafford (Manchester United F.C.)⁴
* Stamford Bridge (Chelsea F.C.)
* Wembley Stadium
* White Hart Lane (Tottenham Hotspur F.C.)^1,5

;flagicon|France France:
* Parc des Princes (PSG)
* Stade Gerland (Olympique Lyonnais)
* Stade Velodrome (Olympique de Marseille)
* Stade Felix Bollaert (RC Lens)⁵

;flagicon|Italy Italy:
* Stadio delle Alpi (Juventus F.C.)
* Stadio Olimpico (A.S. Roma, S.S. Lazio)
* Stadio San Siro (A.C. Milan, Inter Milan)

;flagicon|Mexico Mexico:
* Estadio Azteca (Club América)
* Estadio Jalisco (CD Guadalajara, CF Atlas)^1,5

;flagicon|Germany Germany:
* Allianz Arena (Bayern München, 1860 München)
* Signal Iduna Park (Borussia Dortmund)
* HSH Nordbank Arena (Hamburger SV)
* Olympiastadion Berlin (Hertha BSC)
* BayArena (Leverkusen)
* Veltins Arena (Schalke 04)
* Commerzbank-Arena (Eintracht Frankfurt)
* AWD-Arena (Hannover 96)
* Gottlieb-Daimler-Stadion (Stuttgart)

;flagicon|Netherlands Netherlands:
* Amsterdam ArenA (AFC Ajax)⁵

;flagicon|Portugal Portugal:
* Estádio da Luz (S.L. Benfica)⁵
* Estádio do Bessa (Boavista F.C.)⁵
* Estádio do Dragão (F.C. Porto)⁵
* Estádio José Alvalade (Sporting Clube de Portugal)⁵

;flagicon|South Korea South Korea:

* Daegu Sports Complex (Daegu FC)⁵
* Seoul World Cup Stadium (FC Seoul)⁵

;flagicon|Spain Spain:

* Estadio Mestalla (Valencia C.F.)
* Estadio Vicente Calderón (Atlético Madrid)
* Camp Nou (FC Barcelona)

;flagicon|United States USA:

* The Home Depot Center^1,5(Los Angeles Galaxy, Chivas USA)

;flagicon|Wales Wales:

* Millennium Stadium

;Generic stadiums:
* Div1 Euro Style
* Div2 Euro Style
* Div3 Euro Style⁵
* Div1 UK Style
* Div2 UK Style
* Div3 UK Style⁵
* Generic Modern⁵
* Modern Euro⁵
* Modern South America⁵
* Estadio De Las Artes
* Closed Square Style⁵
* Open Square Style⁵
* Oval Style⁵

All of these stadiums are available in exhange for challenge points in the "Fan Shop". When purchasing them you will play in them empty in practice mode. In some packs and on its own, the now demolished Highbury Stadium, formerly of Arsenal is available, for practice mode only. Generic grass stand-less areas "Rural Area" and "Suburb Area" are available for free.

¹ - First time included in FIFA series
² - Can be unlocked in the Fan Shop, does not appear on Xbox 360
³ - New to the PlayStation 2 and other consoles except Xbox 360
⁴ - Old Trafford does not have the new quadrants, except in Xbox 360 and PS3 versions
⁵ - Does not appear in the Xbox 360 and PS3 versions
Stadia in Bold, are used as the country's national ground.