Electronic Arts Brings the South Africa FIFA World Cup 2010 Home

Welcome one and all to the city that never sleeps and the ghetto by the sea. That's right folks. This week's version of the Guy and Yasar show continues the trend of bi-coastal split personality mayhem. I'm still soaking up the asphalt jungle fumes of my hometown New York City, while Yasar works hard from the rough and tumble beaches of Venice. No matter where you are, or where we are for that matter, it's impossible to escape the fervor that has built up over the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa.

While many are preparing to huddle around new flatscreens at home and others are heading out to bars to root on their favorite teams, gamers are embarking on their own roads to glory via Electronic Arts Sports' latest homage to the world's number one sport.

Guy: EA Sports' release of 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa follows on the heals of their successful FIFA Soccer 2010 game. This World Cup version features all 199 teams that participated in the qualifying tournaments as well as the ten stadiums where all the action will be going down in the real World Cup.

"Gamers will be able to play as their home nation from qualification right through to a virtual reproduction of the FIFA World Cup Final™ and feel what it is like to score the goal that lifts a nation."

The game also includes some cool unlockable celebrations and a bonus Classic 11 team made up of 35 great players from World Cups past that can be obtained once you win the virtual trophy and stand as a true world champion. The game is rated E for Everyone and also includes alternative, simpler controls for those new to the franchise.

Yasar: In a bit of fun, EA Sports ran an in-house simulation using their game to predict the winner of this year's FIFA World Cup in South Africa. Spain topped Brazil 3-1 in the simulated final game. More tidbits from the EA played tournament include the home nation, South Africa getting knocked out first. The Golden Boot (given to the player who scores the most goals) and Golden Ball (given to the tournament MVP) winners were David Villa of Spain and Kaka of Brazil respectively. Now, this is all fiction of course, but it does highlight just how much an avid soccer or football gamer can create their own unique tournament with varying outcomes. Bottom line, the game is a fun companion to the actual World Cup and fits quite nicely into the Electronic Arts family of soccer titles. If nothing else, it will more than sate rabid footballers anticipating the release of FIFA 11 as they sit back and enjoy the real-world battles of their favorite teams on that greatest of international stages.

The EA website also features a fan based Battle of the Nations for online footballers:

"When playing the online World Cup mode in 2010 FIFA World Cup for the first time, you're asked to choose which country you'd like to represent in the Battle of the Nations. From that moment on, every win you achieve and every loss you suffer is counted towards your country's total."

Well, that's all for this week. Be sure to also check out our World Cup themed tech blog and don't forget to follow all of our ramblings and info dumping via Twitter @SavingsGCapes and @Yasar Savings.