FIFA 13

Gameplay Innovations and Core Modes

FIFA 13 introduced several new features to the franchise's core gameplay. The most significant was the First Touch Control system, which made controlling incoming passes more challenging and realistic, dependent on a player's skill, the pass quality, and the surrounding pressure. The game also expanded its use of motion controls, becoming the first in the series to support the PlayStation Move on PS3 and the Kinect sensor on Xbox 360. The Wii U version, a launch title for that console, offered exclusive touch-based features for shooting by tapping an image of the goal and managing matches in real-time.

Career Mode received substantial updates, allowing managers to take charge of both a club and an international team simultaneously. Managers could select their international squad and decide which club players were available for the next international fixture. The transfer market was enhanced with options for counter-offers and offering players as part of deals. It is important to note that on the iOS platform, the Career Mode was more limited, as players could not manage national teams and could only use money, not players, in transfers.

For online competition, the Seasons Mode pitted players against others of similar skill levels using teams of a similar star rating. Players competed in ten-match seasons, with a specific points target required for promotion to a higher division. The popular FIFA Ultimate Team mode allowed players to build squads from collectible player cards, which came in bronze, silver, and gold tiers with rare variants. Coins earned from matches could be spent on card packs or on the auction house. A major advancement was the release of the FIFA Ultimate Team web app on 18 September 2012, which allowed team management from computers, iPhones, and Android devices.

Licensed Content: Leagues, Teams, and Stadiums

The game boasted an extensive array of licensed content, which EA Sports marketed as the most authentic football experience with 30 of the world's best leagues. It included all leagues from FIFA 12, plus the first-time addition of the Saudi Professional League. The roster of 46 national teams saw the return of the Czech Republic and Paraguay. India, Bolivia, and Venezuela returned to the main series after an 11-year hiatus since FIFA Football 2002. Croatia was removed from the game due to an unsuccessful licensing agreement.

The stadium list featured 26 venues, including two new real ones: Tottenham Hotspur's White Hart Lane and Saudi Arabia's King Fahd International Stadium. A significant omission was FC Barcelona's Camp Nou, which was absent due to a failed licensing deal. It was replaced by a generic stadium called El Libertador. The commentary and presentation saw notable expansions. Sky Sports commentators Martin Tyler and Alan Smith called league matches, while ITV's Clive Tyldesley and Andy Townsend covered cup matches. New voices included Sky Sports reporter Geoff Shreeves as a touchline reporter explaining injury severity, Alan McInally providing live goal updates from other matches, and Mike West reading out the classified results.

Platform Variations and the Legacy Trend

FIFA 13's development quality varied dramatically across platforms. While the PS3, Xbox 360, PC, and new Wii U versions received full updates, the Wii and PlayStation Vita versions were heavily criticized for being minimally updated re-releases. Media analysis showed the Wii version was essentially FIFA 12 with updated club kits and textures, while menu designs and game mechanics remained identical. IGN described the PlayStation Vita version as a cynically re-skinned version of the console's previous title, FIFA Football, which was actually FIFA 12 on Vita. Although it included some new online features, its menus, backgrounds, modes, and core mechanics were largely unchanged.

EA's COO Peter Moore explained the approach for the Wii, stating that year on year, the platform had dropped and they did not make games for it anymore. Reviewers found no such justification for the Vita, as the console was still new. This practice of recycling content for less profitable platforms was formalized in future installments with the introduction of a Legacy Edition label, starting with FIFA 14. The game's demo, released on 11 September 2012, featured playable teams like Borussia Dortmund, Manchester City, Juventus, AC Milan, and Arsenal, and was downloaded a record 1.99 million times within three days.

Critical Reception Across Platforms

FIFA 13 was met with widespread critical acclaim on its primary platforms. It won Sports Game of the Year at the 16th Annual D.I.C.E. Awards. IGN awarded it a 9 out of 10. Reviewers praised its evolutionary improvements, such as the new skill games, though some noted the collision engine could feel unnatural and the Career Mode still somewhat archaic. GameSpot gave it an 8 out of 10, praising skill games but noting a lack of major improvement over FIFA 12. PC Gamer scored it 86 out of 100, calling it an excellent football game but overburdened by features and in need of real innovation. The PSP version was also well-received, with Pocket Gamer giving it an 8 out of 10.

Conversely, versions for the Wii, Vita, and 3DS received poor reviews. Official Nintendo Magazine gave the Wii version a 30 percent rating, calling it a shamefully cynical update that brought nothing new. The PlayStation Vita version was criticized as an exact clone of the previous year's game, with a 5 out of 10 from OPM and a 4.0 out of 10 from IGN, who stated EA had chosen not to get behind Sony's handheld. The 3DS edition was criticized for clumsy controls.

Unprecedented Commercial Success

Commercially, FIFA 13 was a major success. It sold over 1.23 million units in the UK within 48 hours, becoming the fourth game to sell over a million copies in its first UK week after several Call of Duty titles. It topped the UKIE charts on all formats. The game sold 4.5 million copies worldwide in its first five days. Within four weeks, sales reached 7.4 million units, making it the biggest video game launch of 2012 and the biggest sports video game launch of all time according to Electronic Arts. By May 2013, total sales had climbed to 14.5 million copies, confirming its status as a blockbuster.

Cover Art and Regional Distribution

Lionel Messi featured on the standard North American cover, with St James' Park in Newcastle as the background, marking the first time since FIFA Soccer 2003 that the North American version had a single cover athlete. Other regions received location-based covers featuring Messi alongside a local star player. EA Sports also offered special downloadable cover art for Major League Soccer, featuring Chris Wondolowski, Fredy Montero, Tim Cahill, and Darren Mattocks. Team-specific downloadable covers were available for each MLS club. Due to distribution arrangements, localised covers were not available on Nintendo platforms in the Middle East and Poland, as Nintendo of Europe had no localisation offices there, and distribution was handled by third-party companies importing North American or pan-European editions.