The greatest sporting event in the history of the modern age is upon us once again. The earth has revolved one thousand four hundred and sixty times since last  the nations of the earth did battle upon the streamer stained fields of the Orient. Old wounds have rotted, scars have festered and  now a new battleground awaits - Germania. The greatest champions from the four corners will clash once again, glove for glove, boot for boot. For love, for glory, for heart and homeland. Do you have what it takes to be the best? Well... do ya, punk?

We are of course talking here about footy, or "soccer" (depending on what part of the world you're from), specifically EA's recreation of the 2006 FIFA World Cup held this year in Germany. What, you thought it was something important?

             

       

More screens after the jump!

EA released even more screenshots for their title commemorating the world's largest sporting event. 2006 FIFA World Cup will let gamers play in the 12 official stadiums that will be used in the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany. With a total over 127 teams from around the globe, this title will support eight-way multiplayer matches. The Global Challenge game mode will let you recreate classic moments in World Cup History, and there will even be unlockable content such as exclusive player apparel.

EA really scored a perfect 10 with their latest musical score. They always select the artists/songs, famous or not, that is really suitable for the game theme then blend it superbly - FIFA is no exception. From F4 to Depeche Mode to Black Eye Peas, there is certainly a wide variety of music with a total of 35 songs to boot. Here's what Steve Schnur, Worldwide Executive of EA Music has to say:

"The FIFA World Cup is the most exhilarating, action-packed and emotional sports event in the world. No matter where you are -- London, Munich, Sao Paolo or Tokyo -- unforgettable songs pulsate through the stadiums, flood the streets and fill your heart. That is the spirit that we wanted to capture for the in-game soundtrack in 2006 FIFA World Cup. We have assembled an unparalleled collection of exhilarating music from around the world that guarantees there's something for everyone."

I certainly agree, considering the music, gameplay and graphics, EA's FIFA is one of the best soccer game series around in my opinion. For the complete list of the cuts and artists, follow the full article:

FIFA has long since been a fan favorite when it comes to the sport. FIFA offers incredible visuals and exciting gameplay second to none. In this game you can take control of one of  127 national teams and try your luck at the World Cup Germany. The game has a ton of unlockable content and new gameplay modes, including replaying some of the most historical FIFA moments. Enjoy these amazing new screenshots.

Xbox 360 is about to release its 2006 FIFA World Cup title, if you're a good enough player, they may just add a trip to World Cup in Berlin, Germany as a bonus.

On May 24, about three weeks after the worldwide release of the 2006 World Cup-inspired game, Xbox will grant the two top virtual footballers on the Xbox 360 leaderboard a trip to Berlin, and of course two tickets to a qualifiers match (winners are expected to roam around in Germany searching for Finals tickets of their own). Other prices include an Xbox 360 console, five Xbox 360 games from EA Sports, and $500 worth of Adidas gear. 2006 FIFA World Cup is scheduled to ship to stores on May 2.

However, many gamers, who play the game but doesn't follow the actual sport, are wondering if they could just en cash the price. I don't think that's possible, but I've some advice, I'm sure there a lot of scalpers out there who'll give you a mighty good offer for those tickets.

Xbox, Ledley King, adidas and Electronic Arts launched a nationwide search for gamers to represent the UK at the finals of EA's 2006 FIFA World Cup Xbox Cup gaming competition in Germany this summer. The Xbox Cup is open to all and gives gamers the opportunity to play football in High Definition on the Xbox 360 along side the FIFA World Cup Finals. Ledley King called on gamers to take up the challenge and secure a spot in the three-man UK team that will battle 32 other teams from around the world.  The team that will take on the other nations in the finals will be selected individually as follows:

• Player one will be selected by way of an online leader board competition using EA's 2006 FIFA World Cup on Xbox Live with gamers playing the Xbox 360. This online tournament starts on 28th April, the game's release date.
• Player two will be chosen by a nationwide Powerleague competition
• Ultimate fan will be the winner of an online game at www.xboxcup.com

The winners will fly to Berlin to represent the Queen at the 'adidas World of Football.'

To celebrate Xbox being the Official Licensed Video Game Console of the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Europe, Xbox today announced the launch of the limited edition Xbox 360 – 2006 FIFA World Cup Edition which comes with an exclusively designed faceplate, a copy of the 2006 FIFA World Cup game by EA and a voucher for the Adidas Match Ball of the 2006 FIFA World Cup. The package, the first to be released with Xbox 360 Core System, will be available from 12th May 2006 and will cost £259.99 UKP.


Read More About the FIFA World Cup HERE.

Xbox today teamed up with Ledley King, Adidas and Electronic Arts to launch its search to find gamers to represent the UK in Germany this summer at the finals of the Xbox Cup gaming competition alongside the FIFA World Cup Finals. Ledley King called upon gamers across the country to take up the challenge and secure their place in the team that he hopes will lead the UK to victory in June as 32 teams from across the globe go head to head in EA's 2006 FIFA World Cup at the event finals on the Xbox 360 console.

Ledley King launched the nationwide search at an event in London. Ledley was taking time out from what's been a successful season for Tottenham Hotspur and England to chat about the tournament and his team's chances. The competition is open to all, and gives everyone the chance to book their place in Berlin this summer. The Xbox Cup gives you the opportunity to play football in High Definition on the Xbox 360 along side the FIFA World Cup Finals.

The national team of three will be made up of footy fans and gamers alike with the two gamers being supported by the 'Ultimate Fan.' The team that will come together to take on the other nations in the finals will be selected individually as follows: Player one will be selected by way of an online leader board competition using EA's 2006 FIFA World Cup on Xbox Live with gamers taking each other on playing the Xbox 360. This online tournament will start on 28th April, when the game is released to stores. Player two will be chosen by a nationwide Powerleague competition. Ultimate fan will be the winner of an online game which any one can take part in at www.xboxcup.com and is live from today. Ledley King said "It's great to be involved with the Xbox Cup giving gamers the chance to come out and compete in Germany this summer. Although I really enjoying playing football games to relax between games I don't know about my chances if I had to take on opponents in the Xbox Cup, I think I'm better off on the pitch!"

The winners will fly to Berlin to take part in the once in a lifetime event representing the UK at the 'Adidas World of Football.' The 8500 seat stadium is at the heart of the adidas event park, right in the centre of the action in Platz der Republik and is where the first of its kind next generation tournament will take place. Each winner and a friend will also get tickets to a FIFA World Cup quarter final match courtesy of adidas, along with a load of adidas kit and Xbox 360 console complete with the latest EA games. Runners up in the online competition and Powerleague promotion will also win from a massive stack of Xbox 360 goodies including, adidas limited edition faceplates, special Xbox branded World Cup replica soccer balls and a copy of 2006 FIFA World Cup from EA.

Microsoft Japan has announced that they will be releasing a limited model of the Xbox 360 "Xbox 360 Blue Limited Edition: 2006 FIFA World Cup Official Gaming Console" on April 27. The price will be open to the game stores.

Microsoft has been licensed by FIFA as the official gaming console of 2006 World Cup Germany. The limited model releasing this time is one of the events in the promotion plan connected with the 2006 FIFA World Cup. There will be 10,000 units of this model available in Japan.

The package will be in full blue. Extra goods will be bundled with this package, such as an Xbox 360 game "2006 FIFA World Cup Germany" by EA, a special faceplate in collaboration with Adidas and 2 bandannas made by Adidas.


Users who buy this package will be able to participate in a special campaign, with the chance of winning a 2006 FIFA World Cup replica match ball and sports goods in collaboration with Adidas. To participate, you need to mail the enclosed postcard in the package. The deadline of the event will be the end of June.

The bundled special faceplate will not be sold separately as to our knowledge now.

Electronic Arts Joe Nickolls imparted much about his latest stint with the said company -- 2006 FIFA World Cup. Exuding excitement the minute he started describing the innovations they made to the best-selling title, Mr. Nickolls detailed every added feature and improvement.

When asked about the star-player feature, he said that it was made “to highlight what the stars of the game are capable of”, adding that development were geared to which part of the game a particular player is good at. Like if a player is known to be good at dribbling, then his character in the game is more advanced in dribbling skills. “Players like Ronaldhino from Brazil has his signature 'flip-flop' move when dribbling, Zinedine Zidane from France has the 360 spin etc.” he added.

Regarding the game’s settings, he described them as “quite different”.  According to him, the stadiums, lighting conditions, the grass condition, and the crowds all vary from place to place. Even crowds were created taking the atmosphere in to deep consideration.

One of the features he really was excited about was the historic World Cup games that can be replayed with modern teams. He enumerated some of the World Cup Finals that users will be able to reenact such as England 1966: England won 4-2 over Germany after Extra Time; USA 1994: Brazil won on penalties over Italy; Mexico 1986: Argentina won 3-2 over Germany; Argentina 1978: Argentina won 3-1 over Netherlands after Extra Time.

He also explained the latest and perhaps the most noticeable innovation to the gameplay – shooting. Here’s how it goes in his exact words --“The longer you hold the shoot button down, the higher the angle of the shot. The power and accuracy of your shot is determined by a few things like the ability of the striker shooting, where they are and what foot they take the shot with, what kind of a shooter they are (long shot or a clinical finisher) and their accuracy skill rating.” This was done to make the experience more realistic, it is also aimed at exploiting the superstar element in the game since the World Cup is the gathering of more-skilled footballers.

As a closure, Mr. Nickolls hopes to make every gamer notice the amount of work they’ve put into the title citing that the game “is about 7 times bigger than 2002 FIFA World Cup”, well, for the sake of soccer fans/gamers worldwide (and his job), I hope what he says is true.