FIFA, EA and SCEA – in their search for the best virtual soccer player in North America – have announced two live qualifying events of the FIFA Interactive World Cup 2009 (FIWC) in the region as well as an online competition. This will lead to a final in New York City where one gamer will win the North American championship and move on to the world tournament.

The best virtual player in the world will receive the $20,000 first place prize. There are two live regional tournaments and a national final in the region. The west regional will take place on March 7 in Santa Monica, CA, and the east regional is scheduled for March 21 in Baltimore, MD.

Entrants in each final will compete for a prize package valued at $2,000 and the chance to move to the final. Additionally, the online qualifying tournament will run from February 12 to March 5.

Football Manager 2009, the latest installment in the long-running football simulation series, has launched today along with a day-one patch that updates the game to v9.1.0 (build 26064).

Patch notes can be found in this forum topic. The patch itself can be downloaded from our very own Rapidshare link using a download manager.

Making the game even more international than usual, EA Sports today announced that all 14 international commentary packs in FIFA 09 will be available for download free on both PlayStation Network and Xbox LIve.

Fans worldwide can download the packs and experience commentary from different commentators all over the world. These packs were previously region-specific. It is not known why EA decided to release them for free.

Language – Commentator’s Names
English Andy Gray Martin Tyler
French Herve Mathoux Franck Sauzée
Italian Giuseppe Bergomi Fabio Caressa
German Tom Bayer Sebastian Hellman
Spanish Paco González Manolo Lama
Mexico Perro Bermúdez Ricardo Pelaez
Dutch Youri Mulder Evert Ten Napel
European Portuguese David Carvalho Hélder Conduto
Hungarian Richard Faragó István B. Hajú
Russian Yuri Rozanov Vasily Solojov
Swedish Glenn Hysén Henrik Strömblad
Czech Bosák Jaromír Petr Svěcený
Polish Włodzimierz Szaranowicz Dariusz Szpakowski
Brazilian Portugese Paulo Vinícius Coelho Nivaldo Prieto

An additional English commentary pack featuring Andy Townsend and Clive Tyldesley is also available for download for $4.99.

Sega Europe sent out word that Football Manager 2008 will be released for the Xbox 360 this Spring. The upcoming installment in the renowned sports simulation series has been developed by Sports Interactive and is fully updated for the new season, including transfers being made in the mid-season stransfer window, allowing players to select their favorite club or international team and guide them to the title.

The game, as expected, will feature online play via Xbox Live, allowing players to challenge friends to one-on-one matches and even host tournaments. Football Manager 2008 will kick in to stores on March 28.

This forum post on the BeyondUnreal forums offers a look at changes planned for the first patch for Unreal Tournament 3, offering fixes in almost every part of the game. No release schedule was offered though.

In actual patch releases, a v8.0.1 update for Football Manager 2008 was released for both PC and Mac versions of the game. Grab them from Gamer’s Hell and Strategy Informer.

The full FIFA 08 soundtrack has been announced. This time around, the game will feature over 50 artists representing 27 countries. FIFA 08 marks the debut of new artists like The Hoosiers (UK), Babamars (France), Bodyrox (UK) and Santogold (USA).

So, without further ado, here’s the full list:

1. !!! – All My Heroes Are Weirdos
   
2. Apartment – Fall Into Place
   
3. Art Brut Direct Hit – It’s A Bit Complicated
   
4. Aterciopelados Paces – Oye
   
5. Babamars – The Core
   
6. Bodyrox feat. Luciana – What Planet You On?
   
7. Bonde do Role – Solta O Frango
   
8. CAMP – From Extremely Far Away
   
9. Carpark North – Human
   
10. CeU – Malemolencia
    
11. Cheb i Sebbah – Toura Toura: Nav Deep Remix
    
12. CSS – Off The Hook
    
13. Datarock – Fa-Fa-Fa
    
14. Digitalism – Pogo
    
15. Disco Esemble – We Might Fall Apart
    
16. Dover – Do Ya
    
17. Heroes & Zeroes – Into The Light
    
18. Ivy Queen – Que Lloren
    
19. Junkie XL – Clash
    
20. Jupiter One – Unglued
    
21. Kenna – Out of Control (State of Emotion)
    
22. K-Os – Born To Run
    
23. La Rocca – Sketches (20 Something Life)
    
24. Lukas Kasha – Love Abuse
    
25. Madness feat. Sway and Baby Blue – I’m Sorry
    
26. Maximo Park – The Unshockable
    
27. Melody Club – Fever Fever
    
28. Mexican Institute of Sound (MIS) – El Microfono
    
29. Modeselektor feat. Sasha Perera – Silikon
    
30. Hello Mom! – Germany
    
31. Noisettes – Don’t Give Up
    
32. Pacha Massive – Don’t Let Go
    
33. Peter Bjorn and John – Young Folks
    
34. Planet Funk – Static
    
35. Robyn Bum Like You
    
36. Rocky Dawuni – Wake Up The Town
    
37. Santogold – You Will Find A Way
    
38. Simian Mobile Disco – I Believe
    
39. Superbus – Butterfly
    
40. Switches – Drama Queen
    
41. The Automatic Automatic – Monster
    
42. The Cat Empire – Sly
    
43. The Hoosiers – Goodbye Mr. A
    
44. The Hours – Ali In The Jungle
    
45. The Tellers – More
    
46. Tigarah – Culture, Color, Money, Beauty
    
47. Travis – Closer
    
48. Tumi And The Volume – Afrique
    
49. Vassy – Wanna Fly
    
50. Wir Sind Helden – Endlich Ein Grund Zur Panik
    
51. Yonderboi – Were You Thinking Of Me?

With the game due out next month, Konami released further details regarding PES 2008, the highly anticipated entry in the football series. Here’s the whole deal:

Following the announcement of Cristiano Ronaldo as the European face of the new game, Konami has also extended the number of officially licensed national and club teams in the game. PES 2008 will boast more licenses than ever before, with Brazil, Portugal, Greece, Scotland and Ireland amongst the new officially licensed National teams on offer. Similarly, the roster of licensed club teams has also been bolstered, with Newcastle, Tottenham, RSC Anderlecht, HJK Helsinki, IFK Goteborg, Panathinaicos, Spartak Moscow, Fenerbache, NK Dinamo Zagreb and FC Basel amongst those added to the ranks.

The new licensed club sides join the likes of Juventus Turin, AC Milan, Celtic, Porto and more, and demonstrate Konami’s commitment to adding the world’s greatest teams to what is regarded as the most realistic football game for any system. The new teams also combine to ensure PES 2008 has over 3000 licensed players realistically replicated within the game, and over 250 teams.

PES 2008 will mark a quantum leap forward for the Pro Evolution Soccer series. An all-new AI system entitled Teamvision has been designed to actively monitor the player’s onscreen movements and adapt accordingly. This means players cannot resort to overly-familiar tactics, and forces them to change their movements if they are to pose offensive threats. New set pieces have also been implemented, with players selecting key players to receive free kicks, and tailoring defensive walls to their specific needs. Coupled with a massively enhanced aesthetic upgrade that includes facial animation and shirts creasing, plus an extensive edit mode, and PES 2008 is already shaping up to retain its footballing crown.

PES 2008 will be released for PS2, PSP, PS3, Xbox 360, PC and DS this October.

The Unreal Engine is now being used in almost every sort of game, including sports. Nerjyzed Entertainment, an African-American owned company, has announced Black College Football Experience, a football game that will be powered by Unreal Engine 3. The game will put players into the heart of black college football, featuring more than 40 teams, bands and mascots; interactive halftime shows, realistic stadiums; play-by-play commentary; and ten authentic Classics.

BCFx will be supported by a 12-week promotional road tour to HBCU campuses, Classics and homecoming games. It will be available for PC this November.

FIFA, EA and SCEE have announced the new season of the FIFA Interactive World Cup, the world’s only officially FIFA sanctioned global football gaming competition. Participants across the world will compete using FIFA 08 on the PS3.

The tournament will kick off early in October 27 and will culminate in the Grand Final in Berlin’s Sony Centre in May 2008. This year, players will be able to compete at one of more than 20 physical FIWC 08 Qualifier Events across the globe or online via the PlayStation Network in over 25 countries. Finalists will compete to be crowned the ultimate champion and win a cash prize of USD 20,000.

Interested players can find more details and register on the tournament’s official website.

At GC, Konami announced that it will be bringing its Pro Evolution Soccer series to the Wii, with a bespoke version of the game being developed for release on the platform in 2008.

Expected early next year, the Wii version of PES will offer the same level of realism that has become the hallmark of the series. It will make full use of the console’s motion-sensitive controllers, offering total control of every aspect of the players and their movements both on and off the ball.

“We are extremely keen to introduce PES to as wide a selection of football fans as possible, and the Wii and its unique abilities are a perfect fit,” commented Jon Murphy, Pro Evolution Soccer Team Leader for Konami. “The potential for PES on the format is enormous, and we look forward to a very exciting start to 2008.”

EA has unveiled plans for a new feature called Be a Pro: Online Team Play that will enable ten people anywhere in the world to connect online and play a single match of FIFA 08. The new feature will be offered as a free downloadable feature six to eight weeks after the game ships to stores for both the PS3 and Xbox 360. FIFA 08 will be available in Europe on September 28 and in North America on October 9.

Be A Pro: Online Team Play is the evolution of a new play mode featured in FIFA 08 called Be A Pro that locks you into the role of a single, fixed player the entire game and challenges you to master the same disciplines as a real football player-from positioning and tackling to reading the field and passing. Users receive real time feedback and analysis on the fly and a unique camera angle keeps both player and action in focus, zooming in when you’re on attack. Now in Be A Pro: Online Team Play, up to five friends on different consoles will be able to select and take control of their own individual players on the same team, supported by AI teammates, to play against up to five rivals of another team. Alternatively, online users can select to play with free roaming players, and teams can have a combination of both.

Additionally, the online feature set in the game includes Interactive Leagues where players represent their clubs online against rivals throughout the season in the F.A. Premier League, Bundesliga, French League or Mexican 1st Division. It also features weekly in-game podcasts by the development team.

FIFA 08 is also in development for the PC, PSP, Wii, DS and mobile.

EA and The Weather Channel Interactive jointly announced that the recently released NCAA Football 08 features the ability to experience real-time weather conditions and updates through a service provided by the latter. It will take weather data from the weather forecasting service to reflect accurate, real-time weather conditions at NCAA stadiums.

“This is a long-awaited feature for gamers – it is the first sports game we know of where actual current weather conditions will affect weather conditions in the game,” said Derek Van Nostran, director of marketing for The Weather Channel Interactive. “The Weather Channel Interactive welcomes this opportunity to work with EA Sports to bring an extra dose of realism to the game.”

The Weather Channel provides a custom weather data feed to EA Sports for each stadium location. Every time a player loads a game while logged into the Internet, they have the option to choose real-time weather from the service. The feature has been illustrated below through the screenshots.

NCAA Football 08 is now available in stores for the PS2, PS3, Xbox and Xbox 360.

Football fans can now look forward to Football Manager 2008, an upcoming entry in the footie simulation series, for PC and Mac this Christmas. The latest version will be fully updated for the new season and will allow players to select their favorite club or international team and guide them through Cup matches, Leagues, European Championships and even major international tournaments. It has been improved since the last game, thanks to fan feedback, resulting in over a hundred new features, including a brand new advisory system to help new players through the game.

More information after the jump. The official website also has further details.
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Konami sent out word that Michael Owen, the Newcastle and England striker, will be featured on the UK packaging and promotional materials of Pro Evolution Soccer 2008.

Owen will be featured alongside Ronaldo as they grace the covers of the game which launches on PS3, PS2, PSP, Xbox 360, PC and DS this Autumn.

“Securing Michael Owen is a real coup for Konami,” commented Jon Murphy, Pro Evolution Soccer Team Leader for Konami Digital Entertainment GmbH. “Since he burst on to the scene, he has proven himself an incredible goal-scorer, netting at every level both domestic and international. We are delighted to be working alongside such a talent on PES 2008.”

“PES 2008 is a fantastic game, and the only choice for pro players,” added Michael Owen. “It enjoys a brilliant reputation within many, many players and manages to be a true simulation of football while also being a real laugh to play. I look forward to working closely with Konami in the run up to launch, and being a key part of its development.”

To showcase 2K Sports’ All Pro Football 2K8, the company has announced a coast-to-coast tour that will feature DJ Z-Trip, one of the most celebrated DJs and producers who has also worked on the game’s soundtrack. Joining him for roughly two dozen dates are Aceyalone and Gift of Gab, both of which appear on the game, the CD of remixes, mash-ups and original material that DJ Z-Trip produced for the game.

In addition to the above artistes, Rakim and M-1 are also expected to make guest appearances along the tour route. Tour stops will also include kiosks with the game and a multimedia component to DJ Z-Trip’s performance that integrates some of the game’s most intense plays.

Below are the tour dates:

• Jul 23 Harlow’s Nightclub Sacramento, California
  
• Jul 24 The Independent San Francisco, California
  
• Jul 25 Hawthorne Theatre Portland, Oregon
  
• Jul 26 Last Supper Club Seattle, Washington
  
• Jul 28 Suedes Park City, Utah
  
• Jul 29 Fox Theatre Boulder, Colorado
  
• Jul 31 Logan Square Auditorium Chicago, Illinois
  
• Aug 01 Blind Pig Ann Arbor, Michigan
  
• Aug 02 Middle East Cambridge, Massachusetts
  
• Aug 03 Theatre of Living Arts (Filmore) Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
  
• Aug 04 Sonar Baltimore, Maryland
  
• Aug 05 Highline Ballroom New York, New York
  
• Aug 06 Konkrete Jungle Richmond, Virginia
  
• Aug 08 Higher Ground Burlington, Vermont
  
• Aug 09 Agora Cleveland, Ohio
  
• Aug 12 Shambhala Festival Salmo, British Columbia
  
• Aug 15 House of Blues Los Angeles, California
  
• Aug 16 Rialto Theatre Tucson, Arizona
  
• Aug 18 Elysium Austin, Texas
  
• Aug 19 Granada Theater Dallas, Texas
  
• Aug 21 Sunshine Theatre Albuquerque, New Mexico
  
• Aug 22 Brickhouse Phoenix, Arizona
  
• Aug 23 The Grove Anaheim, California
  
• Aug 25 Southern Comfort Festival San Diego, California