Whoa! It looks like EA got caught with their pants down again.

Telegraph UK posted an interview with FIFA 14 producer Kantcho Doskov explaining “there will be no easy goals in FIFA 14″.

FIFA 14 has developed more realistic player controls, which more closely mimic pitch action.

“The improved locomotion technology allows the user to have the responsiveness they had in previous year but also allows for the visuals to really stay true to football,” Kantcho Doskov says. “You can’t just sprint and stop on a dime, it really takes time, as in real life, to slow down and speed up.”

Errors when shooting were another focus for improvement.

“Often it wasn’t clear why that shot went off and now with the new animations it’s more obvious, the animations now show the reasons why there was error on the shot and you can see clearly why it happened,” Mr Doskov explains. “It really matters how the players adjust their stride to make the shot now. With the realistic footplanting, every step counts, it forces you to think a bit in advance.”

FIFA 13 faced critisism last year for not being intelligent enough. Mr Doskov said a lot had been done to improve on this front.

“We have tightened up our marking, you won’t just be able to turn and shoot and get an easy shot on goal. When you do reach that perfect strike it will be much more rewarding,” he said.

FIFA 14 is released on September 27th for Playstation 3, Xbox 360 and PC.

Empty Promises

It’s nice to see EA cares about the ease of scoring but shooting is always super easy every year in FIFA. The biggest problem isn’t the turn and shoot feature.

The problem is the shot ratings and goalkeeper reactions.

I’ve scored rocket shots with Freddy Adu who is rated 68  with only 67 shot power. His shot is more powerful than Fernando Torres in FIFA 13.

So EA needs to refocus on making the shot ratings more realistic because great goal scorers turn and shoot in an instant.

Need proof? Watch this:

So what can EA do to actually improve things?

• Change default difficulty – Many people start playing the FIFA series on semi-pro and think it’s easy to score. Make semi-pro LIKE a semi-pro. Semi-pro level footballers in UK especially are really good. An actually semi-pro competes on a weekly basis except they hold a regular job or go to university. EA semi-pro mode is a joke. Even your mother could score against you! So please fix this, EA.
• Drop the shot power, finishing ratings and shooting – I know it sounds crazy but this game needs an extra level of difficulty to improve
• Improve GK skill – Let’s face it: All GK rated under 80 suck so bad. It’s just shocking! EA should make the GK better and make the strikers worse.
• Add Fluke Shots – Every great player misses horribly from time to time. Even the smallest touch from a defender can send your shot in the worst direction. Add this to FIFA 14.

Easy Goals Sell Video Games

Please understand that EA wants to keep things arcade-like to attract a bigger audience every year because they have shareholders who demand increasing profits.

EA makes a lot of money with ultimate team coins, add-ons, etc. However, I think it’s silly to pretend to improve shooting when things pretty much stay the same.

If you feel that EA should improve shooting or not, then leave your thoughts in the comments. Was scoring too easy in FIFA 13? I certainly think so.

Will FIFA 14 become harder to score? hahaha doubtful.

Ea has made great strides since FIFA 10 where any and everything scored. Now, let’s make another bold step into 3D gaming with more realistic shooting and human-like shot ratings!

Or Will FIFA 14 Stay the Same?

It’s official. EA has released the FIFA 14 official trailer for your viewing pleasure. Summer is here and it’s time to take a closer peak at the upcoming FIFA 14 video game.

Honestly, FIFA 14 looks very similar to FIFA 13 in most aspects. Dribbling, passing, shooting, trapping, and defending look the same.

The only FIFA 14 new features shown in the trailer are:

• Protect the ball – EA added new animations and made ball protecting more realistic. We can remember a moment when shielding the ball and how it’s completely unpredictable. EA mimics this fact in the upcoming game.
• Real Ball Physics – Ball movement has been greatly improved and now your shot is harder for GKs to stop. The new ball swerve looks cool and finally your friends will struggle to save your shots using manual goalkeeper. Definitely a life saver!

Of course, this is only the gameplay trailer and new trailers for Career mode, Ultimate Team, Be a Pro will probably be released later this summer.

Until then, I will continue playing FIFA 13 Ultimate team and rack up as many fifa coins as possible. It’s your last chance to win all the Ultimate Team trophies so started earning those coins and fill your trophy cabinet.

Post Your Thoughts on the new FIFA 14 Official Trailer

Post a comment and tell me what you think about the trailer.

Got any FIFA 13 problems? Now it’s your turn to ask your questions in the comments.

Please comment if you need help on the following things:

• shooting
• passing
• dribbling
• skill moves
• defending
• achievements
• ultimate team
• coin making
• manager mode
• seasons
• pack opeing
• heading
• corner kicks
• penalty kicks
• winning more matches

If you need some answers, then tell us what’s bugging you. Hopefully I can help!

Are you excited about FIFA 14? FIFA 14 will have lots of cool new features including:

• Pure Shot
• Real Ball Physics
• Protect the Ball
• Team Intelligence
• Out Muscle Opponents
• Sprint dribble turns
• 2nd chance tackles
• Curling lofted through balls
• New skill game mode

MattHDgamer uploaded a helpful FIFA 14 new features video explaining a lot of the latest additions:

To follow all the new latest FIFA 14 features and news, be sure to check out our FIFA 14 forums on a daily basis.

What new FIFA 14 features do you want to see?

Was your FIFA Ultimate Team account hacked? Did you lose all your players and coins?

I have noticed this trend increase A LOT as FIFA becomes more and more popular with the average gamer. If you are a veteran gamer like myself, then you know how rare hacking was during FIFA 09 and FIFA 10.

Gamers now spend big money on the FIFA series, which unfortunately attracts some of the worst scum on Earth into our beloved niche.

Youtube is especially responsible for a lot of the hacking because it’s so easy to create a spam video and steal your coins and players.

If your account was hacked, then here’s a quick tutorial on how to contact EA and recover your stolen coins ASAP.

How to Contact EA if you were hacked

A big thanks to forum member Usain Bolt FC for this huge tip on how to contact EA. If you join our FIFA forums, then you will know about important information like this before it features on the blog.

1. Call the official EA Sports phone number in the United States: +1 (650) 628-4322
2. Ask to be transferred to the FIFA department
3. Tell them you got hacked and you want all the coins you lost back. If your player got stolen, then ask for the fair marketvalue of the lost player.

It takes 21 business days i believe, for them to look into the matter and make sure a scam did take place. Be sure to gather as much information as possible so you help EA solve the matter fast.

How to Protect Your Accounts from Hackers, Spammers & Scammers

After you contact EA, you need to learn how to protect your accounts from these lowlife internet thugs in the first place.

Ultimate Team UK posted a good article on this and I will repost the basic tips here:

Your Account

Yep your account – no one else’s, so whether it’s your PSN, Xbox live or FUT app account don’t share your log in details including password or secret question with ANYONE (although starting out with best intentions people can blurt things out without thinking and details can fall into the wrongs hands).

One thing is for sure, no official organisation (including EA) will ever ask you for personal log in details and if ‘they’ do whether it be by email, phone, PSN, Xbox live or face to face etc you can be certain it is a scam!

Password / secret question

Sounds obvious but don’t make your password or secret question guessable i.e. using your birth date, house No. or names of pets etc. Include letters (upper and lower case) and numbers but be as random and as private to you as possible!

Beware of fake sites!

Websites have now been set up to try and trick you into entering your username, password and security question. These websites can often look identical / very similar to the FUT web app so make sure you are on the official EA website when logging into the web app! (Official Website: http://www.ea.com/fifa-ultimate-team).

Don’t be tempted to buy coins or ‘duplicate’ players!

The chances are that if you buy coins at some point you will run into a scammer, it’s not worth the risk! It’s far better to spend your time improving your FUT 13 skills, building your coin total up by doing well in tournaments and also some clever buying and selling.

Duplicating players CANNOT be done! Ignore all offers and websites claiming they can do this for you!

Source: How to stop your FUT 13 account from being hacked!

Please Share This Article on Facebook

Please share this article on Facebook with your friends to help them avoid this terrible problem. You really need to be careful when dealing with people online, especially those who make BOLD promises.

If you never shared your information with anyone, you can still get your FUT account hacked.

People are sick and tired of the scams and are even considering to play Pro Evolution Soccer (PES) instead of FIFA.

Check out this true story posted on Ultimate FIFA:

I was hacked last night. i didnt give my details out to any of these sites and that. i just logged off before i went to sleep, and when i woke up, all my players were gone. i dont know why EA let this happen. they should seriously try and fix it, because i know it is affecting people everywhere. I had about 200,000 coins worth of players and 50,000 in coins. All of which, are gone. all i was left with was a bronze manager contract. Anyway, i hope EA fix it before FIFA 14 because i am seriously considering PES.

Source: Stop Your Ultimate Team Account from Getting Hacked

This is a serious problem and I will do everything I can to help you get your coins back. Share this article on Facebook if you want to help stop hacks, scams, phishers, liars, cheats, and overall scum on FIFA 13 and beyond forever.

Want to make money playing FIFA 13? Microsoft and Virgin Gaming have joined forces to launch competitive tournament gaming to FIFA 13 gamers via the Xbox Live Dashboard.

They released the Xbox 360 Tournaments app yesterday and it’s available for download. After signing up for a Virgin Gaming account, Xbox Live Gold subscribers will now be able to browse, enter, play in and track tournaments right from their console.

Virgin enables in-game reporting of match results, a skill ranking system, secure payment, and customer support. So far, Virgin Gaming has more than 2 million players and sponsors including NOS Energy Drink, Ford, Kia, and Dr Pepper.

MTV posted an interview with Virgin gaming:

“Competitive online gaming is increasingly becoming an important component of the video games industry, and the Xbox Tournaments app allows us to bring engaging tournaments to a large and lively community,” said Virgin Gaming president and co-founder Virgin Gaming. “The new app on Xbox LIVE delivers unparalleled accessibility for gamers to compete in their favorite games like never before.”

The first games appearing in the app include “Madden NFL 13,” “FIFA 13,” “NHL 13″ and “NBA 2K13,” and players will be able to compete in three-round, free-entry tournaments designed for “all skill levels.” Beginning today, players will also be able to participate in free head-to-head challenges to hone their skills for upcoming cash-play. Virgin says additional games and features will be added in the coming months.

To kick things off, Virgin Gaming is hosting a $100,000 tournament and leaderboard challenge between April 9th and May 6th. All of the participants that win all three tournament rounds or climb the ranks of the leaderboard will win a portion of the cash prize.

This is huge for the FIFA series industry and means there will be more opportunities in the future for you to earn money playing FIFA online.

Here’s How to Enter The Tourney and Download the App

1. Create a Virgin Gaming Account or login to your existing account
2. Go to your Xbox Live Dashboard and Search for “virgin gaming”
3. Download the 127 MB App
4. Head to Virgin Gaming and Log into your account
5. Enter your Virgin Gaming Email and Password into the Xbox app
6. Select FIFA 13 and start playing!

Here’s a video showing you how to do all of this:

My Opinion on the 100k Tourney

It’s amazing to see how far EA Sports, Microsoft and Virgin gaming have come since I first started blogging back in 2009. Now, you can sit back and make more money playing FIFA online than most 9-5 workers do in one day.

You have to win 3 games in a row, then you get $1 deposited into your gaming account. Also, the 100k will be split between the top players on the leaderboard at the end of the tournament. Virgin Gaming hasn’t revealed what portion of the money the top players will receive.

If you want to check it out, signup for a Virgin Gaming account and enter the $100k Tournament before May 6th.

Wanrap writes:

I need help regarding the best way of attacking style with players having less acceleration and Sprint speed.

Can you please tell me how to get through defenders with such players???

Everybody loves pace. In fact, many people think pace is awfully abused in FIFA 13. and they are right.

I only play with fast players. My entire Ultimate Team, Modupe FC, has only African players. Pace rules because sprint speed and acceleration give you a ridiculous edge.

So what if you want to play with slower players? Here’s the secret: pass and move.

I remember an online match where I lost 4-0 against a very slow La Liga team. My opponent simply passed and moved. I learned a lot during this match. Here’s how you do it.

1. Use 1 or 2 Touch Passing

This is the biggest key. Pass more than you dribble. Fast players can dribble often, but slower players must pretend you are FC Barcelona.

2. Dribble Sideways

Hold LT + RT (L2 +R2) to dribble sideways. Slower players avoid tackles better this way because the fast players run right by you.

3. Pass Back to Defenders

If you feel pressured, just pass the ball backwards. My opponent used his goalie A LOT. And there was nothing I could do even though my team was 10x faster.

4. Hold the Ball instead of Sprinting Ahead

Lay off the sprint and hold the ball up waiting for midfielders for support. Slower players often have higher dribbling and passing right which makes this easy.

5. Own the Possesion

Keep an eye on the possession % in the Match details. Shoot for 60% or higher. Your opponent’s stamina will decrease and won’t bother you much especially in the 2nd half.

Looking for FIFA 13 dribbling tips and tricks? Here is a few quick tips to help you attack better in FIFA 13.

• Pace Control – Hold LT/L2 while dribbling to use pace control. This will slow down your speed and improve your ball control. Great for avoiding defenders in tight spaces or giving yourself more time to attack in the midfield.
• Precision Dribbling – Hold LB/L1 while dribbling to use precision dribbling. This will move your player at a VERY slow pace, almost like a sloth. Be careful though because it’s much harder to avoid defenders because you cannot make any quick movements. I prefer Pace control over precision dribbling.
• Side to Side – Hold LT(L2) + RT(R2) together while dribbling to perform side to side (haha what’s the real name of this move?). This will allow you to dribble sideways and even backwards to avoid oncoming defenders. Great for midfield dribbles or creating space and beating defenders on the wings.
• Shielding – Hold RT(R2) + Left stick to shield the ball. This will put your back to the defender and protect the ball. Great for killing time at the corner flag when the match is almost over.
• Circling – Drag the Left Stick in the circle around the opponent to circle him. Let’s say you have the ball at the penalty box with your ST…you want to dribble around the opponent until he gets out of position so you can shoot. Drag the Left stick in a semi circle from left side to right side while your opponent tries to tackle you. Once he misses, continue moving the Left Stick from Right side around to the left to complete the circle. This gives you a few extra seconds to shoot without passing to a lower rated player. Players like Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Neymar and other highly rated are good for circling.

EA’s Boot Room FIFA 13 Dribbling Tutorial

Here’s a good video with more dribbling tips and walkthroughs:

Tip: Remember to Hold down LT/L2

Ball Juggle While Standing
Tap R1 or RB to juggle the ball

Ball Roll Left
You need to hold the right stick towards left

Ball Roll Right
You need to hold the right stick towards right.

Body Feint Right
Flick the right stick towards right.

Body Feint Left
Flick the right stick towards left.

Drag Back While Standing
Flick the left stick downwards.

Stepover Right
Semi rotation of the right stick (from above) clockwise will let you perform this trick.

Stepover Left
Semi rotation of the right stick anti-clockwise (from above) will let you perform this trick.

Reverse Stepover Right
Semi rotation of the right stick (from below) clockwise will let you perform this trick.

Reverse Stepover Left
Semi rotation of the right stick (from below) anti-clockwise will let you perform this trick.

Heel Flick
Flick the right stick and then down.

Flick Up
Flick the right stick upwards 3X.

Roulette Right
Rotate the right stick from the bottom, clockwise.

Roulette Left
Rotate the right stick from the bottom, counterclockwise.

Fake Left & Go Right
Rotate the right stick from left to right.

Fake Right & Go Left
Rotate the right stick from right to left.

Heel to Heel Flick
Flick the right stick up and then immediately down.

Simple Rainbow
Flick the right stick down once and then two times up.

Advanced Rainbow
Flick the right stick down, then hold up for a moment and flick up.

Feint Left & Exit Right
Rotate the right stick from left to right

Feint Right & Exit Left
Rotate the right stick from right to left.

Scoop Turn Left While standing/Heel chop Left While Standing
Pull the right stick (diagonally) towards the bottom left twice for this move.

Scoop Turn Left While Standing/Heel Chop Right While Standing
Pull the right stick (diagonally) towards the bottom right twice for this move.

Sombrero Flick While Standing
Flick the right stick upwards twice and then downwards.

Turn & Spin Left
Flick the right stick upwards and then left quickly.

Turn & Spin Right
Flick the right stick upwards and then right quickly.

Fake Ball Roll Left While Standing
Hold right stick towards right and then flick it towards left.

Fake Ball Roll Right While Standing
Hold right stick towards left and then flick it towards right.

Rabona Fake (Not easy)
Circle/X then cross/A while moving the left stick downwards.

Elastico Chop Left (Timing is important)
Flick the right stick downwards and then towards left.

Elastico Chop Right
Flick the right stick downwards and then towards left.

Laces Flick Up
Press L2/LT while holding R1/RB.

Sombrero Flick Backwards (Harder than it sounds)
Hold the left stick downwards.

Sombrero Flick Left
Hold the left stick towards left.

Sombrero Flick Right
Hold the Right Stick towards right.

Around the World (360)
Rotate the right stick at 360 angle clockwise or anti-clockwise.

Hop the World
Hold L3 (left stick) while rotating the right stick 360 clockwise or anti-clockwise.

In Air Elastico (Difficult)
Flick the right stick towards right and then immediately towards left.

Flick Up For Volley
Move the left stick upwards.

Chest Flick
By moving the left stick up, hold L3 and press R3 three times.

Turn Around the World
Rotate the right stick 360 clockwise or antic-clockwise and then flick up.

Before I go on with my tips, I want to say one more thing; the purpose of a skill move is not to score every time. It is to gain space and green grass from a defender in order to give you a better chance to score. So use these, but know their purpose.

FIFA 13  Skill Moves Video Tutorial

Freeman’s Top 5 Tips

1.) Know your player- Be careful who you use some skill moves with, obviously Ronaldo or Messi will be better on the higher level skills than almost all defenders. Don’t try to get too fancy with the wrong player, the turnover could result in a goal.

2.) Timing is everything- When dashing down the sidelines or take someone on 1-on-1, timing the skill move is crucial. I suggest baiting your defender into making the first move, therefore they will be off-balance or will be lunging when you make your move.

3.) Keep the skill in the front half- There really is no need to do much of any skill moves in the back half of the field. For one, the defenders aren’t as skillful and secondly, it can lead to more turnovers and more breakaways for the opponent.

4.) In the Box- When you are coming into the 18 is a good time to use a spin move or agile move. Lots of times, the defender will come to you at the box and try and take the ball, if you time it right to where your player is spinning when the opponent is tackling, you can draw many pks.

5.) Don’t be an idiot- No need to show off, trying to much at the wrong time or attempting to embarrass your opponent only gives you more chances of giving up the lead or if you don’t have a lead, going down to start the game. Use these skills at the right time.

That is all I have today friends, as always, you can reach me at my personal email, freean01@luther.edu.

Thanks

Andy Freeman

What the heck is going on EA?

Lately, I’ve been receiving a TON of e-mails asking me how to fix bugs & errors in FIFA 13.

EA offers Live chat support but apparently many gamers don’t know how to contact EA. If you send them a normal message or e-mail, you will never receive a reply. So here’s how to contact them via Live chat.

1. Go to EA Help Center
2. Click the FIFA 13 cover (featuring Messi)
3. Select your gaming platform
4. Find the Live Chat button

I used the Live Chat feature about 1 week ago because I got locked out of my FIFA 13 Ultimate Team web app. They fixed the problem in a few minutes.

As of writing this, I cannot find the Live Chat button. Maybe EA took it down or they hide it somewhere.

Anyway, I will update this blog post once I receive more informtion on what happened!