EA Details Improved AI, Set Pieces and More

"The producer (David Rutter) told the latest issue of OPM UK that EA has an "enormous shopping list" of improvements it wishes to make in its new game - and specified a few areas that the studio's already working on.

"I think we did a great job with the Personality Plus feature [in FIFA 11," he said, "but the the teams [AI] doesn't support that quite as much as it should.

"As an example, a team doesn't spot that if Peter Crouch in the area, they can lay a load of high balls onto his head."

Rutter also revealed that set pieces are getting a complete overhaul, and that EA isn't happy with interruptive in-game loading screens.

"Set-pieces are still a bit lame," he candidly admitted. "I get frustrated by not being able to do quick throw-ins, not being able to quickly select my free-kick takers, on the fly stuff. We're somewhat last-gen in the way the game cuts [before those things]."
Player Stories and 'Match Day Atmosphere' on Improvements List

"He commented: "I think 'matchday atmosphere' is something we need to invest in."

When told that the PSM3 team create their own stories for individual players throughout PES's Master League, Paterson added:

"I think the idea of creating stories throughout the year is something we're very interested in as well.

"It's about creating a football world you immerse yourself in, thing like, you know, the Rooney story [when he said he want to leave Man Utd and then signed a new contract]. [That's] definitely interesting to us.

"Things to do while the transfer window's closed is certainly something that we're looking at."