With over 250 additions and enhancements to core gameplay, FIFA 09 on the PS3 system and Xbox 360 deliver an authentic football simulation that enables you to customize the game to suit your style and ability. New animation technology creates more responsive first-time shooting and passing, faster and more controlled dribbling, and improved trapping. New player momentum physics, which exploits the power of these platform engines, delivers realistic player collisions, authentic jostling for the ball, and more variation in tackling.

Rooney and Ronaldinho will also appear as customized Mii characters exclusively for the Wii in FIFA Soccer 09 All-Play. EA SPORTS has created unique versions of each athlete and other cover stars, which will all be playable in-game.

FIFA Soccer 09 marks the fourth year (2006-09) the 22-year-old Rooney has been featured on the cover of the FIFA franchise while the 28-year-old Ronaldinho appears on the FIFA cover for the fifth time (2004/06/07/08/09).

“It is a great honor for me to be part of the FIFA franchise again. Having my own Mii character in the game is just fantastic. Playing with it on the pitch and shooting outrageous goals by simply shaking the controller is football on a new level”, said Ronaldinho.

The two soccer greats will be joined by numerous stars from all over the world on regional packaging, including Franck Ribery and Karim Benzema in France, Daniele De Rossi in Italy, Kevin Kuranyi in Germany, Petr Cech in the Czech Republic and Maurice Edu and Guillermo Ochoa in North America.

Full list of pack athletes:

• UK: Wayne Rooney - Ronaldinho
• North America: Maurice Edu + Guillermo Ochoa - Ronaldinho
• Mexico: Guillermo Ochoa - Ronaldinho
• France: Franck Ribery - Karim Benzema
• Italy: Daniele De Rossi - Ronaldinho
• Spain: Gonzalo Higuaín - David Silva
• Germany: Kevin Kuranyi - Ronaldinho
• Switzerland: Tranquillo Barnetta - Ronaldinho
• Czech Republic: Petr Cech - Ronaldinho
• Hungary: Balázs Dzsudzsák - Ronaldinho
• Ireland: Richard Dunne - Ronaldinho
• Portugal: Ricardo Quaresma - Ronaldinho
• Global: Wayne Rooney - Ronaldinho

For the first time, go inside the game engine to customize the strategy and positioning of your teammates to decide exactly how your team will play in any situation. With new Custom Team Tactics you have all the tools to become a first-team coach. Adjust and customize tactical settings so CPU players and your team perform just like the real-world team plays and make strategic decisions to exploit your opponent’s weaknesses, all on-the-fly. The popular feature innovation Be A Pro has expanded to a career mode called Be A Pro: Seasons where you can choose or create a professional player and then develop his skills at a single outfield position over four years with the ultimate goal of becoming a national legend. The matchday experience is now true-to-life with a referee and linesmen on the pitch. Plus, crowds, stadium atmosphere and commentary have all been regionalized in exact detail.

The Adidas Live Season that will redefine the football videogame experience by dynamically updating player form in-game on a weekly basis so that player attributes mirror real-world performances. FIFA 09 will now feel and play differently throughout the entire 2008-2009 season matching the weekly rhythm of football. The new service will be available for Barclay’s Premier League, La Liga BBVA, Ligue 1, Bundesliga, Serie A and Mexican Primera Division on the PS3, Xbox 360 and PC.

FIFA 09 is now powered with dynamic real-world data and analytics, lifting the game to new heights of authenticity for football fans and gamers connected online. The adidas Live Season service is based on how real players performed in the most recent real-world matches. Gameplay will change dynamically as the performance of players and football teams in the real world experience the highs and lows during their campaigns.

A global network of football scouts will monitor every player in the adidas Live Season leagues throughout the season to supply accurate and in-depth player and team data each week. Player attributes will be impacted and player performance will change dynamically. The adidas Live Season service is downloaded into FIFA 09 each week and will run from the launch of the game to the end of the 2008-2009 season. Gamers will have access to one league of their choice for a free (requires internet connection and subscription to Xbox Live or Playstation Network) trial from the moment they activate it to the end of the 2008-2009 season.

EA has secured an exclusive licensing agreement with the Spanish Liga BBVA and Adelante. The exclusive partnership with the Spanish La Liga grants EA SPORTS sole rights to include every Spanish La Liga club and enables the EA SPORTS FIFA franchise to deliver the most realistic and up-to-date game with current kits, squads and player likenesses.

On the Wii, enjoy FIFA 09 All-Play one of two ways—a Wii-specific take on the authentic ‘11 vs. 11’ simulation or over-the-top ‘8 vs. 8’ arcade action within a stylized environment with Mii™ versions of your favorite superstars, like Ronaldinho and Wayne Rooney. Refined motion and point-and-play controls make playing FIFA 09 All-Play even more intuitive and perfectly balanced for gamers of any ability to enjoy fun, football action. Choose to play the style that best suits your skills from advanced controls for experienced players to new EA SPORTS™ All-Play controls that enables novice players to focus on fun using simplified controls with AI assistance.

FIFA 09 on PC now features leading-edge visuals that deliver graphics that exploit the power of hi-spec gaming PCs, as requested by PC gamers. Star players are featured in photorealistic quality with remodeled likenesses for ultra-realistic gameplay. FIFA 09 on PC also features customizable mouse gameplay controls that deliver deeper, more intuitive command over your squad. Plus, customizable widgets are now integrated into the menu system to connect you to the FIFA community and real-world football so you stay connected while playing FIFA 09.

With 500 new animation sequences and all-new collision and shielding systems—representing the biggest innovations to the multiplatform EA SPORTS football engine in four years— FIFA 09 delivers more responsive, intelligent and realistic physical action on the PlayStation 2 system. The new collision detection system with 360 degree coverage enables players to behave according to their physical attributes where player speed, direction and strength determine everything from the severity of the collision to the outcome of possession. Changes to the animation system reward the skillful gamer during one-on-one situations between attackers and defenders. Tuned acceleration attributes enable swifter virtual players to possess quicker first steps and gain advantage in sprints. Plus, four new skill moves—scoop turns, rainbow flicks, heel-to-heel knocks and ball rolls—give you a total of 32 tricks in your arsenal to perform just like Ronaldinho.

FIFA 09 on the PSP and NDS now include the innovative Be A Pro feature, including the unique Be A Pro camera that re-creates the rush and excitement of racing in on goal, designed exclusively for each system.

FIFA 09 is in development for the PS3, Xbox 360, Wii, PC, PS2, NDS, PSP, and is scheduled for worldwide release this autumn.