April 11, 2006

EA’S 2006 FIFA World Cup Music Soundtrack Sets the Stage for Soccer Glory

Turn up the music, raise your hands and voices and join the celebration! Electronic Arts today revealed the 35 songs that will usher in the 2006 FIFA World Cup™. In EA’s 2006 FIFA World Cup™ true soccer champions will step onto the pitch to play their heroes in a pixel-perfect emulation of the real world where their favorite superstar players move just as they do in real life, the stadiums are rendered to photo-realistic excellence and adrenaline-pumping music fills the air.

Steve Schnur, Worldwide Executive of Music at EA commented, “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.”

Through mass exposure to soccer fans, the following 35 songs will become synonymous with the 2006 FIFA World Cup Germany worldwide. This one-of-a-kind mix of music is available exclusively at www.ea.com/2006fifaworldcup. Soccer, videogame and music fans can visit the site to listen to streaming music clips, learn more about the bands and get details about the videogame.

Players step into the heart of the action to take on their favorite team or most loathed opponent. Featuring stunning visual representations of the world’s superstar players, gamers will experience the 12 official stadiums as they lead their team from qualification to World Cup glory. In addition to controlling one of 127 national teams, players will enjoy the groundbreaking new play modes. Global Challenge tests even the biggest soccer fanatic by recreating classic moments in FIFA World Cup history using modern teams. True champions can challenge their friends in eight-way multiplayer matches and take advantage of tremendous in-game un-lockable content such as legendary players and exclusive soccer apparel.

EA has also released a Q&A with Steve Schnur, Worldwide Executive of Music at EA.

What is special about the 2006 FIFA World Cup in-game soundtrack?
Every year, our FIFA soundtrack becomes one of our most anticipated challenges. How can we top previous editions’ music choices and still connect with the game’s international fans? For this new WC edition, we’ve spent nearly 12 months putting together an unprecedented collection of tracks from more than 20 countries around the world. It is truly a groundbreaking selection of energy-fueled songs that we think is the greatest international soundtrack ever.

How is the 2006 FIFA World Cup soundtrack different from other game soundtracks?
The soundtrack of every game – in essence, its audio personality – is as distinctive as the games themselves. As any player can tell you, the sounds of, for example, FIFA vs SSX vs Burnout are all different.

At EA, the music we choose must drive the game while enhancing the gaming experience. It’s that simple…and that strategic. All EA Game music is specifically designed to maximize the emotional lift needed to create even greater gameplay. The music we choose must have the ability to make you want to run faster, board better, charge the goal harder. This year, our FIFA WC soundtrack leans heavily towards uniquely up-tempo international pop. Our sole purpose is to have gamers discover their next favorite band through the experience of FIFA World Cup.

How do you pick the songs? Please describe the selection process.
When it comes to new music, our objective is to act locally but think globally. My staff and I all come from similar A&R and music marketing backgrounds. We all listen to a lot of music. We see a lot of bands. We track online communities and independent scenes all over the world. Most importantly, we seek input from EA’s global offices to ensure that their country’s most exciting new acts will be represented and will be appreciated by music fans in other nations. In other words, the music must ‘travel’. We then work with record labels, publishers and artists often more than a year in advance to ensure that the music in our games will always matter.

Who are the break-out artists in the soundtrack?
This year, we’re tremendously excited about Mattafix from the UK, Ivy Queen from Puerto Rico, Lady Sovereign from the UK, KES from Trinidad and especially a track by Brazil’s legendary Sergio Mendes featuring The Black Eyed Peas.

Who have been the big breakout artists on FIFA games in the past?
We’re enormously proud of the role FIFA has had in breaking many major artists around the world. Avril Lavigne was first introduced to European audiences via FIFA 2003. The Ceasars, Tribalistas, Wir Sind Heldend and Kasabian were first heard in FIFA 2004. Our 2005 soundtrack featured the earliest appearances of Franz Ferdinand, Marcelo D2 and Scissor Sisters. Last year, we introduced Bloc Party, Damian Marley and Nine Black Alps. And our hopes for big breakout artists from this year’s game are equally exciting.

How can we buy the soundtrack?
Our 2006 FIFA World Cup soundtrack exists not as an album to be sold, but as a fully interactive event for new artists to reach new audiences of music fans and gamers alike!

2006 FIFA World Cup, developed by EA Canada in Vancouver, B.C., is scheduled to ship on the PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system, the Xbox® and Xbox 360™ video game systems from Microsoft, Nintendo GameCube™, Nintendo DS™, and Game Boy® Advance, PSP™ (PlayStation®Portable) system, PC and mobile. The game is rated is rated “E” (Everyone) by the ESRB.

del.icio.us | Digg This | Glink It

---