FIFA 08 scores with Ronaldinho, blesses PS3 & Wii

EA didn't shock the world with its surprise confirmation of FIFA 08 today, but PlayStation 3 and Wii owners might be pleased with the assurance that versions of the soccer sim are in development for their consoles, along with Xbox 360, PS2, PSP, DS, PC, and mobile platforms. A strong marketing initiative appears to be the key feature of this year's iteration, with Barcelona's midfielder and two-time FIFA World Player of the Year Ronaldo de Assís Moreira, or simply Ronaldinho, being brought on as the "center-piece" for the global packaging campaign. From country to country, Ronaldinho will be joined by other carefully selected stars, whose celebrity will help drive predictable profits. But EA claims it's not just paying these footballers for a picture, as several participating athletes will be carefully studied under the lens of a mocap camera deep within a private facility in Barcelona for authentic virtual representation. As for the rest of the league's players? Well, you just can't pay 'em all...

FIFA 08 is being developed by EA Canada in Vancouver and is scheduled for a worldwide release this fall.

Confirmed cover athletes:

• Austria: Andreas Ivanschitz of Panathinaikos FC
• France: Florent Malouda of Olympique Lyonnais & Frank Ribery of Olympique Marseille
• Germany: Miroslav Klose of Werder Bremen
• Spain: Sergio Ramos of Real Madrid
• Switzerland: Tranquillo Barnetta of Bayer Leverkusen

Note: cover stars for the North American and United Kingdom versions will be revealed next month.