FIFA's success 'blurs lines between virtual and real worlds'
0The success of the 'FIFA' video game franchise has helped to "blur the lines between the virtual and real worlds of global football".
David Jackson, a vice-president of EA Sports, acknowledges that the real-world sport will always be more popular, but he thinks the video game industry could have a huge impact on fandom moving forwards.
He told the Daily Telegraph newspaper: "The manner in which the modern football fan engages with their favourite league, team or athlete bears little resemblance to the relationships of even ten years ago.
"As fandom has evolved, football has had to contend with that shift and is playing a little bit of catch-up regarding what truly motivates modern audiences. If a kid growing up in Tokyo or Toronto becomes a PSG fan, it’s unlikely to be because they have visited the Parc des Princes. It’s much more likely that their favourite player plays for PSG and they grew to learn about them partly through FIFA."
The 'FIFA' video game franchise - which was first launched in the 1990s - has already sold 325 million copies and is now available in 21 languages.
EA is currently valued at around £28 billion, meaning it's much more valuable than any sports team in the world.