EA Sports dropped a fat patch for FIFA 13 on PC on Saturday, fixing a number of issues with the game engine, invisible balls, a few physics-related bugs, and connectivity problems.

Already available on PC, the patch will be coming to the home consoles soon, though dates are yet to be confirmed.

Platforms: PC | PS3 | Xbox 360 (reviewed)

Developers: EA Canada

Publishers: EA Sports

If Konami's mission over the years has been to strive towards giving the player an unprecedented amount of control over the on-pitch action (something that they finally, satisfyingly achieved with this year's iteration), the EA Canada's insanely popular, and vastly more expensive series has always been one aiming to capture the spectacle, the drama - making everything around the player feel utterly authentic.

Two different approaches have produced two very different, and equally impressive games this year. FIFA 12 saw the arrival of the Impact Engine, which had an immediate effect on the way matches played out. Although the physical properties of the players now led to more realistic encounters, too often we'd find games bogged down in the middle of pitch, with players often falling over one another in a heap. Though still not perfect, the amount of swearing at the Impact Engine has gone down with reference to this year's game.

If EA were mainly focused on overhauling the defensive side of things last year, then this year it's all about attack. Indeed, we actually rather wish they'd spent a little bit of time tweaking Tactical Defending to allow players to vary the distance between the oncoming player and the controlled defender, but it's a small quibble. Impressively, the offensive AI has been noticeably improved. Creative options going forward are more varied than ever before, thanks to overlapping wingbacks, teammates moving into channels automatically, bended runs attempting to break the offside trap, and wingers scything into the penalty area on the diagonal. It's still frustratingly difficult to score across the face of goal, but moving the ball around is a joy. And we've not been able to say that about a FIFA game in a long time.

EA Canada have dropped a new developer diary for FIFA 13 dealing with the revamped audio in the new game. Commentary has long been an issue in football games, but the dev team on FIFA 13 are looking to expand the audio with real-life reflections mid-match, sideline reports from concurrent matches, and a Final Score-esque results overview in the career mode menu.

The game drops tomorrow in the US, and this Friday over here.

We're shattering some dreams this afternoon!

Were you hoping that one day in the future, football fans of all platform backgrounds might be able to come together and play in  harmony? Well, you're clearly a shoegazing nutter, and it's time for you to get back to reality, as FIFA executive producer David Rutter has poured cold water all over that beautiful lie of a dream.

Mario Balotelli's Hulk celebration has made it into FIFA 13. A new behind-the-scenes video from EA Sports shows Jay DeMerit and Alain Rochat doing all sorts of nifty things whilst wearing ridiculous mo-cap suits, including pulling a Mario.

We're not sure if Balotelli's legendary strops have made it into the game, mind.

New Modes, Controls & Features

FIFA 13 will be a Wii U launch title, complete with a host of unique features including asymmetrical five-player multiplayer and gamepad functionality.

Goalies sometimes find themselves a little unloved in sports games. Not so in this latest trailer for NHL 13, which focuses exclusively on the Last Man Standing.

The game's out on September 11th in the US on PS3 and Xbox 360, with the European release set for September 13th.

• What: Fifa 12
• Where: ShopTo
• Current Price: £9.85
• Fifa 12 PC Price Comparison
• Fifa 12 Review

I think it's safe to say there's plenty of football going on at the moment, but if you just can't get enough then this might be the deal for you. This one's best enjoyed with a friend and unfortunately if you're playing through by yourself the career mode's not particularly deep. ShopTo are parting with PC copies of the game for £9.85, which should make you a saving of over £5 on the next best offer coming in from Game. Thanks to Syzable @ HUKD.

• What: FIFA Football
• Where: The Hut | Zavvi
• Current Price: £23.95
• FIFA Football PS Vita price comparison
• FIFA Football Review

The Vita’s first footballing effort has managed to retain its price rather well, so this deal from Zavvi and The Hut is a welcome one. The reduction means there is a saving of just over £3 currently available.

Despite lacking some features from the latest home console instalments, FIFA Football demonstrated that a fully-fledged version of the franchise is possible on the Vita. Precision shooting with the rear track pad is incredibly useful once you get used to it, although flailing fingers may make you scream as you unintentionally shoot from the halfway line. Thanks to LJF21 @ HUKD!

Platforms: PC | PS3 | Xbox 360

Developer: EA Canada

Publisher: EA Sports

Having taken a look at the improved Impact Engine, and gotten to grips with Complete Dribbling and First Touch Control, the final instalment in our FIFA 13 spotlight preview miniseries focuses on the changes that EA Canada have been making to the attacking aspects of the game off the ball.

"One of the biggest bits of feedback we got from the community was that they wanted more options in attack," Gameplay Producer Aaron McHardy tells me. "Our focus has been on making things more realistic, and improving the AI to an extent where it will take things into greater consideration and react to ball position, player position, the flow of play, the defensive line, those sort of things."

That all sounds rather nice, but what does it actually mean? Well, we're told that entire chunks of code have been rewritten when it comes to player positioning and the reactions of AI players relative to those around them. Videos of the game's development testing software show off players bending their runs to avoid defenders, looking for gaps, and hunting for space.

One of my own personal grievances with the series for a while has been the headless chicken nature of triggered runs. You tap the left bumper and the players ahead streak off in straight lines, not really mindful of their surroundings. It's something that McHardy admits has been lacking somewhat in the past, and stresses that the team are working to really allow for a fluid attacking game this time around. Part of this, he says, is down to the fact that the AI will now analyse the entire length of a run.

Platforms: PC | PS3 | Xbox 360

Developer: EA Canada

Publisher: EA Sports

In our first FIFA 13 preview we focused on the upgrades that are going to be coming in for the Impact Engine, and their effects on defensive tussling, jostling for possession, contact areas, and fixing a number of issues to do that cropped up in FIFA 12 (and launched a swathe of YouTube compilation vids). Today, it's all about the changes that EA Canada have made to the game engine to shake things up a bit once you're actually on the ball.

The second big buzzword phrase that the developers are touting this year comes in the form of First Touch Control. "When we brought in Tactical Defending last year, it really changed the way you played the game," says Gameplay Producer Aaron McHardy. "You had to think about timing a lot more, when to go in for the tackle, when to shadow and track the player in possession. It was a huge success for us, and we were really grateful for the positive feedback we got from that.

"This time around, we feel that First Touch Control is the game-changing element to FIFA 13."

So what's new? Well, in order to demonstrate, McHardy ran us through a YouTube clip of Ronaldinho taking a 50 yard pass coming in over his shoulder perfectly. "There are only a handful of people in the world that can do that," he says, "and even they would struggle to be consistent under pressure. So what we've tried to do is make ball control a lot more realistic, to factor those skill stats in, as well as the state of play, and create outcomes that are more physically believable."

Platforms: PC | PS3 | Xbox 360

Developer: EA Canada

Publisher: EA Sports

Sat in an auditorium listening to EA Sports pitch FIFA 13, I'm forced to concede a certain amount of admiration for the sheer honesty of the presentation. They didn't have to, of course. FIFA is such a massive force in gaming (one glance at the charts for the last few months will tell you that) that the developers at EA Canada could simply have focused on this year's buzzword-heavy collection of “gameplay innovations”.

But they didn't. Instead they held their hands up and acknowledged that there were a number of things that certainly needed changing from last year's rather revolutionary effort.

Of course, the evidence is there for all to see. The much-touted Impact Engine was erratic at best, and hilarious at its worst, with players often falling over for no good reason, enormous bundles of mannequins forming near the centre circle, referees ignoring hideous fouls or blowing for the slightest bit of friction, and who could forget that kiss?

Now we're allowed to talk about all of the new things EA Canada are planning for FIFA 13! Woooo! Football fans will be pleased to know that a swathe of new buzzword-heavy gameplay features are being planned to try and improve upon last year's defensive upgrades with Attacking Intelligence, Tactical Free Kicks, First Touch Control, and Complete Dribbling all in the mix.

Platforms: PC | PS3 | Xbox 360 (reviewed)

Developer: EA Canada

Publisher: EA Sports

The nature of sports games, with annual seasons, transfer updates, and the quest for better and more brilliant ways to capture the various games that captivate crowds around the globe, is one of an iterative nature. These are games that release every twelve months, with fresh new rosters, fresh new features (hopefully), and a fresh coat of paint. Of course, when special events roll around, we've seen that yearly trend bucked, with full games released mid-season.

Such happenings have been somewhat controversial in the past, with specific games and full releases for the European Championships and World Cups dating back over two decades. More often than not, changes seemed almost entirely cosmetic, and detractors cried foul for being made to pay full price for what seemed like little more than a makeover.

But we should perhaps be careful what we wish for.

• What: Fifa Street (2012)
• Where: ShopTo (Xbox 360 | PS3)
• Current Price: £24.85 With Code
• Voucher Code: MCVWINNERS
• Fifa Street (2012) Xbox 360 Price Comparison
• Fifa Street (2012) PS3 Price Comparison
• Fifa Street Review

Fifa Street is a pretty good game, it's just a shame it's not a great one. Offensive play is where this one shines, but sadly the defence is incredibly poor which'll more than likely lead to you shouting a long list of obscenities at your screen. With the MCVWINNERS voucher code you can get a copy of the game on the 360, or the PS3, for £24.85 which should save you £3 on the next best offer out there.

• What: FIFA Football
• Where: ShopTo
• Current Price: £26.86
• Voucher Code: MCVWINNERS
• FIFA Football Price Comparison
• FIFA Football Review

Flushed with success at last night's MCV Awards, ShopTo has unleashed a nifty little voucher code that gives us £3 off a £20 spend. Our first catch of the morning is a nice price for Vita-exclusive FIFA Football, which brings the successful portable sports game down to £26.83, undercutting the competition considerably. Score.

It's a bit difficult to tell exactly what UEFA Euro 2012 is going to bring to the table that'll be hugely worth shouting about, but if this first trailer is anything to go by, expect EA Sports to pull out all of the presentational stops in an effort to turn this bit of DLC into a drama-filled grandstand event.

Euro 2012 will release as a digital download through FIFA 12 later this month.

Platform: PS Vita

Developer: EA Canada

Publisher: EA Sports

It's something of an open season for the football-loving FIFA fan. FIFA 12 is freshly renewed, thanks to the January update; FIFA Street has undergone a serious reboot, using the former's Impact Engine and delivering a shallow but enjoyable experience; and then there this - FIFA Football.

That we should simply praise the developers for producing a FIFA title on a portable platform without compromising on content is to be applauded. But it rather misses the point. The PSP's footballing titles also did cracking jobs of packing the delights of Career Mode and Be A Pro into their UMDs. FIFA Football's real triumph is that, aside from bringing over dual-stick controls and the offline trappings of the expansive career mode, the developers have managed to incorporate some of the Vita's unique bells and whistles.

Platforms: PS3 | Xbox 360 (reviewed)

Developer: EA Canada

Publisher: EA Sports

From the stadia to the streets: EA Sports' latest footballing extravaganza scales down the grandiose drama of a Sky Sports Saturday that we saw in FIFA 12, to focus on the balletic nature of organised "street" football in a series reboot for one of EA BIG's flagship franchises, back in the day. FIFA Street started well as a series, before devolving into a mess of cartoonish button mashing, and this game is looking to inject a certain sense of professionalism back into proceedings.

The starting point for that, has been the development of the game around the FIFA 12 engine. This means that players look, move, and react more realistically than they ever did before, that Wayne Rooney's in-game face will shatter mirrors just as easily as his real visage, and (most importantly) the Impact Engine is back.

QPR fans rejoice! Bobby Zamora and Djibril Cisse are yours to dress in white and blue as EA Sports have released the January update that takes into account all of the changes that were made in the January transfer window.