Here’s what EA had to say:

“The national teams in Euro 2012 are a combination of teams officially licensed or covered by our FIFPro license, and generic teams. While we would like to have every national team officially licensed, of the 53 national teams in the game, 29 are licensed. The remaining ones are generic.

“The inclusion of national teams is negotiated between EA and each national football association, which we need to license individually. Licensing teams and leagues is a business decision based on market size and limited resources, and within these parameters, we were not able to negotiate an agreement with every football association to have their national team included within the game.”

We think we know what your response will be, but hit the comments if you have anything to say on the matter.

Quicker than we ever could have imagined the FSB calendar has rolled round to April 24th which means just one thing – UEFA Euro 2012 launch day!

The much debated FIFA 12 DLC component is live now on Xbox 360 and PC so get yourselves over to the relevant store and start that download. Remembering of course that it will set you back £15.99 and you will require a copy of FIFA 12 to be able to play. If you experience any problems with the download, there are some tips here.

PS3 users are going to have to hang on until 4am (25th April) UK time. Don’t ask us why, but we’ll let you know as soon as it’s out.

*WARNING* Some users have reported issues downloading and installing Euro 2012 on Xbox 360. As with the last patch the issue can be resolved by deleting all User Generated Content from Creation Centre and trying again.

Once you’ve had a chance to get to grips with the DLC and you’ve read our Review, hit the comments and share your thoughts on Euro 2012. What’s good, what’s bad and is it worth the entrance fee?

Anyone who’s reading this will already be well aware that this year’s officially licensed UEFA EURO 2012 tournament offering is paid DLC rather than a full blown retail release. Only time will tell whether that turns out to be a good move, but we can tell you exactly what it’s like right now.

The DLC is split into five sections. The tournament itself, Euro 2012 specific challenges, Kick Off, Online and the all new Expedition mode. As with FIFA Street and our later FIFA 12 playtests we weren’t able to get online, so we won’t be able to comment on that. The same goes for challenges, although they’re unlikely to be live given the fact that the tournament hasn’t started.

Euro 2012 Tournament

Much has been said about the decision not to include the qualifying stages in Euro 2012, with producer Sebastian Enrique stating that they looked at the metrics and decided to leave it out because based on Euro 08 and WC2010 data, they saw that many people skipped straight passed them. It’s a massive shame that they’ve done this as funnily enough, the tournament itself is the best bit of the DLC and being able to progress through the qualification stages to extend that experience would have been most welcome. Instead you’re left with just six matches to play to lift the trophy which you can blast through pretty quickly and although the presentation is superb, there isn’t much of a draw to play through it more than a couple of times.

The tournaments homepage is similar to a stripped down Career Mode homepage and much like World Cup 2010 too, with team management and statistics options available on the left and the ability to cycle through the current group standing on the right. In the middle you’ll see your next available fixture and the news panel, which will display things like suspensions or reactions to results, at the bottom. One really nice touch is the simulation of fixtures played before your next match, meaning you can quickly keep up with other teams progress in the tournament without having to dig back into the statistics menu. All the fixtures are scheduled for the correct dates and times and the match conditions reflect that.

On the pitch everything is very much FIFA 12, but the match atmosphere has been nailed and you really feel like you’re participating in something big. The new commentary in particular stands out, with frequent references to happenings elsewhere in the tournament as well as progress in the golden boot, previous games and so on. Going into the Euro 2012 Final Rooney and Bent were tied with three goals each and when Bent scored, Tyler noted that he was now ahead of his team mate in the chase for the Golden Boot. Hopefully we’ll see more depth like this continue to leak into Career Mode as time moves forward, as such small touches do wonders for the games authenticity.

The stadiums themselves are again, top notch. The advertising and official branding have been plastered on with a spade and although it can look a little busy at times, I fully expect the tournament itself to look this way too. The trophy celebration will disappoint many and I’d have expected some change here, but sadly there isn’t. It IS basically just FIFA 12 reskinned for the tournament, with new stadiums, commentary and updated kits, but that said I’m very much looking forward to loading it up again once the tournament starts. EA have managed to capture the magic of international tournaments in these six matches and I can imagine it’ll only be more enjoyable once the tournament starts proper.

Expedition Mode

Expedition mode makes up the bulk of the DLC and it’s certainly the part which is going to demand the most time investment should you attempt to finish it. The concept is somewhere between Ultimate Team without the control and the winning players model we saw introduced in FIFA Streets World Tour. You start with a poor team and you tour Europe playing matches to make it better, fairly straightforward really, but it’s a bit of a mess.

Your captain can either be your Virtual Pro or a player of your choosing and once they’re confirmed you then need to select the rest of your squad. You’ll be given a mash-up of players rated roughly 49-59 (in our experience) from various nations which you can refresh as many times as you like, but it probably won’t make a blind bit of difference.

The team customisation options are pretty thorough, with plenty of options to modify your kits, badges and so on, much like FIFA Street but without the option to unlock others further down the line. You can revisit these options and make changes at any time should you fancy it.

Nations are sorted by their qualifying groups, so once you’ve selected a starting point you begin by playing the teams that didn’t qualify (I could be wrong about that, but it certainly seemed that way, you need to play the lesser teams in the group before the better ones unlock). Beating nations gifts you one of their players, the first time you beat them you’re awarded a reserve player, the second time a substitute and the third time a first team player. You don’t get any control over which player you get, but you can choose to reject them if you wish. The problem with this is that you might be looking to strengthen up at the back, but if you keep getting rewarded with strikers the idea of designing your own team goes out the window. The possibility of hunting out the better players just by playing against better teams isn’t available to you either because you need to beat the smaller nations to unlock the bigger nations.

Winning matches also allows you to build roads to other nations. You can’t play a team until you’ve built a road between them and somewhere else that you also have unlocked so usually you’ll be given the option at the end of a match to pick which path you want to open. It doesn’t always work however as sometimes you’re only given one road to open (which in my case was one I’d already opened, even though there were other locked paths within that group). If you lose a game then the road to that country is destroyed and you’ll need to revisit other nations and beat them to unlock it again. Every win (up to a total of three against each country) will unlock a photo from the tournaments history. Each photo counts as a piece of a mosaic you’re slowly building as you progress through the Expedition which I guess is the goal of the mode – to complete the mosaic. How likely that is though I’m not sure as there are a total of 180 pieces to collect.

Given that it’s the largest part of the Euro 2012 DLC, it’s a shame that Expedition Mode is so convoluted and drawn out. To make any sort of progress you’re looking at a huge number of matches (150+) and at the end of it, all you’ll have is a mosaic and a hodge podge team that you’ve had little to do with sculpting beyond choosing the teams to play against. I’d have been happier if it had been left out and the DLC was cheaper. Sounds harsh but I really didn’t get the concept at all. Maybe it’s just me.

Verdict

The overall presentation is fantastic and completely faithful to the Euro 2012 branding. The tournament itself was hugely fun to play through even with the real deal being so far off and the prospect of frequent challenges being made available throughout make this a good piece of DLC for FIFA 12 which I will certainly be buying. Expedition Mode feels like a massive swing and a miss, although it’s entirely possible that some people will enjoy it. The balance between investment and reward just seems completely off to me. Overall though, UEFA Euro 2012 is definitely worth a look.

Expedition Mode

Click here to view the embedded video.

Of course UEFA Euro 2012 isn’t out until the 24th April but this appears to be how EA are ensuring a simultaneous DLC release across all platforms.

EA have complete control of their own Origin servers for the PC version, so they can release when they like. Microsoft update the Xbox Live Market Place on Tuesday morning anyway which would have meant the PS3 crowd (myself included) would of had to wait until Wednesday for the usual PS Store update.

But if UEFA Euro 2012 is preloaded this week, it just needs a whiz kid from Sony to make it visible on Tuesday as the other platforms go live. Clever little things.

A simultaneous release also means less moaning which is never a bad thing.

 UEFA Euro 2012 is out April 24th and will set you back £15.99 – a copy of FIFA 12 IS required to play. 

Make It Possible
Succeed in a Challenge

One Down
Defeat all teams from a group in Expedition

On All Fronts
Defeat one team from each group in Expedition

National Pride
Win an Expedition match with all starting 11 from the same nation

We Are The Champions
Win UEFA EURO 2012

Creating History Together
Win UEFA EURO 2012 with more than 1 user playing for the same team in all 6 matches

Glory Moment
Win Online UEFA EURO 2012

My Euro
Win a match in each UEFA EURO 2012 game mode

Expeditionary Nature
Defeat all 53 Nations in Expedition

Collector
Collect all mosaic peices in Expedition

You can find out more about the upcoming DLC here.

UEFA Euro will be available from April 24, priced at £15.99, 1,800 MS Points or 2,500 FIFA Points on PC.

Click here to view the embedded video.

These days you can’t buy a videogame without it being accompanied by a plethora of planned downloadable content be it free, timed, or part of a regular stream of updates. It’s a trend every major publisher has adopted recently and depending on the content, DLC can extend gaming experiences beyond even our greatest expectations.

There are those who despise all forms of DLC though and in some cases they’re right to do so. Personally, I’m a big fan of DLC as long as it offers something deep, meaningful and at the right price. If the DLC offers nothing but aesthetic updates or content which clearly should have been on disk in the first place, then you can count me among the despising onlookers.

EA as a publisher are well versed in the distribution of DLC and all their major titles offer it in one form or another except FIFA, which has been oddly omitted from the traditional DLC model in favour of the micro-transactions we’ve seen so successfully deployed in Ultimate Team. That is of course until now, some four years down the line that FIFA will finally see its first genuine game mode offered as a downloadable extra – Euro 2012.

I’m sure EA have considered DLC for FIFA in the past but there’s no doubt that its circumstance that has driven this year’s decision. With FIFA 12 just six months old and the rebooted FIFA Street still warm in our consoles, it doesn’t make commercial sense for EA to release yet another full-priced title, especially with the retail market in a state of flux. With FIFA 13 beginning to enter people’s thoughts as well, there was almost no choice but to take the DLC road for Euro 2012.

It’s a much smaller tournament as well and that in itself makes Euro 2012 a more viable option for DLC compared to the World Cup games. The decision to leave out the qualifying stages is a further nod to the consideration needed with regards to file size and these restrictions quickly begin to encroach on what EA can actually offer within the DLC framework. That’s not to say the content feels limited but download only does have a significant impact compared to the relative freedom of a physical disk.

There’s also the thorny issue of potentially irking a FIFA fan base who with Season Ticket, Ultimate Team, FIFA 12 and FIFA Street feel they have already invested enough in the FIFA brand over the last year. Another £40 release so soon would have tipped most people over the edge, so to quell the discontent a half-way house £15.99 price point has been reached. In general DLC terms that’s at the top-end of the market but Euro 2012 certainly has the potential to occupy more hours than most DLC could ever dream of commanding.

Much of the early criticism has centred on the lack of gameplay updates and as I’m sure you’re all aware World Cup 2010 and its FIFA 10.5 gameplay is one of my favourite FIFA titles of all time. So I’m a shade disappointed too but the issue I guess is that EA would have to patch FIFA 12 as a whole rather than include any tweaks as part of the Euro 2012 update. Whether another patch will arrive is anyone’s guess but this is the problem with DLC for FIFA because if Euro 2012 did radically overhaul the gameplay how would you play online in FIFA 12 against people who didn’t buy Euro 2012? It’s essentially impossible.

For a sports game which has lead from the front in terms of its multiplayer setup it is odd for FIFA to join such a crowded party so late but does this Euro 2012 DLC perhaps offer a glimpse of the future? Let’s not forget that beyond Euro 2012 there are plenty of other International tournaments that FIFA doesn’t cater for, namely the African Cup of Nations and the Copa America both of which in theory, and licence permitting could receive similar treatment. Throw the missing club football tournaments in to the mix as well and that potential multiplies out even further. Licencing is an expensive business and a pay-per-view style model in the form of DLC could allow EA the freedom to pursue these pricy competitions and make enough margin themselves to deem the pursuit viable.

Cashing in on tournaments as they’re happening has already represented big business for FIFA in the past and it’s that nature of impulse attached to live sport which makes us dust off our old tennis rackets when-ever Wimbledon is on the TV. DLC is the perfect medium for it as well and as core gameplay can’t really be impacted, it could all be handled by sub-teams allowing core development of the FIFA engine to continue unaffected.

It’s all starting to point towards what is surely the new dawn for all AAA games which is that they become a service rather than an annual product release and you subscribe to that service in the same way you would with any MMO currently on the market. Whether that’s good for FIFA gamers is up for debate but it’s certainly an interesting prospect which-ever side of the fence you currently fall on. Updates would be more regular and combined with the potential tie-in of real world football tournaments you can start to see some of the added benefits. The next-generation of consoles will dictate much of this decision making and the adoption of faster broadband technologies will also play a key role but FIFA along with Call of Duty, Battlefield, Assassins Creed and Halo will no doubt lead the way in any brave new service based model one of which (COD Elite) is already underway.

There is still a lot to be said for physical retail though and I for one enjoy the unboxing of a new FIFA title almost as much as the playing and having something on your shelf to represent your time and money is a ritual which a lot of people just can’t shift. But in-between that annual release cycle the FIFA service is up for grabs and EA could take it any number of different directions. What’s to stop EA dealing direct with its consumers in physical copies as well? If you’re a paying subscriber of the “FIFA service” your copy of FIFA 1X simply arrives in the mail, direct from EA on release day. It’s not that far-fetched a prospect I assure you.

It is a dangerous prospect though even for online retail which could be shattered if publishers were to deal direct with their gaming public. Looking at Origin, EA are already starting this process online, so how long can it really be before it happens with physical media too? The publisher minimises its logistical, advertising and product placement costs and every penny made goes back in to the next game update, enhancement or release. If people think EA are a super power now, just imagine the future with all of the above.

There’s no doubt in my mind that the way we play games is on the edge of a meteoric shift and with persistent platforms like EA SPORTS Football Club already blooded in to the FIFA franchise that word “persistence” is only going to amplify as we inch ever closer to FIFA 13. FIFA may have been late to join the DLC revolution but there’s no doubt that FIFA’s architecture is slowly evolving in readiness for what comes next. I for one can’t wait to find out what it is.

So, Euro 2012 has finally been officially announced as DLC for FIFA 12 but there is one new feature in particular which we’re sure you’re all curious about – Expedition Mode.

Details are a touch scarce right now, but this is what we know so far.

At the start of Expedition Mode you select your captain, this can be your FIFA 12 Virtual Pro if you wish or any player from any European nation of your choosing. Once your team captain is selected you’ll then be able to configure your teams name, kit and badge. Once this process is completed you’ll be randomly assigned a selection of Europe’s poorest players to fill out your first 11. You can randomise this selection any number of times before starting the mode proper.

Once your team has been assembled your domination of Europe can begin. One of the analogies EA used when talking to us was that it’s similar to Risk (the board game) in that you’re attempting to conquer Europe nation by nation but instead of using a country you’ll be using your own custom team and you’ll have to work your way across the map, playing against the neighbouring countries of places you’ve already beaten. You acquire better players for your squad beating other nations. So if you beat France once, you get randomly given a member of their squad players. Beat them twice and you’ll get one of their reserve players, beat them a third time and you’ll be given a member of their first 11.

Slowly but surely your European Dream Team will take shape but given that the players you receive are randomly distributed there should be plenty of variety on offer rather than everyone cherry picking the best players. It should make formation selection quite interesting too because you’ll want to tailor your line-up to the strengths of the players you’ve picked up across Europe.

Expedition Mode is still somewhat of an unknown quantity at the moment, but it certainly sounds like an interesting alternative to the standard Euro 2012 tournament play and it’s the mode we’re most interested to try out. We believe this will be an offline mode only but that’s yet to be confirmed.

So, thoughts on Expedition Mode, interesting prospect or poor mans Ultimate Team?

Following on from the recent Euro 2012 Announcement, the first screens have popped up.

Click the images to get a larger view.