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?

As well as the launch hype we should also see a massive influx of FIFA Street reviews today which we’ll of course round-up for you over the weekend. In the meantime if you’re still on the fence about FIFA Street you can check out our informative review, and if you need to know where the cheapest place to purchase said game is, then head over to our buyers guide.

So who got the game delivered a day early, who’s rushing out to the shops after work and who’s holding on for a price drop?

Click here to view the embedded video.

The quotes have come from EA’s Nothern European boss Keith Ramsdale who also had this to say:

“That’s a sign of the momentum and the fan base and community behind FIFA, and let’s be clear, an absolutely kick-arse game. It’s unbelievable”

You guys know as well as we do that sales figures aren’t the be all and end all and to be honest whether you choose FIFA or PES is a matter of personal preference. But having said that you can’t really argue with the turnaround FIFA has experienced over the last few years and I’m sure the money men are very happy with the team in Vancouver’s work.

It’s also worth noting that on a global scale FIFA and PES are much close than the 25/1 figures being quoted today. Thoughts?

Source: CVG

As you would expect the sales were dominated by the PS3 and Xbox 360 consoles with the latter just edging out Sony’s best for market share (54%). Sales on the other platforms were dwarfed in comparison although figures from PC downloads via EA’s Origin service have yet to be released.

So there’s only one franchise left for FIFA and EA SPORTS to topple and that’s Call of Duty, although I think a certain Battlefield game might have something to say about that later this year.

The phrase “smashed it” springs to mind… impressed?

FIFA Street Confirmed March 2012

Our excitement for FIFA Street has sky rocketed since the announcement and a March release is much sooner than we expected. We’ve got irons in the fire for some FIFA Street coverage which we’ll hopefully be able to bring you very soon, so watch this space.

Question: Do you think March is too soon for another full priced FIFA release? Or is FIFA Street different enough to command individual attention? Let us know.

The downloadable PC version of FIFA 12 also went live for US customers via EA’s Origin service at 12am Pacific time (a few minutes ago) so those not brave enough to venture outdoors are probably downloading as we speak.

So that’s it, the first major release is out there, and over the next 24 hours the US FIFA community will be on the pitch, adjusting to EA SPORTS latest football offering.

The UK and European release date is this Friday (30th Sept) so just 3 days to go for the rest of us…

Here’s a reminder of the US FIFA 12 cover featuring Wayne Rooney, Landon Donovan and Rafael Marquez.

Just follow these two links below and enjoy the early access to these FIFA 12 online features:

FIFA 12 Ultimate Team

FIFA 12 Creation Centre

Now that they’re both available and working we want your thoughts, so hit the comments and give us your initial reactions to FIFA 12 Ultimate Team and Creation Centre. Thank god its over.

The new features include:

• Enhanced news article layout
• News ticker bar Instant access to the latest forum posts
• Socially integrated with Twitter and Facebook
• Latest real football news

On top of that, they’re currently testing MY FVPA, which will allow players to track their stats, games played, goals scored, assists etc, as well as mark whether they’re a free agent or signed for a club.

For club managers,you can create you own club page showing your clubs stats, games played, wins, draws, losses. You can also assign players to your primary squad in addition to having different squad lists for specific tournaments.

It’s still in beta, so make sure you let the guys know of any issues or niggles you find.

Whilst you’re over there, check out their interview with Gareth Reeder too.

EA have done the right thing with clubs in FIFA 12 by stalling feature development and making sure that the core of the mode  works well, so this could be a huge year for clubs. That’s why you’ll need a place like the FVPA to organise and get properly involved in the clubs scene.

We’re well aware of the other major European, South American, African and Asian, non English speaking countries which we could also support with a dedicated, FIFA Soccer Blog site. But for the moment all we can say is, watch this space. We know you’re out there and will keep you updated on any future expansion plans.

But for the time being, why not pay the guys a visit and welcome them to the FIFA Soccer Blog family?

FIFASoccerBlog.fr