Hi ACICOG,
I've registered today just to say thank you for all of the work you're doing. The accuracy, the level of detail and the dedication you have to your work is just absolutely astounding. I am so grateful to you for your work.
My dad is 76 years old, and still plays FIFA (and PES). We started out playing Sensible Soccer on the Amiga, and then ISS Pro Evo on the PlayStation, many years ago now. It was what we bonded over most in my childhood. At this point in his life, he is in a bad place - not only does he reminisce and long for the past, but Covid has meant we can't see each other in person, and he feels isolated.
I installed your FIFA 14 patch onto my computer, and managed to guide him through the process of installing Parsec (which allows you to play games over the internet by streaming your screen), and we play the game while video-calling each other. I installed it as a surprise, to see his reaction when he saw the Liverpool teams of the 1960s and 70s that he supported as a younger man.
He was shocked when he saw the team line-ups on the team management screen - and immediately started telling me his memories of each player. He couldn't believe someone had gone through all of this research and effort to make something so special - without exaggeration, he was in awe of the accuracy of every player, face and attribute. He even asked me to say thank you on his behalf.
But then, when we got into a match and he got to control these players he remembered as fondly as his family, he had
tears in his eyes - and he was fully transported back to those years, watching Emlyn Hughes, Jimmy Case and Kevin Keegan controlling each match they played in.
Thank you for giving my dad something so special, and tangible, that nobody else could give him.
But... I also want to say thank you for something else, from me.
FIFA 16 is, in my opinion, one of the greatest football games of all-time. From the amount of variety in all things (thanks to the physics), to the AI which hadn't yet been dumbed down for online players so that they don't feel "cheated" by the opponent's AI players doing their jobs without human intervention. Every FIFA since has been a huge downgrade, in my opinion - but in lots of other peoples' opinion too.
I help run one of PES's most popular community sites,
Evo-Web - and there is a
thread that's dedicated to FIFA 16, such is the love for it amongst some of the longest-serving members of the site, and even amongst PES fans. (There is also a
thread for FIFA 21, where everybody seems to agree that it's one of the worst simulations of football EA have ever produced, with mannequin AI, skating players and no physicality / zero fouls.)
We have all been excited to see your work in FIFA 16, and we were all delighted when v1.0 of your patch landed this week. We are all grateful to you for the work you're doing with FIFA 16 - you're giving our favourite football game a whole new lease of life. I am so excited to start playing your FIFA 16 work with my dad, enjoying the gameplay of my favourite football game with the teams and players he remembers so well.
Thank you so much for everything you're doing - you're not just making games more fun, but you're giving real emotion to people that they otherwise wouldn't have experienced. At this stage of my dad's life, that's worth more than the words "thank you" - I am truly grateful for everything you're doing, and can't wait to see what more you do with FIFA 16.
All the best for 2021 and beyond.