Dring said the big challenge for Fifa and PES would be how they handle the transition to the next generation of consoles: the Xbox One and PS4 will arrive in November.
The Fifa franchise’s use of official licences has helped it shape gaming – and football itself.
‘The influence Fifa has had on video games has been huge,’ said Dring. ‘Gameplay modes such as Ultimate Team now exist in many rival sports titles and its use of football stars and celebrities to promote the game has helped the entire video game category become a mainstream entertainment medium.
‘Perhaps what isn’t so clear is the impact Fifa has had on the real world of football. It wasn’t until EA started asking for player likenesses and stadiums and official league licences that the footballing bodies starting to get its licensing house in order and made football an even bigger business.’
Indeed, as Dring points out, mention the word ‘Fifa’ to most people and they think of misspent youths clutching a joypad, not the embarrassing collection of world football delegates headed by Sepp Blatter.
