FIFA 08 tips off 10-player online

One of the more prominent additions to EA Sports' annual footie franchise FIFA Soccer is be a pro mode. Similar to superstar mode in Madden NFL, be a pro lets gamers take to the pitch as a single player in an offline match, as opposed to controlling an entire squad. The mode quickly led to speculation that an online-enabled version was in the works.

In August, EA happily confirmed that speculation, stating that PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 owners in the US and Europe will see the feature six to eight weeks after the game's respective October 9 and September 28 launches. Hitting sooner than later, EA today announced that Be A Pro: Online Team Play is now available as a free, automatic update for the PS3 and Xbox 360.

In Be A Pro Online, 10 self-styled football stars can take to the pitch five to a side for a single match. Filling out the remaining 11 slots will be computer-controlled teammates. Gamers have the option of being limited to a specific location, roaming freely, or a combination of the two. According to an EA representative, dropped connections will result in all players having to restart the match, and the mode will not replace the standard one-on-one online matches already offered.

FIFA 08 is the most recent of EA Sports' sports sims titles to offer online team play. The publisher plans to add five-on-five support to NBA Live 08 later this month, and three-on-three online play for NHL 08 is available in the PS3 and Xbox 360 versions of the game.