FIFA 10 sells 4.5 million, Ultimate Team add-on due February

EA continues to face choppy economic waters, but the publisher's bread-and-butter sports franchises continue to perform. In November, EA reported grim second-quarter earnings, announcing a $391 million loss and 17 percent reduction in its workforce. As a silver lining, EA said that its pro football sim Madden 10 has sold 3.9 million units worldwide since its August 14 kickoff.

Today, EA said that its sim devoted to what the rest of the world knows as football is performing even better. According to the publisher's internal estimates, FIFA 10 has sold more than 4.5 million units worldwide since its October launch, outpacing last year's installment by 26 percent. In October, EA touted the fact that FIFA 10 had become the fastest-selling sports game ever, shifting some 1.7 million units during its first week on the European market.

Given the game's increased adoption rate, it comes as little surprise that the franchise is racking up new play time records. EA noted that FIFA 10 has set a new franchise record for online play, with an average of 3 million games played on a daily basis and 113 million total online matches undertaken on the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 since launch.

To keep the ball rolling, as it were, EA said that it will release FIFA 10 Ultimate Team in February. An add-on mode that first debuted in FIFA 09, Ultimate Team is a management sim that lets players build a fantasy roster from more than 7,000 players and spans 27 leagues. Players will be able to buy, sell, or trade players as they attempt to find the most effective squad using the add-on's revamped chemistry system.

FIFA 10 Ultimate Team requires the original game, as well as online connectivity, and will be available on the Xbox 360 and PS3 for $4.99 (MSP400). For more on FIFA 10, check out GameSpot's previous coverage.