FIFA 12 sells 3.2 million in one week - EA

The world's most popular sport has produced EA Sports' biggest game launch to date. Electronic Arts today announced that FIFA 12 sold through an estimated 3.2 million copies in the first week after its September 27 North American debut, enough to be dubbed "the most successful launch in EA Sports history."

EA says that total--based on its own preliminary estimates--qualifies FIFA 12's launch as the biggest of any sports game ever, and the biggest of any game released in 2011 to date. The publisher also revealed a few other stats from the game's launch, saying sell-through is up 23 percent year-over-year, with the iPhone and iPad versions combining to sell 879,000 copies. It also pushed EA Sports' online servers to their busiest day ever, with players logging 10 million sessions in the label's games, nearly 8 million of those accounted for by FIFA 12.

Among the headline features in FIFA 12 are the new Player Impact Engine and new dribbling mechanics in an effort to deliver a more realistic touch on the ball. Defense has likewise been tweaked, with a greater emphasis being placed on position play and ball interception. The publisher is also introducing the EA Sports Football Club feature, a free service that offers news and updates on the real-world sport.

For more on the sim, check out GameSpot's review of FIFA 12.