With the heated rivalry between EA Sports' FIFA franchise and Konami's Pro Evolution/Winning 11 games continuing, fans have been treated to some spectacular football games. After FIFA 09, it seemed tough to imagine that EA Sports could try and create a successor that could one-up the game. However, after their hands on with the latest installment at E3, IGN seems to believe that FIFA 10 lives up to the franchise's status. EA Sports has been taking gamer feedback and using it to improve on the faults of previous iterations. While the game might look and feel similar, the little nuances add to the overall experience. Some of the improvements include 360 degree ball dribbling along with various additions to the Manager Mode.

According to IGN, the game is nearly half way done and is still scheduled for a fall release.

Last year was a pivotal moment in the ongoing duel between FIFA and PES, with EA Sports conclusively taking the spoils with FIFA 09 – arguably the greatest take on the sport to date – while Konami continued to struggle to bring its series in-line with the current generation. Backing up 09's success is an impressive set of figures; 250 million games played to date online with the equivalent of 300 full Premier League seasons played every day, some 4,038 years of consecutive football played out on Xbox 360 and PS3 and a Metacritic score that's a clean thirteen points clear of its rival.

McClubbin via xbox360.ign.com »