1.25 million FIFA games played online every day
Football title becomes EA's biggest sports brand online, with 141 million games played to date
Electronic Arts has released FIFA 09 statistics, revealing that around 1.25 million games are played online every day.
The number of games played daily represents a 321 per cent increase over the the previous title in the series, and makes FIFA 09 the most popular EA Sports game online.
In total, over 141 million games of FIFA 09 have been played on both the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 since the game's European launch last September.
"Online is the next great frontier in sports gaming. We are seeing a record number of individuals globally playing FIFA Soccer 09 online so we are focused on developing games that maximise the online experience," said Andrew Wilson, vice president and executive producer for the franchise.
EA is now developing FIFA 09 Ultimate Team, a new game mode in which players build fantasy teams and compete with each other in online league tables.
"A dedicated team developed FIFA 09 Ultimate Team and they have created a game within the game, delivering a strategic new way to play FIFA Soccer 09 that will create hundreds of additional hours of playing time," Wilson added.