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FIFA 15 Highlights The Emotional Intelligence Of Footballers

Actually many footballers are intelligent

There's a point in the life cycle of any EA Sports series where, pressured by the need for new yearly features, the game dashes away from the reality of its simulated sport and straight into fantasy. In the old Tiger Woods golf games, that was being struck by lightning to charge up supershots. In FIFA 15, it's positing a world in which footballers have something called "emotional intelligence." As the trailer below outlines, players in the next iteration will experience the following feels: neutral, anger, delighted, alarmed, excited, surprise, disgust, tired, happy, sad, and calm.

If you're going to do this, why not go further?

Roberto Soldado toe-pokes a shot past the post and stares forlornly at the escaping ball. "Mono no aware", he says. "It looks like Roberto Soldado has become overcome with a transient gentle sadness for the impermanence of things," says commentator Martin Tyler. "He should have put his laces through it," responds Alan Smith.

Play goes on, but Watford's defense are a mess. Joel Ekstrand has been sat beyond the corner flag for the past fifteen minutes, experiencing the feeling of sehnsucht. He's staring at a man in the crowd, lost in his blue coat and weathered face. It reminds him of a life he's never lived. A life he never will live. The camera lingers upon his face, upon which dances the shadow of indescribable longing.

"Would it have been worth while", asks commentator Clive Tyldesley.

"If one, settling a pillow or throwing off a shawl,
And turning toward the window, should say:

"That is not it at all,
That is not what I meant, at all."

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