FIFA 11 shifts 2.6m

Publisher EA has confirmed that FIFA 11 sold 2.6m units in North America and Europe between release and Saturday October 2nd.
EA now reckons sales are up 29 per cent compared to FIFA 10 last year, with the game already having grossed over $150m. EA adds that the two days following FIFA 11’s European release were the busiest ever for EA Sports online, with over 18.6m game sessions hosted – 11.3m of which were for FIFA 11.

This is a landmark achievement for EA Sports,” EA Sports president Peter Moore stated. We’ve shattered sales records at retail, critics are praising FIFA 11 as being one of the most authentic and innovative titles ever, and fans are connecting and competing with other gamers around the world and have logged a record number of online connected game sessions.”

In addition, it has also announced that online DLC The Ultimate Team will this season be free. It’s due for release in November.

We’re thrilled at how fans embraced FIFA 11 last weekend, and we are excited to be able to offer one of our most popular game modes – FIFA 11 Ultimate Team – for free this November,” Moore added.

The decision to make Ultimate Team free is of particular interest. EA has always claimed that last year’s 400 MSP download was a big success, so choosing to offer it gratis could point to a new online monetization strategy in the future.

Could EA, much like some analysts insist Activision is planning, be about to embark on a new premium online service for the sports series?