EA and FIFA have extended their licensing deal until 2022.

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The agreement means that EA Sports will retain the exclusive right to release "FIFA-branded action and management videogames". Furthermore, EA will also hold the exclusive rights to the official FIFA World Cup game.“EA SPORTS released the first FIFA-branded soccer game in 1993, and 20 years later our partnership with FIFA continues to be very strong,” said Andrew Wilson, Executive VP and Head of EA Sports. “Our franchise has become the benchmark for quality and innovation in the sports videogame genre, and we look forward to many more years of connecting with consumers around the world with our games carrying the prestigious FIFA name.”Meanwhile, a chap from FIFA – the Secretary General Jérôme Valcke – said, “Our relationship with EA SPORTS is of high importance to FIFA. The FIFA videogames are a key experiential component in our work to communicate the FIFA brand and its values all over the world. This is highlighted by the 2.5 million football fans that have competed in this year’s FIFA Interactive World Cup, which is just one example of the power of our partnership with EA.”The extension is no surprise considering the continuing success of the licence under EA in recent years. Yesterday the company announced that 14.5 million copies of FIFA 13 have been sold to date, representing a 30% increases over FIFA 12 in the prior year. FIFA 14 will, of course, be released later this year. And if you missed them first time around, here are the top five things to watch out for in the new game:

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