EA have announced Ultimate Team, a new downloadable game mode for FIFA 09 on Playstation 3 and Xbox 360. The mode sounds similar to the card collecting in UEFA Champions League 2006-07 and allows players to create an ultimate team and use their cards to customize their tactics as well as gain gameplay bonuses in the matches.
A quote from the press release:
"Online is the next great frontier in sports gaming. We are seeing a record number of individuals globally playing FIFA 09 online so we are focused on developing games that maximize the online experience," said Andrew Wilson, Vice President & Executive Producer for the franchise. "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 09 that will create hundreds of additional hours of playing time."
The Ultimate Team expansion will be released on March 19 and there will be a clever trial version of the mode that you can try before purchase that grants you a set of cards and players and allows you to play five matches.