World Cup 2010

Not long to go until the World Cup, so it’s time to look at what’s on offer to help fans get a bit more involved.

BBC

The best place to get started is probably the BBC’s World Cup 2010 Sports hub, which has fixture lists, tables, team guides, squad news and video highlights of all the qualifying games. UK viewers can also check out the Top 10 World Cup Goals video off the same page.

Wikimedia

Anyone interested in making up a World Cup quiz or crossword can get started on the BBC’s site. If you’d like to go into a bit more depth, Wikimedia has all the information on top scorers, top goalkeepers, famous games, the best coaches and South Africa itself.

Foul Football

The Foul Football books have been updated for the 2010 World Cup. This one’s a very funny read for anyone at all interested in football. Quizmasters can also use the Foul Football books to add a few laughs to a standard quiz, (which often helps to level the playing field if one team has all the experts).

Wicked World Cup 2010 (Foul Football)

EA FIFA 2010

FIFA 2010 South Africa on the Wii is a bit of mixed bag. The graphics are not great compared to the PS3 and XBox versions and there can be a bit of lag in online multiplayer games. Along similar lines, the controls are fairly good, (and quite intuitive), but not excellent.

On the plus side, FIFA 2010 South Africa on the Wii is capable of more multiplayer gameplay options than the soon to be released PS3 and XBox versions. It also offers the kind of ‘don’t take it too seriously’ shared gaming found in other Wii sports titles.

2010 FIFA World Cup (Wii Link/ PS3 Screenshots)

EA FIFA 2010 South Africa on the PS3 and XBox present the full production values of a Hollywood blockbuster. Every team, every player, every stadium and more. The graphics look remarkable and  previews have promised carefully tweaked gameplay, which should keep most expert players happy. If you’re after a detailed football ‘sim’ the PS3 or XBox copies are likely to be hard to beat.