EA Sports motion captures schoolkids in Fifa training session with Joe Gomez
Games publisher EA Sports held a training session between Liverpool defender Joe Gomez and a trio of primary school children with an odd caveat - they were all wearing motion capture suits.
Joe Gomez teaches the kids some tricks
The developer was creating a curriculum for children across England and Wales that can be used to inspire children to exercise. Winners of the Premier League Primary Stars ‘Ultimate PE Lesson’ competition got to star in the video.
Year 6 pupils Evie, Daisy and Sumpeng, from Eversley Primary School in Enfield starred, developing a netball-inspired lesson covering throwing, catching, marking and intercepting and heading. Their actions were captured by the mocap technology and were digitally enhanced in the same manner as the annual Fifa football game.
The resource is now available for teachers to access for free online via the Premier League Primary Stars website.
Julie Foster, senior director of EA Sports marcom activation, said: “This has been our second year supporting the programme and we are delighted to build on the blocks of 2018. EA Sports Fifa 19 is played by children across the country, so we’re delighted to use the power of the video game to help children develop vital PE skills – and hopefully have fun while they do so.”
Gomez said: "PE was my favourite lesson at school and if I wasn’t a footballer I would have liked to be a PE teacher, so to be involved in the programme is great. PE teaches so many important skills, not just physical, but also life lessons like teamwork. Demonstrating those skills using in-game Fifa characters is a great way of engaging young kids."
Watch the video below.
Against the backdrop of a tumultuous year in the video game industry, the Fifa franchise has been consistently stoic in its success. There are big opportunities for marketers to speak to a burgeoning fanbase that is passionately devoted to the game. Earlier this year, The Drum explored the advertising formats gaming has to offer.