Games like Actua Soccer look primitive now compared to the modern era of face-scans and movie-style graphics, and so was the process of adding the first commentary.
When Davies first entered the studio in 1995, any realism was down to him.
“The company behind Actua Software got in touch with my agent,” Davies, speaking to BBC Sport in 2020, explained. “I had really no conception of what they wanted to do, or very little anyway. Then I went to see them and I actually changed the way they wanted to do it.
“I told them you cannot use the same way of identifying the player every time he touches the ball – it has got to be at different levels depending where he is on the pitch, as I would do when commentating normally.
“So I gave them about five different versions of every player’s name, changing the emphasis each time. That probably gave them more work to do but, as a result, it sounded more realistic in my opinion.”
Saying each player’s name in several different intonations has been one of Mowbray’s more repetitive tasks over the past few years too, for use from everything from when they play a two-yard pass on the halfway line to smashing a worldie into the top corner from 25 yards – but his job is much bigger.
Actua Soccer had 704 players – 22 for each of the 32 men’s national teams that were included – but there are more than 20,000 real male and female footballers in FC, with more being added all the time.
While EA do give Mowbray some help here, with part of that process involving AI replicating his voice with his permission for some of the names, it is clear they don’t want to lose his human touch.
“AI has long been part of our development pipeline – from animation to gameplay systems – and continues to support our teams in making better, more responsive football experiences,” EA mentioned. “But when it comes to commentary and content, it’s always a collaboration with our talent – not a replacement.”
Instead, it is real life they turn to for inspiration.
“There have been times when we are, say on a Champions League game, and [Russell] has specifically listened to it to get a feel of how we work together in an actual commentary, because we will try to replicate that rapport in the game. It is the little things like that that really add to the realism,” Smith mentioned.
“When you put your headphones on, they even play a crowd noise over the top so you have got to raise your voice over it. It helps me immerse myself even more – I am not just shouting over silence, which would never happen in real life either.”
