To see the FIFA 09 launch in Sydney...

To see the latest game screenshots...


Just hours after Sydney FC striker and serious gamer Alex Brosque spoke about an A-League challenge between players to find the best video gamer in the league, word came back from Victory HQ that they had the talent to mount a serious challenge for that title.

"There are several youngsters down here who would love to be part of a FIFA challenge!" Victory officials told au.fourfourtwo.com.

"If the idea ever goes any further, count the likes of Sebastian Ryall, Mitchell Langerak and Nathan Elasi in."

Speaking at yesterday's launch of EA Sports' FIFA 09, Brosque told au.fourfourtwo.com that a play-off against the best from each of the other A-League clubs would be a hit with the players, many of whom take their PlayStation and X-Box very seriously.

"It'd be a great idea - it's about time," he said. "Get the best from each club, I'd be into it. I think I'd be right up...on the PlayStation anyway.

"On X-Box I might get a bit of a lesson but on the PlayStation I fancy myself a fair bit. All the boys, my mates come around, nearly every night."

Asked how Mrs Brosque feels about it and the Sydney FC striker was blunt: "She does mind, actually. She ignores me for the next day. It's a tough one because the more realistic they get, the harder it is to turn if off.

"The wives stay away from it all together. Even when you let them win, they don't seem to get into it. So you need two TVs in the house for sure."

Brosque finds modern video games to be highly addictive due to their realistic nature and the "responsiveness".

He added: "The way you score goals...They talk about the responsiveness of the players is unbelievable.

"Every year you grow to love that game and then you think it can't get any better then every year they do get better.

"They pick it up several notches each year. It's so realistic it's unbelievable."

And Brosque relates a family story to illustrate the point about the modern video games.

"My grandfather, he's fairly old, every time he comes to watch us play [on PlayStation], he thinks it's a real game," he said. "He can't believe an A-League team is playing Manchester United!"

Australia's leading video gamer Stephen Coorey attended yesterday's launch and the gamer-mad Brosque said he was keen to test his skills against the champ.

"I noticed he's an X-Box player so I'd like to get him out of his comfort zone onto the PlayStation," he joked.

Coorey added on au.fourfourtwo.com's forums: "Brosque openly challenged me in the middle of the SFS.

"When we eventually played, he teamed up with another Sydney FC player and they worked quite well together, holding it to 0-1 at halftime.

"In the second half, I put five goals on, and they weren't too pleased, but overall he is a very good FIFA player."

To see the FIFA 09 launch in Sydney...

To see the latest game screenshots...