Interview with FIFA 07 Database Producer – Michael Mueller-Moehring

Michael Mueller-Moehring (also known as Triple M or MMM) is the producer for the internal database group and is responsible for collecting and verifying the football data at Electronic Arts.

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Could you please introduce yourself first to FIFPlay visitors?

My name is Michael Mueller-Moehring. I was born in 1967 in the wonderful city of Cologne, Germany. My specialty is football knowledge. Besides, I was the first person to complete the Panini World Cup 2006 sticker album in North America. I reckon.

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What is your position at EA, and what are you doing specifically there?

I am working at EA Sports Canada as a producer for the internal database group and am responsible for collecting and verifying the football data there. I have worked for EA for three and a half years. I started with EA Germany in Cologne, where I was involved in the development of the FIFA Manager video game in 2004 and 2005. In April 2005, I went to Vancouver and started to work directly for EA Sports Canada.

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Do you play FIFA in your pastime?

Occasionally. If you are working the whole day on football and computer games, then you would try to do other things in your leisure time. I like to go jogging, and I think this is a very good balance for that. But when I want to play computer games, I prefer to play fantasy or role-playing games. But occasionally I play a FIFA match. I am, however, not very good at it.

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I heard you have written some books before; is this true?

Yes, I have actually published some books about football.

The most known book I’ve written is a German book called “Tausend Tipps für Auswaertsspiele” (English: “Thousand Tips for Away Matches”).

This book is a guidebook for soccer fans who want to find out what the best way to go into the stadium is. It also helps them get the most important information regarding away stadiums, etc. Furthermore, I made an almanack for the Bundesliga, an international stadium leader, a book about ice hockey, and almost 25 bag calendars for clubs like FC Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund, and Duisburg.

1000 Tipps fuer Auswaertsspiele
English: Thousand Tips for Away Matches

A book written by Micahel Mueller-Moehring for football fans, who try to find out, what is the best way to go into the stadium.

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What is your favourite club? Who is your favourite player?

My favourite club is Fortuna Köln, who used to play in the German 2. Bundesliga for a very, very long time. We are still in the lead of the 2. Bundesliga’s eternal table. But in the last few years, we ran out of luck, and so we struggle in the Verbandsliga Mittelrhein. That’s division five. Sigh. My favourite player of all time is Juergen Niggemann, who played a long time for Fortuna. He is not very well known outside (and actually also inside) of Cologne, but he was great.

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If you were the producer for FIFA, which key feature would you add to this game anyway?

I’m not sure. I would potentially try to add so many features that all my engineers and artists would kill me right away… 😉

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Our current voting poll at FIFPlay is about adding a new league to FIFA 08. There are these four leagues: Australian, Argentinian, Iranian, and Russian. Which one would you choose and why?

Argentina, because they simply play very interesting and exciting football over there. Next would be Russia, then Iran, and finally Australia.