The most important reason I’m excited about the upcoming launch of FIFA 12 is not the gameplay action or the impressive graphics. Instead it’s the EA Sports Football Club, a novel idea that takes a video game and adds a massive element of gamification — putting a game inside a game and encouraging its users to battle with and against each other for honors.

Watch the video to learn more about the inner workings on how the concept will be executed.

httpv:\/\/www.youtube.com/watch?v=yR8u12PdQNc

Simply, the concept is that you earn points when playing the game. So, if you’re a Manchester United supporter, the points you earn from the game will be combined with points from other people from around the world who also support United. There are checks and balances in place to make it fair to fans of all clubs around the world, but the end result is a weekly league table that crowns the most successful club courtesy of video game players from around the world.

There’s much more to it, but I think the idea is marvelous. It puts you, the player, into the game in a way that has never been experienced before. It makes the games more meaningful. It uses technology to connect you with supporters of your favorite club from around the world. The “Support Your Club” feature of EA Sports Football Club brings a whole new twist to the concept of playing a video game. To me, it’s a game-changer.