'FIFA' video game to add women for the first time

For the first time ever, Electronic Arts' pro soccer series based on FIFA will feature women's teams.

EA says FIFA 16 will include 12 women's national teams when it launches on multiple game consoles in September, the publisher revealed in a statement.

The 12 nations representing FIFA 16 are Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, England, France, Germany, Italy, Mexico, Spain, Sweden, and the U.S.

"We're making sure fans get an authentic experience when playing with Women's National Teams thanks to our innovative player capture and reference tools, as well as the sophisticated gameplay platform which we will continue to innovate on in FIFA 16," says David Rutter, vice president and general manager of the FIFA franchise, in a statement.

Multiple members of the U.S. Women's National Team participated in motion-capture sessions for FIFA 16 in preparation for the September launch.

"It can be a really great platform for us to cross over to a new demographic," says Abby Wambach, forward on the U.S. Women's National Team, on the addition of women in FIFA 16. "We obviously attract the younger girl fan, and for all the younger girl fans out there who play and are gamers, this will be another way for them to connect with us. And maybe we can create new fans."

Last month, Wambach joined fellow U.S. stars Sydney Leroux, Alex Morgan and Megan Rapinoe sported the sensor-filled suits for a series of motion-capture sessions at EA's Canada studio in British Columbia to help create their likeness in the video game.

"The women's portion of this FIFA game is not going to be a dumbed-down version," says Wambach. "It's going to be real life."

Women's teams will be available in multiple game modes including offline tournaments or online friendly matches with other players. As a longtime video game and FIFA fan, Wambach expressed excitement at making a virtual appearance in the video game.

"For a long time, I always thought, 'gosh, it would be so cool to be put in one of these games,'" says Wambach. "Never did I think it would happen in my career."

Follow Brett Molina on Twitter: @brettmolina23.