FIFA 13
Anticipation is building ahead of the release of FIFA 13. Electronic Arts

Downloads for the demo of the upcoming FIFA 13 soccer video game have reached a record 1.99 million in just three days since it was released, according to manufacturer Electronic Arts.

The demo was released on the Xbox 360, Playstation 3 and PC earlier this week and its download numbers represent a 29 percent increase compared to the first three days following the release of last year's FIFA 12 counterpart.

Electronic Arts also revealed that pre-orders for the game, which gets its official release in North America on September 25, have already reached 875,000-up 62 percent year over year in North America.

Subscribers to the EA Sports Season Ticket Program can get early access to the game by downloading it from September 21 in North America and September 22 in Europe.

FIFA 13 is the latest title in EA Sports long-running soccer franchise. The game has long been in competition with Konami's Pro Evolution soccer, however last year's FIFA 12 received widespread critical acclaim. FIFA 13 and PES 2013 will go head-to-head this year, with their release on the same day later this month.

This year EA Sports are hoping to stay ahead of the competition with features designed to make the experience of playing the game all the more immersive. Crucial to that is what EA Sports have termed Match Day. The feature takes real-world news in soccer-such as injuries and suspensions-and incorporates it into the experience in the game.

In terms of the game play, EA Sports boast better first-touch control, more sophisticated attacking intelligence and enhanced dribbling inspired by Barcelona star Lionel Messi.

The demo allows gamers to play with five teams-Arsenal, Borussia Dortmund, Juventus, Manchester City and Milan-in Manchester City's Etihad Stadium.

Included in the demo is the Match Day feature as well as Skill Games. You can watch a trailer for the demo below.