LATEST PES 2009 UPDATES
Posted by dougiedonut in PES 2010 News on Fri 03 Sep
2010
Konami Digital Entertainment GmbH today announced it will release a free demo of its forthcoming PES 2011 on September 15th, with subscribers to SCEE’s PS+ service able to play the demo from September 8th.
The demo will be available for PlayStation(R)3 via PlayStation(R)Network with a PC version available from www.konami-pes2011.com. The download will enable fans to play against the computer or offline multi-player matches with a choice of four clubs: either FC Barcelona and FC Bayern Munich or Copa Libertadores pair Chivas Guadalajara and Internacional. A video presentation is also included outlining the full game’s content in readiness of the game’s UK launch on October 8th 2010.
A release date for the Xbox 360 demo via Xbox Live Arcade will be announced shortly.
Posted by phil in Do I Not Like That on Fri 03 Sep
2010
Hello all and welcome to this weeks Do I Not Like That…
Well it seems like we had a good debate about the penalty system. I know theres a minority who like it and fair play to them, its just not for me. I don’t mind the practicing to get it right it’s the actual view from the side. I play a lot of head to head, in the same room not on-line. So a view from behind the player would just make a better experience for me and the others who play in competitions.
Having not played 2011 yet im becoming very frustrated watching all the video and reading about how good it is, how you won’t play 2010 ever again its that good…. The interview with Jon Murphy read well and the video on pes2011.com, despite not showing much gameplay, looks quite good. I’m looking forward to it ive got to say !! the demo is usually out mid-late September so I’m sure we’ll have much more to discuss then….
The clock running was just an idea, granted it probably wouldn’t work but they should make stoppage time more realistic rather than using it as a balancing feature to re-write the script.
Protection….
As in real football, goal keepers are offered a form of protection in PES. I’d like to see this area re-modelled so as strikers we could attempt to head the ball as it bounces towards the keeper, if this is mis-timed and needs punishing then fine and equally if an injury is caused, then so be it. At least having the choice here would in a game touted as ‘freedom’ of control would offer the striker the choice and if this results in having ten men then that would have been a conscious decision; this is obviously in frustration to when a deflected/parried ball is up the air and the keepers waiting, hands aloft, and as a striker your sat frustrated smashing the shoot button shouting ‘jump for it then!!!’. Just a minor point that happens quite regularly and I’d like to do something about it.
All together now…..
A topic which has been cropping up more and more over the last few weeks is that Konami have a bad habit of removing ‘good’ things from the game of the previous year. The cynics may suggest this is because we spend all of our time wanting more and not reflecting and praising what we have and how far its come. So this got me thinking a little especially on the back of the Jon Murphy interview which this was also discussed, I like the community menu. There has been no discussion or comment made about it. So this worried me, perhaps worry is a bit strong but you get the idea, that this may be removed to make way for additional ‘new’ modes. So the question I’d pose to you guys is; what is in pes 2010 which you like which you would not want to see removed.
A barrel of laughs….
For those who’ve seen the full trailer you cannot ignore the last minute revolves around players with pumpkin heads kicking a barrel ball. I agree with Dan on this one as this is a feature I guarantee I will not be using. So will any of you guys be buying this stuff in the pes shop as it makes a return? The only thing the pes shop had worth buying was the extra difficulty level in my opinion, anyway. So who’ll be using this feature of ‘cartoon’ football ???
That’s your lot this week, apologies for being a few hours later than normal, IT issues…….
Phil
Posted by Dan Bolas in Interfering With Play on Tue 31 Aug
2010
Welcome to this week’s Interfering With Play. I sit here typing this slightly gutted by the end of the Master League Beta which closed on Sunday. For those of you that took part, I wonder how many of you who are in the same boat of simply not wanting to play PES 2010 anymore, having experienced what is to come? The fact remains that Master League Online is a very good game mode that will arguably rival anything else currently on PES. I can not comment for anyone else, but in my experience I had no lag at all, I could only blame my own inability for mistakes that were made and apart from a couple of dodgy animations, was very please by the whole experience. If you haven’t played it, I think its pretty fair to say commenting on the game is a bit silly and once you have your views will be as valid as anyone’s, love it or hate it. I haven’t spoke personally with anyone who has genuinely disliked the game in its current build, and this looks a positive step for the launch in October! Whilst I will touch on the mode again later on, let’s crack on with this week’s Interfering With Play.
“That Interview”
I would like to take the opportunity to thank Jon Murphy for taking time out of what is a very busy schedule to do the interview for PES Gaming. Under no circumstances is this me sucking up or flattering for the sake of flattery but fact remains he took the time to answer questions, and that I appreciate.
The answers he has given range from the straight forward to the slightly more awkward and I am hoping that whilst you may not agree with everything he has said, at least he has come out and given his opinion on the issues made. I will quickly look at a couple of these questions now, taking on board what you guys have said in the comments section too.
Like a bad smell, the net issue is seemingly not going away. I have made it perfectly clear to everyone who wants to listen the nets don’t bother me at all. I think this is the impression 60% or so of the PES Gaming community have too, however, the 40% have the right to have their say, and I believe Jon was just as surprised as myself by how many of you actually do care about the issue. Simple fact, the mode will not be featured in PES 2011, and by the sound of the feedback I assume it will be reviewed to be featured in PES 2012. Is the lack of net editor going to make a blind bit of difference to the way the animations, the AI or the game plays, of course not. However, it is (for many people) an important cosmetic addition similar to boots, balls and stadiums and in the current ‘editing’ generation needs to be included. Fact is now, following the feedback and the interview, the voice regarding nets has been heard and registered.
The frequency of downloadable content is something that concerns me slightly. If the previous years are anything to go by, we are going to be waiting nearly a month to get anything near an up to date squad list for PES 2011 following release, and this simply won’t do when playing online. The fact it is free shouldn’t be used as an excuse, and whilst I can understand the ‘once every couple of months’ philosophy on Konami’s DLC policy, it needs to happen quicker after real events occur.
The weather is one issue I feel could really work, and am a bit disappointed it has been overlooked again this year. Whilst I do agree that certain aspects are more important, I would have personally put dynamic weather effects that genuinely change the way the game plays would have benefited the all-round experience as opposed to a stadium editor. Playing against Russian sides in the snow or Brazilian clubs in the sweltering heat would have made for much more realistic and accurate in game challenges, and the addition of further conditions (snow, wind, or humidity levels) would have adverse effects on certain team’s styles or tactics. Again, it is interesting to see Konami looked at it and looked past it, but as long as it’s on their radar, it was be included in 2012, once the 2011 issues (if any) have been ironed out.
They are my views, but I would be more than happy to discuss any views you guys have via e-mail. The address is at the bottom of this article.
“S.H.O.P.P.I.N.G, We’re Shopping”
Already the novelty features in the PES 2011 Shop are getting ridiculed. I for one never purchased them on previous games, as the appeal of a horses head or riding a dinosaur just wasn’t there, and I feel they are a strange addition to add to the western version game. In Japan, novelty features in games like this are much more common and almost expected. Nothing ruins the drama of Resident Evil 5 more than Shiva in clubbing attire, and games such as Tekken or Street Fighter are littered with novelty modes. For the European market, there are no such easy fixes when it comes to unlockables, as we tend to ask for something that enhances our game experience as opposed to adds a bow or gives it a new coat of paint.
These additions, whilst petit and trivial would only have taken minutes to add to the game. A feature such as a net editor or dynamic weather would have taken days, as they are more than just cosmetic overlays. Different styles of nets would have to react differently to when a ball hits them, a player runs into them, a player slides into the, etc, whereas the barrel ball is simply a ball that looks like a barrel, using all the same properties as the original match ball.
The issue was raised that many people asked the return of the PES shop, well aside from classic players and teams, what kind of features did these people really expect to be included in the shop? New stadiums or editing options perhaps, but as a general rule the quick add-on features were always going to be there or thereabouts.
“It’s Over”
For those of you who didn’t get in the Beta, I am offering an opportunity for simple questions about the whole experience. With the demo to be released soon, and the game just over a month away, it isn’t too long for you guys to wait, but if you have any questions about the incarnation of PES 2011 I have played, please get in touch and I will do my best to give you an honest and frank answer. Please ask the questions via e-mail and I will either get back to you directly, or in the form of an acknowledgment in next weeks column.
“It’s Out Of Date”
Finally this week, I will leave you with one big concern from the PES 2011 beta. Whilst yes, for the most part it has very much been a case of roses and puppy dogs, the one issue that is unavoidable is the current state of the game’s database.
The online beta only featured the English, Spanish, Dutch, Italian and French leagues, and therefore being a team from the Europa League or South America wasn’t an option, however the teams featured on the game were grossly out of date when it came to squad lists. Newly promoted teams were on the game (Tangerine Dream is Blackpool for anyone that is interested) but the players at each team, including the newly promoted were the same that ended at their clubs last year. Manchester City had no Silva, Yaya Toure or Milner, Arsenal still had Sol Campbell and Real Madrid were yet to receive Ozil. This obviously didn’t matter too much in the mode we were playing as you were using fake players to start off, and you would just search for the signings you were after, however this does not bode well for the first week in October, especially as the domestic transfer window closes today.
If Jon’s comment is true about DLC, we may have to wait until November, 3 months after deadline day to play with anything that resembles accurate squads online, and for a game that is meant to be the real deal this year, this simply won’t do.
That’s your lot for this week, with quite a few interactive points to get your teeth into. Comments are welcomed as always, and e-mails can be directed to inteferingwithplay@hotmail.co.uk. For universal football gaming news, make sure you check out www.soccergaming.com and next week will see the return of the Interfering With Play Player Of The Season awards.
Thanks For Reading
Posted by Dan Bolas in Interfering With Play, PES 2011 News on Sat 28 Aug
2010
I have got back from my Holiday to receive the responses from my interview with Jon Murphy. I will discuss the topics raised in more depth during this week’s Interfering With Play, however, below is the interview in full.
Question from community member MagicaRoma – PES has always been developed in the Asian market, which is obviously a very different culture to the Western markets, in particular Europe. In your opinion do you feel PES is limited by the way Konami operate centred in this location, and do you feel that a European developer would do things differently? (in particular relating to the game’s development stages)
I think you can look at it both ways. Obviously for years we had a big advantage in terms of gameplay, which has only recently taken a knock. That’s down the skills of a first rate team of Japanese developers. On the other hand it’s taken them longer to get to grips with online play because fiber optics are common and they tend to use it in different ways. One way we were suffering was listening to feedback from fans and I hope that situation has got much better. You can certainly seen the results in the product this year.
Question from Emmanuel Ekem – Is PES 2011 going to see the return of snow on the PS3 and X Box 360 versions, along with accompanying animations (visible breathe, patches on pitch etc.) Further, will the weather effect the way the game actually plays (players slipping, ball moving in the wind etc)
Sorry, but no. At the start of the dev process we had to pick vital areas to improve and put as much effort as possible into those. Gameplay and animation were essential. Master League Online, Stadium Edit and Tactics all out ranked weather. The other issue is that we wanted to get gameplay spot on before altering it with dynamic weather. It’s something we’ll consider again next year.
Question from Kevin Scott – Is PES2011 really new code with brand new animations and passing system or is it an update to the current game engine with new animations and the R2 + “x” passing mapped to the straight “x” button (PS3)?.
PES2011 is based on the last version, we aren’t hiding that. However, the animation system really has been ripped out and almost entirely replaced. Actually 100% manual passing is still in the game, but mapped onto L2 at the moment I believe. I hope when people get a chance to test the demo you’ll experience all the big changes we’ve made but also feel it’s PES at the core. That’s no bad thing.
Question from Kubilay Canalty – Will Konami create a system to encourage players to choose a variety of teams online? I have asked the PESGaming community if they would like such a feature, and more than 91% of them have replied with “yes”. (Poll Results available on request)
We certainly need to do more in this direction. It’s an online and offline issue. In football these days there are real super powers of the modern game which have a clear advantage in almost every game they play. How we reflect those qualities without spoiling the balance of the game is becoming more and more important. The same goes for super star players. Send the feedback and I’d be very happy to pass it onto Seabass and co.
Question adapted from Stormrider – Did Konami change player development in the master league to be more realistic this year and if not is this something Konami would be willing to have a look at in the future?
As I said before we had to pick key areas to work on. With Master League we went for the online element. We also made improvements to Become A Legend, as those were needed. We made more improvements with PES2010 with offline ML and we’ll certainly look at improving the mode in the future. At this stage it’s too early to say exactly what.
Question asked by over 50 people on both PES Gaming and Soccer Gaming. Goal nets have always been a talking point amongst our community members. Many gamers feel that they style of the goal nets on PES are both unrealistic and do not offer enough differentiation between stadiums. With the addition of the stadium editor, why have the goal nets been overlooked once again? Why do we not have the option to edit the goal nets (both in colour and style) along with other parts of the stadium, and why do the goals on PES not reflect the goals used at the real life grounds (Old Trafford, Anfield etc.) Images Attached To Highlight Different Styles
I don’t think the team were really aware of how seriously some people took this issue until it was too late to have an effect on PES2011. Having said that we also honestly feel that it’s more important to fix areas such as gameplay and animation first.
Konami is seemingly famous for removing popular features from one game to the next. This includes the ability to mix and match shirts and shorts on the strip selection screen, random select mode from PES 6 and even the PES Shop (Returning this year!) Could you give us some insight into the reason why popular aspects from previous games are removed on an annual basis?
Because they haven’t had feedback on if such items were well received. I’m trying to put an end to that.
Goalkeepers get a lot of stick on PES due to being accident prone. How are Konami looking to address this? Many fans would like to see them treated as individual entities with their own set of stats, is this something Konami have or will look at for the future?
From what I’ve seen goal keepers have been fixed. Certain errors crept into the game, such as the way they were beaten so easily at the near post, general positioning, leaving their goal line etc. These have now been fixed. They’ll still make errors according to their stats, because they do in real life. They already have some key stats, but I can’t say if we’ll be extending these next year.
On a similar note, the refereeing has come in for a great deal of criticism on PES 2010, especially when it comes to penalty kicks. Has this been addressed in the 2011 version of the game, as would offering a database of referees all with different characteristics be an option for future series?
This is another area I’ve discussed with the team and passed on feedback from forums. Last year you felt that cheating wasn’t punished. We’ve improved the ref AI this year, but I do think we’d also benefit from a selection of refs.
Online has been done to death on many message boards and forums. Along with the current Beta taking place, what other (if any) procedures are in place to make PES 2011 the strongest offering online?
In addition to the current Beta which is specifically for the ML we ran online tests earlier in the summer. Improvements have actually been made since the ML Beta. The games I’ve tested online seem much better when you suffer from a squeeze in bandwidth. Play slows down, but the response times don’t, which means the game remains playable. I haven’t seen any warping at all. It goes without saying that the big test will be on release.
Konami have shown a commitment to downloadable content in the past two instalments of PES. Will this continue into the future and will we begin to receive more frequent updates?
DLC remains and it’s still free. It’ll be similar to last year in terms of frequency.
Just a couple of quick fire personal questions to end up.
Your favourite ever player? Zola
Your favourite team on PES? Classic Holland
Your favourite video game away from football? On the current gen, Oblivion
Your favourite instalment of PES? The first one I worked on, ISS Pro 98
Your one dream feature in a football game? To get everything right.
Funniest question ever about PES? I still get people asking why we don’t have correct player names.
Posted by dougiedonut in PES 2010 News on Sat 28 Aug
2010
I’ve been on the MLO for the past two weeks now, and I have to admit that I’m really going to miss the game now that the beta is over. Whilst the game was clearly an older build, and had it’s limitations, I grew quite fond of it, and really enjoyed my matches. Coupled with a very positive experience of the online mode in terms of my not experiencing any lag issues, the future looks quite promising for the finished product.
In terms of the overall online experience, I definitely did not get any button press delays during play, and I’ll stick to my 80% perfect connectivity rate that I stated last week. The only issues experienced with the game were gameplay issues which are clearly down to the build that was used.
I’d like to thank the few people who made the effort to contact me, or who left comments to last week’s article to give their impressions on the beta – that was very much appreciated.
Now that I’ve got to grips with the MLO mode fairly well, I thought I would write a mini survival guide for the mode for the people who didn’t get to experience the MLO mode, and so will hopefully benefit from my experience with it.
MLO:
You begin with the default Master League team we all know and love, and a set small budget. You then have to go about the task of building up your team to then take on all comers in the game.
Your squad size can’t be reduced to less than 16 players, so don’t try to sell them all in one go.
You will be allowed to sell a few players initially, but then have to play games to earn credits to allow you to trade more players. You can earn up to 10 credits maximum. You don’t have the ability to loan players, just purchase them.
I know I’m covering a little of what I’ve been over last week, so please bear with me – I’m trying to set the context for various tips I’ll be giving.
Tip 1:
Whilst most people will be looking to purchase the most expensive striker they can afford immediately, I will recommend bolstering your defence immediately – starting with getting a good goal keeper. No point having a top striker if you’re shipping goals due to a poor defence!
Tip 2:
Go straight into Competition modes if you can. You earn pittance in friendly matches, so try to play in competitions straight away. You pay more to enter competitions, but you will earn back the fee paid in your first game, so don’t worry about the finances.
Competition mode:
Pay attention to the time display when you enter the competition mode. It defines when competitions/matches start, not your local time. My clock was around 10 to 15 minutes off the Konami clock. When you enter a competition, you will get around about an hour to play some qualification matches. These are 5 minute matches, so you should try to get around three to five games in.
Your best three consecutive results are taken to judge whether or not you’ve made the cut. There are other mitigating factors, but this is the main one you can influence.
Once you’ve entered competitions, you can return back to the main menu (if you find that the next match doesn’t start for another fifteen minutes for example when you enter the knock out phase) but remember to be back in competition mode before the time runs out, or you will be disqualified from the competition.
You start off in Division 5 and earn around £300,000 per match played, plus bonuses if you reach the knock out phases of competitions. So you can expect to earn around £2m per tournament roughly.
You can then choose to sell whoever you want whenever, and improve your team.
Something I was very impressed to see in competition mode was that cards picked up in games counted against you in the tournaments. Three yellows or a red equalled a one match ban for players. So this should ensure people play fair in tournaments. A superb introduction for the mode.
Player values:
This concept has already been explained, but I’ll briefly go over it again. Online demand for players will see their values increase and decrease accordingly. This could put players out of your reach, or earn you a tidy packet if their values shoot up, which then leaves you with a decision to make on whether to cash the players in or not.
Something that is not clear to me is whether player statistics improve over time. I can’t say I was able to test this ability. There is no facility to check player statistic progress after matches. So it could be that players have fixed abilities which do not change. Or this could be a feature which didn’t quite make it into the game. I will try to get clarification on this shortly.
If player statistics do not improve over time for players, then this could be a limiting factor in the game, which would be unfortunate. I’d have liked to have known that if I had bought a kid who wasn’t great, but that over time everyone who had also purchased him, collectively we improved the player’s stats through playing them regularly. Which would drive their popularity, and hence their value.
Because I spent the first week of the beta playing friendlies only, I missed out on the mega money, and hence mega signings. But I began to make up for it in my second week of play. Most players were within my reach, and it was only the £20m+ players that were out of reach for my club.
Once there is mass adoption to this mode, it’s hard to predict what sort of values the top stars will reach. What should be comforting though is that you won’t find too many people with the likes of Messi or Ronaldo when you do go online. Unless you are in the higher divisons in which case, you should expect to do so.
Overall impressions:
Feedback for the MLO mode overall has been very positive, and is thoroughly deserved. I found the mode very addictive, and enjoyable. I’ve always loved the Master League mode and trying to unearth players. If you happen to pick up a player quickly that is relatively unknown but a decent player – then pray others also see their worth and buy him, because they could earn you some serious dosh.
It’s hard work getting promoted and then remaining in your current division. If you play friendlies against people from other divisions, then the reward/risk ratio is great. So be careful when playing games. Something that wasn’t in friendlies mode was the ability to accept/reject games. This would have been good to allow you to avoid people for various reasons.
I have to say that I think Konami have struck gold with this mode. As long as online connectivity isn’t an issue, then you can expect to have a killer time online. The mode is very engrossing, and will eat up hours at a time easily.
I think Konami need to include a marriage counselling guide in the final game, as well as an instruction manual. If you’re currently in a rocky relationship, then expect this game to further strain it. If you’re as enthusiastic about the mode as me, you are going to be spending a lot of time on it.
It’s almost stressful thinking about all the other modes in the game and trying to work out when you’ll have time to try them all. As for me, I have a very understanding wife, so I’ll be able to get away with it, as long as I earn brownie points with her.
So my final tip is:
Start buying flowers, taking your better half to restaurants and buy her a few pairs of shoes to earn the time you are going to need to invest in the game.
Thanks for reading
Dougiedonut
(dougiedonut@pesgaming.com)
P.S. Jamm – I’ve been in touch with Konami about rainbow flicks. I included the link you provided, so thanks for that. I’m fairly confident that it won’t be a problem in the final game – this was earlier code.
But it can’t do any harm to bring it to their attention for confirmation that it won’t be in the final game in the form we’ve seen. So thanks for bringing that issue up.
Posted by phil in Do I Not Like That on Thu 26 Aug
2010
Hello and welcome to this weeks do I not like that….
Its good to see everybody is getting excited from playing MLO and most of it sounds promising however a few points to pick up on from your comments.
Lag…..
Online lag has without doubt been a major issue for Konami for several seasons and has basically ruined net pes gaming for the majority. It is great reading how most of you have played without lag and DD reports an 80% success rate online. However, I have a gripe with this, as usual. I was lucky enough to obtain a copy of PES 2010 several days before mainstream release and it was great online. There were no more than 2000 online players and every game I played ran very smoothly so for me, listening to several hundred say how great online play is does not get me excited in the slightest. All I can see is an extra online mode which is likely to put the servers into meltdown with weekly stat updates and promotions/relegations in addition to those wanting to play one on one ranked and friendly matches. What are your opinions and experiences with this ?? It looks like Konami are trying to run before they can even progress to a walk from the limp they’ve had for the last few years.
Row Z….
It is disappointing to read the penalty system has not evolved. The 2010 system is atrocious, in my opinion obviously, however I do believe it is like marmite! Do you like the penalty system? For me it just doesn’t work side on, if your controlling the keeper or the taker, it just makes sense to see what your doing !! As a group of regular players my friends and I have missed more than we have scored, and I know practice makes perfect, but in all honesty, how many of us actually sit there in training mode? Rightly or wrongly the only penalties ive practiced have been the literal odd one I’ve won all season.
Time please….
A point made in the comments section a few weeks ago was the clock stopping when the ball goes out of play. Something I’m not quite sure would work in virtual gaming, however a point worthy of some discussion I believe. There is an argument that says the clock should keep running like ‘real’ matches allowing other teams to rush or slow down at the risk of errors or bookings. I think this could add an extra dimension to the gameplay however like I said, im not sure it would work in the virtual football world. Thoughts please??
Until next week, feel free to debate below or contact me at doinotlikethat@hotmail.co.uk ; Wonder whos going to be 1st this week?!?!?!
Posted by dougiedonut in PES 2010 News on Sat 21 Aug
2010
For those of you lucky enough to get into the PES Master League Online (MLO), I’d be very interested in getting some feedback on what you make of the game. For the benefit of those who didn’t get on, I’d like to explain what MLO is all about.
Before I begin, I want to make it clear that the game version used for the beta was older than the recent version that I play tested. The reason for this is that code has to be submitted in advance to Sony/Microsoft for any sort of online access, so it was the latest code at the time. Some of you may find that the description of the game that I’ve already written won’t quite tally with what people are currently playing, but I can assure you that the last version I played was a lot more advanced than this. I played the game knowing of this limitation, and whilst I wasn’t able to play as fluidly as earlier, it hasn’t detracted too much from the experience. Hopefully we can get some testimony from people who have played it to verify my claims that it is half decent and definitely a different beast from PES2010.
Right, onto MLO mode. You have the opportunity to base your team on any team in the game, in term’s of their identity, but you can change the name of the club too. So you can take the kits of say Juventus, but call your team Belly Boys FC or whatever. You get the traditional ML default players in your squad, complete with a small club fund to begin with. You then enter the fantastic world of transfers.
Transfers are obviously where you upgrade the players for bigger and better ones. The game differs from the tradition ML here. Whereas before your league position plays a major part in who can be signed, here the sky’s the limit. As long as you have the budgets, you can buy top tier players from the go.
Player values are where the key to MLO lies. Basically the default players you begin with have a set value which doesn’t change. But every other player has a base value which is subject to fluctuation depending on online interest in them. Currently there is a forward called Duric which around 124 people currently own and he has seen his value shoot up as a result.
So we have a pseudo fantasy football type valuation for players affecting their worth. You can in theory purchase a rough star, and see his value shoot through the root, at which point you then can decide on whether you want to cash in on him or not. This is one way to increase your club funds.
What is unclear at the moment is how player stats are going to be handled. I haven’t noticed player stats increasing yet, so I don’t know if there will be a daily or weekly stats update on players used in online games which will then calculate updated stats. I shall put the question to the people in the know.
You begin with a 20+ player squad and have the option to “Release” any of them, subject to a minimum 16 player limit. When I first saw the release option, I assumed it would be releasing them as in regular ML mode where they go for free. But in MLO you release them for their current value, minus agent fee, and that increases your funds.
To sign players, you have to play games to earn credits to be able to sign players. You get one transfer credit for every game you play, up to a maximum of 10 credits. But it’s only a limiter as you start off, as you will need to play around six or seven games to be able to purchase enough players to start defining your team, subject to budgets.
The real beauty and genius of MLO is this player price market. You will find yourself checking to see how much your players are worth, if you’re monitoring target players, you can monitor their prices, and also see how many people online are using each player. This may help you decide on taking a popular player, since his price may grow further.
You begin in Division 5 on 500 points and take on people in your division, so that you won’t necessarily face much higher opposition and get hammered. But if you do meet teams that are rated higher than you, then you stand to win more points if you do beat them. So it’s a fairly well balanced system in principle. I believe teams are promoted/relegated once a week, pretty much how your teams used to be on PES6 on the 360.
One big question mark I have over this mode is that people who get to play the game very early will have the opportunity to purchase star players for relatively low values, and then sit tight and watch their worth increase big time. Which means we could see an early rich/poor divide in club teams, but then that mirrors real life somewhat. Teams which do have top tier players will no doubt find that they will shoot up a couple of divisions quite easily, so most people who start off with poor teams won’t really be affected by them. But you have to work hard to earn money to spend on new players. And that’s what many of us will be striving for.
Current experiences of the online mode in terms of connectivity have been fairly positive. I’ve had around 80% of games give me no hassle whatsoever. In other games, particularly when playing people across Europe, I’ve found that there has been some lag. A couple of games were cancelled once I was paired for a game, but prior to kick off. But overall it was quite reliable, but I think there’s still some work to be done, which is what this beta period will help with.
So far I’ve found the mode to be really addictive. To think there will be a traditional ML mode to enjoy as well as this MLO, and then there’s the BAL mode which has been updated too – we’ve got a serious gaming package here. If the online issues are sorted out, we will have a fantastic new MLO game which will really take over your life.
So far, all I’m doing is building my team up in friendlies – I haven’t had time to get into the competition mode due to the time frames required. This last week I’ve only managed around 2 hours sessions in the evenings. This evening I intend to enter a few competitions and see if I can earn some prize money to spend on my squad. Competitions cost more to enter in the game, but you earn lots more money, so the risk/reward benefits are there for you.
Right, I’ve got some serious MLO action to get into.
Thanks for reading.
Dougiedonut
(dougiedonut@pesgaming.com)
Posted by Dan Bolas in Interfering With Play, PES 2011 News on Fri 20 Aug
2010
As mentioned in this week’s IWP, I am off on my holidays over the next seven days, and therefore said I would post my impressions of the PES 2011 Master League online beta. The Jon Murphy interview has been sent and sorted, but due to a hectic week with Gamescon will take longer to turn around than we both hoped. I will post the interview on my return, and yes, I did mention the goal nets!
So moving on to the Online Master League beta, and more importantly my own first personal taste of PES 2011. As soon as receiving a place in the trial, the following note is thrust in front of you via e-mail
This Beta is to test aspects of Master League online Gameplay only. Please be aware
that Gameplay is based on unfinished code and aspects such as goal keepers, referees,
animations and online are still being updated.
Perhaps this is a get out of jail free card, but fact is that at least Konami are there, acknowledging areas which people want to see improved. The beta also gives very little indication of AI, as you are always playing against a human opponent. Whether this code will be the one released as the official PES 2011 demo code, or the more recent Gamescon code may be used remains to be seen. However, with the above all mentioned, here are my views and findings from my time playing the game.
Online Master League is not the same as a regular master league season. In fact, there are no seasons at all. The premise runs very similar to a fantasy football league. You start with the default master league players, and £500,000 in the bank. From day one, you can sell your players for the going market rate (between £100,000 and £1.5 Million) and use the money to buy any player from the game’s extensive database. Again, players values are slightly lower than the current transfer rate, but are still expensive enough to make it tricky to assemble a top side from the off. In my first few games, I purchased Lee Cattermole for around £2 Million, having released around 7 of my first team squad (Ruskin, Dodo etc.)
This mode is an excellent way of playing on a level field. You are not going to be coming up against Barcelona and Real Madrid every week, and whilst some players will have better players, a perk of playing the game for longer, you will still have games against players with weaker sides or even equal sides to yourself. A team featuring the likes of Darren Fletcher and Flamini looked world beaters compared to my basic squad, but then my signings have played a big part in defeating other newbies, something which is slightly a right of passage. Another perk is that player values fluctuate. Some players will decrease in value after you purchase them, others will shoot up. The more people owning a player, the more expensive that player becomes, meaning player Messi or Ronaldo every match becomes more and more unlikely as more gamers play. This is Konami listening!
Each game you play costs you a virtual fee, which a portion of is recouped depending on the result. Win a game and you make money, lose you will end up a few thousand down, however quit and you end up losing the whole fee. This is an excellent way of deterring serial disconnections, as you simply won’t have enough money to carry on. Tournaments are also an excellent way of making big money. You are pitted against teams from your league (the division based on your experience and rankings) and then have the opportunity to progress through the rounds, signing better players as you go. These start at real world times, and are around every hour, which is a brilliant feature.
As a mode overall, I was very sceptical about the online master league. I was expected masses of game worlds, limited players and a shoddy menu system. Instead we have a game mode that is exceptionally addictive, easy to play and has a lot of scope for improvement and development throughout the next 12 months.
But this of course is all irrelevant if the game is unplayable online. Over the past 3 years the game has gone from horrifically unplayable to simply a lag filled, bug ridden online experience. At the time of writing this article there are around 1,040 gamers taking part in the beta, and I have not experienced one game in the 30 or so I have played that I would consider to be a lagging experience, anywhere similar to that which PES 2010 threw out on a regular basis. This may be down to low numbers playing online, it may be down to my connection or it may be down to luck, but I have played against gamers from Italy, France and Germany with no problems to note, something which hints it is not down to location. One of my games was slightly slower than the others, but this didn’t really effect my control of the players, nor my opponents, and the game played out a fair 1-1 draw. Again, I am not preaching online is fixed, or sorted or anything of the sort, but these are my findings, and I would be interested to see if anyone echoes these sentiments,
I am not going to dwell too much on the game play for the simple fact it will more than likely be redundant now, with the new build out and about. In my experiences however, the game felt new and fresh, especially with the passing and dribbling, yet still like a PES title. Defending is much more about timing now as opposed to just wanting to win the ball, and jockeying or dropping off is sometimes a much better option. The option to block players runs is also a huge boost, meaning defenders who are less than nimble can use their physical dominance of the smaller, lighter speed merchants. The passing system is a lot different, but a definite plus for me, and you only have yourself to blame for a poor pass now. The power bar is far from intrusive and actually feels very natural (something which I am surprised to say) and running with the ball should only really be done in space, with dribbling being a very key part of the game now. Knock and rush doesn’t really work (especially with the players I have at my disposal) and this will hopefully put an end to one player running through your team.
The negatives, which of course there are some, all seem to relate to the age old issues. Whilst there are a lot of new animations in place, some of these are not implemented properly (YET) and this makes some things look a little awkward. Shooting at times seems to feel a little uncomfortable, but these are both issues I feel will be sorted prior to release. Keepers, in my experience were worse than ever for pushing shots into the net. If a shot is hit hard straight at their body, they should not let it pass through their hands whilst moving out the way. This didn’t happen to me on PES 2010 and only very rarely on 2009, but has happened on several occasions already online in 2011. This is something Konami said in the disclaimer, and therefore I will give them the benefit of the doubt. Here we are not talking about super keepers just ones that do a job. Finally, I have absolutely no problems with the refereeing. Couple of yellow cards here and there, I gave away one penalty which definitely was and haven’t had any decision which I have been angry about. Hopefully this will continue to be worked on in the final few weeks.
So there you go. My honest views. To conclude I am happy with what I have played, but still here that same disclaimer ringing at the start. If that game lands on my doorstep as the finished product I would be a bit disappointed, mainly because it doesn’t feel finished. However, that can’t really be a criticism because simply, its not finished! I am excited about playing the final demo and eventually the final game, and if it builds upon the promise of the build I have played, I will be a very happy man in October.
Thanks for Reading.
Posted by phil in PES 2010 News on Thu 19 Aug
2010
Hello and welcome to this weeks Do I Not Like That…
Thanks as always for the comments on last weeks article produced by Benn. Some interesting points made about the game mode worthy of further discussion. As I didn’t get into the Beta test I’m afraid you’ll have to discuss it amongst yourselves and wait for Dan’s review. Theres no point wasting all of our time with me hypothesising about how good or bad it might be.
Talking BAL’s……
I am personally not a BAL player of 2010. I had a couple of seasons last year and it was ok, but it just didn’t move fast enough for me. A point well made by Dave O that maybe you should be able to select a starting age. I don’t intend to offend anyone with my ignorance of this, but from what I’ve seen, from a trainee level you will ALWAYS rise up enough to be good enough to play for a club. On that basis should that not be the starting point of the game? And then let you play the last twenty and this is where your development begins? I’m sure id be much more likely to give this a go then.
A point Benn made about bringing lifestyles into the game had a mixed response. Personally I agree that WAGs might be a step too far but I think the overall sentiment of the point being made was summed up by Denno and Blade1889 who thought incentives and storylines would be a useful addition to the game. I think being able to answer a multiple choice question to the manager every few games would be able to mould the game and a ‘character’ or is that too Simm’s like? I think some additions could be made to break the monotony of play game – watch game… If its monetary to improve skills and develop positions or if its sponsorship deals and you need you to score in the champions league and kiss the boot with three stripes (off a headed goal), I think a sub-story might just give the game mode that little spark it needs… but that’s my personal opinion and I can see from the many comments last week and Benns email that there is a split community on BAL.
Worryingly a comment made from Daymos pointed out that this mode essentially creates two games in one and will that be detrimental to both modes. Could this be true? Maybe the online team are programming BAL!!
One-touch football….
In playing some one on one last night it became very apparent as I rotated teams that some players, that I would class as ‘good’ (in real life) were frankly atrocious in PES, on green form. We played an arsenal v utd game. One which saw me come from 3-0 down (rooney on red!) to 3-2 and then in the 88th minute a Walcott run into the near post, a classic pes square ball under a diving keeper for van persie to tap into the empty net on his natural left foot. He decides to control it, line up a shot onto the post and cost me five English. Not happy. I’m sure we’ve all been there. Is one on one scripted or are some players in pes just completely useless when they shouldn’t be?
The competition…
It was interesting reading a few comments about FIFA looking like a player this year and that some would decide on the demo. Don’t get me wrong, I’m PES through and through, but we can’t ignore the competition if PES doesn’t meet the standards we expect.
Well I’m afraid that’s your lot for this week. Just a closing point to those who suggested some of the points raised in the guest feature were ‘poor’, please feel free to email me a guest feature to publish next week. As usual join in the debate below or I can be reached on doinotlikethat@hotmail.co.uk
Posted by Dan Bolas in Interfering With Play on Tue 17 Aug
2010
Welcome to this week’s Interfering With Play. Slightly different format over the next couple of weeks for the column. Due to a ‘much deserved’ holiday next week, I will hopefully be several miles away from any Wi-Fi connection. Therefore, I am compensating by doing an IWP Special about the Online Beta, and will hopefully have the Jon Murphy interview available within the next 5 days. Yes, it is not the weekly instalment of the column, but it will hopefully give a fair few talking points for you guys to have your way with until I return. With that information at hand, lets crack on with this week’s Interfering With Play.
Wife Beta
Tacky subheading aside, the fact remains that Konami have offered an online beta for the master league game mode. This is a huge step for the company, who are seemingly admitting that online was not tested properly in previous incarnations of the game! Truth be told, I was in two minds about taking part in a beta as a PES fan, but due to my role on the site, I have put my name forward and actually gained a place, so over the next few days, I will be testing out the format. At the time of writing, I am yet to do so and have no early impressions to fall back on. The actual game at this stage is still playing second fiddle to the fact that Konami are openly allowing gamers to play their product in advance of its release prior to an official demo. This is either a sign of confidence or quite possible an acceptance that the company needs to move into the 21st Century. I hope it is a combination of the two.
So, if you were unlucky and didn’t get a place in the beta, I do not intend to rub it in. Instead I hope we can provide a good feel for the game as it stands in this state, and also hopefully offer some genuine insight into how online Master League is going to work. If you did get a place in the beta, I would love e-mails (NOT COMMENTS) with your findings. A paragraph or so would be ideal, and just highlighting small issues or features you like or dislike about the game. These will be printed as written (with obvious exceptions for abuse or bad language) and posted as part of my own personal views later in the week! The e-mail address is interferingwithplay@hotmail.co.uk
“Nettie”
My inbox has been inundated with pictures of nets, goals and post designs and styles. Thank you to everyone who took the time to find out these images and provide them to me. I was shocked to receive over 30 e-mails on the subject, an issue which proves there is a great demand for net / goal editing to be included in future versions of PES. I will address this to Jon during the interview, and hopefully get a straight answer on exactly why it’s not present in PES 2011, especially with the much discussed stadium editor finding a place
The fact remains that whilst to some people the mode isn’t a big issue, to many it has been a major request for a few years now, and if Konami are deemed to be listening to feedback, this is pure pay dirt! Once again, a thank you goes out to all of you who spent your time finding images for me, they will be put to good use!
“World Of My Own”
Ian Horne wrote an article over on Soccer Gaming last week about the stadium creation option, the link to which is http://www.soccergaming.com/pro-evo/1152/the-pes-2011-stadium-editor-%e2%80%93-at-a-glance/. First thing that stands out here is the sheer depth Konami are looking to go into, especially incorporating images. If all of the above turns out to be true, features such as editable advertising hoardings and alternate stand styles makes for a truly unique experience at every ground.
In PES on the current generation consoles, we have been a bit short changed on the stadium front. Whilst PES 2008 on PS2 managed 35 grounds, we were treated to just 19 on the PS3! Whilst we are nearing the 25 mark now, there is still a long way to go in the variety of styles featured of the in game arenas, and providing the space is made available, there is a huge level of scope for what ‘could’ be created. I am decent with the editing tools on PES, however some members of the community are exceptionally talented, and can make things look near perfect 99% of the time. I know that should these tools be put to good use, the actual designs of these grounds will be mind blowing, and this is something that makes me take notice.
What I will find interesting is how Konami deal with saved data this year. Bundling it all together into one huge file now has proven to provide limitations both for the company and for creators. The fact that squad updates (official) completely ruin edited squads means that come the first update, no one will be updating to play online due to the hours of creating the Portuguese / Belgian / German Premier League. Hopefully Konami will allow us to keep each team as an individual entity, its own unique save. The same for stadiums. This would allow a easy way of sharing files, keeping the ones you want and deleting those you don’t. Will this happen? I genuinely don’t know, however it is definitely worth speculating with release now just two months away!
That’s your lot for this week. I am working away now at the interview which all being well will be on PESGaming later this week. I am also going to go and grab a cup of tea before sitting down and testing out PES 2011’s online Master League. I will get my impressions up and online as soon as they are formed. interferingwithplay@hotmail.co.uk is the place to direct your e-mails, and as always comments are more than welcome.
Thanks for Reading
