Posted by Dan Bolas in Interfering With Play on Tue 08 Apr 2008
Hello, and welcome to this week’s Interfering With Play. For anyone not familiar with the column, it is weekly topics from the world of football and gaming, covering a wide range of issues and talking points. It is also interactive, with topics that are raised by you being covered in the following week’s article. PESGaming.com is an exceptionally popular Pro Evolution Soccer based website, run by Peter Willis, and receives thousands of hits each and every day from both regulars and first time visitors. With PES2008 having been in the stores for nearly 6 months now, speculation will began to turn into physical evidence regarding the nest PES offering from Konami and Seabass, and PESGaming.com will be the place you can find the facts, as we don’t report on rumours! As always, if you have anything to discuss, talk about or disagree with, please feel free to either send me e-mail or add a comment at the bottom of this article.
I’m So Excited
My first point this week is one that will no doubt divide the community. I own over 20 games for my PS3, ranging from sports titles to FPS to driving games to a little bit of everything in-between. I play games online, on my PSP and on my PC, and have completed the majority of those games, which I own. I thoroughly enjoy gaming, and having recently whizzed through Devil May Cry 4, have just purchased Condemned 2 for my next gaming challenge. However, in spite of the entire Chimera, in spite of all the 13th Century assassinating and in spite of all the online headshots on COD4, the one game that still gets the most game time, and still is most enjoyable for me to play is PES2008. Many titles grab my attention on the first play through, and some will find their way back into the machine for a second go, but overall, it always results back to a quick game on Pro before work/bed/picking up the girlfriend. Yes, some games do have a limited lifespan, and therefore its difficult to compare a game like Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune or The Darkness to the multiple game modes that feature on PES, but I have a collection of games that includes Fifa, NBA, Guitar Hero and Smackdown vs. Raw, all games which can be easily picked up and played. Pro Evolution Soccer came in for a lot of criticism from both its fans and established reviewers, however when six months down the line it is still spending so much time in people’s consoles, it must still be a damn good game. I am sure there are people out there who will be in exactly the same boat as me, and who thoroughly enjoy their PES experiences, yet it always seems to be the ones who don’t are the ones who are most vocal. I would love to have the PES addicts ‘show some love’ for PES in the form of comments at the end of this article.
Pretty Darn Amazing!
Quick side note here, especially seeing as it has nothing to do with either football or gaming, but I was wondering if anyone has any experiences, either good or bad of PDAs. I am currently in the market for one, for work, and require something I can use for calls, making notes and keeping track of appointments. I currently have the Nokia N95, which is for my personal number and require something a little more business like. Any advice on which way to go with this would be gladly taken on board.
Wear Them With Pride
Since the introduction of the achievement system on X Box Live, gamers now want to show off their gaming accomplishments more than ever. Personally, I think this is a great way to compete with your mates, and see who is doing better at certain games. It definitely adds an extra dimension to online gaming. The system is yet to be brought onto the PS3, arriving alongside the online community software, Home later in the year. (Check out Home on You tube for more information). My point to be raised here may be able to be answered simply, or may need some research, but it regards how your accomplishments are stored, or more importantly, where. Most PS3 owners will tell you that game installs are huge, in some cases upwards of 5GB, which is annoying if you need to keep the game information on your console in order to prove the fact you have completed the game. If it is a simple case of keeping the option files saved in a folder, then surely this will be the most space consuming way of showing off what you have accomplished. Furthermore, will it link to your username, and therefore maybe allow you to even delete all traces of that game from your console, but still keeping the accomplishments. I believe these are taking the form of trophies in Home; however, I am reluctant to delete any data of my previously completed titles until the program is launched and the information explained. Any help from X Box Live users, or anyone in the know would be greatly appreciated, and published with credit in next week’ column.
Back In The Day
A couple of weeks ago, 88champion made a reference to ISS 98 on N64, regarding the lack of black screens and the continuous game play flow many next gen PES fans are longing for. I went to get my N64 out last week, in order to sample the title for myself before featuring the topic, only to find a faulty aerial cable would spoil my experience. For people who are not familiar with the ISS series, I will try to fill you in. Konami always had two football gaming series running parallel to one another, usually on different console systems. This was most obvious during the N64 vs. Playstation wars, when ISS 64 appeared on the Nintendo 64, with ISS Pro being available on the Playstation. This carried on for a while until ISS was released on the PS2, followed by Pro Evolution Soccer on the same system, putting the two in direct competition. Pro Evolution Soccer was viewed by many (including myself) to be the better game, and as a result, ISS was put on the back burner. Apart from a brief spell on the Game cube and PC, the ISS series was discontinued and Konami focussed pretty much solely on the Pro Evolution Soccer series. Of course, many PES gamers are aware of this back-story, and will be familiar with the ISS games. The games had a much more arcade feel, with huge text flying up on the screen for every free kick, corner or goal scored. Player’s movement was also far from realistic, with both sliding and jumping really over exaggerated in an arcade like manor. Although this wasn’t everyone’s cup of tea, it did make for a good multiplayer experience, with beginners being able to score goals against there expert counterparts. A couple of interesting features that the game did include though, are yet to appear on the Pro Evolution Series, and some gamers would welcome these.
The first one, as mentioned by 88champion, was the free kicks. The game did not stop, with the players fouled picking themselves up, and getting into position, with the game continuing straight away. There were no over elaborate cut scenes, the action simply zoomed in to the referee if a caution was occurring, before zooming straight back out again. Should a player be injured, the medical staff came onto the pitch, either treating the injured player with spray, or a stretcher if the injury was more serious. By pressing a button, the view from the free kick changed, meaning you could see the location of all the players and were not limited to just looking over the takers shoulder, ideal for wide or deep set pieces. Bearing in mind this was achieved on a 64 cartridge, and not on a system involving DVDs, Blu Ray discs and hard drives, it is something Seabass and co. could definitely look at. Another interesting feature was the ability to play 7,8,9,10 or 11 a side games, and even have weaker players start with greater number of players than their better opponent. This really acted as a leveller, and was taken further with the scenario mode, a way of taking real life situations and applying them into the gaming world. Imagine the 2001 FA Cup Final as Liverpool, having to score two goals with Michael Owen in the last 10 minutes in order to win the cup, or bring Man United back from 3-0 at Tottenham in the second half to win 5-3. The third and final game feature I really enjoyed, albeit as a slight subplot, was the inclusion of the career mode in ISS 2000, the last ISS game on the N64. The game allowed you take the role of a 17-year-old trainee, who has just signed professional terms with a top club (which was of your choice). You were issued with a rival, a player who played in your position, and it was your job to outperform him in a number of mini games (such as follow your maker) and training matches in order to warrant a first team place. This was taken further into a ‘Sims’ like environment, where you could have a girlfriend, and had to make decisions about going out, drinking and your living accommodation. The player names weren’t real, and the mini games were sometimes completely irrelevant, however it’s a feature that would definitely add an extra dimension to any game, and with the modern day systems, could involve modes of online play, sponsorship deals and transfers. I picked up ISS2000 bout 3 years ago from a game shop for £10.00, and if you have an N64, I would highly recommend giving it a look, just for your own personal opinions. Anyone who has the game or more vibrant memories of it than I do, please feel free to add your points, as I will be more than happy to follow them up in next weeks article.
That’s it for this weeks column, if you would like to get in touch you can do so via comments at the bottom of the page (if you do, leave your name) or by e-mailing me direct, on danbolas@hotmail.com
Thanks for Reading
Posted by Dan Bolas in Interfering With Play on Tue 01 Apr 2008
Welcome to this week’s Interfering With Play. Since its release on the Wii, PES has seemed to once again been drawn into the public eye, and as a result, I am receiving more e-mails than ever regarding topics to feature in Interfering With Play. I would like to point out that I will not be writing anything false in this article, as to play into the April Fools game that has been flowing through the Internet today, and instead will be focussing on topics that have been raised by members of the PESGaming.com public. Before I start, I would like to give a shout out to Jason Lee from ConsoleGoals.com, for embedding the video file in last weeks article. The site is a top one for your PES Goals and action, and therefore should be put in you bookmarks/favourites as soon as possible!
The Only Option
More so than ever over the last few weeks, I am being inundated by requests from gamers asking what to do regarding their PES Option file, in particular as to regards the next generation consoles. I have covered this in previous articles, but will send one more quick reminder. Due to the poor quality of the edit mode on PES2008, and coupled with the fact your Option File data links directly to your own personal progress record, it is my advice that you edit the game yourself, using a combination of your consoles camera, the forum on PESGaming.com and your own footballing knowledge. It is very frustrating there is a lack of pixel editor and emblem editor; therefore you are better off doing it yourself, and saving your progress record in the process. It took me just over 3 hours to do all the English Team kits and club names, adding players such as Kenwyne Jones where required, with creating my own team, Wolves, taking a few nights work. Of course, its open for debate, and I am sure if your search the web you will find Option Files out there that fit your own personal bill, but my recommendation, and that of many of my mates, is to do the work yourself. For the future, and for PES 2009, it remains to be seen how editing will progress. Should we find ourselves in a similar situation 12 months down the line, as some predict, it might be worthwhile looking towards setting up an ‘Idiots Guide To Editing PES’ website, but until then, your best bet is to work off your own back.
Tow The Line
Incredibly, PES is now entering its 6th month of release, and every week people message me asking how to ‘sort out’ the online problems they are experiencing with their console versions of next gen PES. I am yet to play the PC version, something that will be changing in a few days, but the online mode regarding consoles has always been plagued with lag issues, slowdown issues and basically is unplayable. I must apologise to all those contacts on my PS3 who see me online and offer me a game, as I will happily play you on Warhawk, Call Of Duty 4 or even Smackdown Vs. Raw 2008. However, I will not support PES 2008 online whilst the game does not share the same online experience as it does offline. If you find the game unplayable, the simple solution is to not play it, and hope that PES 2009 sorts this problem out like we all pray it will. There is not a quick fix, an easy download or even a temporary solution to it, so I apologise to all those who constantly ask, vent your anger towards Konami and Seabass, not myself and the PESGaming.com team!
Fit But You Don’t Know
Now into a full swing Master League, I will bring up a topic I raised many months ago, and something that has been a concern on PES for a while, the level of Player Fatigue, and how quickly it rises. Nowadays, I appreciate you need almost two squads to be a top four side in any division. Playing in three to four competitions, travelling across countries and multiple plane journeys, along with intense fitness based training sessions are going to take it out of any team, and as a result you arguably need two players available to play in each position, one acting as cover for the other, or in the for of a Rafa-style rotation policy. However, especially when playing in Division 2 of Master League, it is nearly impossible to field the same team twice due player stamina dropping below half each game, regulate condition sapping whatever is left in order to ensure your players have positive conditioning arrows. Due to a league and cup clash, I Played SC International 3 times over the course of 3 weeks on during my first season, and each time they fielded exactly the same side, with their players showing no ill effects. I had to change by team for each of the games, due to the fact that the stamina bars were so low. Realism tells us that players do need a rest, but only if they are playing twice in the same week, and unlike most domestic leagues, the Master League has many weeks where each team only plays one game. In fact, other than the top four sides, most teams tend to keep a settled team as to build momentum over a number of weeks, as opposed to bringing in 10 new players each game! Form could be taken into account perhaps, along with higher risk of injuries later in games, and this could be reflected in the condition arrows or even minor injuries making players unavailable for the following game. However, the fact that you can’t play your star player in the cup because he played in the league is truly mad, and something that far from reflects real football at most clubs!
Looking Animated
One huge positive, and something that has always impressed me about the Pro Evolution Soccer series, is the attention to unique animations. This was brought in during ISS Pro Evolution Soccer 2008, and saw Roberto Carlos have a different run up when striking a free kick. This has been taken to many new levels including Penalty run-ups, celebrations and corner kicks, and seems to be updated every year, which all in all is worth taking your hat off to Konami about. A few popular additions for next year, from my part anyway, would be the C. Ronaldo ‘poser’ free kick, Anelka’s ultra cool butterfly celebration and Yakubu’s very calm Penalty run up and strike. The whole penalty stance is another thing that could be address, with the option of placing, powering or chipping your spot kick. For example, a power penalty has more chance of missing the target, but less of the GK saving it, even if he went the right way. A placed penalty won’t go wide or over, but will almost certainly me stopped by the keeper if he gets the right way. A chipped penalty will always hit the target, but will be stopped even if the keeper dives late. With spot kicks such a lottery regarding accuracy, having this would give three times more options for the taker, and three times more decisions for the GK.
Ding Ding, Gloves Off, Round One
Over the past few weeks and months, there have been a number of talking points in Interfering With Play that have spewed out into mini arguments in the form of comments. Many of these involve two users, mn9ajas and assache. The whole purpose of Interfering With Play is to get debate up and running, and I just want to give both you guys a shout out and to keep up the good work. It’s the whole purpose of a community to have people who share each other views, and have those who want to argue each other’s points. Better to do it in this kind of environment that with weapons in a war zone, well that’s my opinion anyway! The most recent talking point, is regarding the back chat referees have to put up with on a weakly basis, and the lack of respect these multi-millionaire footballers have for those trying to keep the game played in a good spirit. The cry from some mediums is that the game becomes more like rugby, with only captains being allowed to talk to referees and any backchat being instantly punishable with a caution. Unfortunately, there is very little chance a yellow card is going to influence this factor; I mean players still jump into the crowd or remove their shirts, gladly taking the caution if it means a more passionate celebration. The other end of the stick is Mascherano, who should have been punished for raising his hands against Middlesbrough, then was punished for saying “What’s Happening?” to an official against Man United. Players need to understand that whilst the referee is there to inflict the laws of the game, they also are there to protect players from serious injury, and listening to their brief conversation could help stop someone being badly hurt. I am lucky enough to know an ex-Premier League official, who says in spite of all the ‘abuse’ he received, he was never once directly swore at my a footballer. When you look at these pictures on the TV, they might not be telling the whole story.
So what is the solution? Maybe give each referee a microphone to record everything they say over the course of a game, and hear the response the player gives. By doing this, any incident could be cross-referenced to the relevant point on the recording when being used as evidence. Perhaps have a code of conduct for players when speaking to the ref. The player must stand approximately 1 metre away, straight with their hands behind their backs if called over by an official, reluctance to do so is seen as disrespecting an official and an immediate caution, one game ban or fine. Any player who approaches the official without being requested should be asked to leave and failure to do so is an automatic sending off. It would make Chelsea’s crowd the official tactic a very costly one! But above all else, above all these arguments it is down to the F.A and the Premier League to get a grip. The Championship and Lower Leagues in the UK have foreign players in them, and are home to as many red cards as any leagues, yet there is far less players answering back, and these refs tend to be a lot worse than the ones at the top level. If the Premier League spent more time dealing with the core factors of their division, disciple, player attitudes and sportsman ship, and less time worrying about corporate deals with chewing gum and ‘exclusive’ gaming licenses, many of these troubles could be nipped in the bud. You don’t see Andrew Strauss blasting an umpire because he feels he was given the wrong decision, and its very rare players like Lebron James speak back to officials in Basketball. It is the governing body’s responsibility, and whilst talking points are good, these things will eventually damage the sport, and the children that are growing up playing it.
With that rant over, that is the end of this week’s column. Great point raised by 88Champion at the bottom of last week’s column, regarding ISS on the N64. I will be addressing that next week, following a few hours of Nintendo gaming on ISS98 to remind myself of the games redeeming qualities! Any comments can be left at the bottom of the page, or you can hit me direct on danbolas@hotmail.com. This site is there for you to express your opinion, so don’t just read, but your point across
Thanks for Reading
Posted by Dan Bolas in Interfering With Play on Tue 25 Mar 2008
Welcome to this week’s Interfering With Play. Due to a very hectic schedule, this week’s column will be slightly briefer than previous ones, with me having to miss out a number of issues that I would really like to address. I plan to cover them over the next few weeks, so if you feel that I have missed out on a major talking point, please bear in mind I will probably have something stored on them, in order for a quieter period in my schedule. With that said, let’s get cracking.
War Is Over
So, Blu Ray discs have finally won the much talked about HD war, meaning that for the next number of years, all big movies will be released on standard DVD and Blu Ray Disc. Personally, owning a PS3, this means I am already in place for the ‘big change’ and I am sure it will cause many people to follow suit, and maybe prod the neutral in the direction of Sony’s console. Microsoft, a company who offered a HD-DVD drive as an add on to the X Box 360, have come out saying that this is totally irrelevant, because in two years time, everything will be done via Digital Download. Whether this is sour grapes, or they have strong market research supporting these facts, only time will tell. But with Sony’s victory in this war, does it mean they are now going to focus on creating a top quality gaming system, in the same way they have done with PS one and PS2? As a gamer, a huge selling point of the PS3 was the fact that Blu Ray discs could store so much information, which when coupled with the power of the machine, meant for a top of the range gaming experience. On this front, I have not been disappointed. Many PS3 gamers, for all their grumblings and complaints, must appreciate that for the first 12-18 months of a consoles initiation, PS3 has provided a wide range and variety of games, with one or two real top included in that number, The hefty price tag is starting to lower and there is going to be a new war very soon, which will see a more direct head to head of Sony vs. Microsoft, a war which is good news for every gaming fan worldwide. But back to my original point, the war was Blu Ray vs. HD DVD, and now that is over, what difference will it truly make? I own one Blu Ray Movie, and despite the high quality and extra features, I could not justify paying four to five times more for a film on Blu Ray as opposed to getting it on DVD. Yes, I am sure some people, big movie fans, might want a huge collection of HD quality movies, and if this is the case, Blu Ray is the way forward, but as a gamer, and addressing the PESGaming.com public, how many of you will be shelling out the amounts to get your favourite films on Blu Ray?Your views, as always are very welcome.
Games In Hand
A point that has been raised by many people in various forms over the last few weeks, and a feature that has only featured briefly on PES is handballs. When brought in on PES3, the handball option was more luck than judgement, with seemingly endless scrappy handballs given in the centre of midfield, and then blatant goal stopping opportunities going unpunished. As a result of this, it drove many gamers to frustration, with most asking that it be removed from the next version. The handball feature was greatly reduced over the next few releases, and seems to have gone all together on PES2008, especially in the next gen versions. Like everything with PES, I feel the handball mode was the right idea, but needed consistency in order to be successful. There is nothing more annoying than having a stonewall penalty claim turned down, only for exactly the same thing to happen against you two minutes later, and the spot kick given. A number of ideas have been banded about on how the game could use handballs whilst still maintaining its realism. One suggestion was when chesting, the ball, one of the shoulder buttons had to be pressed in order for it to be done successfully. Mistiming this would result in your player sticking out an arm in order to bring the ball down. Another suggestion would be that handballs could only be given during or following a slide tackle. This is a seemingly simple one to implement, as when players slide or go to ground, they are committing themselves to that particular challenge or block. If a shot is going in, only to be deflected by an outstretched are, the player responsible for the slide must appreciate it was there choice to try the block, and a free kick or penalty could be awarded as appropriate. Taken further, shots that were going on goal but blocked with a hand could receive a yellow or red card, totally depending on whether it would be blocked by the keeper or not. Again, this may not be everybody’s choice, but as a avid football fan, I want realism, and if following a 20 pass move, my deft lob is blocked by a players arm, I want the full Monty as regards to punishment. It would also means blocks and tackles have to be timed better, and as long as its consistent, there would be no room for moaning from any gamers. Your views greatly appreciated.
Call The Red Cross
Great to hear from so many of you regarding injuries on the game and the frustration the lack of animation causes. I will address this again in a few weeks time, but just wanted to let comment leavers and e-mailers know I have read the opinions. It does make me smile when a player who has just been crunched goes off hobbling and holding their hamstring. Anyone who knows about the human body, or has ever injured their hamstring knows the most common cause is not an impact injury, but instead over stretching or in some cases not warming up properly. Things like this are not difficult to implement, but would help bring a level of authenticity to injuries, be they muscle pulls, blood injuries or even head wounds.
Video Killed The Radio Star
Finally tonight, I was surprised as many of you to see a first on PESGaming.com, a video compilation package entitled “What Football Means to me”. Whilst some people have given it some criticism, I highly welcome things like this, as it can show the quality of PES in a format that is being used more and more on TV and the Internet. I personally thoroughly enjoy making video montages like this, but am currently unable to capture images of PES onto my PC. If anyone has the ability to do so, and wishes to pair up to make a video package like this, please be in touch via my e-mail address and we can try and sort something out. All credit will be given where appropriate. With that said, I would like to point you all in the direction of something I found on the Console Goals website about 8 months ago. I am not sure as to whether as it has been posted on the forums of PESGaming.com, or how many of you will have seen it, I personally believe it to be the best piece of PES Video editing around. The footage is taken from PES6 on the PC, and features fully edited kits. It is a compilation piece showing the different playing styles of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. I have included it on the column, but more videos like this are available at ConsoleGoals.com. I would once again like to point out I did not create this video, and all credit goes to FCB_87. Enjoy!
That’s your lot for this week’s Interfering With Play. You can get in contact via danbolas@hotmail.com, or simply leave a comment at the bottom of the article. As I said, a slightly shorter column this week due to a very busy few days previously, and over the next few weeks, I will hopefully be able to cover all features raised by the PESGaming.com community.
Thanks for Reading
Posted by Dan Bolas in Interfering With Play on Tue 18 Mar 2008
Welcome to this week’s Interfering With Play. This week, I am taking a look at some of the less major aspects of Pro Evolution Soccer, features that have never been included on previous titles, and things that over the next few years of games developments, would be a welcome addition to modern titles, regardless of their genre. Your views on these ideas, many of which are from my own mind as opposed to research, would be greatly appreciated, either in comment form, or in an e-mail, whichever you feel is appropriate.
Tearing You Limb From Limb
Last week, I sat down to one of my many Master League gaming sessions, and struggled to grind out difficult victories against AIK and Celtic, using the default Master League ‘stars’. Following a run of decent results which saw my rise to third in the table, and with still a number of games to go until the Negotiation Period, I found myself with a the difficult task of going against a well organised FC Basel side. Around 20 minutes into the game, Minanda, the aging playmaker picked the ball up on the left side of the pitch, only to be crunched to the ground my no nonsense Basel centre back, Daniel Majstorovic. Immediately, I pressed pause and wished to view the replay straight away, and following Minanda’s tricky side step, what I witnessed was a horrific, studs showing and making contact challenge, landing directly on the joint of my number 10’s ankle. Again, I feared the worse, figuring I would have lost Minanda to an injury, figuring he would at least need some time off the pitch to recover from the challenge, and that Majstorovic would be appropriately punished. When I resumed the game, I was relieved to see Minanda get to his feet, but then when no card was shown to the offending player, it made me question the whole level of decisions given by PES referees. More often than not, my players are booked for mistimed block tackles, whereas straight out lunges or pulling of shirts rarely receive a free kick. This is something which I feel has caused a lot of frustration among gamers all over the world, and whilst I can perfectly understand why a conservative tackle is rewarded with a yellow card, if used to break up an attack or from behind, I can not understand why blatant moments of dangerous play are not further punished. This could be advanced further with a more comprehensive injury system. Anyone who has played a recent WWE Smackdown Vs. Raw game is well aware that the game splits your characters body into four areas, and different moves cause specific damage to different areas. So an arm bar would cause your arm to get injured, with a power bomb putting more damage on your back. This feature has been in place for around five years now, and has provided a more realistic gaming experience. Surely, the impact of tackles on different parts of a player’s leg or body could also benefit from this system. A ankle snapping challenge like that I experienced could have seen Minanda been out for a longer period than say a mistimed trip, and the consequences could be far worse for the offending player. Many gamers have been critical of the fact ever time a player goes off, he does so hobbling and holding his hamstring, well this would be a beneficial way of solving the problem. Your views, as I said before are most welcome.
One True Voice
As I have said over the past weeks and months, I find the commentary on the latest PES to be the best the series has ever experienced. Pack in the days of ISS Pro Evolution Soccer, the way the commentators said the word Nigeria bordered on the racist, and since then well recognised commentators has been brought in, only to be both underused, and given poor quality scripts. Jon Champion, whilst far from being the best commentator as regards to TV football matches, took the work seriously, and it shows in the end product. Mark Lawrenson is not the right man for the job, and whether he is analysing on Match Of The Day or co commentating, on the FA Cup, he lacks the kind of passion and enthusiasm that transfers into the gaming environment. In my opinion, bringing in someone like Alan Smith from Sky, or even Gerry Armstrong from the La Liga commentary would add a bit more atmosphere, and boost the high levels set by Mr. Champion. Compare this with the scripts given to the best commentary team Tyler and Gray, in the latest FIFA title. Normally, EA Sports provides its commentators with a top of the range set of appropriate comments that add both colour and depth to enhance the gaming experience. In this year’s title, they spent pretty much half the game talking about St. James Park and Newcastle United, when the two teams playing were both from League One! My one request for PES2009 commentary, and indeed all-future games involving commentary, other than more scripts, is to have more names available when creating players. Looking through the PES name list, I could not create a player with the commentary name Jones or Smith, annoying as I have mates with both names. I am not expecting them to have wild names, or even foreign ones, but a collection of a couple of thousand from a local phone book would make a lot of people very happy!
“Next Year Will Be… The Perfect Year”
This sections title, before we go any further, relates to a song by 90’s songbird Dina Carroll, and in no way reflects my views or anticipations of the next Konami offering. With that said, the big debate from last weeks column was whether or not gamers would be willing to wait another 18 months for a new PES, or would it make them turn to a rival title. I think the genuine view was that they would be willing to wait, but feel it shouldn’t be a case of having to. Yes, there is a rumour to only be a handful of people involved with creating Pro Evolution Soccer, but there are far many more names if anyone takes the time to watch the games credits. I, like many, want the best football gaming experience and at the moment, for all its flaws, I still find that to be PES2008. What cannot happen is Konami cannot rest on their plurals and churn out an update 12 months down the line, changes need to be made, bugs need to be fixed and problems need to be sorted, and if that takes 18 months then so be it, if it takes 9 then that’s great too. I appreciate all e-mails and comments on the subject from the past week, and hope for all gamers sake the game released is the best one yet, whenever that may be.
Whatever The Weather
My final point tonight now is something that, because of Internet gaming, may not be too far off. Anyone who owns a PS3 and users the default menu skin, will know that throughout the day, the background starts to change shade and colour, until finally at night you end up with a black and white ensemble, very trendy and very modern. The idea way first used on the PSP, whereby each calendar month, the background would automatically change to a different colour. These real life events, albeit linked to the systems internal clock, meant that the console was representing its interpretations of real life, and is a feature that I would love to see in computer games, especially football games. The option of being able to set conditions to real time, would mean that if you were playing the game at 3:00pm the ground would be basked in sunlight, or playing at night would mean the floodlights were on. This could be taken further by the use of weather conditions. It would be difficult, but not impossible, to have the weather of the cities in which the stadium was located, to be reflected in the console counterpart. For example, if you were playing against Barcelona at the Nou Camp, be it in an Exhibition match or even a League game, the game could look up the actual weather conditions in Barcelona via the Internet, and transfer them into the game for you. Therefore, if you play against Sparta Moscow in Russia, you are more likely to be playing on a cold, hard pitch than say if you were up against River Plate, where it would be a hotter game with more draining conditions. These conditions could then effect the players, in other words, Stamina, proneness to injury or likeliness of slipping over and the game itself be it the ball swirling in the wind, the way it bounces or holds up in the puddles. With there only being 15 stadiums currently available on the next generation version of PES, this would be a good time to try and implement something, and although it may act as a novelty, it would make games more realistic, and would require you to think more tactically when picking your team, i.e. playing long ball on a windy day or using pace players when the heat will tire them quicker. Any views on real life conditions in gaming would be greatly appreciated.
Again, that’s all for this week. It was drawn to my attention that the link I offered for the PC games was incorrect, so the correct link is http://www.classic-pc-games.com, if any of you get round to using it, please let me know your experiences of the website, and the games you play. The e-mail address, as always is danbolas@hotmail.com, and if your going to add me to msn, please let me know who you are first via e-mail, as I have hundreds of adds each week and then never speak to any of them!
Thanks for Reading
Posted by Dan Bolas in Interfering With Play on Tue 11 Mar 2008
Welcome to this week’s Interfering With Play. So far, I have had no feedback or comeback from the Seabass letter, and am in the process of sending it to a number of different sources that will help further its progress. If anyone has a message board, forum or website they wish to display the letter on, please feel free to contact me and I will send you the finished version. With that said, let’s crack on with this week’s column.
“Hi Kids, Do You Like Violence”
I want to take this opportunity to once again clarify a few points regarding both PESGaming.com and myself. I appreciate that for regular members/readers, or those who have been involved with the site for some time, this will act as repetition, however there are many people unaware with the formula of how this site works. Peter Willis is the owner and responsible for the overall content of this site. He is the editor if you will. Whilst at the moment, he may seem to post less frequently than me, as more news becomes available regarding PES2009, or whatever the next Konami football title is called, he will become the leading contributor to PESGaming.com, providing links to other sites, articles and images involving the next game. He is also responsible for informing the PESGaming.com community of the Goal Of The Month competition. He does not run the competition, nor have any overall casting vote over who wins the final prize. I am Dan Bolas, and have been contributing to PESGaming.com as a site for around four years. I started to write Interfering With Play on the PESGaming.com forum, and have since moved on to writing it on the main page. My views and opinions are totally my own, and do not reflect those of Peter Willis or the entire PESGaming.com community. The column itself features news and discussion topics from both the football and football gaming world, and can be used as a starting point for debates, which in recent months has included the football vs. rugby refereeing argument, the PC vs. Console argument and has touched on major issues such as money and racism in football. Like many people out there, my views are pretty strong, and are founded on hours of research and a large footballing and football gaming knowledge. However, they are not to be considered the law. They are totally open for debate, and whilst I tend not to write comments on my own articles, any topics rose via e-mail or comments will be addressed in the following weeks article. PES has a huge fan base of loyal, football fans and most gamers who spend time playing the game are the ones who either play the sport themselves or follow their local team religiously, with a combination of the two being most likely. The belief that this site should singly only address PES and Konami not only limits a vast community’s discussion topics, but also is narrow-minded as to regards what will one day constitute the ‘perfect’ football game.
Please Release Me
This was a topic that has both been fuelled by immense rumours, and was previously lost in a recent article due to the dominance of the Seabass letter. The subject, the fact that PES2009 may not be released until October 2009, gives Seabass 18+months to work on the game, and 2 years between releases of PES titles. In my opinion, and from my early PES memories, ISS Pro Evolution Soccer was released every two years during its time on PS One, and only became an annual release to coincide with its launch on PS2. The advancements between games were large, but in today’s modern market, shouldn’t a game producer be able to churn out one title a year, especially when it is arguably that companies number one selling title. On the other hand, waiting for a title that could end up to be the pinnacle of Next Generation football, is surely worth chalking off another 12 months on your calendar, even if it does mean slumming it with previous versions until then. Your views would be greatly appreciated. Are you willing to wait 18 months for the next PES? Would you resort to playing Fifa? Or do you feel Konami and Seabass have to release a game in the 2008 calendar year in order to keep up with EA Sports? Comments can be added at the bottom of the page.
Shock Therapy
Just a huge congratulation to Barnsley and Cardiff for shaving Premier League scalps in the FA Cup this past weekend. The talk of the ‘magic of the FA Cup’ is always up for debate, with foreign managers seeming to prefer to rest their big stars for the tournament. However, both Manchester United and Chelsea fielded very strong sides in the quarterfinals and were beaten by sides sticking to a game plan and working exceptionally hard. I only hope, like so many other neutrals, that the two sides which make it to the final put on a show, a la Liverpool vs. West Ham, and don’t try and bore the opponent into submission, a tactic employed by Chelsea, Man United and Arsenal in previous finals.
One For The Old School
My final point in this weeks article acts as a siren to all those fans of retro gaming. If, like myself you grew up played games on tapes and floppy disks, and have fond memories of games such as Daley Thompson’s Decathlon or Emlyn Hughes International Soccer, you will be pleased to know there is sites available where these games are available for free download. Getting your old Amiga or C64 out the loft to find it broken or water has leaked into your collection of games is gutting. I personally sold my Spectrum ZX at a Car Boot sale for £30 with over 300 games, and am now painfully aware of the collectors value some of those titles had. There is a lot of contention about what is legal regarding Roms and Emulators, a topic I will touch on in a future article, however, I recently signed up to a site called Classic PC Games. I say this as a gaming fan, and am in no way working with the site or trying to give the place free advertising. I feel as many old school gaming fans contact me on PESGaming.com, I would take the opportuntiy to point you in the direction of a place where these games are available. The site works in a unique way whereby to obtain 25 free downloads, you must write a review of one of the games featured on the site. With 1,000’s available, its not difficult to find one that you will have played, and with games like Sensible World of Soccer and Metal Gear Solid just one review a way, it is definatly a productive procedure. Type in Classic PC Games on your search engine, or hit the link www.classicpcgames.com to find out what its all about. If you do spend the time doing so, could you let me know of your experiences here on PESGaming.com, as it would be nice to see who is downloading what games!
That’s your lot for this week. Very appreciative of all your feedback, in particular from all the Newcastle fans! I am waiting for a few weeks before I follow up my comments in last weeks Interfering With Play, but will be more than happy to reply to any mails personally. danbolas@hotmail.com is the place you can send private comments to, or click the red comment button below this article to express your views in public.
Thanks for Reading
Posted by Dan Bolas in Interfering With Play on Tue 04 Mar 2008
Welcome to this week’s Interfering With Play. More so than ever this week, I feel like I have spent a great deal of time reading, writing and having conversations about the state of PES2008. The Seabass letter, now completed is being sent today, and I would like to take this opportunity to thank the hundreds of people who have been any way involved with its compilation. I have featured a slight section about it in this weeks Interfering With Play, but am hoping the next time it is discussed, it will be with regards to a Seabass response. With that said, let’s get going.
The Seabass Letter
As was expected following the posting of this letter on PESGaming.com, many people seemed to air their views about the style of writing, and in some cases the points that have been featured. I am well aware that some people are very annoyed with this years Pro Evolution Soccer offering, especially it being the first multi format next generation release, and would have preferred a much more aggressively written letter. I have tried to get the general opinions of the game, coupled with an overall overlook from the PESGaming.com community. Seabass himself knows issues such as lag and online play are far from acceptable, and doesn’t need another rant or even over critical e-mail landing in his inbox, fresh for deleting. For all those who are infuriated and downright hate the new PES, there are many who are still playing the game, and many who feel it needs tweaks more than complete overhauls. At any given time, my friend’s list will feature at least 2 people playing Pro Evolution Soccer, be it 9 am or 11pm, and I personally have had a number of multiplayer evenings and spent a good couple of hundred hours playing the game. Yes, it is frustrating it’s not a better game, but Seabass has come out saying PES2009 will be a complete overhaul, and knows what is wrong with the fundamentals. I have tried to write it from a point of view, which reflects conversations, comments and e-mails I have received, and hopefully have constructed a letter than will give Konami and Seabass food for thought.
“I Can See Us Holding Hands…”
For mother’s day, I bought my mother a Nintendo DS with Brain Training, thinking it would be a nice change from the regular perfume and chocolates that have been given pretty much every year! Since then, I have played Brain Training regularly and find it an excellent novelty idea, even though it doesn’t really class as a computer game in my eyes. It is aimed entirely at the casual gaming market, an area which Nintendo have pretty much sewn up over the past 18 months, and a market that will either get tired of the trend and disappear altogether, or will begin to find the majority of the hardware’s titles unfulfilling and move on to the more intense Sony or Microsoft gaming experiences. But since looking at the DS as an overall product, I am shocked it has received so much acclaim and success ahead of the Sony PSP, a product that I have owned for the past 3 years. The DS has a touch screen, which can be very appealing to none gamers or for certain game types and a limited Wi-Fi chat ability. Compare this with the PSP, a system that allows MP3 and Video play back, full Internet Browsing and Internet Radio via Wi-Fi, the ability to connect a Camera and Microphone for video chat, and a much clearer screen, with familiar Sony controls. Couple the above with the ability to download classic PS One games onto the handheld from the PS3, and a gaming catalogue featuring a wide variety of established classic titles, such as Worms, Grand Theft Auto, Crazy Taxi, Pro Evolution Soccer, Metal Gear Solid, Football Manager and Tomb Raider and you have what is seemingly a winning formula. Even the price of the PSP is very reasonable, retailing in similar fields to the DS. Have I missed something amongst gamers that the PSP is a poor piece of hardware? Is it due to its slightly bulky size, a problem that is more apparent with so many modern day gadgets ‘slimming down’? Or has is just been completely missed by the gaming community? As I said, I am a proud owner of the system, and would highly recommend it to anyone. The ability of playing Football Manager on your lunch break or Pro Evolution Soccer on the way home from work is too good to miss, and it works well as an MP3 Hi-Fi or watching downloaded videos! Any comments about the system, as always are very much welcomed.
Handbags And Glad Rags
Just a quick point regarding Frank Lampard’s sending off at West Ham on Saturday. Throughout this season, there have been a number of horrendous, dangerous and downright dirty challenges performed by Premier League stars that have gone unpunished, or in some cases received cautions. Both Lampard and West Ham’s Luis Boa Morte were up for the contest, the former due to his early days with the hammers whilst the latter had been involved in skirmishes at Stamford Bridge earlier in the season. Lampard did rake his studs over the back of Boa Morte, and the Portuguese kicked out at the Chelsea man, which probably should have seen both receive the same punishment. A yellow card for that incident would have clamed down what was turning into a fiery encounter, and kept meant that Chelsea kept there full contingent on the pitch. The referee could have applied some common sense, as opposed to wanting to make a name for himself as ‘The Man who sent Lampard off at Upton Park”. In the context of the challenge, with Dirk Kuyt’s kung fu kick vs. Everton, Joe Coles horrible Achilles lunge against Man United or even Makelele going over the top on Faubert later in the same match, the skirmish was a non event, and wasn’t even worthy of being a talking point. Neither Boa Morte or Lampard were in danger of being out due to serious injury as a result of the incident, and the FA need to concentrate more on cutting out the tackles that are going to, sooner or later end someone’s career.
The King Is Dead
I have refrained from making too many comments regarding Newcastle United over the past few weeks, as I don’t want to be seen as picking on a club I grew up loving to watch. However, there is no denying they are in a lot of trouble. Yes, they have had some difficult games, and the next few weeks will see them up against fellow strugglers, but for another season, the Geordies are going to have a trophy less season, and will definitely not being playing in the UEFA cup next term. The honeymoon period, if you can call it that was cut short, and Keegan has proven himself inept tactically once again, being unable to close off games or in a lot of cases play the kind of attacking football his side used to be renowned for. He was unable to convince Jonathon Woodgate to return to St. James Park, and will be relying on his reputation, not potential in order to make a go of it in the Summer Transfer window. He has a squad, which is not his fault that is full of players who were not good enough to play in the Top Four teams and has struggled to motivate them in the same way other managers could have done. But unfortunately, the problems stem much deeper than that. Take the example of Everton. David Moyes was brought in as a manager with a great deal of potential, and wasn’t given a great deal of money to start with. He took over an aging squad with few real stars, and a handful of youngsters waiting in the wings. As a result, he struggled to get a start in the league, and found his side struggling in relegation. Instead of panicking, the board backed him, stuck by him and supported him. He has worked things his way, bringing in young players from lower leagues that are hungry for success, and coupled them with hard working seasoned professionals that have the experience to get them through the more scrappy games. This has meant he has been able to attract genuinely top players, such as Yakubu and Arteta, without breaking the bank or gambling too much. When a player has stepped out of line, for example former Inter Milan star Andy Van der Meyde, he has thrown the book at them as if they were a 17 year old on their first day of training, and not allowed himself to be pushed around by wantaway stars. At the start of this season, Sam Allardyce told Newcastle he had a three to five year plan to make the club a top force, and got until December. It would be just desserts if Newcastle were to end up relegated this year, as a benchmark that sometimes belief and loyalty should still stand for something in this countries football, because it does at Goodison Park.
That’s all I have time for this week, mainly as I am just about to sit down and watch the Champions League. Many thanks for everyone’s contributions over the past few months as to regards the Seabass Letter, lets hope we get a response, and it results in the best PES game ever in 9 months time. Comments about anything you have read here will be gratefully received, along with e-mails at danbolas@hotmail.com
Thanks for Reading
Posted by Dan Bolas in Interfering With Play on Fri 29 Feb 2008
This is the letter i have written to Seabass, using e-mails and comments from members of this site. The letter will be sent on Tuesday 4th March 2008, so any errors noticed, or things that i have completely missed out should be commented on at the bottom before then.
“Firstly, thank you for taking time out your busy schedule to read this letter. I am writing on behalf of PESGaming.com, a very popular online Pro Evolution Soccer community that has been running for a number of years, and a website in which I personally write a weekly column, titled Interfering With Play. Since the release of next generation PES2008, and following your own personal comments regarding the game, the community has joined together to offer suggestions and ideas for the future of PES. These views are not just my own, but are of hundreds of gamers based all over Europe, and in some cases the United States of America.”
“Most people over hear see PES as a certain purchase come the end of the year, and each year, it very rarely disappoints. As far as a football game, the realism and game play is better than anything currently available on the market, and over the past few years, the graphics have started to equal other sporting titles out there. With that said, this years offering, especially as it was the first multi format next generation release, failed to live up to the hype many people had created. The game is definitely not a bad game, by any stretch of the imagination, and still is played by many gamers, but after a number of weeks of playing it, each has raised many of the same points, and PESGaming.com decided to unite together and give the hundreds and indeed thousands of regular visitors a voice, hopefully one that may influence some of your future game making decisions.”
“Pro Evolution Soccer as a game has always been the football fans choice, and not been particularly favoured by arcade based gamers looking for a quick fix. The next generation audience have felt that the latest offering of PES is far too quick, and that it almost falls into the unrealistic category. Football can be played as a build up game, with long stringing passing moves, and this is something PES has always been excellent at. The speed of the game is something that could definitely be addressed for the next offering of the game. ”
“One of the biggest complaints from every gamer who has played PES is the lag that everyone has experienced at one stage or another. To Konami’s credit, patches have been released to rectify the problem offline, however many gamers won’t even play the game online. With the whole emphasis of the next generation being online gaming, and bringing the gaming community together, lag free gaming is almost as crucial as being able to play multi player on the same system. The potential for online tournaments is massive, and marketing opportunities from having a successful online community are immeasurable. Couple this with the huge social networking culture currently running wild, and the sky is truly the limit. Gamers would take pride in their profile, which could be used to display their best goals and track records, and would be happy to keep up their rankings in order to be entered in to big money, sponsored tournaments. Add to this the ability to create your own leagues with mates, and you could have a thriving online community, with very little effort on your own part. I am sure you are aware of the potential for this, but this is also what a great deal of gamers want to see and experience, and PES is the one place they would love to do it.”
“The commentary aspect is something that has greatly improved over the past few years, and many Pro Evolution fans now claim it to be the best available. However, with so many next generation console owners having a wealth of MP3s stored on their systems hard drives, surely the option of allowing custom play lists during menu screens would be both practical and time saving on your part.”
“The game modes featured in PES are all very popular, but surely with the capabilities of Blu Ray and HD DVD disks, more modes could be included. Modes such as an indoor mode of 5 a side, or a 7 a side mode, both styles of football that are very popular in the U.K would add slightly more variety to the game, and would also attract more of a casual audience, who maybe are not looking to play through lots of league or cup competitions, and are slightly overwhelmed by the hundreds of players on offer. More players and teams, will be welcomed by most PES fans though, and whilst many admit that the Master League is one of the best modes in any current computer game, simple things could be done to make the experience more realistic. One of the biggest gripes is the use of points, when currency, even if its fictional currency would add to the realism. Also, making the option to train your players slightly more in depth, even with the possibility to work on set plays in training, triggering runs that then can me made during the following week’s matches. The whole argument most players base this on is that PES has potential to be a massive game, but lacks both the variety of game modes or the sheer number of teams to attract those gamers who are more concerned with quick fix football.”
“One thing most gamers, including myself, can not understand is why every year something seems to be removed from PES, after having a successful year. Features such as the in depth edit mode with pixel editor for logos, random selection mode, the ability to base copy players, the PES shop, the ability to swap shirts and shorts to give different kit combinations and the ability to play a penalty kick match. These modes were all exceptionally popular, and all would be heartily welcomed back into the next Konami football offering. The edit mode in particular is a huge loss for many gamers. Everyone understands that licenses cost a lot of money and sponsorship deals are not that easy to come by, so the ability to make the logos and strips for yourself is crucial. Most people have not invested in the camera for their console, and even then 8 spaces is far to few. This can be taken further, with the ability to customise managers, referees or even a stadium editor, as a way of getting around the licence problem, whilst still giving gamers the most realistic football experience around.”
“I will say again, these views are not just of myself, but are the views collected from gamers all over the world, and have been sent to me in the form of hundreds of e-mails since the start of 2008. The game play and fundamentals of Pro Evolution Soccer are still there, but now as it is a next generation game, many of the above features would be most welcomed by the PESGaming.com public.”
“We ask that the next PES offering is completely lag free, be it online or offline, and maintains the high standards set in previous versions, and keeps the top quality game play that has seen the title stand the test of time, albeit with a slightly slower tempo!”
“Thank you very much for your time reading the letter, and we hope that some if not all of the ideas have offered some kind of inspiration towards the next title. I personally can be reached on danbolas@hotmail.com, and will be more than willing to discuss these issues further if you wish. The website I write for and the home of many of these brilliant ideas, is www.pesgaming.com.”
Yours truly,
Dan Bolas
Interfering With Play
PesGaming.com
Posted by Dan Bolas in Interfering With Play on Tue 26 Feb 2008
Welcome to Interfering With Play. This week will see the writing and finalising of the Seabass letter, but due to the overwhelming and frankly huge response I have had from e-mails, messages and MSN chat, it is going to take slightly longer than first thought. I hope to post a copy on this site before Friday, as I am now in the process of collaborating all the points together now, before finally turning it into a piece that ill not bore readers. I apologise for anyone desperate to read it, but for the sheer volume of information that needs to be included, it is, in my opinion, better to take the time and get it right than rush it and waste the last few months’ work of hard work. With that said, enough has happened in the last week in order to keep Interfering With Play more than full, so lets get rolling.
Showing His Studs
Undoubtedly the talking point of the week, especially as regards to the English Premier League was the challenge on Arsenal’s Eduardo by Birmingham City defender Martin Taylor, which caused a horrific double break of his leg and torn ligaments. The tackle itself was nowhere near as bad as some of the challenges that have occurred this season, and was more a case of bad timing than intent to hurt the Croatian. Those who view Sky Sports News on a regular basis will see that Martin Taylor is far from a dirty player. He has received a total of 2 red cards in nearly 300 professional games, and averages a booking every 39 games, a very respectable record for any footballer, never mind one who plies his trade as a Centre Back. Arsene Wenger has since retracted his statement that Taylor should be banned from football, and most players and managers, including Eduardo have cleared him of blame for the incident. But I ask, how long before such a thing happens to a Rooney or a Gerrard, and England loses a key member of their side. Croatia would have probably been considered with an outside chance of winning Euro 2008, and now have lost one of their star strikers. Couple this with the fact it was an English player who had made the tackle, and you realise that although it was undoubtedly a horrible injury, it could have fallen so much worse for the FA, and given the media a field day. Players like Essien and Mikel are both renowned for leaving their foot in, or even occasionally going over the top of the ball in a tackle, and had they done so to an English player, I am sure the media would be called for more hefty treatment of these players. Kuyt managed to get away with a yellow card for what is arguably the worse tackle of the season so far, and this again is an area which is far to inconclusive for the modern game. Bans need to be greater for reckless play, and the FA should be able to hand out extended bans or even review incidents after the referee has taken action. At the moment, whatever the ref decides regarding a caution must stay as that, and this means yellow card tackles that deserve red are not getting punished. Couple this with the madness of a four game ban for Alliadiare, who whilst slapped Mascherano, did not cause any physical injury, and you realise that the system is both flawed and highly outdated. Any views on this subject, an issue, which is on most people’s lips at the moment, are more than welcome.
Welcome to My Empire
2008 will see the launch of a whole new world of gaming, as for the first time ever, there will be an interactive multi sport online community. For those of you who are unaware, a title called Empire Of Sports is going to be released for PC in the middle of this year. The game is to follow a similar role to the exceptionally popular World Of Warcraft series, in which you create your own character and move him or her round a virtual world. However, instead of fighting battles and collecting experience points, you work out at a gym and play in online sporting competitions to increase your rank. Sports range from Football to Tennis to Basketball and even more extreme sports such as Skiing, and are coupled with time spent in the gym to help you build up your athlete’s stats. The difference is, of course, every player you will play against will be another human being, be it in a 1 on 1 tennis match or a full scale 11 a side football league, with your team mates being real people playing the game just like you. For many sports gamers, something like this would seem to be the Holy Grail, and in my opinion, it does seem to be very interesting. I have never dabbled into the World Of Warcraft, but since my PS3, would consider myself a regular online gamer and love the idea of competing against real world opponents. The idea of having a team with mates, which you would pit against another team is one that I have personally been looking forward to for years, but I still feel that, although the idea is an excellent one, it still has a long way to go to make itself a must own game. It is due for release in May / June of this year, and anyone with anymore information would be welcome to post it as a comment, or send it this way via e-mail.
And We’re Heading Live To The Rumour Mill
Rumours this week have struck of PES2009 actually not being released until 2009, and even reports from a couple of sources that it will be Seabass’ last PES offering ever! Before we go any further, can I point out that most gaming rumours change on a daily basis and that one minute a game due out in 2009 turns up next week, with another game being delayed til 2010! The problem with a medium like computer games is the fact that is built for a generation that hates waiting. Game players are the same people who have been brought up on Cash Machines, Fast Food and Ready Meals. We have 100’s of channels so there is ‘always something on’ and we don’t buy CDs, if we like a song we download it that minute, legally from iTunes of course! As soon as any news of a slight delay occurs, immediately annoyance steps in and we get very frustrated. Many people were furious about the delay GTA IV and Metal Gear Solid 4 both experienced, yet movies have 6 month or 12 month set backs all the time. Therefore, as soon as any rumour hits the Internet about a delay, some people will see it as gospel, and some sites have even already printed that PES will not be released this year. I am personally far more sceptical. In an industry that moves so quickly, 6 months is a very long time, and more news about the next PES instalment will be far more accurate at that time. The other factor, which needs to be taken into account, though, is would PES gamers wait another 12 months for a new version of PES, if it irons out the ‘problems’ with this seasons title. EA Sports will have released three new titles (four including FIFA Street) by the time the new PES is released, so whether the game comes out in October or January may not be that important. What is important is that the game reaches the exceptionally high standards that it has set itself, and the Seabass and Konami take on board the views of football fans when making the game.
Ask The Experts
Moving on from the above point, I wonder how many experts actually work on a set game. For example, Call Of Duty 4 brought in a number of ex-military members, who all put their input towards the game. Wherever possible, Infinity Ward took their views and replicated it in the gaming world, and as a result what occurred was one of the most realistic and best war games on the market. But there were changes that had to be made. Simple things that are the difference between games and reality that needs to be added for effect. The grenades that you throw out should take 5 seconds to explode, however, the developers thought 5 seconds was too long for gamers to wait, and despite taking the advice of the experts, shrank the time delay down to three seconds, resulting in an increase in speed, even if it does sacrifice realism. This is of course, not possible for all genres of game, and indeed not for all titles. It would be impossible to take the views of a 13th Century Assassin on board when making Assassin’s Creed, and games like Stuntman: Ignition require a more user friendly interface than just diagrams and drawings presented to a real stuntman. However, with most gaming developers having not experienced many of the things they design games about, surely there is a call more than ever for experts to be brought in. Ray Houghton, ex-Republic Of Ireland and Aston Villa midfielder plays a huge part in the tactical development of Championship Manager, so surely working with professional coaches will help give a greater understanding to the AI in games like PES and Fifa. Your views on this subject would be, as always, greatly appreciated.
‘Keep On Rolling’
Comments made on the previous Interfering With Play have led to the question what will this article feature once the Seabass letter is done and dusted. This weeks article made very little reference to the aforementioned letter, and is as long, if not longer than previous weeks offerings, however, Interfering With Play’s future is totally in the hands of the PESGaming.com public. Every week I receive e-mails commenting on something someone has read on the site, and every week I sit down on a Tuesday with a list of ten or so topics and have to shrink them down to 3 or 4 in order to save time. I plan to continue writing for a while yet, as I still have a number of talking points that can be discussed, and have no intention of packing it in. With that said, I appreciate that over the summertime, there may be a point of a few months were Interfering With Play will go on a summer holiday. I hope that should this happen I will return in time for the build up to the future PES, with the latest news and dealings from the gaming world. So in answer to the question, I have a few topics to still discuss and write about, so you won’t be getting rid of me just yet!
That’s it for this week’s column. Hopefully the Seabass letter will be up for your viewing pleasure on Thursday, but it may come slightly later, depending on work and time restraints. As always, comments are more than welcome at the bottom of the page, along with e-mails, which can be sent to danbolas@hotmail.com. I also have to apologise for any people who may get deleted of my PS3 friends list in the next few weeks. I have too many people on there at the moment, and with some of my mates buying PS3’s in the next few weeks, I need to streamline it slightly. Send me a message on there in the next few days shouting out who you are and that your read the column, and I will not delete you!
Thanks for Reading.
Posted by Dan Bolas in Interfering With Play on Tue 19 Feb 2008
In this week’s Interfering With Play, I will be concentrating on the last part of the Seabass letter, the features and game modes available in PES. The letter is now starting to take a decent shape, and we hopefully be almost complete by the time I write next weeks Interfering With Play. Of course, there will be people who feel their views or opinions haven’t been taken into account, but I have read every e-mail and comment, and found these points to be the most frequent, along with the most likely to be featured. As always, there seems to have been a number of major talking points in the gaming world, and indeed the football world these past 7 days, if you have anything you wish to stress your views on, you can do so on here via the comments feature, or by e-mailing me directly, my address is at the bottom.
Seabass Letter: Features
This week’s topic for the Seabass letter is regards the features and game modes of PES2008, and possible ways it could be improved for 2009. Here, feel free to read the ideas, and comment on their importance to you as a PES gamer, along with developing any that may sound like a good idea. These are the collective views of many gamers, along with my own personal views and those of my PES playing mates.
When it comes to game modes, PES has always been very unique. For the past 7 years or so, it has featured updates and improvements in both graphics and controls, but has kept basically the same set game modes all the way through. Any other games series would be slaughtered for the lack on originality, yet PES seems to get away without anyone noticing. Imagine a FPS that had the same maps and weapons, and yet was released 7 consecutively years featuring a handful of new characters, or a driving game that stuck to meagre Time Trials and regular track racing. There is no denying that the features included are all pretty much standard, and to most extents, work very well, however, here we are to look at what could be added, and how existing modes could be improved.
We start with a huge missing feature from the next generation version PES, and that is the shop mode. There is no way this feature should have been taken out. PES points achieved by playing friendly matches or winning tournaments meant you could unlock the players and teams you personally wanted at the time you wanted them, and not have to do an entire tournament just to unlock one player you would like to sign in Master League. The idea of having further unlock able content, such as celebrations, or even the option to play matches using old time commentators and black and white style footage would be welcomed, along with silly features like the ability to design ad boards or corner flags. The bottom line is for as long as I can remember, PES has enjoyed relative success with the shop mode, so much so that EA Sports have since implemented it into FIFA, and it is a travesty that it was removed from this PES.
One mode that a lot of people have called for is a Referee mode, whereby you actually control the ref, and make decisions on the pitch, acquiring rating points for successful games or fairly officiated contests. Whilst this does seem like a good novelty idea on my part, I could see it getting boring quite quickly. At the end of the day, when you go out to play football with your mates, no one dreams of being the ref, and whilst the feature would be good fun in a 3 player environment, it would more than likely result in bias decisions, and I would personally prefer the time to be spent making a better online experience as opposed to bringing in a more novelty game type.
Another hugely popular mode, and something that I could defiantly get on board with, is the Indoor mode, or a 5/7 a side version of the game. It is brought in a lot in basketball games, whereby you can form a small-sided team in a one off match against another group of players. The players do not need to be of the same nationality, nor play for the same club, and it would offer a quick fire alternative to the 11 on 11 games. I am not suggesting it is made OTT, like FIFA Street, but instead using the same game engine as that used in PES 2008. The option of playing 5 a side on a smaller, indoor pitch, with smaller goals would not only provide a different game mode, it would also improve gamers short passing play, which would in turn add them in crowded penalty areas. A 7 a side mode would act as a go between, and could even be played on a more bouncy, Astroturf like surface that would give a different feel to the matches. Both types of game would be played on smaller pitches, obviously the 5 a side pitch being smaller than the 7 a side one, and the goals would be as appropriate, long and low 5 a side goals, and hockey style goals for the 7 a side. Rules could even be changed to the players will, with head height rules, kick ins, slide tackling or even the area rule all being open for interpretation by the gamer. I really feel this mode would work well, and Seabass could do a lot worse than bring it into PES 2009.
One feature that was touched upon earlier, and would work would be a multi ball system during matches. Having ball boys situated around the pitch, they could quickly retrieve the ball or have one close to where they are located in order to throw the ball to the set piece taker. This would be welcomed in order to increase continuation throughout the matches, but also be practical as, whilst there are so few stadiums on PES, this mode would also be realistic, with most big clubs opting to employ this system.
The master league is arguably the best game mode in any sports series, offing you to take the hold of a lower league club, with a playing staff of no namers, and turn them into a world-class footballing outfit fronted by big name superstars. This mode has gradually been updated each year, with realistic player aging, progression and contracts. However, it is now more than ready for a bit of an overhaul. Gamers have requested things such as the ability to switch between clubs, a feature, which would make the game slightly more management like, and the ability to include custom teams as competition, a feature that would potentially allow for a Championship and League 1 section of the league. Two of the best suggestions though, are ones that Konami should really find easy implementing. Firstly, the introduction of currency, be in € or £, in order to bring realism to the transfer dealings. This seems such a simple thing to bring in, and I am pretty sure it is down to the fact they can’t be bothered to convert the game from Yen to Pounds to Dollars, as the game is released over different locations. Slack and lazy, but more than likely one of the many corners cut in order to ensure the release is as close to EA Sports’ title as possible. The other feature, which again would be more of a novelty, would be the ability to customise the starting 22 players you have, by both appearance and name only. Players like Castello, Miranda and Espinas have all been legendary for me over the years, but the option to replace these with my mates would be too good to miss. Having a team that looks like your school team, or Sunday league mates would make the Master League that little more personal, and make it so much harder when you finally sold yourself in order to bring in Cristiano Ronaldo.
The league and cup game modes have always been pretty solid in PES, and this year was no exception. On this front, and with many others such as the Exhibition mode, I would not change a thing. One thing I find exceptionally strange though, is that game modes are constantly removed from PES. No longer can you have a Penalty Shoot out with your mates, choose the referee or play a Random Selection match. The fact that these things are not massive loses means that people don’t tend to moan about them as much, however many gamers will tell you they were welcome things, and should be brought back in as soon as possible. The analogy best suited would be that of making a new car. Features like Sat Nav are very popular and more than welcome but are no good if something like electric windows don’t feature. If something is working well, it should still be part of the end product, no matter how small it may seem.
That is the main points I have received on the audio front in the e-mails and comments. Any build up on this or possible ideas related to these can be sent to me via e-mail or left as comments at the bottom of this article.
That is it for the Seabass Letter now. Any comments about anything read over the past few weeks need to reach me by the weekend, as I will be putting together a finished text in order to send next week.
Eat My Goal
One of the craziest features is the current debarkle regarding the GOTM competition run on this site, in association with Console Goals. I personally have nothing to do with the organising and deciding which goals feature, and am more than happy to vote for the goal which I feel is the best goal. The fact is, the prize of a free game makes the competition more than worth entering, and as soon as it is easier to upload my PS3 scored goals online, I will be myself taking part in events. Some people need to just chill out and face facts though, that the goal which won did so on public votes, and was not chosen by a panel of experts or even Alan Hansen. You don’t like the goal, that’s fine, don’t vote for it, but when a goal wins so convincingly in a public domain vote, then that means the majority of people liked it the best. Fact. I think it’s pretty sad the people can’t be gracious enough to accept a good goal, even if it is scored against them.
It’s A Kind Of Magic
Love it or hate it, there is no denying there is a certain something about the FA Cup. This year more than most, it has seen many Premier League sides face off against lower league opposition, and huge scalps been taken as a result. Nowadays, it seems un-cool to want to win the FA Cup, and with so much money being thrown at the Premier and Champions League winners, it is understandable that managers may be tempted to field a weaker team. However, it’s the same Liverpool fans that are saying there not bothered as the ones who were celebrating when Michael Owen scored 2 late goals against Arsenal to help them lift the trophy. Try telling Barnsley, Cardiff or even Preston, who were crushed in the last minute, that the competition means nothing. In a day and age where English football seems to be losing its traditions and heritage on a weekly basis, its nice to have something still running that has been both successful and sought after by many professionals and clubs. I end with the statement that the only time a manager ‘doesn’t care about the cup’ is when their side are no longer in it!
That’s your lot for this week. As always all comments are welcome. If you have a great deal to say, I recommend you do so by e-mail, but short public comments are probably better on the comments section of the site. danbolas@hotmail.com is where your mails can be sent.
Thanks for Reading
Posted by Dan Bolas in Interfering With Play on Tue 12 Feb 2008
Welcome to this week’s Interfering With Play. In a week which has seen a number of major sporting talking points arise, I am going to crack straight on with the Seabass letter, before moving on to a number of other issues I would like you, the PESGaming.com visitors to have your say on. Remember, you can express your views publicly, via the comments at the bottom of this article, or privately to my own personal e-mail address, which is featured at the end of the Interfering With Play. Lets get going.
Seabass Letter: Audio
This week’s topic for the Seabass letter is regards the audio elements of PES2008, and possible ways it could be improved for 2009. Here, feel free to read the ideas, and comment on their importance to you as a PES gamer, along with developing any that may sound like a good idea. These are the collective views of many gamers, along with my own personal views and those of my PES playing mates.
When you go to see a great movie, the music will not make your opinion of that movie change to much should it be rubbish, but if the music or ‘soundtrack’ is fitting with the target audience, the songs will stay in your memory and will enhance your viewing experience. A number of top movies have albums dedicated to their soundtracks, and be it the mellow classical sounds of a movie like Atonement, the punk rock style of an American Pie movie, or the more metal based tunes found in Transformers, there is no denying that, more than ever, the audio related to the media is a crucial part of the end package. The same is to be said about computer games, with games like Silent Hill and Metal Gear Solid backed by excellent tense musical scores, Crazy Taxi and GTA supported with appropriate driving music and most American sports games receiving music from some of the most popular Hip Hop and Rap artists, all of which makes for a more enjoyable gaming experience.
When it comes to the music featured on PES, there is no denying that it stands out as below par. Each year, one licensed tune is used to front the game and the starting video, (this year was the Kaiser Chiefs) followed by a number of exceptionally mediocre pieces of music that bring nothing to the table. I know I am not alone in saying I have found myself singing along to Go For The Goal or staying on the formation screen a couple of seconds longer to hear a rousing chorus of ‘I Want To Be A Superstar!’ but in a day and age where music plays such a big part in TV shows, Movies and other video games, this should be taken into account by Konami. EA Sports release Fifa as a worldwide title, but support it with artists and genres well known in various areas and continents, meaning there is a chance you will find a handful of songs you have heard before. Konami need to follow suit, either by allowing you to feature your own Hard Drive stored tracks, or provide a 30+-track list of bearable, real music.
One thing that had come into criticism in many PES instalments, but seems to be less berated in 2008 is the commentary. Jon Champion has done an excellent job of working with the script provided to produce a realistic take on the ongoing matches, and sounds as enthusiastic as anyone has before him. The fact that Mark Lawrenson brings as much to proceedings as he does in a regular England match (minus the awful one liners) is defiantly one up for the realism effort. FIFA has always been praised for its commentary, and having the best team in the business, Andy Gray and Martin Tyler, that would be expected. However, this year sees over elaborate scripts, talking more about the local history of stadiums and ignoring great goalmouth action. It is exceptionally difficult to get the commentary spot on, as football is such a spontaneous sport, and with so many different topical situations, anything other than the game itself would seem out of date. The scripts of PES are definitely improving, and including more text, along with a more believable co commentator (suggestions include Alan Smith from Sky Sports or even Graham Taylor from 5 Live) will only help to make this more realistic.
The final point regarding audio is the actual fans themselves, and they’re general chanting and cheering. Every year, and with every licence, more and more real life chants occur on PES, and once again this is only a good thing. I don’t think anyone would complain if you couldn’t quite make out every word, and the general tune was all that could be clearly identified, but the more that are featured, the better the match experience would become. The same could be said for moments of showboating skills, crunching tackles or even referring decisions. These little things would help to give a bit more of the feeling that you’re in the stadium, and is a realism aspect often foolishly overlooked. The reoccurring point from most people is the way fans celebrate a goal, with the same tone should it be a last minute winner or a consolation goal after being hammered 5-0. Anyone who has attended live football matches, especially at the top levels, will know how the place erupts following a late strike to win your team the game, and this should, and could quite easily be reflected in the fans reaction to the goal. Most gamers will make enough noise sitting in front of their TV screen at home, so it would be nice to have the virtual fans backing up your emotions!
That is the main points I have received on the audio front in the e-mails and comments. Any build up on this or possible ideas related to these can be sent to me via e-mail or left as comments at the bottom of this article.
“I’m Moving To New York”
My next point will be one that will 100% raise an opinion in the English fans of Premier League clubs, and this is about the relocation of one English Premier League game a season to a foreign country, starting in 2010/011. I personally feel this is the epitome of greed, with clubs sacrificing the support of their loyal fans in order to make slightly more shirt sales and improve ‘global domination’. We do not see La Liga sides or Seria A sides offering to play their domestic league games in the U.S.A or Asia, and whilst it would give an opportunity for non English fans to see the top English sides, the fact that sides like Bolton, Blackburn and Wigan struggle to fill their own home stadiums with local folk implies that Koreans or Australians aren’t going to be over the moon to watch these sides. Clubs are involved in countless pre season mini tournaments and tours of all these aforementioned places, and whilst they do lack the cutthroat style of the Premier League, they provide the spectacle required to feed the foreign fans hunger. Beckham has taken a great deal of stick due to the extensive travel schedule he will be under in the MLS, and how it will end up affecting his England performances. So surely flying every English Premier League player half way across the globe, to different environments, cultures, climates and time zones is going to have just as negative as an affect. I could rant about this for a long time, but instead am opening it up to the PESGaming.com public. Your views will be greatly appreciated, and if supported, this topic will continue next week.
The Race Card
Interesting to see the first instance of comments shying away from both gaming and football, and fact about Lewis Hamilton being racial abused in Spain occurring on this very site. It is an exceptionally sad fact of sport, as is life that the colour of your skin is a point for discrimination, hatred or abuse. I work and play football with people from multiple ethnic backgrounds and religious beliefs, and from my personally view, it makes no difference what your skin colour is as to the kind of person you are. Its unfortunate that not everyone shares this view, and that athletes who are placed out in the spotlight to entertain come under a great deal of abuse from rival fans for the exact reason that there skin colours or upbringing differs to their own. Spain, and in particular Spanish football has come under a lot of attention for this, with the national coach Aragones singling out both Henry and Reyes in a public forum. The irony being, most fans that abuse players over skin colour will then be cheering for someone of the same complexion in their own shirt, making the fact that the true racism is against shirt colour, not skin. It is of course a hot potato of a subject, and one that will no doubt be addressed time and time again both on Interfering With Play and throughout the worldwide media. In direct response to the Lewis Hamilton racism claims, and the fact the F1 did not want him to win the race (due to the fact they didn’t want a “black F1 world champion”), I find these claims both ill founded and without any form of evidence to support them. There has never been a black or Asian F1 World Champion, but this is down to the fact that only 3-4 teams have any real chance of providing a World Champion, and each time so far, they have chosen white drivers. Golf was seen as very much a traditional sport, yet arguably the greatest ever player of the game, and one of the most recognisable faces in the world, Tiger Woods, has broken through all racial and discriminative boundaries, a path I truly hope Lewis Hamilton follows in F1, and proves the critics that is not about the colour of your skin, its about the talent you posses.
You Can Leave Your Cap On
Following Fabio Capello’s first England game, I would like to take the opportunity to say how pleased I was with the fact he picked a side, and made his substitutions based upon current form, and not on reputation. Michael Owen is a top striker, and will no doubt bounce back and get ever closer to Lineker and Charlton in the all time goal-scoring charts; however, his current club form was not deserving of a place in the England game, and as a result, didn’t merit one. Players like Wes Brown and Matthew Upson, neither of who would be in my personal first eleven; both have been regular, solid performers for their club sides, made a reasonable step up to the International stage, and have proven that a good run in a domestic side will increase your chance of International honours, something that under Sven and McClaren seemed to be overlooked, especially regarding Shaun Wright Phillips. The best piece of it all though, was the fact that Fabio has installed some discipline into the ranks. Gone are the cliques and the Wags, and hopefully a team bond will eventually form. Unlike club football, where your with your team mates 6 days a week, an international squad needs more focus on bonding, and you spend most of the season trying to beat your team mates in the domestic leagues. If Capello can turn England into a team as opposed to a group of individuals, who knows where we may find ourselves come July 2010.
And with that I will leave you to it. Please feel free to make comments about anything you have read here. The Seabass letter is well on the way to being complete, with only one week left before it is being finalised. If you wish to get in contact, you can mail me on danbolas@hotmail.com or alternatively, drop a comment on the bottom of this article for all to see.
Thanks for Reading
