Posted by dougiedonut in PES 2010 News on Sat 13 Mar 2010
This week I would like to bring up a general issue about gaming which has bugged me for a while. And that is the testing process that games go through prior to launch. This applies to most games out there, and definitely has a bearing on PES.
Basically are games too complex for games companies to test sufficiently to ensure there are no major bugs? Before the current generation of games consoles, there was no real possibility of redressing major issues with gameplay once a game had been released. There was no internet connectivity to automatically download a patch to resolve issues. Games that were broken remained broken, and as a consequence, many games died very early after launch. This put more emphasis on producers to ensure the games were tested properly, as they couldn’t afford major issues to occur.
Today we have a different arena. We now see many major releases which suffer glitches/bugs/undesirable exploits which can ruin gameplay. We need look no further than the juggernaut that is Modern Warfare 2 (MW2) as a perfect example. Just how many patches have been released already which have had to fix fundamental issues which really should have been play tested properly during development?
What I’ve drawn from the present model of gaming, is that either games are too complex to just rely on inhouse testing, or inhouse testing just isn’t mature enough to cope with gaming today.
Software testing in industry now is pretty well established, and is a vital part of development. But what state is software testing in the gaming industry in? I don’t think games are too complex to test. I firmly believe that testing in games companies needs to be taken seriously and to employ structured testing techniques to improve quality.
I am going to ask Konami what their testing model is. I believe that they currently may not have the required skills/personnel to adequately ensure the product quality is sufficient. I would be doing them a disservice to openly accuse them of not testing properly, so will invite them to respond to my question.
I would also like to point out that it is unfair for us to judge Konami in isolation, when the industry norm may not be well developed. But I will certainly try to find out just how they test games.
Given the nature of some of the fundamental issues we have witnessed and had to endure in PES2010 (like the shocking state of referees as a prime example) I think we have every right to question them about PES. I for one will welcome more open days for not only the likes of us to playtest the game, but for open feedback sessions from general gamers to give the game a bash and tell them directly what they thought of the game in production at that stage.
It could well be that they have a team of testers who are either too focussed on sub-areas of the game, or not appraising it holistically to ensure it doesn’t compromise it’s integrity. But no point speculating on these questions – we’ll try to find out the answers for you.
Something else which bugs me about all these games companies requiring us to download patches to fix their games – they are eating into a valuable commodity of ours called hard disk space! Xbox 360 owners in particularly will understand this point, since they pay a premium for their hard disks, but no-one really complains about having to give up 50MB for an update to fix a game. The sizes of patches for games do differ, but ultimately they eat up space. I don’t mind space being eaten up for DLC – that’s what we’re paying for – but there are plenty of games for which I don’t want additional storage space taken. I know we can just get larger disk drives, but that’s missing the point – why are we paying for fixes (in disk space) for issues which should have been eliminated during development?
I will be trying to push for open day test sessions for fans of the series with Konami. Whether or not this will be possible, I can’t say, but I think it’s essential for the series to survive.
One thing for sure with PES is that we deserve better. It’s time for Konami to show us some PES love.
Thanks for reading.
Dougiedonut
(dougiedonut@pesgaming.com)
Posted by dougiedonut in PES 2010 News on Sat 06 Mar 2010
With the comments left to last week’s article, I didn’t get much in the response about how we feel about a third competitor in the football genre. Interestingly enough, Ubisoft is going to enter the football space in May.
http://www.gametrailers.com/video/debut-trailer-pure-futbol/62631
Whilst there isn’t too much detail of actual gameplay there, it is at the very least confirmation that they are entering the arena.
They are differentiating themselves by concentrating on a 5 a side game – hopefully nothing like the FIFA Street brand of joke football though! I’m sure we’ll get more details being released on it shortly, but we have another another player in the market.
This is a good strategic effort from Ubisoft, which should allow them to make their mark in the footballing arena, and if the response to the game is positive, then we can expect them to branch out to developing a full on series over the coming years.
What will be interesting is the impact the game will have on both FIFA and PES. It could be argued that the weaker position PES finds itself in would mean it is in more danger of being ousted from the genre, but I think this just presents more challenges for Konami to raise their game more. This new game could be a breath of fresh air to the genre, if we see the implementation of a more fluid, open control system which doesn’t try to mimic current models of football gaming.
So now that we know there will be a new game coming out shortly, how many people are interested in it, just by virtue of knowing there’s a football game coming out that isn’t made by Konami or EA?
I have to say I’m slightly dissappointed this isn’t an old school overhead game being released by Ubisoft. I seriously think that there is a market for someone to create a footy game that concentrates on gameplay and advanced controls over looking good. We have too many games these days that are just style over substance. You need only look at any movie tie-in to see that they can make very good looking games, but they are complete pants to play. People equate decent games with graphically pleasing games.
I’d happily play with players that looked like spuds with straw legs, but who could play football with proper control and freedom of movement, passing and shooting any day of the week. But that’s just wishful thinking on my part. I guess more people expect superb realistic graphics as well as gameplay these days – which isn’t a bad thing, unless the actual gameplay is compromised.
Thanks for reading.
Dougiedonut
(dougiedonut@pesgaming.com)
Posted by dougiedonut in PES 2010 News on Sat 27 Feb 2010
I’d like to being this week by answering a few questions asked of me from last week’s comments.
Q1: “How can you sit in your chair and say PES2010 is the best installment of PES and then openly admit that it doesnt even hold the mantle of being the best football game on the market.” From BarcaFC
Thank you for your comments BarcaFC, but just because this is the best incarnation of PES to date, doesn’t necessarily mean it’s the very best a football game can be. PES is getting back on track after a couple of very wayward years. But in my opinion it still requires a major rethink in direction. There are so many different concepts of footballing which neither PES or FIFA address which I will discuss further later, but many of you will understand what I mean already.
I totally agree with you that Seabass said that they had tons of ideas which the PS2 architecture just couldn’t cope with. And yes, we’ve still yet to see anything truly groundbreaking from PES, which really uses the computing power available on today’s consoles.
FIFA hasn’t changed much in the last few years – FIFA 09 was the defining version, and from now on I fear there will only be tweaks to their concept of football, rather than truly advancing future versions. PES has had it’s period of stagnation, but I truly believe and hope that Konami have turned a corner. I don’t want to bore people with repeating myself, but PES2011 is going to be the true make or break year for many of us hardcore PES fans.
Personally speaking, I’d go so far as to say that should PES2011 be a minor update to the current version, I will give up on current gen football games altogether. I don’t like the FIFA school of football games, and unless they improve many things in the game, then that’s never going to change. This may just help me finish many games that I traditionally never complete due to PES!
Q2: “How can you seriously say that fifa10 is boring and predictable and hasnt moved the genre on when its clear to most football purists and the hardcore that it clearly has both in gameplay and cosmetic terms” From Dopecoil
Firstly apologies for nearly causing you to choke! I hear what you’re saying about FIFA being a decent game, but I argue they’ve merely beaten PES to becoming what we expected of PES! But I strongly beleive that PES should have been streets ahead in terms of gameplay today, than it currently is. So FIFA should have been the inferior product by virtue of PES’ progress. There’s just so much wrong with FIFA for me, that I can’t get into it.
Sorry but the player animations, the same bog standard cut scenes, the lazy high def cut scenes to glamourise the game all stink of corporate crap! It’s formulaic football. I can’t find spontaniety in it’s play. Goal variety doesn’t happen for me. PES gives me variety, a wide range of goals, unpredictability and goals that have me getting up out of my seat at times – particularly the late, late equalisers or winners. This is of course my take on FIFA, I’m sure others will express whether they can relate to my opionons.
Q3: “What are you going to dream up next how cod4 is more story driven and less linear then bioshock.Wake up and smell the coffee bud!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!” From juventus
I hear what you’re saying about Seabass apparently being impressed with the FIFA game engine, but if you re-read my article from last week, you’ll notice that I’ve actually said that both EA and Konami haven’t really taken the genre to the next level. I hope Seabass isn’t going to try to just mirror FIFA and think that will suffice for the PES masses.
If FIFA is the future, then I’ll be taking up knitting!
OK, question time over.
This week I was going to ask a simple question of you guys. Who would welcome the entry of a third football title to compete against the big two? There have been unsubstantiated rumours for a while now that Ubisoft are planning to enter the genre. Whether or not they do, who would want a third game? Would you want a game which attempted to do what both PES and FIFA are doing with their football concept, or would you want a different kind of football game?
Personally, right now I think the genre needs some serious reinvigorating. Some of you may laugh, but right now, I would back a game which was a cross between Dino Dini’s Soccer mechanics with Sensible World of Soccer’s depth. I think many of us would rather have a game that had game play variety with instant response to player movements/dribbling and shooting. I don’t care about the graphics and having players that are the spitting image of their real counter parts. Playing an overhead football game again would make player likenesses easier to deal with, as they’d just need accurate hairstyles! As much as we have enjoyed the graphical upgrade to PES, it’s not essential, and certainly not something which is important to us.
An overhead game which allowed you to zoom in/out to your preference, and had ball physics which had the ball behaving like a real entity, and players battling to control the ball and play the game is what I think would really do right now for me.
Now before I get asked what the hell I’m doing on a PES site if I’m saying I’d rather play a Kick off like game, than PES – I’d like to point out that this is a “what if” scenario. Having another game which just tried to do what PES and FIFA do right now would be pointless. But a game that went in a different direction and concentrated on realism and fun would be the way to go.
I hope I don’t come across as someone losing faith in PES either. I really do hope that the next version answers it’s critics big time. But how likely that is, is the big question. Noises so far from Konami have been positive, but then we’ve been there before. There is a lot of pressure on them to perform this time round, and we’re only a couple of months away from seeing the first glimpses of the next version.
So for now, I’ll keep my knitting needles safely locked away.
By the way, before I go, I’d just like to say that I’ve just had an impromptu online session with wayneos on my www.pesgaming.com community on PES, and the games played were fantastic. Wayneos lost his connection for some reason part way through our first game – something he assured me has never happened before. But after that we had around 4 games of uninterrupted, highly responsive online games. No button lag to be seen.
I’m not sure if the latest update had anything to do with it, or whether the online game is just better generally.
If you haven’t played online recently, then I’d urge you to try it again now, and see if it’s improved at all.
You may also want to sign up to the www.pesgaming.com community online, and perhaps take me on.
Thanks for reading.
Dougiedonut
(dougiedonut@pesgaming.com)
Posted by dougiedonut in PES 2010 News on Sat 20 Feb 2010
Once again it has been an absolute pleasure to have instigated a discussion, which has seen many good, structured arguments with a sense of maturity. It’s something I’ve been striving to achieve on this site for quite some time. I’ve had to wield my ban hammer many times, but finally there’s some pay off.
I’d like to start this week’s column off by having a go at both EA and Konami. I think both Konami and EA are guilty of not advancing football games fundamentally beyond the PS2 architectural era.
FIFA2010 plays ok, but is very predictable, boring and fundamentally is a superficial game. Yes it has better individual player movement and passing control, but I argue it’s very similar to PES in how it plays the game. They’ve both not advanced sufficiently given we’re very comfortably into the current generation of consoles. FIFA I think are resting on their laurels and it would seem like they think they’ve not only hit on the right formula for a football game, but given Konami’s inability to stand up squarely to them, I think FIFA feel they’ve achieved their goal of becoming the number one football title. Now that they are number one, I can’t see them progressing the genre much more than they already have. Perhaps they’ll tweak the animations, improve some aspects of control, and heaven forbid they ever work out ball physics.
The list of features that they listed for the World Cup edition of the game due out shortly was for me, real evidence of where they will be looking to just add joke features to the franchise. Adding features such as the hats fans wear in stadiums, throwing of paper onto the pitch, and it remaining there for the game, as well as a whole list of other ambience related additions just stinks of milking the formula further. I can’t see FIFA2011 being much of a jump from FIFA2010 which was a marginal jump from 2009. Perhaps they’ll add off the pitch crowd trouble, or streakers for good measure.
In the meantime, we have an ideal opportunity for Konami to make the comebacks of comebacks on to the scene. I recall some comments recently from some EA goon referring to Konami as a small company challenging their superiority. It had the hallmark of that charming man Peter Kenyon all over it. If ever there was a time for the pheonix to rise from the ashes, this is it. EA not only are celebrating their success, they feel they are invincible, and have dismissed Konami as some old has-been.
There have been some noises made about a Famicom interview that Seabass gave which hinted at some serious overhaul of the game for this year. Now the cynical amongst us, and I have to say even I am beginning to join them, will be thinking we’ve heard this line over and over from Seabass for a few years now, and will not pay much attention to this.
If the fact that PES2010 was very poorly recieved in Europe, has truly hit home with Konami, then there is real hope that we will see more than mere cosmetic changes for PES2011, as nothing else will do.
Konami are now guilty until proven innocent in many people’s eyes. They’ve got a real battle on their hands, and nothing less than a mammoth effort on their part will suffice for many of us.
Don’t get me wrong, I have been working with Konami throughout last year, and will hopefully continue to do so this year, but I have to say we didn’t see as big a leap in the game last year as we would have hoped. Will we again see a small set of minor updates to the game this year, or will there be a clean sweep of genre defining features for us to enjoy?
As we approach the next three months of development of the core game, we can only hope that they do incorporate more fundamental improvements into our beloved game. Last year they did implement some of our ideas, but looking back, I’d say that most of the ideas implemented were around the periphery of the game, and not as much at the core of the game.
This year, they have already got plenty of feedback via not only their questionnaire, but also through the official forums they have on specialist PES sites to use. They will of course also feature more periods of improvements using direct improvement from us again later, but hopefully that won’t be too little too late.
For the record, I am personally very optimistic and excited in the build up to the first trials of the new version, and have faith in Konami to truly produce the real deal for us. I am behind them, which is why I’m writing on this site, and causing/having arguments about the game. But there is a niggling doubt in the back of my mind, that our ideas may be lost in translation. Hoepfully this is just fear for the sake of fear, and that they really produce this time, because they’ve used up 99% of our goodwill to date, and this time we demand justice for PES.
Thanks for reading.
Dougiedonut
(dougiedonut@pesgaming.com)
Posted by dougiedonut in PES 2010 News on Sat 13 Feb 2010
It was good to see such a variety of responses to my opinion about PES2010 being the best installment to date. Sure there are plenty of people who disagree with me, but that’s never an issue with me. What is interesting is when people take the time to explain why for them the game is not good to them. It’s more objective than the more basic replies some people leave which just typically is a quick rant with no attempt to justify what they think. Given we’re about stimulating discussions and trying to get across all the different sides that we all see to PES.
I was particularly impressed with Amateur’s contributions this week as he talks about very salient points such as a CPU dictated scripts, manipulated off the ball movement, and the fundamental game not being different from the very early editions of the game. It’s a very valid point, as the core mechanics of the game are over 15 years old, and they need to go. It was a winning formula for a game 15 years ago, and over the years it was tweaked and refined, with the experience getting better and better for us. Whereas now, I think it’s fair to say that most experience PES fans are tired of the formula, and want a footballing experience worthy of the current generation of consoles.
Whilst we were using older generation machines, we were aware of their limitations, and so our own ambitions for the game were somewhat curbed as a result. Seabass himself used to say during the golden PS2 era that they had lots of ideas they wanted to implement which just weren’t possible back then, but I don’t think we’ve necessarily seen those ideas come to fruition over the last few years on the PS3 or 360 or PC.
Perhaps we’ve seen the best of Konami’s vision of what football games should be like. I know that when I first started playing the old ISS/Pro games many moons ago, the gameplay blew my socks off, compared to all other football games back then. It was revolutionary, “realistic” and hell of a lot of fun. So the formula back then was worked on, but the fundamentals were kept in the game.
Now that we want to move away from this core mechanic, perhaps the idea of having a different model to base the game on is too revolutionary for Konami. Which is kind of funny, since the game is know in Europe as Pro Evolution Soccer, and evolution seems to be the issue!
If Konami change the fundamental formula, and the game is say almost unrecognisable, and very difficult to get to grips with, then what? What if it takes weeks/months to get to grips with how to control the game and play effectively? Would people abandon Konami for making an unrecognisable game, or would we applaud Konami for having the balls to venture outside of their comfort zone, and embrace the new game – even if it meant having to wait another year for the control to be tweaked to be more accessible?
Another issue for them would be the casual versus core gamers. Just how many casual gamers play PES, and how many core gamers play PES? Are Konami at risk of alienating one demographic of gamers, if the game gets very different and harder to play? Personally I think that it’s us core gamers that count, as we are the main reason why the game has been so successful, but perhaps it’s the casual gamers that number more. Therefore they’d have to ensure it’s more accessible to them.
I’ve said many times in the past that casual gaming is ruining the gaming industry as a whole. Games are getting shorter and easier generally and I hate that. But the casual market is easy money for companies, so they will always be looked after now. My gripe is that this seems to be coming at our expense. Take the PES control system being simplified for tricks – it’s there to allow newbies to be able to pick up and play - totally bypassing the effort:reward ratio that core gamers understand and respect.
I said last week that I think that I think that PES is on the verge of greatness to some ridicule. Well I stand by my statement. The reason for this is that last year we began presenting the fans’ views to Konami, and they are listening. I would accept that our calls for changes will have had to impact their plans, and so require changes to how they worked on the game. Since then I’m hoping that they’ve learned how important our demands for changes are, and will be working on what we want. Yes this demands a leap of faith on my part, but I’m willing to go on another journey with Konami this year. For me, ~I’ve seen enough evidence to suggest that changes will happen.
Posted by dougiedonut in PES 2010 News on Sat 06 Feb 2010
Looks like I couldn’t muster much enthusiasm from you guys about PES2010 last week, judging from the low number of comments left. Surely there are still people out there who do find some level of enjoyment from PES? I still consider PES2010 the best PES to date, as I stated with my review of it, and it’s surprising that there has been such a huge backlash against it.
Yes Konami have had a hard time adjusting to the demands of gamers for the current generation of machines, but I truly believe we’re on the verge of greatness with the next installation of the game. A while ago, I did say that in my estimation that PES would require two years to really deliver the total package to us. So this next edition of the game should reach the heights of popularity that the game has been famed for. Naturally I think we all are going to have a huge part to play in order to get the best out of the game.
I am yet to have a proper chat with Dan to organise our joint feedback initiative, including a new venture for us in communication with the masses – a chat room for us to get some banter going with fellow PES fans. We are aiming to try out a few new things on PESGaming.com to try to evolve how we operate. We think it would be a great idea to get a bit more interactive with people ahead of the key period later in the year when we are on the verge of the final release of the game. We’re still a good 5 odd months away from getting invitations to get an early taste of the latest installment of the game, so we’d like to have a decent set of communications tools established for then.
I recall reading a comment to an article a couple of weeks ago from “old enough to know better” who made a very intriguing point about perhaps PES needs to stop trying to deliver a game with so many sub games. It’s a very intriguing idea and it’s really made me think. Currently we have League modes, Cup modes, BAL mode, Master League and of course the online game.
I wonder how many modes of the game are still relevant to most gamers today. Do people play the standalone League modes?
Or the single player Cup modes? I know people have had moans about having offline multiplayer participation where players can take control of CPU teams. But the point is, could Konami shave off some features to help them spend more time on the core modes that interest us?
I think the online mode and Master League modes are the key modes of interest, as well as offline multiplayer modes.
But I haven’t mentioned the much missed training mode that used to be in the game, where you could hone your single player skills, as well as the now distant memory of the scenarios mode which provided hours of entertainment. There are so many facets of the game which can start arguments about what is missing from the game, that perhaps we need to consider talking to Konami to prioritise the modes that matter. I’d be interested in hearing from you guys which modes we think are no longer relevant and so could help to focus more attention on modes that do matter.
Finally I’d like to say a big thanks to everyone that has joined the PESGaming.com community on PES2010. I have been very busy for the last couple of months and have neglected arranging sessions for the members. I will however be shortly looking to arrange weekend sessions on the game. So please do join up the community if you can, as we would like to use the mode properly and see what improvements we can come up with.
Thanks for reading.
Dougiedonut
(dougiedonut@pesgaming.com)
Posted by dougiedonut in PES 2010 News on Sat 30 Jan 2010
There were some great tips from you guys for getting that little bit extra from the sliders and formations to counter teams, so a big thanks to the contributors for that.
As you guys are aware we will be driving our next PES improvements initiative shortly, but this week I’d like to focus on what we still enjoy about the series. Yes we all have various issues with the game, and the next few months will be testimony to that, but for now, how about we celebrate what we enjoy about the game?
What better way to start that off, than with me just going over why PES is still the game for me.
Firstly I’d like to point out that I have played FIFA 2010, and I am still considering doing a comparison of the two games at a later date. In order for me to objectively do this, I would have to play FIFA for a considerable length of time in order to give a balanced review. There’s no point me spending only a couple of hours on it, and then comparing it to PES. That said, I haven’t been able to muster much in the way of energy to actually play FIFA.
Going off on a slight tangent, I’ve recently lent both FIFA and PES to a good friend, as he has been out of touch with both games, and I have to say it’s been tough going whilst I didn’t have PES2010 available to play. I am planning on getting feedback from my friend on what he thinks of both games, but that will be later, once I do my own comparison. Anyway, now that I have PES back, I’m really enjoying my football fixes!
I don’t want to go into any of the issues I have with the game, so for those of you who will be wondering why I’m wearing rose tinted specs, it’s purely to savour what is great about PES - the time for moaning is coming up soon!
So then, what is it about PES2010 that has me coming back for more?
Primarily I have to say that I am really really enjoying the new Master League game. It has me hooked big time. My current team has been languishing in the Second Division for just over 3 seasons. The first three seasons were spent rebuilding my team. I used one of the default generic teams (Team B with average stat players) and have been spending time on getting in players that are out of contract, as well as to bring through some youth players. The first two seasons were tough, as we couldn’t really match the better teams in the division, but then I have also been fielding weaker sides in some games if I came close to the top three, as I didn’t want to be promoted without winning the league. This of course gets me into trouble with some board members and fans (yeah – this bit is in my head, there’s nothing anyone can do about it!), as they lose faith in me, but thankfully the club owner has faith in me. The tail end of season 2 and most of season 3 I have been leaving match day to the coach. This hasn’t gone down well with the fans since they expect the manager to be there on match day. It’s a radical approach to building for the future which I hope will pay off. I have been spent with me concentrating on wheeling and dealing players – where I’m trying to get the kids off on loan to other clubs to butch up, and try to chase better freebie players.
My budgets are low, and money is scarce, so there’s no big name players in my team. But I have promised the fans and the club that Season 4 we will be crowned as Champions. I’ve now fully taken over match day games, and currently have a settled side, with far too many fringe players sat doing nothing. I’ve got to trim the club’s wage bill, and deliver the league this current season.
At the end of the previous season we finished third from bottom. Over the summer transfer window I only managed to get in a couple of wide players. So overall it’s the same squad being used for Season 4. So far we’re top of the league with stats: P9 W6 D1 L2
Slowly the fans are beginning to believe, and if we can maintain our momemtum this will be a fanstastic season that no-one at the club will forget.
That in a nutshell describes why PES2010 does it for me. I have many obstacles to overcome, players to keep happy, games to win, and a league to deliver. The pressure is mounting, and I’ve got a long tough season ahead which I’m sure will have me elated and pulling my hair out in equal measures.
One of the best things about the Master League is that you can just get “sacked”, and start all over again in Division 2 trying to get back into the elite of the footballing world.
Right, it’s over to you guys to share your where your passions with PES2010 are.
Thanks for reading
Dougiedonut
(dougiedonut@pesgaming.com)
Posted by dougiedonut in PES 2010 News on Sat 23 Jan 2010
Whilst last week’s article was somewhat at a tangent to all things PES, I still feel the core point of the article was about AI in the single player game. I think that my mindset is one that is now trying to look ahead a few years at the future direction of gaming.
Single player games were once the only way to play games. Splitscreen playing then opened up the first real avenue into multiplayer gaming (excusing the types of games where more than one player can play on a single screen – football games being an obvious example). These days more and more games have a single player game tagged on to the real meat of the game – the multiplayer game. As less focus is given to single player games, the amount of effort put into AI routines are reduced, since people will be playing against other people for the real challenge of the game.
Of course football games are still very much reliant on the AI routines they employ. PES 2008 introduced Konami’s new AI system – Teamvision. This was a big step up in trying to improve the AI for the game. There are many people who didn’t take to it, but I have to say I applaud the idea. Yes people worked out how to beat the new system in no time at all, but Konami have been refining it since, and I think it’s getting there. AI for PES is not a simple process. We now have the sliders to help us create our own style of play, which is a fantastic move forward. The AI routines are now configurable, and therefore giving us more options to how we play the game.
One of the biggest challenges to the game is how to realise your own personal style of game. There are millions of people who play the game, and not everyone plays it the same way. There are people who can do amazing things with some teams, which other people would have no idea how to do. To give us this ability is something that marks the progress that the AI is making.
How many people actually have tried to experiment with the sliders? I have a feeling it is a side to the game that not too many people have tried to meddle with that much. One problem with it is that it is not conveniently accessible. Being hidden in a sub menu means that you’re more inclined to leave it, rather than seek it out to experiment with your team.
But, nevertheless, there must be people out there that are using it to great effect, which I think we would all like to hear about. So if you’re a slider-meister, then please leave comments with some tips and tricks for us lesser gaming mortals.
Getting back to the AI in the game, do we have any ideas of the direction we’d like to see gaming AI go for PES? Are you happy for Konami to work alone on how the game should play, or do you think we should have more input on the AI? If so, then what sort of ideas do we have? I can remember a football game on the Sega MegaDrive, the name escapes me – though it could have been called Total Football, which had a phenomenal system which allowed you to decide on where players should be on the pitch at any one time. The pitch was split up into 9 sections. You could define where players should be whenever the ball was in any of these sections. I don’t recall how well the system worked, but the idea was very original, and worthy of mention I feel.
The reason why I was talking about single player games last week, was to try to highlight a general trend in gaming to let us create the challenge for ourselves in games. Instead of gaming companies trying to come up with more and more creative enemy AI in games for us, they now create a virtual world where we can decide how we play. Most multiplayer games these days have a few basic modes and stop at that. There aren’t very many games that go beyond the usual MP modes.
Football games are a different kettle of fish, unless we’re talking about playing 10 v 10 online. Now I don’t want to get into an argument about the online system, but I think it’s fair to say that most gamers would settle for a maximum of 4 v 4 with PES.
Yes there could be other online modes – like Dan’s personal dream of getting a 5 a-side or 7 a-side games, but given the current state of play, these proposed modes are a little ambitious, shall we say? So even if we stick to trying to get 4 a-side games, we will still have to reply on AI for non-human controlled team-mates and opposition. Are current non-human controlled players acceptable? Do we have people who have manipulated the sliders to give optimal control over these players in games?
Personally I think the area is probably due some potentially radical re-thinking. I don’t have handy ideas off the top of my head right now, but I’d like to throw the floor open to you guys for discussion. Not only that, but I would like to invite anyone out there to take centre-stage with possibly next week’s column space with your ideas. If you’d like that, please email me at my usual address.
As Dan as already mentioned this week, we’re going to be kicking off our official feedback sessions shortly. My personal crusade is to bring the online system up to scratch. I think a total revamp of the whole online system is required. With resolutions to the online issues encountered to the whole interface and modes of play. I would like to start an initiative whereby we could design screenshots and menu options of the proposed new solution to put forward to Konami. If anyone would like to help me build these, then please email me and let’s get talking.
For those of you who didn’t think last week’s article was relevant to PES, I hope I’ve redressed the balance for you.
It’s just a shame some people aren’t able to make their comments known in a polite respectful manner. It doesn’t cost anything, and can actually make for a better world – real and virtual.
Thanks for reading.
Dougiedonut
(dougiedonut@pesgaming.com)
Posted by Dan Bolas in PES 2010 News on Wed 30 Dec 2009
This is the final post by myself for the year 2009, and a very hectic year it has been too. We have had 5 competitions on this very site, giving away a range of PES prizes from games to signed merchandise. We have had a great deal of contact with Konami regarding the future of their/our game, and hopefully this will begin to show in the end product. On top of this, we have had hours upon hours of debates, literally hundreds of posts and thousands of comments. And for 2010, we only want to get bigger and better. Change rarely works, evolution is the way forward, in both the PES series and within PESGaming.com, with 2010 being no exception.
I hope you all had a very Merry Christmas, this time of year I always look back and reflect on the past 12 months, and the below questions are a sample of this. If you would like to take part, simply copy the questions into a comment, and then fill in your own answers. If any columnists or site members would like their’s to appear on the home page, please e-mail me your answers and I will update the post.
Gaming Moment Of 2009:
Player Of 2009:
Football Moment Of 2009:
Best Part Of PES2010:
Biggest Letdown Of PES2010:
Biggest Wish For The Year 2010:
Tip For Rising Star Of 2010:
Final Comments (A Short Paragraph About The Previous Year Of PESGaming.com)
Pretty self explanitory I think. As always, everything is open to interpretation, so feel free to be as honest and take what you like out of each question.
Gaming Moment Of 2009: Batmean Arkham Asylum. Maybe not as cool as Modern Warfare 2, but the moment when you first walk out of the Treatment centre, and the whole of Arkham Island pans into view makes you appreciate just how much of an awesome prospect awaits you. Plus it has raised the bar for super hero games, which is no bad thing.
Player Of 2009: Andreas Iniesta. Doesn’t get the goals of Messi and Ronaldo, but when it matters, time after time, he puts in quality performances. Semi final against Chelsea in the Champions League, last minute, ball breaks on the edge of the box, most players would panic, touch of class. Honourable mention to Ryan Giggs, who is an absolute legend of the English and World game.
Football Moment Of 2009: Two for me. The obvious one was seeing Wolves get promoted, and in the right way this time. No need for the drama of the Play Offs, we were the top dog in that league by some distance. Of course, it hasn;t transfered as liked into the Premier League so far but we are still in with a shout. And we’re not bottom at Christmas! Second for a single moment would have to be Liverpool 4 – 4 Arsenal. Not only did it show the sheer quality of Arshavin, but it also showed that the top four can play out exciting, end to end games without the need to cancel each other out, and as more teams start to press for that position (Manchester City, Aston Villa, Tottenham) is is the hope that games remain entertaining and not stalemates.
Best Part Of PES2010: There are quite a few to be honest. Very much in love with the game at the moment. To pick one issue, and as trivial as it may be, would be the soundtrack. I love the game playand love the graphics, and these get alot of time in IWP, but the fact that Konami have licensed music that (accidentally or not) fits the football atmosphere and suits the game just gives the impression that someone, somewhere is listening. It is a step in the right direction, on a journey that is a long and dangerous one.
Biggest Letdown Of PES2010: Two and a half here. The first the the undenying crash element of the PS3 version of the game. The simple way to avoid it is to not watch the pre game cut scene, but this is a real game killer, especially as it is something that should have been eradicated in testing. Second is online mode. It is improved and at times playable, but still there is too much grey area, especially as both parties rarely have a delay-free match. It is taken further to an akward lobby system and dated menu process. The half point is whats missing. There are so may little ideas that could have been included. Managers, 5/7 a side, customising refs, or even stuff as old as all star teams and penalty shoot outs. These ideas aren’t new, and if Konami don’t do them soon, you can be sure EA Sports will, which in turn will make FIFA a much more attractive prospect.
Biggest Wish For The Year 2010: I won’t make this a personal wish, just instead a simple wish. There was a list I mentioned in the final IWP of 2009, outlining the potential improvements for PES 2011. My wish is that each and every improvement is implemented into the future game, and by doing this, vastly improving the overall experience of PES 2011. I enjoy the game play, and i enjoy PES, but I would love it to demand more time from me, becuse of a 5 a side mode, or because i could edit my own stadium!
Tip For Rising Star Of 2010: Tricky one. Towards the end of this year, my rising star has been Alex Song from Arsenal. Absolute quality in the defensive midfield and IF Arsenal are to win the title, it will be because of his ability to do the snotty, dirty work. But my actual tip is one that has had me ridiculed by mates and work collegues, yet it might just be the dfference come June in the World Cup, Lee Cattermole. Great signing by Steve Bruce for Sunderland, still only a very young lad and reminds me of Steven Gerrard 10 years ago. Needs to add more to his game in the final third, but might be a surprise addition to the World Cup Squad (Hargreaves a liability, better than Jenas) and offers a ball winner than is slightly lacking with a Lampard and Barry central pairing. If he was at a bigger club, he would be getting rave reviews, but his performances for Sunderland (when fit) have been of a very high standard.
Final Comments (A Short Paragraph About The Previous Year Of PESGaming.com) Just a huge thank you to everyone who has made the last 12 months possible on PESGaming.com. We have an exceptionally good team here, both in the admin side and on the forums. The people who spend their time writting age long comments and then returning to reply to them. This is passion for a product. You don;t see people writing pages regarding Coca Cola or Walkers Crisps (UK), which once again proves that we have a dedicated and determined community, willing to get their views accross. As i said at the start, we have had a great 12 months, and hopefully the following 12 will continue to build. I’d expect a new columnist or two to help share the work load of me and Double D, and probably a couple more competitions, including the IWP League.
All I am left to say now is have a happy, healthy, safe and peaceful New Year, and hope to hear from you all in 2010.
For the final time in 2009, Thanks for Reading
Posted by dougiedonut in PES 2010 News on Mon 21 Dec 2009
PES DLC and update hits today Konami Digital Entertainment GmbH will today release free content and an update for its PES 2010 title for PLAYSTATION(R)3, Xbox 360 and PC-DVD. 3 new balls and 10 new boots are offered as additional free DLC. On the other side, the update makes it even easier to use the game’s comprehensive formation settings, and also adds icons to show the connectivity status of online players. All settings can now be saved and Stocked Data will be loaded automatically, speeding up play immediately. Likewise, the new connectivity icons will show the user as a Grey icon, with Green, Yellow and Red icons detailing the quality of the opponent’s connection, with red being the worse. The update also improves match making between users of the PC-DVD version of the game with different processors.
