Archive for September, 2007
Posted by Peter Willis in PES 2008 News on Sun 16 Sep 2007
The latest update to the excellent Option File from Pategato & Goalgerd has been released. It is available on ALL formats and can be download from the following locations…
PES6: Max Drive, PC, PS3, PSP, Bin/Cue
OPTION FILE FEATURES
- All Summer transfers completed
- 100% Correct Club Team Names
- 100% Correct Player Names
- 100% Correct Stadium Names
- 100% Correct Squad Numbers
- 100% Correct League and Cup Names
- 100% Team Formations
- No More Duplicate Players
- All international team squads and kits updates
- All international squads updated,retired players replaced
- All shop items unlocked
- All promoted teams in all leagues included
- For the first time in the pategato & goalgerd OF series: Fully updated Bundesliga in other leagues C.
And many more, read the full listing here.
Posted by Peter Willis in PES 2008 News on Sun 16 Sep 2007
Sorry for the lack of updates lately, I have had some trouble with my Internet connection. This isn’t looking likely to be resolved anytime soon, but here’s a quick bit of news for you which landed in my inbox.
Konami Digital Entertainment GmbH has announced an October 26th release date for its eagerly awaited PES 2008 title. The 26th will see the launch of the PLAYSTATION®3, Xbox 360, PC-DVD, PlayStation®2, and mobile versions of the game, with the PSP® (PlayStation®Portable) and Nintendo DS skus to follow in November
So there we have it, PES 2008 will officially be arriving in the UK at the back end of October. The European release date is a day earlier on the 25th.
Posted by Dan Bolas in Interfering With Play on Tue 11 Sep 2007
Welcome to the weekly column that is Interfering With Play. The last week has seen a lot of positive (and some negative) feedback occur from my most recent ramblings, which is exactly the point of this whole section. If you have anything to say about the issues raised in this area, please leave comments or responses, or you can mail me direct, the address, as always, is at the bottom of the article. So lets crack on.
A Case Of Mistaken Identity
First of all, I would like to end a bit of confusion that seems to surround myself and the owner of PESGaming.com, Peter Willis. Some people believe we are the same person, and Peter is responsible for writing these articles. I am Dan Bolas, my views are completely different from that of Peter Willis’, and I write this column based on my own personal observations about the football and football gaming worlds. This leads me on to the second point, which is the amount of stick Peter has been taking on this site, because he has not been over-praising of the newest version of the Pro Evolution Soccer franchise. In my opinion, PES2008 will be the best ever, however, Peter spends a great deal of his time running and organising a Pro Evolution Soccer website, compiling reports and keeping the public up to date with the latest news about Konami’s franchise. Even if you don’t agree with some of his opinions, they must be respected, because at the end of the day, he is more in the loop than all of us. The last thing I personally want is for PESGAMING.com to become a fan site where the game, no matter how good or poor it is, becomes the law. The fact that after eleven years of creating top notch football games, we are still striving for improvements from a series that year upon year tops the best selling list of all major retailers, implies that not only must Konami be listening to its fan’s, but when push comes to shove, the fans all truly believe in Konami. And again, that is just my opinion, and while people keep seeing the videos and images, they are welcome to express their own.
The Art Of Boxes
The box art was released at a similar time to my last column, and therefore I hardly touched upon it. Two key point’s shine out of it. Firstly, it proves just how much of a great player Cristiano Ronaldo is. Here is a player who after the World Cup in Germany was one of the most hated men in football. The press had doomed him to leaving England, never to return, and been dubbed the reason England were eliminated from the 2006 tournament. I personally hoped he stayed, to see how he dealt with a 50:50 challenge from Joey Barton or a freezing January cup-tie against a lower league side, with 5,000 angry fans abusing him. Just over a year on, he is arguably the best Footballer in the world, had a unbelievable season for United, turning many draws into wins to spearhead their title success, made up with Rooney and is now the poster boy for the latest Konami offering. This can only prove that despite the events in Germany, he still has enough pulling power to draw the crowds in, and that people will buy a product with his face on the front. 12 months ago, I don’t believe the same face would have been on the front cover. Secondly, irrelevant of the above point, I find the box of Pro Evolution Soccer to be as relevant as a Glenn Hoddle team talk, yes its there, but does anyone take any notice. The early Pro Evolution Soccer games featured drawings on the front and a referee covered PES3! While it is always nice to see the new cover art, the realism is it could be a football on the front (as the Championship Manager and Football Manager franchises have proven) and people would still purchase the game. The only time you are going to see the box art is when you’re either in a shop, taking the game out its case or putting it back on the shelf, and from my point of view, the latter isn’t normally too common.
Online Gaming: Present Or Still Far Away
So much has been made of online gaming, and how the next generation consoles have made it as easy as playing against a friend on the same system. A key influence in me purchasing my PS3 the option on not having to pay an annual subscription to play games online, as opposed to the X Box 360’s X Box LIVE option, which is reasonably priced, but could add up over the years. The demon of the demon of the online gaming world however is lag. For those not familiar with the term, it’s a posh way of saying when one computer is running slower than the other, either through the fault of the internet connection or the computer itself, meaning games will play either mind numbingly slow, or eventually crashing all together. Playing online games on my PC, I experienced a great deal of lag from certain players, which really put a nail in my online experience. I believed that online gaming was not an avenue I would be going down for some time, especially for games that require quick decisions to be made, i.e. fighting or football games. Then, I played Warhawk on the PS3. Again, for those who may not be familiar, Warhawk is a combat game, which can only be played in a Multiplayer format, in other words there is no single player option. The game requires you to fight against either other users, or as part of a team against another set of users, using planes, tanks, cars and handheld weapons. Decisions need to be made quickly and the wrong press of a button can leave you lying dead, having let your side down. The game changed my whole opinion of online gaming. With 32 players on the same game all flying around firing weapons and chatting to each other using headsets, there is not a hint of lag, and very rarely does the game disconnect. I would not list this as my genre of game; however there is no denying its online ability is the best I have ever experienced.
I couple this with my online experience of Pro Evolution Soccer, a game I have been playing online since PES4, using my PC. I am fully aware that there are many successful running leagues and competitions that have taken place on PES online, however my experiences have featured far too much lag, causing match-changing incidents. The final straw of this came on PES6 for PC, when 1-0 up with five minutes to go I saw the game freeze, only to resume with me level at 1-1. Following the kick off, I passed the ball to my centre back, the game froze again, and when it resumed a replay was showing of my goalkeeper running the ball into his net! I do not have a slow PC, and have an exceptionally quick Internet line, which frustrated me even more so. I appreciate that people have slower connections than my own, which brings me to the point, where is online gaming heading. Warhawk has shown signs that even at this premature stage, online games can be both fun, and work seamlessly. Does this mean there should be a minimum connection speed for online games, should people with less than a certain line speed not allowed to access online gaming functions? Should the same be said about people with certain PC’s, with only certain processor speeds being allowed to access multiplayer games online?
This brings me to my third point on this section, one on one play for PES2008. Personally, I feel this is a very smart move from Konami. Only having two systems (either consoles or Pc’s) in the game will defiantly reduce the chances of lag, and from my experience playing 2 on 1 online is a lot less enjoyable than pitting your wits against another individual. The option to set up leagues involving all your mates would be a very welcome one, and being able to run competitions would defiantly make a really buzzing online community, with features such as cup winners cups, or even first round loser tournaments.
The Whole 10 on 10 Yards
Following from the last section, it is reported that Fifa 2008 is going to have the option of 10 on 10 online play. There is no doubt this is a great addition to any game, but my point is again, like most things EA Sports tend to do, it will end up slightly half hearted.
On PES6 one the PS3, my Saturday night could feature seven mates and two multi-taps’, 8 controllers a PS2. We would play fix mode (where we all control one player), leaving the GK and the full backs controlled by the AI, and would enter on a Top Player Champions League, featuring only the best sides. I seriously recommend if you have not tried this experience, to do so as soon as you can get your mates together. You get the feeling of a real team spirit, working for each other and not wanting to let the side down. There have been drinks thrown over players who have cost us goals, personal bets as who would finish the top scorer and the large amount of cheers or whistles every time a step over or spin worked. This is what I believe the 10 on 10 mode will become.
It is surely the future, which so many RPG’s and programmes such as Second Life have proved, an online football game will be developed. There will be clubs with an individual responsible for managing the side. Players, whose abilities will be reflected by their online performances in mini games, which can be transferred between clubs and compete in online matches. There will be leagues, resulting in Champion’s League-like tournaments and there will be awards for truly skilled defenders, great goal scorers and even best managers. The possibilities for this kind of game are endless, with the options for sponsorship and for many people to live the dream of being a professional footballer, albeit in an online world. This is where I believe football gaming is heading (and the new Football Manager, Football Manager Live, is the first step).
However, whether it is Konami, EA Sports or a completely different developer, I feel this option is a long way off. I will play the 10 on 10 version of Fifa 08 at some point no doubt, but for me, this is not a selling point to a game, because if done well, it should be a game within itself, not some add on, which is the way EA Sports seem to be treating it.
Again, I have gone on a great deal this week, and have failed to touch on a couple of points, which I will bring up next week. One final thing, if you are looking for a next gen sports game to keep you occupied until PES 2008, I highly recommend NBA 2K7 by 2K sports. It is quite low in price at the moment (due to the next version being released the same day as Pro Evolution Soccer 2008, 26th October) but it is most entertaining, and features some concepts, both online and offline to make both EA Sports and Konami jealous.
As I said above, any comments, complaints or general musings from what I have wrote are welcome in the form of a response to this article, or via e-mail at danbolas@hotmail.com. If you’re a Warhawk gamer and you fancy a game, my username is TheBolder, so feel free to add me to your PS3 buddies.
Thanks For Reading
Posted by Peter Willis in PES 2008 News on Fri 07 Sep 2007
In association with Nextman Games, PESGaming presents our first ever pay-to-enter tournament for PES6 on PC. Here is the lowdown!
Sign up at http://www.play4cashonline.com/index.asp?page=tournaments&option=tournaments
Tournament name: The PESGaming.com Tournament
Entry Fee: £5
Prize Fund: £50
Number of Participants: 16
Closing Date for Entry: 14/09/2007
Start Date: 15/09/2007
Requirement: You must be a registered member of PESGaming.com
If you are new to Nextman Games, here are the steps you need to follow in order to take part.
1. Players must register to take part. User/player name must be the same as the one they use on the Konami server.
2. Download and install the Nextman Launcher from ‘My Account’.
3. Deposit a minimum of £10 via PayPal. It takes 10mins for deposits to clear.
4. To join tournament, click Tournaments on top of page, and Sign up to The PESGaming.com Tournament. After sign up, you will receive instructions via email and our Messaging Centre on what to do and how to play your matches.
5. To view progress of the tournament and the Tournament Table; My Account - My Games - Tournaments - View Table.
More information can be found on the How To Play and FAQ pages of the website.
NOTE: The Nextman Launcher must be running before accepting or sending a challenge. The Launcher’s job is to record scores, save match reports and check for cheats. It will not sign you onto the Konami Network and place you in a room to play your opponent. You must do that manually. It will however launch the PES6 CD if not already launched. It is recommended to connect to the Konami Network before sending a challenge as this speeds things up.
Members can also contact Nextman (admin) via the Message Centre or email for assistant.
Posted by Peter Willis in PES 2008 News on Fri 07 Sep 2007
Gameplayer (Australian gaming website) have published an in-depth look at the battle between FIFA 2008 and PES 2008. The winner? PES of course, but like I have being saying all summer - the gap IS closing!
What this ultimately means is that, bar the few gamers who want to try their luck at the A-League or give the new Be-A-Pro mode a whirl, very few PES gamers will make the leap to FIFA in this iteration. Alternatively, FIFA fans that give PES a solid session may very well ‘transfer’ the other way. But we tend to think that PES’s number is almost up because, despite the gap in gameplay quality, FIFA is closing in and it will only narrow further as EA master their rebuilt engine.
Read the full article here.
Posted by Peter Willis in PES 2008 News on Wed 05 Sep 2007
Konami have posted the recommended specification for running Pro Evolution Soccer 2008. Please bear in mind that these are NOT the minimum specs.
Windows XP
Pentium 4 3.0GHz /AMD Athlon 64 or better
1GB RAM
6.5GB free memory
8x DVD-ROM drive
DirectX 9.0c video card
256MB Pixel Shader 3.0 (ATI x1600 / NVidia 6800 GT/GS or better)
DirectX 9.0c Soundcard
DirectX 9.0c or higher
Windows USB Gamepad
1280 x 720 resolution
Supported Chipsets:
NVIDIA - GeForce 6600, 6800, 7300, 7600, 7800, 7900, GeForce FX (5950, 5900, 5800, 5600, 5200), GeForce4 Ti, GeForce3
ATI - Radeon x1600, x1800, x1900, x800, 9800, 9700, 9600, 9500, 9200, 9000, 8500
Posted by Peter Willis in PES 2008 News on Tue 04 Sep 2007
HMV have jumped in line with many of the other online retailers to show the release date of PES 2008 as October 26th. They had previously been touting a date of late September.
Posted by Dan Bolas in Interfering With Play on Tue 04 Sep 2007
I have been away on holiday for the past week or so, and therefore haven’t had access to a PC to write my column. However, I am back now, and having read through the various articles on PESGaming.com, and the surrounding websites, I feel there are more than enough talking points, so am jumping straight in.
Feedback
I don’t want to dwell on this point too much, as it made up the bulk of my previous article, but I’d like to start off by taking the views of John4 on board, with regards to the Sven reign at Man City, and the way the British press treat England players. I agree that the press do make England seem a better side than they really are at times, and give certain players more credit than they maybe deserve. But I also believe that footballers have a right to earn their money. At the top it is maybe a 10-year career, and if you can make extra money by doing sponsorship deals or advertising campaigns, do them while you can because no one will be interested when they are 50 year olds! I think the underlying fact is, because we (well England Fans) really crave that major tournament win, we get so frustrated when we keep getting so close. In other sports, namely Rugby and Cricket, the England team have had major triumphs in recent memory, where as it’s been over 40 years since the football team have lifted some notable silver wear. And we can blame the advertising, or the boss, or the style of football, but if we played like Bolton and won the World Cup, I believe it would satisfy an urge among many generations of begrudged England supporters.
The Clock Is Ticking
At the time of writing this article, its just under two months to the eagerly anticipated release of PES 2008, and having read the articles and comments on this site there seems to be a lot of mixed opinions about the standard of the game. The obvious comparisons to Fifa will be made, and I will address those in a minute, but I would first like to get a few points off my chest about Konami’s new release. Having played the next-gen version of PES 6 on X Box 360, I found it a solid game, but lacking in the lifespan of the PS2 counterpart, especially in the editing department. Of course, anyone who has played the X-Box 360 version knows this, but as has been written, the new version of PES will have full editing on the next gen modes.
So what is all the panic about?! Yes, some of the screenshots seem to lack a HD / Next Gen feel, but the majority of in game videos are images taken on camera phones or shaky hand held camcorders. Whilst there is no doubt the PS2 and other older consoles may have a bit of a bum deal graphically, the next gen consoles will get a better graphical experience than the previous years game. That is progress. The option of putting your own face or digital scans in the game is a massive bonus to many people, who see editing Pro Evo as normal as playing a Master League. This again is progress. The addition of new commentators, granted who will be relying on a half decent script in order to save another collection of one line links, is Konami addressing a need that the precious duo were both out of date and not good enough. Again, this is progress. My point is that the game is already the premier football game on the market, and is making small steps forward. If it tried to make a giant leap, it might end up falling flat on its face, and I would rather have a quality football game that runs on a tried and trusted graphics engine than gamble on a whole knew one, especially when the PS3 is so new on the market, and developers are still learning the full extent of its power.
So Close, Yet So Far
I was delighted to read that there was a 59-track soundtrack to the new PES game, believing that finally you could import your own music to replays, or as background sound when doing the tedious editing jobs. But from reading comments and articles, it seems that this is a bog standard 59 generic music track play list that cannot be edited. I wrote an article on the PESGAMING.com message board following PES3, saying this would be a welcome addition to the PC version of the game, but it fell upon many peoples opinion that you just have the radio or iPod on and turn the sound off the game. I would appreciate peoples input on the subject as to whether or not this is as desired by other people as it is by myself.
The Big Two
Man United vs. Arsenal, Tyson vs. Holyfield, England vs. Australia, The Rock vs. Stonecold Steve Austin (got to get a WWE reference in!) All legendary battles, things people look forward to. Each side is equally supported by people who can give you 100 reasons why theirs in superior to their counterpart. And of course, the big one in the gaming world, Fifa vs. Pro Evo.
Since the introduction of Pro Evolution Soccer in 2001 (changing from ISS Pro Evolution Soccer 2 on PSONE), the Konami brand has been released annually, several weeks after EA Sports brings out its yearly Fifa offering. There is no denying, up until the ISS series; Fifa was the supreme footballing game. On both mega drive and PC, it offered a more realistic soccer experience, with features such as being able to block down goalkeepers kicks and even running away from the referee to avoid a yellow yard! But then, it fell on hard times, and as the Konami series progressed, Fifa concentrated more on fads such as Classic teams, First Touch, and big name sponsorship deals to shift their games. Over the past two or three years, people have started to say the gap between the two games has shrunk, and Fifa is now almost as good as PES.
In my personal opinion, this is far from the truth. I am a huge football fan, and own EVERY Fifa game since its introduction in 1994, with the exception of the European Champions and World Cup ‘updates’. Whilst Fifa has some excellent concepts, the game play and indeed the in game animation is far behind PES. The cut scenes are beautifully rendered, the menus are crisp and as mentioned above, the customable music tracks feature some of the worlds most hotly anticipated acts. But when you pick up the controller to play a match, all of that doesn’t matter. I started a league on Fifa 2007 for Pc only last weekend. Ten games into the season I find it both tedious and unrealistic. As Aston Villa, the only game I have lost in to Gillingham in the League Cup, and Watford currently sit top of the premier league having toppled Chelsea 4-0 at the Bridge. (Please note that this is on the middle difficulty setting) The games feel like a predetermined series of events that no matter how hard you try, you must follow. It doesn’t feel like a football game.
Which got me thinking. I have asked around a collection of mates, and found the following discovery. The majority of people who say Fifa is better than Pro use the timely reason, “It hasn’t got real names and kits”. These are merely cosmetic things that are easily changed with an option file. Technically, whilst many of my Pro playing mates could find many faults with Fifa, the Fifa players struggled to do so with Pro Evo. Yes graphically Fifa can show off its shine, but great graphics don’t necessarily make a great game, as many retro gaming fans will agree with!
I have got a bit carried away with my Fifa vs. Pro rant there, and have failed to touch on several other points of the week. However, I am sure I will find plenty of time to discuss these in future articles. My final word will be though, don’t panic about graphics, just wait for the game to be in your console, and see if you will moaning when your first 25-yard screamer flies in!
As always, comments or discussion topics are welcome. Either catch me on here or hit me on my e-mail address, danbolas@hotmail.com
Thanks For Reading
Posted by Peter Willis in PES 2008 News on Mon 03 Sep 2007
The cover for Pro Evolution Soccer 2008 in the UK has been unveiled courtesy of MCV via WENB. For me the logo should be bigger and much clearer - but it’s certainly not a bad boxart. Also confirmed is that the game will be landing in October, but no date appears to be set just yet (we say October 26th!).
