Interfering With Play 29/01/08

Posted by Dan Bolas in Interfering With Play on Tue 29 Jan 2008

Welcome to this weeks Interfering With Play. Continuing with the letter to Seabass, this week Interfering With Play will be looking at the online mode of PES2008, and the vital improvements that need to be made for the 2009 incarnation of the game. I would quickly like to take the opportunity to carry a point out from one of the comments made on last weeks article, regarding the game speed. As a football simulation, PES2008 is far to quick, and next years version needs to be slowed down slightly. Most PES gamers are seasoned ones, and are used to the style of pass and move, or working the ball to create space, however a lot of this is not required on PES2008 should you have a quick player or too, as speed is far to unrealistic. There were a lot of comments about PES2008 feeling too arcade like, and I believe that the speed was a reason for this. It would fall under the Game Play section covered last week, but I wish to bring it up quickly now, with thanks being expressed to MagicaRoma for drawing it to my attention.

Seabass Letter: Online

This week’s topic for the Seabass letter is regards the online element 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.

There is absolutely no doubt that the online mode in PES2008 was a failure, and the weakest of all modes included in the game. The constant lag related problems, limited types of game modes (for example number of players) and outdated menu systems all led to a very disappointing experience for all gamers, many of whom were playing Pro Evolution Soccer for the first time in an online environment. Like First Person Shooters and other online sporting games, football games require instant response time from your on screen alter ego as a way of ensuring that you complete the desired action whilst it is still relevant, and unfortunately for PES, this just wasn’t a feature in this years game. I am not going to spend time now berating the poor quality of the online system any more than I have to, but instead give ways it can be improved for 2009.

The first option, and one, which everyone has experienced, is that no lag must occur, at any time, under any circumstances. No matter what stadium, whether conditions, ball or team is being used, the game should provide a level playing field for both gamers, which no slow down at key moments in and around the penalty area or on a crowded screen. This should go without saying, however it needs to be spoken about and sorted before an online mode can even be included in the game. In my opinion, and the opinion of my mates, we would rather have not had this shoddy attempt of an online mode than have it tacked on. It must be sorted, enough said.

Secondly, the fact that only 1v1 can play online is a little baffling to say the least. The talk among EA Sports is that Fifa 2009 are hoping to play 11 v 11 online, with every player being controlled by human gamers, meaning no A.I at any point. Konami must at least take note of this and given the option of you and an online friend teaming again another pairing, at a minimum. Other options such as being able to play 4v4 online could also be brought into play. Some have spoke of this effecting gamers online rankings, but it seems to work pretty well on Call Of Duty 4, with the option of playing alone or in a number of team based games all adapting around ways of gaining extra Exp. Points. I am fully aware this is the case on many other games as well. The same should be added when playing against players off your buddy list, having a simple link to access this same list in game, or follow the Sing star idea of bringing up your actual buddy list. The 360 a lot better than the PS3 for this, but it is still a long way from being of an acceptable standard. The whole purpose of online gaming is to bring numbers of people together, 1 on 1 game with strangers does not do this.

Downloadable content is a pretty hot topic at the moment for the Konami boys, and whilst they have released to updates to PES2008, attempting to rectify the abysmal offline lag problem, there is so much more that they could offer in this field. Both X Box Live and the PSN are hotbeds of this added extras option, with games like Guitar Hero and Motorstorm seeing gamers who have already parted with there £40 cash shelling out for added extras they really don’t need, but want. The option of downloadable squad lists, new boot packs, new stadiums or even new teams could all pop up online, with most gamers being more than willing to pay a few pounds to kit their players out in the latest footwear, or have Rooney wearing his UnderArmor just like in real life. This would also allow updated option files to be used in online play, a feature that would add a level of realism to online matches.

The option of creating your own online leagues or cups is one that should defiantly be introduced for the next version of the game. Games like NBA 2K7 have the option of drawing up your own tournaments, and having deadlines whereby you must have played all your fixtures. It’s a great way of giving an element of competition and can form new friendships among people from all over the world, something that is meant to be at the forefront of the whole Next Generation of Gaming. Many websites, including Play.com have tried to arrange these tournaments, with X League.tv probably being the most well known, however, the option of playing with mates who live away or spending Sunday Night online in a Mini League with the lads from work is something that will not only give you bragging rights for the next 7 days, but will also give so much structure to what are otherwise meaningless friendly matches.

What most of these points come down to, along with most of the flaws of the online mode for PES2008 is Konami’s lack of understanding for their online community. Konami have a reputation for making great games, such as International Track and Field, Silent Hill and Metal Gear Solid. They sell by the bucket load and a not riddled with online features, knowing that the games are normally played either alone or in a party environment. It is plain to see that PES has a huge online fan base all over the world. I speak to gamers from Italy, Spain, Australia, American and Africa on a regular basis. There are many fan websites and even more forums dedicated to the topic of PES. Konami and Seabass need to take a long look at these factors and create an online mode as such. Feature the latest football news in either a news ticker form, or by linking directly to many football-based websites, I am sure many of them would love to feature in Pro Evolution Soccer. The menus and options when logging on need to be sorted out. No longer just a list of options, presented in a manor that is both boring and uninspired. The option of being placed in a division based on your online ability is ok, but people would rather have win/loss ratios and even the option to view the stats of recent matches as opposed to the last five matches and being rated in one of five ways. Unlike FPS games, rankings and ratings are not as much a part of football as is how many trophies you have won online, be they in mini tournaments or leagues. Evolve the community to be able to upload their favourite goals, with view to running an online Goal Of The Month competition, or even to write small Myspace style profiles about them selves and their footballing life. This is all stuff that is currently going on online anyway, but surely Konami taking it by the reigns will only make it grow bigger and better.

That is the main points I have received on the online 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

X-Rated

Me and my mates personally always go at the end of a match to see which player receives a good rating, thus deciding who the game has awarded Man Of The Match to. In previous versions, this took into account many things such as successful dribbles, pass completion rates, and headers and tackles won. On PES 2008, however, it seems to be limited to if you score a goal or set up a few you get 7.0 or 7.5, with a hat-trick ensuring an 8.0 and 5 goals rewarding you a 9.0. My questions are firstly, does anyone feel these ratings are slightly harsh, with goalkeepers only getting 6.0 for an excellent performance and even CM getting 5.5 for marking the opposition out the game. Football Manager has always seen 7 as the middle ground, whilst most newspapers give 6 for an average performance, surely PES should follow suit. Secondly, has anyone ever managed to get a 10.0 rating, thus dubbing it the perfect performance. PES5 saw me reach a couple of 9.5 and I have managed a few 9.0 on PES2008. But is a 10.0 an achievable score, and if not why does PES run on a system that is basically out of 19. Any views to the normal place, comments at the end, or in the inbox.

The Dark side

In order to research the online potential of the game, following another horrible experience on PES, I have purchased FIFA 2008 over the weekend. For many of you, this would be considered an unforgivable sin, and I have taken the appropriate verbal abuse from my mates for doing so. However, I felt that following the demo, I would give my first impressions of the game. Before I begin, I would like to say this is defiantly not a review of the game, as I have only played a handful of matches on it. I would also like to point out that I do not hate EA Sports, and whilst their ability to churn out a number of money spinning sequels or spin offs damages the sports gaming industry, there is no denying they have played a huge part in advancing the level, and indeed raising the bar for PES to keep having to jump over. The game itself is an improvement on FIFA 2007, and at times plays very much like a next generation game. Simple things such as the loading screens, the presentation and the graphics outline this. The game itself is still nowhere near as realistic as PES, with deflections defying the ways of Physics and the ball sticking to players like glue following lofted passes. Crossbars and posts seem to act as a magnet as opposed to a frame, with headers having over a 40% chance of hitting them when directed towards goal. Some modes, such as the be a pro mode have great scope for advancement, whilst features such as the downloadable squad updates (a must during the transfer window) and the huge amount of playable teams act as a reason for casual gamers to part with the cash.
Surprisingly, there are a few role reversals with PES in this version of Fifa. There is now a shop where you can unlock new strips and stadiums by winning games, and the edit mode is beefed up to make a few PES fans jealous. However, the commentary feels very tacked on in this version, with the same spiel coming out that has nothing to do with the action on the pitch, and the lack of in game officials is highly unusual. The one mode, which Fifa does stand tall on though, is the online mode. Along with lag free singles matches there is the option of up to 4v4 online, be it in the Be A Pro format or in a normal environment. Endless pages of the latest news from all around the world in just a click away, with tables, goal scoring charts and latest fixtures giving football fans data until their heart is content. It is something that Konami would do well to take note of. The underlining factor though, is after 10 games or so, including a few multi player ones, I took the disk out and returned to Pro, which still felt like the more realistic game. Graphics and Presentation aside, the online mode is the area PES needs to advance upon if it is going to win a battle with EA Sports.

A Baby Is Born

Now its January, it is very rare to be discussing the Christmas story, but there is one occurring under our very noses. Firstly the Saviour returns and now the Wise man has shown up. I am of course referring to Newcastle United, and the addition of Dennis Wise to the backroom of the club. All they need now is their god, Alan Shearer to go up there and they will be able to put on a full-scale nativity. It’s just a shame they got rid of Titus Bramble, as they has a perfect Donkey there too! In all seriousness though, and all blasphemy joking aside, it is going to need a miracle of such proportions to see Newcastle win anything in the next few years. I am not here getting on at Newcastle fans or indeed the club. I grew up watching them play some of the most attacking football I have ever seen, and bringing players like Ginola and Asprilla to the Premier League earned them the respect of most neutrals up and down the country. This was at a time though, when £15 Million would buy you a goal scoring legend, whereas £16 Million will nowadays buy you a bench warmer in London, just ask Darren Bent. The introduction of Dennis Wise, a guy who has shown great promise as a coach and manager with both Millwall and the un-fancied Leeds job, is one that will have raised more eyebrows than most decisions, and again will question just how capably Keegan is of being a top-flight manager. In recent history, any football man who has been brought in above the manager has led to the demise of said manager, just ask Jose Mourinho and Harry Redknapp during his first Pompey stint.

There is no one person who can deny that Newcastle has a great fan base, at the end of the day 51,000 at the home games and a hearty away following confirms such thoughts. But again, this is supporting a top footballing side in the top division. Leeds manage to draw in 30,000 plus whilst playing in footballs third tier, and they are very much an exception to the rule. With most attendances in the North being less than flattering, namely Blackburn, Wigan, Bolton and Middlesbrough, is it still fair to say that Newcastle are playing in the top flight, and that whilst every fan deserves success the Newcastle fans have no god given right to expect it more than any other. In the past few years, players have been leaving Newcastle to move to other clubs in order to progress their career. Players like Jenas, Dyer, and Bowyer, and to a lesser extent Bellamy all had their problems up north, but all were first team regulars and moved on in order to play for clubs that they believed to be bigger than Newcastle. And instead, Newcastle have brought in players such as Duff, Owen, Alan Smith and Nicky Butt, players who have passed their peak and are far from showing the form that made them household names in their younger days. As I support Wolverhampton Wanderers, a club also rich in history and been dubbed a sleeping giant many a time, I can appreciate the situation Newcastle fans find themselves in, however, they need to realise there is no easy fix, and that as before, you can only be considered a big club by winning silverware and finishing in the top four of your respective league.

That’s your lot for this week. As always thanks for your many e-mails, I do read them all. I have had a pretty busy week these last seven days and am sorry to not have replied to certain people. Richard Fullerton, I will be more than happy to provide you with that, but it will take a few days in order for me to sort it, please e-mail me if you are still interested. danbolas@hotmail.com is the place you can reach me; alternatively air your views in public by clicking at the bottom of this article. Next week, the letter will be focussing on the Edit option, and how it can be improved for PES 2009

Thanks for Reading

Interfering With Play 22/01/08

Posted by Dan Bolas in Interfering With Play on Tue 22 Jan 2008

Welcome to this weeks Interfering With Play. As regular readers know, last week saw the first of six sections regarding the Seabass letter, which hopefully will have some sort of influence on the development of PES2009. This week, Interfering With Play is going to be focusing on Game play, an area of the Pro Evolution Soccer Series that has always been head and shoulders above any other football game. As usual, any comments are welcomed at the bottom of this article, or directly into my e-mail inbox.

Seabass Letter: Game Play

This week’s topic for the Seabass letter is regards the Game play of PES2008 in game, 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.

PES2008 was the first Pro Evolution Soccer game that had serious questions raised about its Game Play. The old generation versions of the game were adjudged to not have progressed enough, whilst the next generation versions have been ridiculed for a number of reasons. Anyone who has been a fan of the PES series since the beginning will be able to tell that the latest instalment feels like a Konami game, but there seems to be a piece of the puzzle missing. The first part of this is defiantly down to the offline slowdown so many gamers have experienced. I am not referring to the online section, as this will be covered next week, however the slowdown when playing at certain stadiums or playing against a friend offline, which is totally unacceptable. PES has always been praised for being the realistic gaming experience with the way the ball deflects, moves and rolls, with everything from physics and fatigue taken into account to get an accurate portrayal of a game of football. The first law should therefore be that it all runs smoothly, and that the action should not slowdown in and around the penalty area, at a time when timing of tackles or shot power is imperative. I am aware that this has affected some gamers more than others, with different camera angles and stadiums providing different degrees of lag. This, however, is completely and utterly unacceptable. In a day and age where 32 players can play online without any slowdown, a next generation console should not be slowing down due to too much going on, and it is a problem that if not rectified in the next edition of PES, will cost Konami a lot of money, and a lot of customers.

On those games that do not suffer from lag, PES is still a very enjoyable gaming experience, and whilst some doubters have been writing the game off entirely, on its day it still recreates the magic of a realistic game of football, with unlucky deflections, great challenges and mazy dribbles. A criticism of the ISS Pro Evolution Soccer 2, one of the final PSONE versions of the Konami game was that speed players seemed to be untouchable, and playing quick players out of position, for example Owen at Centre Back, would still result in a victory. Throughout the PES series, the importance of passing has developed, with players like Beckham, Gerrard and Xavi being as crucial a part of a successful side at the more glamorous speed players. PES2008 has seen the series revert to the times of old though, and the quicker players now seem to have more influence than ever. Yes, this is true in real life football matches, but it needs to be controlled much more. The fact that given very little space, a player like Kaka or Ronaldo can still outrun the entire opponents defence and score four or five a game is something that seriously needs to be addressed, be it by an overhaul of the running and dribbling mechanics or by improving defensive A.I. Of course, that is not to say that the quick players should not have the devastating affects, anyone who has been watching the Premier League the last 18 months will be able to appreciate the importance of pace to a player like Cristiano Ronaldo, but being making speed the number one priority, it takes away from beautiful passing football, something which is an equally important part of the game.

Defending has always been a hit or miss thing in football games, and the PES series has seen a number of different approaches to it, some successful some not so much. This last instalment of the game turned certain aspects of it into a more luck than judgement scenario, especially when defending crosses or high balls. Defenders would constantly go missing, and especially playing with national teams, it would not be uncommon to see the CB up in open play on the right wing. PES5 worked well due to being able to position your defenders early, to read the play and maybe intercept the ball, and this is something that would be welcomed back in 2009. Too often defenders are in useless positions, something again which needs to be addressed by the Konami A.I team.

Having spoke shortly about the A.I of PES, I feel it would be a fair time to quickly mention the Team Vision aspect of the game. For many people, it is seen as a case of ‘the emperor’s new clothes’ whereby if someone tells you it is there; start to notice things that aren’t really there. Football is as unpredictable as any sport, and as a result the A.I needs to try and read every possible outcome. Doing so means it would be impossible to score, and as a result they need to bring in an element of human error. At the moment, the balance is too much in favour of the attacking sides, and the defensive A.I needs to improve dramatically. Things such as clearing your lines, or bringing down a player to stop a counter attack are both aspects that need to be worked on, along with adapting to a change in formation. A side playing four up front to get a late equaliser would be launching balls up at every possible opportunity, not passing it among the defenders wasting time.

Probably the most talked about point on the e-mails I have received is regarding the Goalkeepers. Some gamers have suggested Konami takes a gamble and allows players to take control of the stoppers themselves. Anyone who has played in goal on the fixed camera option will agree that this may make scores more unrealistic, and it is probably not the way to go. The key, I personally feel would be more animations for the goalies, as to increase the number of saves they can make. Even Petr Cech makes mistakes in real life, be it missing the cross as he did vs. Arsenal or letting one through his body like against Aston Villa. Of course, this is frustrating when playing a game, but goalies who hold everything would be even more frustrating an unrealistic, anyone who has played the ISS series with 5 star GK will agree with that. Yes, they do spill a lot, but watch any side under pressure and you will see the keepers parry a lot as well. The problems may be more to do with the defenders reaction speeds as opposed to the keepers handling. One point that defiantly should be addressed is the ability to throw the ball out and launch a quick attack, as opposed to waiting and only being able to throw or roll the ball to a set player. This could be implemented in the same was as a free kick, issuing a power bar and opting for rolling it with the pass button, or throwing it with the through ball button.

A lot of people have requested more skill or trick moves, which again could be seen as a bad thing. Many of the trick moves on PES could be used in a much more realistic manor, as opposed to bringing new ones in. The scissors step overs are not anywhere near effective enough, and a player like Ronaldo should be able to wrong foot a defender using them. A lot of the time, these skills are wasted and don’t add any benefit other than showing off. In similar way to the fake shot, the scissors could bring up a power bar before quickly allowing you to slip away. The new tricks that have been brought in on both PES6 and 2008 have all been implemented very well, so maybe Seabass and co. will take this on board, giving the older tricks such as the scissors, spin and flick up tricks a bit of an overhaul.

The final game play point I would like to raise is regarding set pieces. These have improved already since the last generation, with the option to send the big men up from the back. The option of quick free kicks and having two players stand over the ball are also features that, with a little tweaking, could be very usable. The real point that has been raised is about the positions players take up in the box, and how the runs they make are not anywhere near as well timed, as they should be. Some suggestions include the option of selecting one of 4 or 5 different preset running patterns before each corner or free kick, with the defending team being able to do the same. Another option is to give a cursor in the centre of the screen, using the right analogue stick to control the players in the middle, with the left to control the whip or spin on the kick itself. My own personal favourite would be the option to spend time on the training ground devising your own runs an movements, using a click and move feature, for it to be saved and used in your matches. Whether any of these are going to take place is highly unlikely, however, if anyone has any suggestions about potential ways to increase the quality of set piece movement, please get in touch in the usual way.

That is the main points I have received on the Game play 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.

Word On The Street

I took the time over the weekend to download and test the demo of Fifa Street 3 off the Playstation Network. I am presuming it is also available off X Box Live, however, I would not recommend spending the time downloading it. Having purchased the original game in a bit to let my showboating skills alive, I found it to be nothing more than a gloried turn based game, with the ability to do over the top skills all too easy, and the likelihood of getting through the defence in the high end of 80% on every attack. As a novelty, it was a good idea, but as a career based game, it was a waste of time. The latest version is more cartoon like than ever with no attempt to make a realistic game and matrix like movements an occurrence every 30 seconds. Of course this is for a target audience, but I am just trying to work out who this audience would be. Once again, it seems EA are churning out mindless sequels to games in an attempt to make as much cash as possible, a policy Konami would be ill advised to follow. Anyone who has played the demo, your opinions would be welcomed during the comments at the bottom of Interfering With Play.

Bow Down To The King

Just wanted to also quick address the talking point of the last few weeks in English football, the Newcastle United syndrome. Most Newcastle fans were delighted with the return of Kevin Keegan, and the fact that he will make them an attractive football club once again. I live in the West Midlands, and am therefore in no position to comment on what Newcastle life is like, but from the outside, it seems that they are a footballing area that is living in dream land. The definition of a big club is no longer what you have won in the 1970’s or how many cups you have, it is how big your bank balance is, how many world class players are on your books and how you perform week in week out in your domestic league. Maybe Sam Allardyce was the wrong man to take charge of Newcastle United, but it wasn’t because Big Sam is a bad manager. The fact remains that any successful club needs to take time and build a team. Both Sir Alex Ferguson and Arsene Wenger have spent a great deal of time at their respective clubs, installing a mind set within their players and a culture among their staff. Newcastle have chopped and changed managers, players and tactics far to often over the past 10 years to even be spoken in the same breath as they two sides, who along with Chelsea, are the three dominant sides in the English League. So realising the Newcastle are no longer a top side, they must look to the second tier of the English top flight for a place to fit in. Everton, Liverpool and Portsmouth all are sides who have accomplished managers who have been given the backing of their respective boards for a number of seasons and a fan base who all appreciate the work their side are doing, even if it doesn’t always result in silver wear. Aston Villa and Manchester City also have strong managers, who have merged together big money names with young stars and home grown talent to form good footballing teams.

Newcastle has none of the above at the moment. Kevin Keegan is a manager who is exceptionally passionate and loves his football, but lacks both the mental intensity and tactical knowledge to succeed at the highest level, as he has proved time and time again. He was last in charge at St. James Park when there were two foreign managers in the Premier League, Sir Alex and Joe Kinnear, and scrapped both the Reserve team and Youth Teams at Newcastle. The Newcastle fans are just like everyone else, they are passionate about their local team, and want the best from their players. You try going to places like Millwall or Cardiff and saying they don’t support their club enough. The fact is, since Keegan has been at Newcastle, the club has maintained a top flight status, had a couple of decent cup runs and has hosted a few top matches featuring the worlds best players. To be honest, unless the owner Mike Ashley gives Keegan £200 Million to buy players, the best that Newcastle can hope for in the next few years is a UEFA Cup spot. Any football fans views would be greatly appreciated.

That’s your lot for this week. Comments are welcomed at the bottom of the page about anything you have read on here, in particular regarding the Letter to Seabass. You can also e-mail me directly; danbolas@hotmail.com is the place to direct your comments to. Thanks to the hundreds of people that have been in contact so far, obviously far to many to reply to you all individually, but your support is very much appreciated and I assure you I read and make notes on every single e-mail before writing Interfering With Play

Thanks for Reading

PES confirmed for Wii in March

Posted by Peter Willis in PES 2008 News on Fri 18 Jan 2008

Konami have released a statement announcing the release of PES on the Nintendo Wii in March.

Konami Digital Entertainment GmbH has announced a late March release date for its eagerly-awaited PES 2008 for Wii™.Created specifically to make full use of the Wii’s unique control system, PES 2008 brings all the realism of Pro Evolution Soccer to the Nintendo machine, but with a more ‘team-orientated’ control system. The Wii game mirrors the real sport’s use of open space and the exploitation of defensive lapses and accurate passes essential in creating scoring opportunities. The Wii version of PES 2008 expands on these elements, with the use of the Nunchuck and Wii Remote controllers giving the player control over both the player on the ball, and those around him.

GOTM November/December - VOTE NOW

Posted by Peter Willis in GOTM on Thu 17 Jan 2008

Sorry it has taken so long, but I’ve had a fairly busy couple of weeks since the turn of the year. Here are our top 5 goals and it’s now up to you to choose a winner. Please view each goal before casting your vote.

• Goal 1 - SHUKZ
• Goal 2 - PLAYMAKER
• Goal 3 - JCOAB
• Goal 4 - KRISTOFF1875
• Goal 5 - BECKKEONG

The poll will remain open for 1 week.

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Interfering With Play 15/01/08

Posted by Dan Bolas in Interfering With Play on Tue 15 Jan 2008

Welcome to this week’s Interfering With Play. Over the past few weeks, I have been receiving hundreds of e-mails dedicated to the subject of the Seabass letter, and the improvement ideas for PES2009. This week sees the start of six sections which will cover the majority of suitable points raised by you, the PESGaming.com public, and act as a way of people either agreeing or disagreeing with their relevance towards making PES2009 the best football game ever made. Could I firstly point out that I have not forgot to mention the licensing issue, as it seems to be high on the top of nearly ever message I have received. This point will be included in the final letter, however, to stop the barrage of comments about why it hasn’t been included in this article, I am addressing it now. So lets get started.

Seabass Letter: Presentation

This week’s topic for the Seabass letter is regards the presentation of PES2008 in game, 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.

The presentation element of the game is not directly related to the games graphics, and therefore can not be treated as how realistic Frank Lampard looks, or why the strips can’t be edited. Here we are discussing the parts of the game that are seen and used by every gamer, and have always been slightly overlooked in relation to other aspects of the PES and ISS series. With FIFA allowing gamers to practise their skills as Ronaldinho whilst waiting for the game to load, surely the avenue of an interactive loading screen is one that needs to be looked at. Mini games have been used since the late 80s as a way of keeping gamers entertained while the title loads. Space Invaders was the most popular one of these, and although loading times were longer than the modern day, the fact that we are still waiting 30 seconds to a minute whilst starring at a blank screen should be something worth sorting. Assassin’s Creed allows you to familiarise yourself with the controls of the main character, with more and more ‘next generation’ titles following suit. Something as simple as allowing you to practise passing with two or three players (similar to a pre game warm up) or work on time headers would be perfect mini games that would break up the sitting and waiting mode that bores many gamers. The other alternative is to follow Call Of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, and use Cut scenes as a way of masking loading times. The pre game shot of the players coming out the tunnel may be skipped by most gamers after the first few matches, but it would surely be better than watching a static loading screen.

Cut Scenes themselves are a very tricky business. The lag on these in PES2008 is totally unacceptable, and must be on the top of Konami’s to do list for the next version. However, in every other game genre, cut scenes are seen as the plague and developers are frantically trying new techniques in order to make action move along at a quicker pace, with more user involvement. This is in the form of interactive cut scenes, whereby gamers press a button in order to move the action along, and was implemented well in games such as Heavenly Sword. Again though, this feature is something, which may not work with football games, and needs to be looked at by Seabass and his team. Of course, TV matches will show players celebrating after scoring a goal, or holding their heads after a missed chance, and this does need to be reflected in the game. Perhaps more details, including the players age or how many shots they have had throughout the match (a feature that has been present in previous PES) should pop up below the featured player. This could be followed up further by more intense celebrations for last minute goals or even big scuffles involving fighting players in a particularly feisty game. The option to have your players get involved, and risk having players sent off, could be left at your disposal with a simple button choice, however, with the dive feature causing so much uproar, the less glamorous sides of football seem to be vilified even more in gaming form, and this would be no exception. The other side of cut scenes would be in the form of interviews, TV Studio based highlights and other small scenes to help create a more realistic match environment and bulk up the basics from this years master league. Whilst personally this would be a dream, I could see many players skipping these, making the development of them not as important as other aspects.

The menu system itself in PES2008 had a very arcade feel, and having all players’ names in capital letters, and the way the kits were displayed on the Kit Selection screen backed this up. PES and ISS have always opted for less menu-based interfaces than other games, preferring to keep menus to one or two screens rather than numerous tabs and lists. In order to compete with the competition, this may need to be changed, allowing more to be sorted out for each and ever game. The option to not be able to switch shorts and shirts is one that needs to be brought back in from PES5. More than ever, Premier League sides are having to change their shorts due to colour clashes, and Konami need to follow suit, bringing this feature back. This is only second to the missing option of being able to select your kit for the season and master league games. Having recently completed an English League season with Chelsea, I was shocked to be playing against sides like Reading and Wigan and still be wearing Blue. What was crazier was the fact the shirts were changed to the yellow alterative for my trip to Villa Park. These basics are crucial for many gamers enjoyment, and more so, are fundamental features that make the game easier to play.

One of the parts which has been picked upon by some gamers is the lack of trophies when winning major competitions, and being unable to view them in the records room, as in previous generations of PES. The new Track Record feature is a good thing in the fact it gives you more stats bout your personal game, but this could be followed further by giving us a Trophy cabinet, and showing maybe a photo of the winning side (a simple screen shot taken at the end the season). Once again, this is a feature that will be really appreciated by football fans, but will probably be seen as less important by game developers.

The appearance of stadiums and pitch designs in PES2008 was met with a mixed response. Yes, it was great to see the most realistic stadiums in PES history, but why so few, and even fewer that played without the dreaded lag. Whilst things such as a Stadium editor or even the option to play at a choice of hundreds of real life grounds is on some peoples wish list, most gamers would settle for the same gaming experience at each environment, and not be praying that you aren’t playing Barcelona at the Nou Camp due to the lag being unbearable. Of course, variable pitches would be welcomed, but not that affect the speed the game itself runs. I couple this with the fact that managers are now featured on the sidelines, greeting substituted players with a pat on the back or even a hug. This is very similar to real life, and back in the days of sensible soccer, there was an option to customise your manager’s appearance, and give him a name. Surely, this simple option of adding one more aspect to a side would give the game a very realistic feel, and even to have the camera cut to him celebrating a goal, something which worked very well on Codemaster’s Club Football series of 2004-2005.

The final point about presentation, and the one, which has drummed up a lot of interest, is the seamless links from throw ins and quick free kicks. Whilst it does fall under a game play, I am going to quickly address the presentation side of this now. The PS2 version always had a black screen that was used to link the time the ball going out of play and the appropriate set piece being taken. Yes, this was always annoying, especially when your side was a goal down late in the game but was never really a major problem in my eyes. The next generation version of the game now sees a logo wipe across the screen linking the two actions together, which is more realistic, but still means that players will return to their normal positions, especially annoying when counterattacking. I personally feel that nowadays the system has the power to run continuously without the need for mini black screen breaks, and as a result the game should adapt as such, be it a multi-ball format or u having to wait for the ball to be retrieved, in the form of ball boys or fans throwing the ball down from the stands. This would mean kicking the ball further out of play would give an advantage to the defending team to regroup, just like real matches.

That is the main points I have received on the presentation 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.

A Sheer Disgrace

The fact that the letter section has taken such a great deal of this weeks article means I am going to keep it very short, with only one other point for this weeks Interfering With Play. Depending on the size of the other letter sections, I will fill out my column with other points as is appropriate. I was foolish enough to try and give PES2008 another try in an online game over the weekend, using the logic that after 3 months, maybe problems with servers or early niggles have been ironed out. To be honest, it’s embarrassing for Konami and Seabass how poor the online mode is. I will bring up the points in the letter in due course, but for any gamers thinking to get this game or even setting up an online account I urge you not to waste the time. The lag is completely unacceptable, one minute my Goalkeeper had the ball, the next it was at the feet of the opposition, and the art of block tackling does not exist. On no more than 4 occasions the ball crossed a touchline just to be retrieved, and I am talking a long way out, once to the expense of a goal for me. However, the biggest injustice I feel is the abysmal turning speed and changing direction, a skill that means a speedy opposition player has scored as soon as they receive the ball. Whether some online gamers are now used to it is beside the point, the game is not an online game and I am so very disappointed that in market of next generation consoles providing some top quality online action, PES is once again left bottom of the pile.

That’s your lot for this week. Please be in touch with responses to the aforementioned points, and don’t be too worried if your topic isn’t covered at the moment, there are still five other sections to write under. I apologise I am unable to give names and credit to those ideas that have been used in this article. To be honest, many people came up with very similar ideas, and as a result listing names would have made the reading slightly more tedious. E-mails can be sent directly to me, danbolas@hotmail.com, or leave your views in the comments at the bottom of the article. Please check out the poll over the next few days as it is being edited to coincide with the Seabass letter.

Thanks For Reading

Interfering With Play 08/01/08

Posted by Dan Bolas in Interfering With Play on Tue 08 Jan 2008

Welcome to the first Interfering With Play of the year that is 2008. I would like to begin with wishing everyone a happy New Year, and hope that you all had a safe and altogether enjoyable Christmas. This year will hopefully see PESGaming.com become bigger, and the online community to grow as a result. We have some very loyal visitors and some people who have some pretty good views on stuff. If you feel you could contribute in any way to this site, be it with information, news or something slightly different, contact Peter Willis with what you can offer, and I am sure he will be interested in getting you on board. As for Interfering With Play, I plan to keep up a healthy range of subjects regarding the talking points from the world of football and computer games, whilst still focussing on the PES 2008 issues that have plagued the back end of 2007. There is information in today’s article about the Seabass letter, so I urge you read on!

All Sparks Have Burnt Out

It was my own personal intention to start up an editing site for PES2008, providing information for those gamers who wished to edit the game themselves. The site was going to feature the transfers, ability updates and methods more making strips look more realistic, along with allowing lower league fans the chance to show off their own customising work, and to share it with others. After doing a fare amount of research into the subject, I have decided that most if not all of this information is available on forums, with a great deal of it being available on the PESGaming.com forums. Here you can find the correct name for the classic/unlock able players and those international sides with the wrong spelling. I would love to set up a site providing all this information, but for the time being anyway, recommend those who want to edit the game to scan the web for the best guides. Also, I am yet to get my hands on the PS3 eye so am unable to report how easy it is to use. Those console gamers who have imported their own faces / shirts on the game are welcome to leave a comment below explaining any complications or recommendations regarding each systems respective camera.

Give It A Face

With Interfering With Play moving into the New Year, I thought it would be an opportunity to give the article a logo, and was opening the floor to graphic designers or someone who just wants to have their image on the main page of PESGaming.com each week. I have a few of my mates currently working on designs and I am pretty handy on Photoshop myself, but would much rather have one of the PESGaming.com community design the logo. So if you have any ideas, send them to the address below. All images will be considered, and credit will be given to the chosen logo.

Letters To You

Before Christmas, the main talking point within Interfering With Play was regards a letter I was planning to write to Seabass, including suggestions made by the PESGaming.com community, all of who are fans of the series. This is still very much my attention, and following around a hundred e-mails over the past month, I am offering one more week for those ideas, no matter how big or small, that you feel would make PES2009 the pinnacle of football gaming, to be sent to me either in the form of an e-mail, or as a comment at the bottom of Interfering With Play. Starting next week, I will be breaking down the ideas into several sections, with one section each week being analysed and your ideas being put into a public arena. Those ideas that receive the most support, or seem sensible, as well as those supported by the weekly poll, will then be included in the final letter, which is planned to be sent to both Konami and Seabass, the games developer, on Friday 29th February. This is a great opportunity for your ideas to be aired, and for people to either build upon or support them, so please feel free to express your thoughts on improving the PES series. There have been a few forum members who seem to think this letter may be seen as a waste of time, and that no one pays attention to a site like this. It is pretty obvious that with thousands of hits a day, and the F.A. Premier League even getting in contact, we must have some form of voice. This is your final chance to have your ideas considered, so e-mail or comment by this time next week.

Guided By The Lights

Whilst I did receive some top Christmas presents, one thing that I did ask for but did not receive was the PES2008 strategy guide. Now at £9.99 in most game shops, or £5.99 online, it seems quite expensive for what is basically a beefed up instruction manual. I have been playing Pro Evo for many years now, back to the old ISS days, and have never once required any kind of guide or tactics book in order to get me through. I ask the opinion, is this book really needed? Are there any gamers out there who have one and find it genuinely worth the rather hefty price tag? They obviously sell well, seeing as a new one is released each year. I can understand it for RPG or adventure games that sometimes require a turn-by-turn guide, or even fighting games that give you combos and moves at a glance. But what does this guide offer the season PES player? Any light that could be shed on the subject would be greatly appreciated.

Let Me See That Con

Now, to act almost a s public service announcement. There are some shady characters on and around the Internet that are promising perfect option files for PS3 and X Box 360 versions of PES2008, including perfect kits and badges, for a small fee. I would like to warn all those out there who may be tempted to part with the cash that these are nothing more than hoaxes, and the people involved are ripping you off. The images of these ‘Complete’ option files have been taken from PC versions of the game, which are easier to edit, and that the option of changing badges and all strips to resemble their real life counterparts exactly is unfortunately just not possible on the next gen consoles this time around. I have heard a couple of stories about people receiving shoddy option files for their hard earned cash, and would like to start off 2008 by reminding you that it is a con, and to avoid these rip off merchants.

PC Or Not PC, Is That Even The Question

2007 saw PESGaming.com become a place for much discussion about the battle between the consoles and PC games world, and that although they have lived together in reasonable harmony for two decades now, sooner or later one is going to give. In my opinion, PC still play second fiddle to consoles, and although the fact nowadays PC’s are becoming Home Entertainment Systems, they still have a long way to go to be truly classed as a gaming machine. There is no doubt that on a high spec PC, the games look as good as if not even better than those on PS3 or 360, but not everyone has this High-end machine. The advantage for developers when it comes to making games for the consoles is that everyone who is playing their game will be playing it on pretty much the same specification machine. Yes the size of console hard drives may be changeable, and there may be HD support on some machines not others, but the speed, disc drive and memory is going to identical on console. If the game runs well on one machine, the developers are going to be pretty sure it will run well on all. PC’s have hundreds of different Video Cards and Sound Cards available, along with numerous operating systems, accessories and even DVD drives! The problem will be that for every one PC gamer that has all this stuff to make their game run perfectly, another just won’t have the correct equipment, and when your machine doubles up as a place for word processing or storing your music, you can ill afford to constantly be changing your Processor every few months, which for many means having your machine in the shop for a number of days. One point raised was that EA, a company with a rich PC library, believe that in a few years time, consoles will no longer be necessary and all gamers will play using PC. This is counteracted by an industry representative, who in a recently wrote in Games magazine that he believes that all consoles will end up being Handheld systems similar to PSP or the DS. I play games on my PC, but have far from a top of the range system. I much prefer sitting in my lounge, or lying on bed with my PS3 as to sitting at a PC to play games such as PES or even FPS like Call Of Duty 4. But it is down to personal choice, developers will always make games for PC, as it is very simple to convert a console game to PC format, however when it comes to both comfort and a more relaxed gaming experience, I still think consoles will win nine times out of ten.

Wii Will Rock You

My final point of the evening is in regards to a comment made an individual claiming Nintendo Wii to be the best next gen console, and that it is kicking the 360 and PS3 in the teeth when it comes to quality and sales. The Nintendo Wii is a brilliant concept made through by Nintendo that anyone can pick up and play, its very easy and very fun. In a party environment with a few mates, I would have to agree. The PS2 like graphics and overall questionable game selection (Super Mario Galaxy excluded) can be overlooked for the fact everyone does seem to be included. Being cheaper than the other consoles also give Nintendo Wii a slight advantage, but unfortunately, that’s where it ends. The games get old pretty fast, and unless you have parties every night, the console will find very little use on your own, again with Super Mario Galaxy withstanding. They are purchased by parents for their children, only to find that most kids would much rather go bowling than play it on Wii Sports and whilst these ideas start off very new and exciting, the range of future release games leaves a lot to be desired. Whilst March and April see PS3 owners looking forward to games like GTA 4 and Metal Gear Solid 4, Wii gamers can look forward to things such as Pimp My Ride, and Table Football. There is no denying that the Wii has had a successful launch, but baring a sudden influx of quality games that will attract the more hardcore gamer, sales will no doubt start to dwindle throughout 2008.

That’s your lot for this weeks Interfering With Play. If it was your first time reading, I hope you have thoroughly enjoyed it, and as I said, lets try and make 2008 our biggest year ever. Recommend the site to a friend or post a link on another message board. I really hope this community grows and grows because it is in support of a top football game. E-mails can be sent to danbolas@hotmail.com especially regarding logos and any ideas for the Seabass letter, which starts next week. Any PS3 gamers can add me as Thebolder, I do play Call Of Duty 4 online, although the last few weeks have seen me addicted to Uncharted: Drakes Fortune! Any comments about anything on this weeks article are also very much appreciated. Interfering With play is now back every Tuesday, so make sure you check PESGaming.com regularly to have your say!

Thanks For Reading