Archive for September, 2009
Posted by Dan Bolas in Interfering With Play on Tue 29 Sep 2009
IWP League Champion 2009 : Ivan Kostic (Internacional)
Welcome to this week’s Interfering With Play. Almost comically this week, my IWP column may end up being the shortest of the three articles on PESGaming.com. I really enjoyed Double D’s post last Thursday, was exactly what I felt needed to be put down. He made some excellent points and I am sure he answered a few lingering questions from my article last week too. In The Red was also a good read this week. The PESGaming.com team have known for a while about Francis’ commitments regarding game testing, which is why his experience in the field is invaluable. I think most of you will also respect that fact that the legal implications for anything Francis may say would be much bigger than he can afford to get into, and therefore I hope many of you respect his request to no question him regarding PES 2010. It is also a big week as ‘the other football game’ is being widely praised and released this week. For those who have come down in the last shower, or just for those who didn’t really pay attention too much, FIFA has always received respectable ratings on the big gaming sites. At the same time, IGN rated PES 2008 a 9.2 but 2009 an 8.5 when it was pretty clear 2009 was a better all round game. I believe that whilst game ratings are a very important part of the video gaming world, games are as much about opinions as they are ratings and that even if PES were to get a perfect score, there would be still hundreds of complaints about the game. With that said, lets crack on with this week’s IWP.
“It’s All About The Money”
First point this week, and something that is almost comical. Ever since I started writing for this site, I have stuck by a couple of simple guidelines. One, always admit if I believe I have made a mistake, either with a piece of information or a fact that I have misinterpreted. Two, try to deliver honest opinions that are based on my own views and experiences. And three, never give my opinions on an incomplete or unfinished game. This was over two years ago, and I believe on the whole I have stuck to this mantra.
So it is a bit mad when people are saying that we are refusing to criticise or comment on the PES 2010 demo because we have ‘sold out’ or been ‘paid off’ by Konami. I want to put on record that the day something I say within IWP or on this site is deleted or edited by anyone due to keep Konami, or anyone else, happy is the day that Interfering With Play is done. I will write a review of both FIFA 10 and PES 2010 for PESGaming.com after having a couple of weeks with each game, and make an informed and rational decision on each game. Until then, everything I write about both games will be small and not really reflect my full opinion.
I pride myself on my views, and am so glad there are people out there who agree with what I say and write each week. I am also so glad there are people out there who disagree with my point of view. It makes for interesting comments and debates upon the boards. I wouldn’t change this and long may it continue! I have also had some really good e-mails this week, in the 50 + region, and I am working through them all and doing my best to reply to each individually. One thing I believe PESGaming.com has always done is call it like we see it, and as long as that continues to happen, I guarantee the views on this site will be our own, and not filtered by Konami, no matter what perks or promises are laid on the table.
“I Am The Music Man”
Just a little up date on the IWP Play list, and the people who have actually got involved this year. I have actually spoken to a couple of DJs who are going to send through a couple of remixes for the list. I will be double checking with the powers that be as to whether or not we will be able to host these direct on PESGaming or they will have to be downloaded from a different site. I have also spoken to a couple of bands who are sending us songs which I will be looking to use in this years play list.
Of course, this acts as free PR for any up and coming bands or artists, and is a great way to get your name and music heard by thousands of people daily. If you are interested in being involved in the play list, or would simply like a bit more information, feel free to get in touch on the e-mail address featured at the end of this article.
“Was It Worth It?”
As I said earlier, slightly shorter piece this week. I feel with the amount of work I will be doing regarding my reviews as well as a few other little things, I will take the opportunity to use the back seat and let Double D and Francis build on their top posts from last week. My last topic really relates to something that I have mentioned before, but I feel at this time of year, it is always important to look back on. For the first time in the past 12 months, I have not played Pro Evolution Soccer 2009. The demo has been on every time I have needed my football fix, and due to work commitments and a course all over the weekend, I have not even had the disc in my console. Chances are, with PES2010 just four weeks away, it will be a similar situation for many other gamers out there.
At the same time, I have heard people on the boards going mad, screaming that they refuse to ‘waste £40’ on PES this year. So as it draws to a close, I ask how many people on this site actually feel PES 2009 has given them value for money. Pretty simple question, and as I said, something that has been addressed before, however, with so many new faces visiting each and every day, its good to get a different perspective from people who may not have been asked the question before. Providing you picked the game up new, you will have spent in the region of £30-£40 on Pro Evolution Soccer 2009. For me, this has equated to other 200 hours of game time, plus a number of half matches that for one reason or another I didn’t have time to complete. When comparing this to the games I purchases in fall 2008, games which I enjoyed such as Mirror’s Edge, Rock Band and Tomb Raider, the actual lifespan and value far outweighs the time spent on the other titles put together. For me, it is deemed every penny well spent, and before any smart comments come flying in, I purchased my copy of the game just like every body else, even paying £40 for it!
On top of this, I have had many hours of conversations, along with the weekly column and the organisation of the IWP League to fully justify the purchase of Pro Evolution Soccer 2009. Irrelevant of anyone else’s views, I have got my money worth! But that’s just me. I know some people will have purchased the game to take it back, whereas others will have just not played the game, opting for more online friendly games such as Call Of Duty. Finally, there is the number of people that own both FIFA and PES, and have yet decided to give FIFA the run in their console for the past 12 months.
With this said, I go back to the question, do you feel Pro Evolution Soccer 2009 has given you value for money? Please leave your views as always in the form of comments, and I especially look forward to hearing from new community members or even people visiting the site for the first time.
That’s your lot for this week. Voting is still going for the IWP Player Of The Season award, simply choose your three favourite players from PES 2009 and send them either via comment or e-mail, this year is running tighter than ever, so every vote really does count. interferingwithplay@hotmail.co.uk is the place where you can direct your e-mail to, and please show respect to other community members when writing your comments or replies. Any foul or abusive language aimed at other people will see you post deleted, and as Double D suggested, your access to the website restricted.
Thanks for Reading
Posted by francis in PES 2009 News, PES 2010 News on Sun 27 Sep 2009
Demo Days
I’d like to expand on my quick posting on Thursday. Apologies for not being able to post this yesterday (Saturday), but I seem to be having problems with the site timing out and not responding; is anyone else getting this?
Ok. The games ‘Winning Eleven 2010′ and ‘Pro Evolution Soccer 2010′ are exactly the same.
[Edit. The Winning Eleven demo is very representative of Pes 2010's final gameplay, and although there may be a few bugs in the demo, I noticed no bugs in the finished game. By 'final code' I mean that the WE 2010 demo is what you can expect from Pes 2010.]
You can find a video (not mine, credit where credit’s due) at the bottom of this article.
It has come to my attention that there is an embargo as to how much journalists etc can say until 15th October. I’m also under contract at work and so as I don’t want to lose my job I’ll hold back from giving the impression that I’m doing a ‘review’ of Pes 2010, and I’ll just be mentioning things which were featured either in the code I played a month and a bit ago, or things which WENB have mentioned as being in the game from their experiences of testing. I hope you’ll understand this.
It seems as if half of the people who comment on this site seem to like the PES 2010 demo, and the other half (like me) cannot understand why Konami have released such a poor one, which is supposed to be – if not representative of the final product – at least an attempt by the developers to give their reasons as to why gaming consumers such as us should purchase their final product. For those of you who doubt my sincerity, let me assure you that I’m not paid by anyone to write this column and I give my opinions as I see fit, and enjoy hearing people’s differing or similar views on my articles. The idea that I’m one of the 200 new Japanese staff paid to write nice things about the new Pes so you all go and buy it is simply laughable. I’m not biased towards Pes or Fifa or their respective developers, and it’s this which allows me to judge each game by their own merits and weaknesses! So…
I work as a games tester, and as such I’ve been fortunate enough to have tested both Pes and Fifa 2010. As I mentioned earlier, I cannot go into each game in full detail so I can’t do a review or anything close to it yet.
I will say however, that the final game is of much higher quality than the Pes 2010 demo – the goalkeepers are slightly improved, but definitely still prone to silly mistakes.
The online play is spotless (as mentioned on WENB). The edit mode is advanced, and there is also a ‘community mode’ which will be very useful in student houses; whereby each player has an account (in-game) and the console records – in clear format – the results against one another. I think you can also play leagues and tournaments within this mode which is what a lot of people will have been looking for, and although this is only an offline mode it will be interesting to see whether Konami incorporate this into their online gaming for Pes 2011.
The commentary is good, and graphically the game is far superior to the demo. I personally had to turn the Pes 2010 demo off before the end of the short match given, and I’m sure many of you will have done the same. There is a new ‘Superstar’ difficulty (making 6 options instead of the regular 5), and although I haven’t played on it, the level below this is as difficult as the hardest mode on Pes 2008/2009 which is one thing people were calling for last year.
I will review both Pes and Fifa 2010 when I have a copy of each, and I’m sure Dougie and Dan will do the same; I’m looking forward to see how our opinions differ on both games.
To reiterate; Pes 2010 and Winning Eleven 2010 are exactly the same. Winning Eleven is just the title for Japan. This is the final gameplay (posted by Rastroll in the comments section);
Thanks to those who have stuck by me over random allegations of me working for Konami, and I hope everything is now cleared up for you Pes fans. I hope now you can understand why I felt I had to post on Thursday to let you guys know!
You can contact me at francis_newall@hotmail.co.uk, but I won’t be answering any questions about Pes 2010 I’m afraid.
Regards,
-Francis
Posted by francis in PES 2009 News on Thu 24 Sep 2009
Hey all,
I’ll just make this quick as to not push DD’s new column down too much. I’ve been monitoring the furore surrounding the demo and I’d just like to quickly say that as I’ve been lucky enough to have tested the final game for a couple of days at work, that the demo certainly isn’t representative of the final version and you’ll all be hearing my views in my column on Saturday. I don’t understand why Konami have put out such a sub-par demo out; it’s older than the code Dougie and I tested two months ago so I can’t help but wonder why it’s been released as it’s certainly not representative of final gameplay.
Regards,
-Francis
Posted by dougiedonut in PES 2009 News on Thu 24 Sep 2009
Welcome to my new weekly series. I’ve dispensed with the old title of “PES Off!!”, and have decided on the new name.
Anyway, onto the big topic for this week. Now that the demo has been out for around a week, I think it is time to start talking about what I think about it.
Before I start, I would like to say that the idiots who have been writing mindless abuse on the site aimed at Konami, and individuals there, has been quite disgusting. We are talking about a game here, and I think a lot of people need to get some perspective. At the end of the day, if you don’t like the game, then you don’t have to buy it. Why go to lengths to rubbish Konami in the manner that has been displayed? Yet again the anonymity the internet provides, shows us all how crass some people can be. I am forever urging people who visit our site, be they regulars or casual visitors to show respect for everyone. If people post abuse, then I won’t take anything they have to say seriously and will most likely delete it, and possibly ban them too.
The comments section last week was one of the largest I’ve seen since working on this site, and it certainly has polarised opinions. A few people in the comments section last week were interested in what I made of it, with the accusation that I’ve been covering up for Konami.
I find it ludicrous to be accused of trying to blindly defend PES, as though it is the new Emperor’s clothes, and I’m convincing you all that it’s the best thing ever. I will this week be sharing my thoughts on the demo with you. I have spent the last week playing it on and off to give myself time to digest the game’s capabilities.
I would like to point out to people that the two builds that I tested had flaws in them, but since the builds were not 100% working code, whilst you review it, you have to make allowances. I gave honest appraisals of the game’s progress, and stand 100% behind my two mini-previews that I put together.
As for the question of how this demo differs from the games I tried, I would have to say that I found the pace of the demo to be a little bit quicker than what I had tried. It’s quite funny how we all seem to perceive the speed of the game so differently. I have read many comments from people who say the game is too slow, or that it is quite fast, and faster than PES2009. It’s weird how there can be so many different perceptions of the same game. I preferred the game when it appeared a little slower than in the demo.
When I playtested the game, we were told that the player animations were still not completely added, so again we took that into consideration. I would like to say that I did find reaction times in the demo of some passes and dribbling to be slower than I expected initially, which tallies with what many people have been saying. I found myself desperately trying to remember whether this was the case during the previews that I play tested, but can’t recall fully to be honest. If it was present and an issue, then it most certainly would have been picked up on by not only us, but the very many different magazines/websites who have also been playing the game.
Something I would like to point out is that the general consensus across gaming websites and magazines is very positive towards PES2010, and I believe it is justified. The reason I say this is because there have been lots of new additions to the game, improving on PES2009.
The biggest gripe people have with PES2010 is the reaction times for passing and shooting in some instances, as well as goalkeepers.
My take on these two areas are as follows:
Reaction times for passing/shooting: The new animation set for player movement/dribbling is very different from what we have been used to with PES games. Up until a little while ago, PES2010 was going to have only 8 directional control. Konami pulled a rabbit out of the hat with the phenomenal news that 360 degree control was in fact incorporated – due to the huge amount of noise made by fans across many forums.
Unfortunately it seems that the incorporation of 360 control has come at a price. There are instances where I find players with back to play, waiting for a ball played to their feet, leaving them susceptible to being tackled by defenders. I believe this is a flaw in the game, but it’s not a major flaw that will ruin the gaming experience. But look at the positives that 360 control brings to the game. You now have total player movement freedom when not on the ball. This opens up gameplay a fair bit. Movement when on the ball is again very different from what we’ve been used to. But isn’t this what we’ve been asking for? We are now required to learn how to run, and to know when you can dribble and turn in different directions. Gone are the 90 degree turns at full pace, and in are more gradual turns when running at pace. If you want to change direction, then dribbling stats come into play, along with having to slow down and move in the required direction. So now we’re out of our comfort zone, and having to relearn how to play PES – is that necessarily a bad thing? How long have people been complaining about us playing the same old game year in, year out? Now that we have a new direction, and a definite change in pace and abilities, I think we should embrace these changes. Yes the implementation isn’t perfect, but can anyone name a perfect game? I think there is a definite platform for progression.
All the people extolling the virtues of FIFA – do you seriously believe that FIFA10 has no flaws? As has been pointed out in comments, unless you give justified reasoning for trashing PES in favour of FIFA, then your views and comments are not welcome here. PES players know what they are looking for in a football game, so either man up and give proper reasons, or stay off the comments – they will be deleted going forward otherwise.
Shooting issues – again now that I have spent a bit more time learning the control system (with its limitations) I’ve grown accustomed to knowing when to shoot. Just as in real life, players don’t always get to shoot when they necessarily want to, there are occasions when they have to get their body positions right to take the shot, so this seems to be the case in PES2010. This doesn’t happen with every possible attempt on goal – let’s be very clear about that. So again I think it is about identifying weaknesses and strengths in the game and working with them to get the most out of the game.
A huge positive for me is that the shooting still has that “get in there” factor that PES is reknowned for. Long range scorchers are very satisfying too. I’ve not always scored from them, but they feel realistic and it’s a feature I haven’t used that much in my gameplay till now, so it’s a nice new addition to my skill set.
If you give a player time and space 25 to 30 yards from goal, and they have the ability, then they will punish you. Again, when these players try similar shots when under pressure the results are very different – that is very realistic and teaches you to shut these players down quickly – just like the real game.
Before I forget, I’d like to mention the dynamic nature of some of the tactics that you can have. One of my default tactics for the team I was playing with has “Offside trap” set. In older versions of the game you could just switch it on ingame, and leave it on. But in the demo I found that I couldn’t just leave it on. You have to dynamically set it at the right time to get your defence to push up to get attackers offside! How much more depth does that add to the game? I only came about it by chance, but I think it’s definitely worth mentioning. I don’t know how many other tactics can be used in the same way, but that is definitely a step forward for game play.
I’d now like to briefly discuss the PES versus FIFA demo debate which has also been raging in last week’s comments. Put quite simply, there is a large following for both demos, and it appears that the FIFA demo is getting more kudos. I’ve played both, but I can’t say that I can relate to the gaming ethos of FIFA10 based on the demo. I know there was 360 control as a new feature, but I couldn’t feel a big difference from FIFA09. I have to be fair and say that I think once I play the finished version, and clock up some serious hours, then I will be in a better position to judge it on merit.
That is something I would like to ask you guys to do with PES2010. After PES6, I was expecting PES games to really take off on the current generation of consoles – PS3 and Xbox 360 in particular. It didn’t happen. The game stagnated, and I’d even say they lost focus on what was important to many of us ardent fans. Since last year, as many of you are aware, there has been a crusade by the likes of us guys at PESGaming, WENB and PESFan. Fans have been getting involved to say what we wanted in the series, and have been eagerly awaiting this demo to see just where PES is.
I can honestly say that overall I am very pleased with PES2010 so far. I couldn’t stand PES2008/9. They were very flawed games, and didn’t reflect the game of football that PES has been reknowned for. Since then we’ve tried to put across what we want and Konami have been working with us to give us what we want. Even a year ago, many people were adamant that Konami would never listen to us. That they never had any liaisons with fans, and just produced the game as they saw fit. I can confidently say that we’ve made a difference to the game. It’s not perfect by any means, and still has some pet annoyances, which I had really hoped would be fixed like those droney chants, and total control over keepers as we were expecting, but when you look at the bigger picture and consider all the changes that have been incorporated, then I think we should be very happy with where PES2010 is, and if anything take heart from it, and know that we will work much harder with Konami for the next edition of the game.
I have already got a few key fundamental changes to gameplay to propose for PES2011, and will start to get fan input on that shortly, but I’ll save that discussion for another week.
I would like to remind people what I said a few months ago about what I consider to be my litmus test for whether PES2010 is a success in my eyes:
1) a game engine that is a simulation of the sport, which allows us to tailor it to our own style. I believe this has been delivered.
2) increased and improved player animations for dribbling, performing tricks and shooting. I believe this has been delivered (not perfect, but not shocklingly poor either)
3) a return to the control system of PES6 which allows you to use the right analog stick to perform tricks. I believe this has been delivered.
I got hold of the following moves list from Konami, and whilst I can’t vouch for how well they all work, they are definitely in the game.
The 360 pirouette is still performed on the left analogue stick, but isn’t a move that is accidentally pulled or anything like that.
I’d like to remind you all of an article a couple of months ago where I dedicated my article to a guide on using the right analogue stick for manual passing. I have been trying to learn how to use it, and have to say that it is definitely an asset when you’re playing.
If you use it in conjunction with L1 or LB then you can lob the ball, otherwise you have 360 control over where the ball goes, along with pass strength too. It’s not quite the passing gauge like FIFA that many people would like to see, but give it a try – you may just find that you can add some new moves and attacks to your game – it definitely works for me!
Not many people, myself included, have ever given this new ability much of a chance. In my case, having to learn a new control method, which didn’t give me similar results to the usual assisted passing we have, takes me out of my comfort zone.
That’s why I haven’t tried to use it. But now that I’m practising using it, it really has opened up the game for me. It’s particularly handy for trying to pass the ball into the net when inside the area, and struggling to make room to shoot.
4) fully functional online play, with no more lag issues for ANYONE! Online play is a massive feature for many of us, and if this feature fails, then Konami are as good as advertising FIFA ‘10 for EA. We still don’t know if this will be ok yet. Konami are very confident that it won’t be a problem, but we’re hoping to have news on it for you soon.
I stand by this list. There will be plenty of videos and reviews out of the final game, and you should all get a true reflection of how it plays. I would like to extend an invitation our main page for mini-reviews from you guys that do purchase the game. So if you’re interested in putting across your opinions on it, then please email me at my usual address.
Goalkeepers have come in for some major stick too, but I’m not too sure I agree with that. Goalkeepers do parry a lot of shots, but I’m not sure just how much is wrong with that. I don’t seem to mind goalkeepers all that much in pes games generally, so I don’t share the same level of frustration that some people clearly seem to have.
Something I would like to mention is that I personally dislike footy game demos due to only getting to play for a short time in games. I can’t get into enough of a rhythm to get a proper feel for the action. I can’t judge PES2010 or FIFA10 demos fully on that basis. I don’t understand why they don’t give us a limited number of teams to play with for at least 10 minute games with online playability.
Giving us a snapshot of a game doesn’t do them any favours. People who are already going to purchase the game may change their opinions based on the game demo, and people who are unsure are more likely to decide against a purchase because of being put off a demo that gives them the wrong impression.
We need only look at the prime example of COD4 to see how demos can be used to enhance reputations and boost sales. If done properly, Konami could have given us online 10 minute friendlies to allow us to see for ourselves what the game is like. This can only have been a positive step that would have please so many people out there.
For the fans out there who are genuinely slating PES2010, I would say that I am sorry they feel so let down. But if they sit down and compare the final game as a package with the offering last year, they will have to acknowledge the improvements that the game has.
I sincerely believe that there is an element of culture shock for people in how the game plays. If you guys revisit my first playtest in July, you will see that I did in fact state quite clearly that my initial impression was one of dissappointment, but the more I played, the more I enjoyed the game, and felt comfortable with the system. I got to play full 10 minute games at a time for a couple of hours, which really does allow you to get into it properly.
I would like to ask people who have played the demo a good few times since it’s release last week, and didn’t enjoy it, whether they still have those same feelings? I’d like to hear from people who have been putting in some hours on the game, trying to get to grips with it, and to tell us all whether they think they are more comfortable with it, or whether it still annoys them.
I’d like to make it very clear that there is no mass conspiracy amongst gaming magazines and websites to talk up PES2010 falsely. It just doesn’t work that way. We all have opinions on the game, and we don’t have an obligation to Konami to be nice about it. People who follow my articles regularly will know that I present honest opinions on the game, and point out what’s good and bad about it.
So there you have it from me. I am firmly behind Konami as I have gone on record as saying that now that we’re working with them, I believe PES2011 will be a storming game, but that doesn’t mean PES2010 will be a bad game.
We’ve seen the introduction of new features that we’ve been crying out for, and going forward, we will tighten our mode of operation to tap into the PES development cycle to help deliver the gaming experience we demand.
I firmly believe the process is in place to accomodate our needs. Konami have demonstrated their willingness and ability to incorporate our suggestions. We’re now in a position to consolidate our position with a stronger say in the game. My final message is to not give up on PES, but to judge the final game as a package.
Thanks for reading
Dougiedonut
(dougiedonut@pesgaming.com)
Posted by Dan Bolas in Interfering With Play on Tue 22 Sep 2009
IWP League Champion 2009: Ivan Kostic (Internacional)
Welcome to this week’s Interfering With Play. For many people, the release of the PES 2010 demo came as a welcome surprise last week. Many people were second guessing random dates and posting ‘valid reports’ on various websites, when in fact there were only a few people who actually knew Konami’s plan to go early with the demo. As is my own personal tradition, I will not be reviewing the demo, as I believe this is a redundant process. I will also do very little to analyse the in game action itself. However, I will take the time to address some of the issues raised upon this site over the last seven days. People may claim that other PES sites deliver more information or update on a more regular basis, but the reputation of PESGaming.com as providing factual news that is based on the truth is the reason our servers crashed on Thursday, due to too much demand for bandwidth! It is a brand new experience in my time with the site, and something which proves just how popular this site is. With that said, lets crack on with this week’s Interfering With Play
“Here We Are Now, Entertain Us”
Obvious place to start this week, but following some of the comments and views made about the PES 2010 demo, I feel that many of the views, both positive and negative are based upon a small portion of the final game. Personally, I have enjoyed the demo so far. I feel the game has once again built upon what it did well last year and added new features in the form of control and animation. There are some slightly dodgy animations along the way (goal kicks being a personal scowl) but as an overall package, the game looks and feels like an improvement, something which is always a good sign.
With this said, I feel the game is being judged too early. I am not even going to guess whether it is the 70% code, 90% code or even the final build as to me this is irrelevant. PES 2010 will have over 180 teams (club and country) 22 stadiums and several different modes of game play. The demo allows you to experience a tiny portion of that, something which doesn’t play into the hands of a title renowned for its lifespan. I have personally never played a game shorter than 10 minutes on PES 2009, never mind the three minutes they are offering on the demo, and out of the six teams available, I have maybe used Liverpool, Barcelona and Spain more than once on last years pro evolution. Saying the game has gone down hill, has lost something or even writing it off all together based on such a small sample is exceptionally narrow minded.
Some people, including a few of my PES playing mates don’t like the feel of the new game; others have emigrated to FIFA and are reluctant to return. But there are still people out there who year in, year out rubbish both games and are looking for something that simply doesn’t exist. For me, personally, PES has been, for the past 10 years, the best football video game experience available. Some people are of course going to disagree with this, and that is perfectly respectable, but when these people claim that Sensible Soccer or Kick Off are better games, their views and opinions suddenly become slightly less acceptable. I challenge anyone to get a copy on Sensible Soccer and genuinely call it a challenger for the current generation of football games. Even with the games immense playability, it is still a very dated game that isn’t an accurate representation of real football. The same could be said for games like Actua Soccer or to an extent the early FIFA and ISS titles.
People are playing demo versions of games and by this right, saying that once again Konami have blown it, or once again EA Sports are producing the better game, when any hardcore PES fan will tell you it takes a few weeks to ‘get into’ PES, and that FIFA is a short term pick up and play title. The expectations of some people are simply unrealistic, because deep down, they don’t actually know what they want. So here is my challenge to you, the negative individuals. My e-mail address is at the bottom of this article. I open the floor to anyone, of any age, gender and gaming experience to write to me and explain, with a fair level of detail, their perfect football game. Not just rip off bits of PES and FIFA and fuse them together, but instead describe a game that would satisfy you, features, game play and all. I promise I will read and reply to every single individual that takes the time to write their views, and it will be interesting to see just how many of the people who think PES is poor and FIFA is poor actually know what they are looking for.
“I’ll Pick You Up”
Not one to rest on any rash comments, I feel I may need to validate my own, FIFA is more a short term, pick up and play title comment from above. This weekend, I had a mate over to check out the PES 2010 demo. He had already played the FIFA demo, albeit briefly, and last year, for the first time, chose the EA Sports title over PES. We played a couple of games on Pro, starting against each other and then as a twosome against the other international teams (as France). The results were close scores I believe two draws (scoreless and 1-1) and one victory to us, a 1-0 result. All three matches took place on Professional difficulty.
We then switched over to FIFA and had a game on the intermediate difficulty. We chose to be Chelsea and play against Olympic Marseille. Whilst I think the FIFA demo does give you a minute or two more, the scale of both the difficulty and time is very similar, allowing for a reasonably accurate comparison. At half time, the score line was 2-2, and the final score was 4-3, with all three of our goals being scored in an identical manner. Whilst playing PES first may have made us slightly more acclimatised to that game, there is no denying that even on a similar difficulty level, the realism aspect of PES is more accurate when it comes to action on the pitch.
Finally, it has to be said that both games are exceptionally good looking games. I have changed my mind two or three times over which game looks better, and am still not convinced I am sure. Both feature excellent rendering and lighting techniques, and as far as the demos go, the player likenesses are all spot on. It will be the proof of the pudding to see how teams such as Wolves and Burnley are visual represented, as this will prove who has gone that extra yard and paid the attention to detail.
“The Day, The Music Died”
This week, I was all set to launch the IWP Play list search for 2010, where PESGaming fans could select their favourite tracks for using as background / menu music on Pro Evolution Soccer 2010. The list would then be made available on this site as well as for download on iTunes. However, Konami have actually got a few banging tracks of their own this time around, actually written and performed by real artists from the real music world. Whilst we all know of my desire to “Go For The Goal”, I strongly welcome the new tracks and now wait with baited breath as to see if they still include the ability to upload and edit play lists for PES 2010. If there is the option to do so, I will be more than happy to collate another play list for your listening pleasure.
The idea is pretty simple, you hear a number of tracks subconsciously through the PES menus so many times, they either become amongst your favourites or annoying to the point where you never want to hear them again. The IWP play list is designed to offer a range of music tunes which may not be your usual taste, to listen to as you play the game. It may be older tracks from modern artists, album tracks from popular bands or brand new artists that are just getting started. Last year’s list is still available on iTunes. If you are an up and coming band, artist or DJ and would like to be featured on the IWP play list, please let me know via the usual address.
“Don’t Hate The Player”
I am closing the IWP Player Of The Season Award voting on Sunday 11th October 2009. That still gives you a few weeks to vote for your favourite players from PES 2009, and let your opinions be heard loud and clear across the community. I have already received many votes (which will be counted and verified at a later date) but to get your players name in the poll, simply send an e-mail or leave a comment outlining your three favourite players from Pro Evolution Soccer 2009. They must be real players from real life football, but obviously don’t have to be the worlds best player in real life to a crucial player to you on the game. The winner will be announced a week before the official EU Release of PES 2010.
That’s your lot for this week. I urge people to carry on getting involved, and leave their marks out of ten for the PES 2010, just to gauge a reaction in comparison to those left for FIFA 10. You can e-mail me on interferingwithplay@hotmail.co.uk, and I do my best to reply to all e-mails. I do not reply to comments personally. The next few weeks are going to be a very exciting time for PES fans, and I hope you join us as we at PESGaming bring you all the official news and views regarding Pro Evolution Soccer 2010.
Thanks for Reading
Posted by dougiedonut in PES 2009 News on Thu 17 Sep 2009
Well fellas, there isn’t much to say today other than – IT’S DEMO DAY!!
I’ve not got anything else on my mind, so this is going to be a very short one from me today.
Please give us your impressions of the demo as and when you try it.
Please also remember to keep the comments respectful. I will remove posts, and possibly ban people if they misbehave.
Thanks for reading
Dougiedonut
(dougiedonut@pesgaming.com)
UPDATE:
Given the number of common questions being asked over and over again in comments:
1) PC version should be available already
2) XBOX 360 version should be available around mid-day, though there seem to be some reports of it’s availability for download already
3) PS3 version should be available from 5 p.m this afternoon
Posted by dougiedonut in PES 2009 News on Wed 16 Sep 2009
PES 2010 demo to hit September 17th
Konami Digital Entertainment GmbH today announced it is to release a playable demo of its eagerly-awaited PES 2010 on September 17th.
The free download will be available to PLAYSTATION®3, Xbox 360 and PC users, and showcases the full game’s Exhibition mode.
Users can select from Liverpool, or Barcelona, or the Spanish, Italian, French and German national sides. The selected sides can then be played against the CPU or a friend in a five-minute match.
PES 2010 is released for PLAYSTATION®3, Xbox 360 and PC-DVD on October 23rd.
Posted by Dan Bolas in Interfering With Play on Tue 15 Sep 2009
Welcome to this week’s Interfering With Play. The buzz of demos and pre-release copies of Pro Evolution Soccer is well and truly upon us now, as the games release draws ever closer. Double D wrote an interesting piece last week regarding the lack of any other footballing titles on the console market, bar the big two and that means the next month or so is the time of year most anticipated by fans of the football gaming genre. The FIFA demo is now out their on our virtual marketplaces, and with the past 11 months of work behind them, both EA Sports and Konami have their podium in place to display their latest offerings. The obvious arguments, which one will be better, why is so and so not at a certain club and how to I get an up to date option file will all no doubt be banded about in the following month or so, but just like Christmas Eve or the build up to a World Cup, a quiet anticipation is arguably the best PR either company could wish for. With that said, lets crack on with this week’s Interfering With Play.
“Same Old, Brand New You”
Regular readers of IWP will know my feelings towards both EA Sports and the FIFA football franchise. The all conquering brand has raised the bar in the way sporting video games are designed, developed, marketed and played, whilst at the same time monopolising a number of sports to the point of no return for rival franchises. Their powers within the sports governing bodies have made for licensed games which in some cases look as good as the televised sport. However, in doing this they sometimes lost sight of the importance of game play, and produced poor yearly updates coupled with actually killing off some franchises all together (Rugby being the prime example). From a personal point of view, I find companies such as Konami and 2K Sports concentrate on making a realistic video gaming experience that is also playable, and for this reason, I have always leant towards these franchises, especially regarding Basketball and Ice Hockey.
I also have purchased each instalment of the FIFA football franchise since the 1993 FIFA International Soccer discs hit my Amiga. This has spanned over 6 different gaming formats, and whilst the middle of this decade saw some of the most bland football gaming experiences I have ever played, each title offered something that you felt maybe could have been built on by EA Sports. FIFA 2009 was the first game to seemingly live up to the potential of the brand, and many people believe it is the finest football game ever made. Among these people are former Pro Evolution Soccer fans and journalists, who for years dubbed PES the king of the football games. In my review, I found the game to be the best FIFA game I have played in many years, but still lacking the gaming realism of Pro Evolution Soccer. Furthermore, I have tried to ‘get into’ FIFA on a number of occasions throughout the past 12 months, only to find myself switching it off after a couple of games to return to PES 2009.
I have always made a point of not spending too much time dwelling on a demo version of a title, but thought it would be important to mention the FIFA 10 demo this week. I know some people may believe that this isn’t relevant to a PES website, but unless you know both options available, it is blind and naïve to pick a favourite, and following my first game on FIFA 10, I was pleasantly surprised. The game felt similar to last years, but the new feel of 360 movements is something I can’t wait to experience in PES. Pro Evo is currently the only game I play which I still use the D Pad for, and there is potential for me to move across to the stick should 360 be implemented well. This aside, I played a couple of games as Chelsea on FIFA and felt that EA Sports had another solid offering in the frame, that PES was going to have to be better than last years to keep pace and that this could genuinely be the ultimate football gaming year. But, I haven’t been tempted back to the demo since. After those two games, there has been nothing to make me want to try as Barcelona or Bayern, and I instead find myself playing demos I have already completed. I played near enough 50 matches on the PES 2009 demo, and would even say nearly 15 on the FIFA 09 demo, yet here, there is no desire to pick up and play.
A couple of my FIFA playing mates have even come on board and said the games feel exactly the same as last years, and would be waiting for a decrease in price until they spent their hard earned cash. Having played a few games on FIFA 09, I may have missed some of the features I had seen on the 10 demo, but FIFA gamers didn’t seem too impressed by the latest offering. I know most of you, PES fans or otherwise will have checked the demo out, so I feel the best way to do it would be a score out of 10. No half marks, nothing silly. Five is the average and go from there, so 6+ for a positive view or 4- for a negative. Just leave your mark as a comment below, something that will act as a good gauge for when the PES demo is released.
“Some Kind Of Superstar”
Great to see so many of you getting involved with PESGaming.com, and in particular, the voting for the IWP Player Of The Season Award. Voting will go on for the new few weeks, and there will be a closing date announced soon. It’s pretty simple, just choose up to three of your favourite players from Pro Evolution Soccer 2009, and send them as either a comment or an e-mail to me. Please remember, I will only accept real players in the voting, this means fake players from Master League will not be counted. To clarify however, if you purchase a real player (for example Jamie O’ Hara) and use them in Master League, making them a superstar in the process, this is perfectly allowed. Get your votes in to have your say on the players that have been stars for you on PES. Just to add my three to the hat, and so I don’t like biased if they come up, I am going for Dembele from Belgium, Sibum from NEC and finally Iniesta from Barcelona. The first two are Master League legends, and the third, well, if you ever player Fix Player as him, you will understand why! If you have PES playing mates, feel free to take their votes too, as this transcends PESGaming regulars!
“I Pledge, Allegiance, To The Underworld”
A little bit of a funny one to bring in this week, but does it bother any of you guys when playing Master League, and your players are called away for International duty! I know Master League doesn’t always believe in realism, and this is probably just another way of making the game more challenging but again, it needs to be consistent. There was a time when I had Quaresma away on International duty, yet Ronaldo was available for selection. Then another time, Ashley Young was unavailable due to England commitments but Rooney played against me! If anyone has any views on this, even how the ‘International duty’ squads are picked, I would really like some insight on the matter. Comments and e-mails in the usual format.
“Don’t Worry, Be Happy”
There have been some nervous rumblings within the ranks regarding option files for PES 2010. A while ago, another PES site took down all support for user created content. This coincided with a partnership the site struck with Konami. There is no official tie between the two, but many claim this is more than a coincidence. Furthermore, this site was, in the past, threatened with legal action by the Premier League for providing option files using the official Premier League logo. Couple this with the fact that Konami are now aware of our presence and working with us, people believe this may spell the end for user generated support on PESGaming.com
The answer to these concerns, as a genuine one, is I personally not entirely sure what this means. In the past, we have supported independent developers with squad lists and shirt designs, and given these small time editors a place to get their work displayed and adored on a larger scale. I hope this will continue to 2010 and beyond, but genuinely don’t know what will happen in the coming months. If it is legal for option files to be displayed and downloaded on the internet, I guarantee PESGaming.com will have a vast selection of files available from the home page to cater for all leagues and tastes. Sorry to be slightly inconclusive, but until I know one way or another, I refuse to commit to making any further statement than that.
“It’s Coming Home”
Finally this week, congratulations to England for qualifying to the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa. It is a testament to how far the squad has come in two years under Capello to put in a professional and quality performance against Croatia, and shows a level of maturity within the other group games that befits one of the world’s top ten footballing nations. Over the next few months, I do aim to gear this site slightly towards more information about the real footballing world, and I am sure the topic of England’s world cup chances will be discussed, so I will leave it at that, however, it would be tremendous to see England qualify for the finals with 100% record, and cement a feel good factor around the country.
That’s your lot this week. I am slowly but surely sorting out the new site. It is taking an age, but will hopefully be ready to coincide with the launch of PES 2010. (Fingers crossed). interferingwithplay@hotmail.co.uk is the place to direct all e-mail to. There is a fair bit to get in touch about this week, plus the IWP application phase is still open. Please only apply once, as more than one application invalidates your original one!
Thanks for Reading
Posted by dougiedonut in PES 2009 News on Thu 10 Sep 2009
As we draw ever closer to the release date, which is around 6 weeks away, information generally will be drying up.
The next big milestone we have to wait for is the demo, which I should imagine will be released around the start of October some time, but don’t quote me there, I don’t have details of the actual date yet. I will of course make that information available as soon as I get it.
I think we can take stock at this point in time of all the information we have got from Konami this year prior to launch, and reflect on the massive improvements in PR by Konami from last year – as Dan has already pointed out.
I haven’t been informed about another playtest for this week unfortunately, but Adam from WENB has a guide on editing which I hope you guys will find useful:
http://winningelevenblog.com/blog/pes-2010-edit-mode-dissected/
A big thank you to Adam for the information.
Something which occurred to me earlier this week was that we’re at a stage where we only have two major football titles vying for our attention. For me, we are approaching a point where we have the “Big Two” both trying to not only define their own take on the game, but to also “borrow” from each other – especially when fans cry out for features from one game in the other one. With both games trying to satisfy us, will they lose their own identity?
As both games improve their style of play, they will be looking to try to get gamers of the other series to adopt their game. This will work both ways, and is a natural phenomenon. To do this, they will have to show that they can offer what their competitor has, as well as their own differentiated offerings. Obviously FIFA has official licencising which means a lot to many people, but for gameplay purists that prefer PES, they obviously would like all the proper names of teams and players represented realistically.
As we look ahead three to five years from now, will we see two games that are practically identical, and trying to occupy the same space? Having played FIFA 09 after not looking at a FIFA game for over at least 10 years, personally I have to say that I was more comfortable with it, since it had a more natural PES like feel to it.
FIFA players who have been converted over to PES in times gone past, have enjoyed the stronger game play elements that PES offered over FIFA in those days. I’m not sure if my point is coming across as I intend, but I hope so.
How do you guys feel about there being only two main titles available to us? Do you agree that they both are getting closer to being like one another? There are times when I’m watching footage of either of the games, that it takes me a few seconds to realise which game it is, does anyone else get that feeling?
So the next question is, would we welcome a third new take on football? Obviously it couldn’t look and play similar to either of the big two, but would have to have a new take on the game. But now that we have embraced current generation versions of games with superb graphical looks, as well as the many features that are packed into them, what else could someone do to break into the football game arena?
Would a fresh sensible soccer style game which had poor graphics, but more up to date solid gameplay be enough to wow the masses? This may sound like a crazy topic when we are on the verge of seeing the latest ground breaking versions of the big two about to be released, but I think it’s worth discussing.
In the original PSX era, there were many different football games released, each offering their own take on the game.
Some of you older kids will remember the football game God Dino Dini. He of Kick Off fame, and many other football titles after it.
I personally sorely miss his input in football games, because I think he could provide a cutting edge in gaming direction.
Does anyone out there know where he is, and what he is doing right now? I’d love to get in touch with him to talk football games, and to ask him what he’d look to introduce into games today.
I think we are close to reaching saturation point in where football games go. I get like this with many games, worrying about future direction for them. For example, FPS games these days are all so similar and run of the mill. Only a handful of games actually introduce new and interesting new features that captivate us and hook us on them.
Are we close to getting as far as we can with football games? What else is left to introduce to them that could warrant annual updates?
I’m not taking a dig at FIFA here, but they always make a point of saying things like “this year we have made over 200 new changes to the game”, but how many of them are actually noticed? Can they continue to make similar numbers of changes annually? A common complaint aimed at FIFA titles is that they are very similar to one another, although that can’t be said of FIFA games as of around FIFA 08 onwards. But it’s possibly just a matter of time before it is – would you agree?
PES is in transition, and I can see enough new features being introduced to show distinct differences for at least another three years, but then will be saying the same thing about PES that has been said about FIFA in the past?
Well I hope I haven’t frazzled any brains out there with my outlandish, and possibly far fetched thinking, but I’d like to think I’ve provided food for thought, and hopefully for healthy discussion.
Thanks for reading
Dougiedonut
(dougiedonut@pesgaming.com)
Posted by Dan Bolas in Interfering With Play on Tue 08 Sep 2009
Welcome to this week’s Interfering With Play. Following a bevy of information on PES 2010 over the last few weeks, the past seven days have fallen eerily quiet. Many people would have been visiting PESGaming.com expecting to see or hear something, the majority of which would be leaving disappointed. It is no secret that we only report facts, not news or rumours, and therefore we rely heavily on the ‘official’ grapevine for news. What is odd though is that Konami, who have shown a vast improvement in terms of PR this year have let the lull occur for seven whole days. Maybe they are building towards something, or maybe this is the anticipation period, either way, it is leaving many PES fans excited for more news. As always, we will bring the news to you as and when it breaks, and if the rumblings are correct, PES 2010 is going to be well worth the wait. With the business out the way, let’s move on with this week’s Interfering With Play.
“I Hear Voices”
Some great feedback about the online issue I raised last week. Ranking teams by ability is something that I spoke about being a real equaliser during online play, something which would not just apply to Pro Evolution Soccer. Many Basketball games suffer from the similar problem of superstar individuals being ‘unstoppable’ and there are games of American Football which can be won by one side having a much quicker wide receiver. Of course, teams and players that have these abilities should not be punished, and we want them to be accurately represented within the gaming world, but having the option to play games with lesser teams is what online gaming is all about. There is no personality to Barcelona or Real Madrid, its superstar city, but when you come up against a player using Fulham or Villarreal, you know that gamer has a game plan and it will be much a battle of wits as it is a battle of players.
Driving games have always been very good at finding this balance. Those who managed to get some online gaming on Gran Turismo 5: Prologue will see my point. To start off, the top cars were just out your price range, and you would end up buying a mini or a Suzuki swift to win you the first few races. If everyone online was driving Ferraris, it would be pointless, and therefore they tiered races to car power and specification. This made for more interesting races, developed driving ability and tactics and gave players of all abilities a fair crack of the whip.
I feel, as I said last week, that this idea has been publicised too late to affect any games in the ‘2010’ mould, but maybe for 2011 we have an idea that can really change the way online gaming occurs. Relating to PES, this falls a huge second to make sure the online gaming experience is both lag free and enjoyable. I don’t wish to reiterate a point I have made many times before, but this really is the last chance for this generation of PES as an online title now, failure to make the game playable in a mass online market pretty much ends Konami’s challenge to online football gaming. It may be a futile attempt, but with the final touches being added to the game, and probably some online beta testing going on as we speak, if you have any comments regarding online you would like to direct to Konami about playability, please share them in the comments section of this column. Please make them clean, as I fully intend to pass them on to the powers that be.
“What You Talking About, Willis?”
Some people are less than familiar with the Interfering With Play league, a competition that has been running for a couple of years on this very website. Old school visitors can pretty much skip this paragraph, but I have had many e-mails asking me to explain what the league is, and thought now would be as good a time as any.
The Interfering With Play league is an online Pro Evolution Soccer league. In spite of the poor online experience, it has taken part over the past 2 years on the Playstation 3. Games are arranged by me, and fixtures are issued on a weekly basis, usually in batches of three or four. You play all your games within the week, and results are then sent back to me by both players, which allows for me to construct a league table and all the various stats. Last year, we were lucky enough to have prizes ranging from DVDs to a signed Lionel Messi poster. The last two seasons have been enjoyed by everyone who has taken part, and overall played in an excellent spirit. I know most of the lads are still regular comment makers on this site, and would be more than happy to tell you anything else you need to know. In a twist true to the above issue, there are no ‘big’ clubs in the IWP league, and all teams are taken from what would be considered the second tier of European football, coupled with the South American sides.
Applications for this season’s league have been flooding in, almost to the point where we have topped 50. There will be another application period once the game has been released, in order for people to test the online experience prior to purchase. This year, I am more than happy to run an X Box or Pc competition alongside the PS3 league, and also have had a fair bit of interest in a specific under 18’s league, something which allows younger gamers to take part and play against people at times more suitable to their schedule. If you would like to put your name forward, please send an e-mail to the usual address (listed below) stating your name, age, location, console and gamer tag. If you’re using a 360, you will require an active X Box Live membership for the first 5 months of 2010, as this is the time I intend to run the league. If you have a question that has not been answered here, please feel free to e-mail me and I will do my best to get back to you, or include it in next week’s IWP.
“It’s That Time Of Year”
This last point is something that has fallen into IWP folklore and is the one award every professional footballer wants to win… probably. Each year since I began Interfering With Play, I have spent the month leading up to the games release promoting the IWP Player Of The Season Award for the player who you, the PESGaming.com community feel is the best player on Pro Evolution Soccer for that year. We are now at the 2009 award, and as always, the competition will be running.
The rules are pretty simple, you can vote for up to three players you believe are the best players on Pro Evolution Soccer 2009. It could be that you use one of the super clubs, and feel a Messi or Kaka deserve the praise, or perhaps you are loyal to your supported team, and feel a Fellani or Anton Ferdinand deserve the award. Or perhaps it could be the 20 year old youngster you signed on your first Master League season, who has progressed into a world beater and is the hottest property on the game.
All you have to do is make your choice of three players, and post them either as a comment on this article below, or e-mail your selection to the usual address. Every vote will be counted and tallied, and the winning player will be announced on release week for PES 2010. Last years winner was PES cover star Lionel Messi, and the year before, Real Madrid super stat Cristiano Ronaldo took the title. With around 1,000 votes each year, it could be just about anyone, so if you want to include a goalkeeper or defender in your choice, feel free! If you vote for more than three players, only your first three votes will be counted, and please only vote for real players, any master league generated players or created players will not be counted! Finally I would love to do an IWP team of the season, so feel to include full backs or defensive midfielders if you’re struggling for ideas.
That’s it for this week. The new site has been delayed due to my lack of expertise with Word Press. Many thanks to those few people who have offered their help, I will be in touch later this week! interferingwithplay@hotmail.co.uk is the place to direct your e-mail to regarding IWP League or the IWP Player Of The Season award, and please feel free to leave you final comments regarding PES online to be forwarded to Konami!
Thanks for Reading
