Interfering With Play 30/10/07
Posted by Dan Bolas in Interfering With Play on Tue 30 Oct 2007
Welcome to this weeks Interfering With Play. Following some technical difficulties last week, I am back using my own PC and have my Internet up and running once again. I apologise to those who have left comments or mails over the past 7 days, and I am currently filtering through them at the moment. Friday saw the release of Pro Evolution Soccer 2008 on the majority of formats, as most of you are well aware! This week’s column will be a condensed version, as I am saving my full-blown review for a few weeks time, once the initial new game feeling has worn off. With that all said lets get going.
Difference Maker
My first point has been mentioned to me by several of my mates over the past few days, and is about ‘last gen’ PES2008. By this I mean the Playstation 2 version of the game, and how it is almost a carbon copy of PES6, bar the new menus and updated squad lists. Having not played the PS2 version yet, I was leaving this open to PESgaming.com fans, and asking you, Are You Happy With PS2 Pro Evolution Soccer 2008? There is no denying the next gen versions differ immensely from PES6 on PS2, and offer a number of features, namely diving and shirt pulling that are not available of the PS2 version. Many of my mates have already returned their PS2 copies and are now saving up for Next Gen consoles. I am well aware that Konami have spent more time developing the next gen versions of the game, but does that mean they should completely ignore those people who are yet to make there technological step up? Personally, this does not effect my gaming experience, as I am using a PS3, but I know there are a lot of people out there who find the kind of money required to purchase a next generation console a lot harder to come by. Your views and opinions of the PS2 PES2008 saga will be appreciated.
He Doesn’t Look Happy
For those of you who read this column on a regular basis, will be aware that I asked people to hold back their opinions of PES2008 for a few days, as to allow the new feel and new features of the game to sink in. However, many people are already calling for Konami’s head, dubbing PES2008 the worse game ever, and jumping on the We Hate Pro Evolution Soccer bandwagon. I am well aware for every one of these PES2008 haters there are 10 players out there who are more than happy with their PS£ or X Box 360 copy of Pro Evolution Soccer 2008, but there is the minority who feel it right to be utterly disappointed with the game, and believing that the football gaming world is a worse place for PES2008’s release. I personally feel these two people will fall into two categories, on one hand the gamers who expected Pro Evolution Soccer to be flawless and two, the casual gamer who want their quick fix, and PES 2008 does not fit the bill. If you have visited any PES related site over the past 3 months you will be well aware that PES2008 on the next gen consoles was going to be far from a flawless game, and the question was always going to be, does its flaws make it a bad game. Again in my opinion, the answer is no, PES2008, in spite of the flaws it is blatantly displaying is the best football game available, and more than likely will be for the next 12 months. If these people who are not happy with their next gen versions of the game don’t want to play the game, no one is making them. Of course, they are entitled to their opinion, but many of them will be half way through a master league in six months time, addicted to the game that they hate after 6 days! Like a good wine, time makes PES games better, and over the next few weeks and months, the haters will be the ones looking for the latest option files, or uploading their goals into the GOTM competitions!
Shut It You Lag!
The next two points are going to be slightly more personal to Next Gen console owners, as each console is currently burdened with problems that previous years have been hardly an issue. X box 360 gamers can look quite smarmy at this point to hear that the PS3 version of PES 2008 is defiantly suffering from Lag issues offline. The situation occurs during crowded penalty areas or when a great deal of activity is going on, and is affecting players in different ways. Some gamers are saying that blocks of frames are missing and that one-second the ball will be on the wing, and after a quick freeze, the ball is in the net. Personally, I am not experiencing anywhere near that kind of lag, but there is no denying that there is some slowdown at points in the game. This is surely the fault of Konami, as games such as PES2008, which rely on quick decisions, must suffer from as little slowdown as possible, especially when the game is playing alone! I am not in a position to comment yet on the online situation, but again, word is its worse than the offline mode. For a game that is so reliant on its top of the range game play, something as important as the speed, which the game is played, must be sorted out before the game is released. The reports of the game being released as ‘an unfinished game’ are comical, but the slowdown issue is one that will hopefully be resolved. Word is that Konami will be releasing a patch to help combat this trivial problem, but the proof will be when the patch is finally released. It is defiantly a situation that needs addressing, as it will eventually begin to detract from the quality of PES’ outstanding game play.
I Need Some Options
Now it’s the turn of the X Box 260 users to look exceptionally uncomfortable in their seats. As many of you are aware, the option files are currently in the process of being worked on for PES2008. Several are already available for PS2 PES, and PS3 has received its first very basic file. As the weeks and months progress, I am sure that the quality of these files will improve, along with the introduction of German teams and the quality of the Premier League team kits. X Box 360 users can feel slightly hard done by though. For those of you unaware, Microsoft have been having problems with hacking, and people steeling others information via X Box Live through game option files and as a result, have locked each option file to that particular console, kind of like Data Protection on Windows Media Player, when tracks will only work on your computer. This causes a massive problem for transferring option files online and then distributing them through the web, meaning many 360 gamers may have to edit the game themselves in order to get satisfactory results. After the way 360 users were robbed of an edit mode on PES6, this is another huge kick in the teeth, and whilst I am sure there will be someone who will find a way to get around the data protection element, its still a lot of unnecessary hassle. I am personally going to start editing PES2008 myself this weekend, and see how far I can get with designing the strips. If anyone has any advice about the editing, contact me in the usual way.
That’s your lot for this week. With the honeymoon period still in full swing, I will be returning to PES2008 for some much needed gaming. PS2 views are welcomed in the responses section, along with anything else you may want to get off your chest. You can also get in contact with me at my e-mail danbolas@hotmail.com if you have any topics you would like to be discussed, or any questions you feel I may be able to help with. If you decide to add me to msn, please send an e-mail with your name, age and where you live. Enjoy your week of playing PES2008 and I will be back next Tuesday with more Interfering With Play.
Thanks for Reading
1st Post
Dissapointed with the news about the 360 option file..but keep up with the hard work and we might get some where..
Re: PES2008 for PS2.
I agree it is somewhat similar to PES6, and is less of a change from the previous edition than 6 was from 5. HOWEVER, I’ve played quite a few games now and I hvve noticed quite a few tweeks and improvements from a few annoying bits in PES6, and hence I think it’s a better game.
1). I’ve found the passing is better, both long and short, but through balls in particular are easier to control and work better. This is especially apparent when playing with top passers.
2). attacking players make better runs both on the wings, improving wing play which I found lacking in PES6, but even more so in central areas (much helped by the new DF positioning star).
3). Shooting is pretty similar (I thought it was good in PES6), but I’ve found placing shots when one-on-one w/ the ‘keeper much better.
4). Strong players are not so easily knocked off possesion. In PES6 I found that often lightweight players too easily dispossesed much stronger players. Not always, but too often.
5). Close control and dribling is improved.
6). Balls don’t ricochet like some kind of bullet every time it hits a player, which is more realistic.
7). The new menues look pretty good.
If I think of more I’ll post it here.
after spending £425 on a ps3, which i bought mainly to play what has been the greatest game series ever, i feel robbed at konami’s next gen attempt. i understood it was going to have flauts but, off line lag makes the game unplayable at times, n for next gen, i find it inexcusable. the game regularly freezes meaning i must reset my system. i am personally hoping for a complete revolution next year both in gameplay engine and graphics. i am that dissapointed in the game i have found myself ejecting the pes2008 disc and insert fifa 08. a sad for gameing as far as im concerned.
hey , ive done a little survey of my own because i was not sure if it was just me going completely bonkers , out of 15 friends that purchased the game pes 2008 for the PS3 15 said it was like an unfinished game , or it all feels rushed in order to get it out , im a fan since the game was first released but i have to say that this is a real let down from Konami.Ive since returned my game to play pes 6 instead.
will this patch be released in weeks or months? Konami has never released a patch for a console game, i’m skeptical on how true this will be for the PS3? I wish Konami would give us a time frame.
Ok, I do agree that the PES2008 is felt to be as an unfinished game. However I was psychologically ready for this as it’s the still to be the first version to the next-gen. Now you can score different goals combos. Talking details >> the goalkeeper physics and reaction is extremely annoying. The keeper will always clear an incoming shoot toward another “Ready to Score” opponent.
Same time every year I wait in anticipation for PES to be released to spent days and nights playing the best footy game ever (I’ve been a fan since ISS on the SNES) but this year is the only year I’ve EVER been dissapointed, I think it’s a disgrace that Konami have ignored PS2 users by putting out what is basically a update of PES6 with new menu’s and squads updated which we do ourselves anyway. Why didn’t we get diving and shirt pulling would it have been so hard to give us something? I really think they expected PS2 users to rush out and buy a PS3 but is it really worth our while when there is so much bother with it? I was planning on doing it just for PES08 and was seriously considering it due to the price drop and the 40gb model being released and was actually trading in my Wii to fund the PS3 but listening to most people’s view on here and from people I know I think I’ll wait til next year.
I’ve been pretty surprised to read the very critical comments over the past few days. While I do admit there is a PS3 problem with slowdown at certain points, to say it is ‘unplayable’ is wrong and ‘unfinished’ just plain stupid. If the slowdowns are really that severe then I would suggest it is your hardware that is at fault.
As for the game itself, it was always going to be a difficult translation to the new console. You only have to look around at the lack of other titles available to see the PS3 is still a work-in-progress. Is it really so surprising that PES2008 isn’t the flawless work of art we all wanted? Not really but I’m actually ok with the new game. It does piss me right off at times when the referee blows for every single tackle I make but I’m prepared to take the time to get it right. Quick fix isn’t in my vocabulary.
at times it is unplayable. my console is fine all other games run brilliantly. message to all, buy 360 instead of ps3, or at least for now. n a years time the power of the ps3 will surely tell but for now it is a joke to be honest.
you all have been playing pes for a long time and like u all i have loved the series, but this is a disapointment. after buying a ps3 i expect more than a shining looking ps2 game.
defences are awful and goalkeepers are poor also
opinions welcome…
The Lag affects the xbox 360 during matches, as well. Today i played five games and my connection is great, but every game suffered terrible lag, the game is great if a bit easy to score but whats the point of playing when you can’t enjoy the online features!!! last years game was far better for the online games!!!
I have a love hate for PEsS always have and it is no different with this game, its the only game that i have broken control pads over and then been so annoyed with myself because i couldn’t continue playing, and i found myself almost doing the same today with PES2008. Sure the LAG is a problem but i have high hopes that Konami will produce a patch that will correct it both offline and online, and then it truly will be a great game.
they may fix the lag but even so, we shud expect more from next gen games. i know its they first attempt and that they must make the game multi platform but still the game is not next gen.
konami shud be looking at how far ea have come with fifa. they’ve made giant steps foward. and i am struggling to see how pes2008 has really improved on pes6. fifa blow me away this year to be fair.
the pace of the pes08 is awful. it way to fast, arcade like. games just pass by, i find myself not caring what the score is. too easy to score. animations are not “next gen”. its got ps2 all over it.
if u own a ps2 it not worth the money to convert to ps3. the game suffers terribly. i can’t understand how people can be happy with spending hundreds of pounds for a console and been given this game!?! it not on!!!
OK WHERE DO I START I AM STILL USING THE PS2 AND PES2006 IS A DISGRACE!!! THE GRAPHICS ARE WORSE THEN PES6 TAKE A LOOK AT RONALDINCHOS FACE??? HU IS THAT!!???? ALSO SNEIJDER AND VAN DER SAR LOOK MUCH NETTA ON PES6 AND CAN SUM1 TELL ME Y THEY HAVE NOT GOT ANY ADIDAS BOOTS???? ONLY THE DEFAULT BOOT IS AVAILABE IN DIF COLOURS WHTS THAT ABWT!!!??? I WILL TAKE MY COPY OF PES2008 BACK! I AM NOT HAPPY ID RATHER PLAY A PATCHED PES 6 ALLDAY EVERYDAY THE ONLY THING GOOD ABWT PES2008 IS THE COMMENTARY!OVERALL THE GAME IS ABSOULUTE SHIT!
PES2008*
I think you’re being very optimistic in your one in ten haters of PES assessment mate and as for maturing like a fine wine… it’s not going to matter if you’ve got poor grapes to begin with. I don’t think people hate it, they’re just gutted.
Without even touching on the lack of innovation within the menu and options, online lag.. ect…ect…(which i also felt flawed PES6) its difficult to for me to recommend this game if you have a PS3, the frame rate is so bad.. replays are unwatchable and it also pops up frequently during gameplay which i find has lost a lot of depth and atmosphere.
And why should it matter what kind of TV you have??, whats that about?
How can they release an unfinished game that barely manages to stutter along?, its almost criminal… and don’t start me on the gameplay!
Like yourself i’m trying to were blinkers because i love this game so much over the years but its hard to ignore and even harder to accept.
I’ve been playing since the early ISS days and PES had been my staple game for the last 8-9 years… the biggest reason why i game at all..
I’m usually in the shop at midnight on the release date but this year for the first time ever i rented the game given a bit of a let down with the options in PES6.. and i’m glad i did as it pains me to say i don’t think i’ll be buying PES this year (nor Fifa as its worse and i’d rather suck Satans c@*k)…..
I’m not gonna buy it because if people keep buying it they’ll just keep churning out the same low standard.
Take a look around, its not good.. its a 70% game at best.
Christ! look at the presentation, its childish.
People will tire of this version a lot sooner than previous versions.
This is a bad deal for PS3 owners and i know i expect more from my console and Konami who have given us this half arsed approach yet again!…..so i’ll wait to see if there’s a foreign release later in the year with the bugs ironed out.. who knows..
I’m just really annoyed that for the first time ever i’ll not be playing a proper footie game this crimbo while having a few beers.
Long live the king…. the king is dead.
Rant over.. thanks for your patience
well said
With respecto to the ps2 version of PES 2008:
1) Konami lied to ps2 owners. Theres no new moves like they advertised that there was gonna be for all consoles, wheres the diving, shirt pulling, etc etc?
2)Konami introduced 2 “new” modes Community and World Tour. Every addition is of course something positive. However, not this time i think, because they removed the International Challenge Mode, where u could play the World Cup qualifiers!. They removed a real mode of play to introduce and unreal mode like the World Tour.
3)Still we cant mix the 1st strips with the 2nds shorts and sox’s like in WE10. Another let down, not to mention lack of common sense.
4) Gameplay could have improved but it wont matter to someone who wants to play the International Cup qualifiers. Only decent game to play this mode would be still PES6.
For me, it seems year after year that Konami doesnt want to make a “perfect” game because they remove good positve things each year. I think they concern more about making money than pleasing us costumers.
Jesus, you all want perfection don’t you.
You lot spend more time moaning on this website than giving it chance.
Sure, there a a few bits that need ironing out but I do believe it is the telly in some cases. Mines fine but my mates is shocking for lag on his TV.
All in all, I know i’m gonna get lynched but fuck it :
PES 2008 : Best Gameplay of all Pro’s. (JUST GIVE IT FUCKING TIME)
PES 2008 was not what i expected but half way through a master league i realise this is shit hot, the movement is spot on the shooting is class but the keeper are CRAP,as STEVE said just give it time.
Got my PES(PS3) yesterday and i play on SD TV …i am playing on the default camera and i suffer some lag but must say i can play it and its not so bad…online is a diffrent story …lag is moore present and its sometimes funny how you get a goal …well i played it till 2 oclock in the night and get up at 5:15 for work ….maybe im yust a FREAK but i …
LOOOVE PES 2008 … and yes there are 2 massages on online from KONAMI where they promise they will fix the lag…hope so its true !!!
All I can say is I wasnt sure if I liked the game or not. Then I played a game with Man Utd, and tried to pass the ball like they would in real life, and play just like “real” Man U! What I found was that this game allows you to play football that you watch every weekend on TV, the movement off the ball is immense, the passing ability looks so realistic and I’m glad I bought it
I still haven’t received my copy of PES2008 for the PS2 from Play.com, but I must say that I am a bit gutted to read that virtually all of the promised new features are missing in the PS2 version. Being loyal to the series for so many years, it feels like a rip off, which could have been communicated by Konami a few months earlier :(
Still looking forward to playing the game though!
the refs send u off for anythin am nearly done in my first season on master league and had about 10 red cards 4 yellow card challenges,diving was a waste of space,the game not updated proplee(it was ment 2 b excat up till 31st august i.e solano at newcastle,paletta at liverpool,yakubu at boro).i hated this game the 1st day but then its growin on me like pro always does but i dnt think it much better than fifa,if fifa was faster it wud av been well better than this pro bcoz the graphics are better and its more realistic.btw how do u play online on ps3 it says enter registration id and password,what fuckin reg id is this,ne1 help plz
Konami=improvement over last version, still plays the best game, but expectations were higher, it needs patching.
which apparently means Konami have completely failed.
EA=big strides forward, now almost plays a good game, menus & licences etc still top notch.
which means that EA deserve huge praise.
But FIFA’s game play still is behind PES.
Thats like your team winning the Prem one season by 20 points, but only by 5 points the following season, then calling for the managers head on a plate.
Check you spelling man, especially on console names, hope the review would actually be reviewed before release to the public :D Otherwise a great round-up …
The main point to take is that PES 2008 is an improvement over last years Pro Evolution Soccer 6, no one could argue that point. To expect the game to be flawless is without doubt ignorant and arrogant. I wouldn’t expect anyone beyond the level of a fool to leave the next-gen versions of PES 2008 and go back to the previous copy of PES6. I also wouldn’t expect anyone who is a long term fan of the series to leave it and go to FIFA, which i might add is a great improvement over FIFA 07, yet remains under PES in its gameplay realism. Certainly getting better though, but still lacks the realism which PES brings every year :D
RE: PS2 version
Are Konami working on a patch for the ps2 online mode? For the most part, about 75% of games are annoyingly unplayable due to the lag/random jumping of players all over the place.
Even against players with a 3 bar rating, this occurs.
I will stick with it, but at the moment, reverting back to PES 6 looks like a mighty appetising prospect.
I’ve been playing the 360 version since its release and honestly? I WANT TO CRY!!! All my expectations were immediately thrown out of the window from the second the menu screen popped up. What the f*** is up with that music?!?!?!? The game play is great in places (I scored an amazing team goal with Real Madrid which was so good, i was watching the replay for at least twenty minutes) but on the hardest setting, the most unlikely players turn into friggin Henry or Kaka! I played a game against West Ham (SORRY i mean East London or some bollocks) and Bobby bloody Zamora ran rings around my defence, i had to keep my finger permanently on RB to get anywhere near the ball, which of course meant that around 75 mins in, my team turned into friggin snails! I could go on all day but i won’t. I’ll leave you with this: PES has only one one competitor, a vastly inferior game save for one point; fully licensed teams. With that in mind, the lack of editing options in PES 2008 is absolutely unforgivable. Now leave me alone to cry…
since buying PES2008 on friday afternoon after work apart from the new menues two good tracks in the game it still looks like PES6.but plays a mean game of football GRRRRRRRREEEEEEEAAAAAAT lol oh bought the game for the PS2 by the way.I have started a master league on profesional setting talkin bout west ham its like playing brazil barcelona manu and real madrid in 1 last game off the season 3pionts behind hoping to beat them by 6clear goals to win the division2 PS2 ah other ideas got beat 7-2 utter bull shite lol but allways go back for more bring it on. i dont find any fault with the game.the xbox360 version is fantastic as well apart from the default players play with lead boots on haha
ps3 version for me has been perfect, it only a bastard during replays, but thats hardly noticeable, pes08 on ps3 is perfect with a hd and in stalled on the hdd
PES2008 for ps3 is a great game i admit. i think the graphics are even good and gameplay is spot on.
however all these people saying expectations are too high or whatever, well their not, all i wanted was a playable great pesgame like theyve been releasing. but the slowdown is noticable and at times unplayable, it really is, for me anyway. and its stupid to say its a hardware fault in my ps3. think about what your saying, thousands of other people are experiencing the same problem, so all our ps3s are defects? i think not.
Konami really need to sort this out asap and give some kind of update on the status of the patch. I was really excited about online play but I couldnt care less about that now, offline is surely the priority here. Come on seabass restore some faith!!
Y DOESNT THE PS2 VERSION HAVE ADIDAS BOOTS??!!!! Y ARE THE GRAPHICS WORSE E.G RONALDINHO SNEIJDER AND VAN DER SAR???!!! Y HAVE KONAMI MADE PES2008 WORSE THEN PES6!!!??? ANSWER ME THESE QUESTIONS PLZ!!!
I don’t know if this is old news or new news but check this out:
http://www.pro-g.co.uk/ps3/pes7/news-6754.html
Well done my friend, a good post - if not a controversial one.
Apologies but to call the lag experience on the PS3 version a ‘trivial problem’ is dramatically far off. It is a huge problem. I have kept with my PS2 version and left the PS3 ‘FIFA-like’ Pro Evo to others.
I was a huge huge fan of this game but deeply saddened by this release. What a shame.
Other than that, keep up the good work Dan :)
I’ve got the PS3 version of the game and play it on the standard ‘long’ camera angle rather than the so called professionals view of wide and I have had NO lag issues what so ever offline. No Bullshit. However, I tried the game in Wide view to see if it did lag and yes it did. I know its not ideal but I guess until Konami bring out the patch people could play it in this view.
I totally agree with the guy that talked about playing like Man United. If you actually try and play like a team in real life it plays a really good game. I usually play as Man City and Elano and Petrov run the show from midfield/upfront.
stop ya f in moaning bout how bad PES2008 is on the PS3 dont f in moan complain to sony cos konami only ad the platform for the PS3 for a few month and they av ad the XBOX360 machine alot longer thats why its better on the XBOX360 swap machines for a year GAWD
the new ps3 update has sorted out the offline lag for me but not the online.