Interfering With Play 27/11/07
Posted by Dan Bolas in Interfering With Play on Wed 28 Nov 2007
Welcome to this weeks Interfering With Play. Again, a lot has gone in the world of football this week, and with so much to talk about, there are bound to be topics that fail to get covered in this column. Any ideas for topics or future articles can be sent directly to my e-mail, which can be found at the bottom of this section. Lets get going.
There’s Nothing Quite Like A McClaren
So, in true England fashion, we manage to blow what seemed like the easy option and make it to Euro 2008. Of course, lets take nothing away from a well-organised and very decent Croatia side that were both tactically and mentally prepared for a match, which had no major bearing on their qualification. Now, like many of you, I sit disappointed with the fact that next summer, I will be watching the cream of the European crop without supporting my home nation there. There was no way McClaren was the right man for the job from day one, and deep down, every England fan knew that. He did not have a proven track record at any level other than assistant to Sir Alex, and was not even given as tougher time by the media as the likes of Hoddle or Sven were. The players may not be as good as the hype makes us believe, but they should be good enough to qualify for tournaments and unfortunately, the buck must stop with the manager. As for the next boss, and with everyone throwing in their opinions, I believe there is only one man for the job. The special one. Jose Mourinho. The man loves the media circus, and can use his press conferences to play both top mind games and install confidence in his players; it is a charisma, which the England manager has really lacked since Kevin Keegan. He is tactically sound and has a proven track record in this country as well as on the continent. I am aware Liverpool and United fans may not love him, but even they must admit his record is pretty staggering, and he is more than qualified for the role. The England team is full of big characters, big egos and big wages, and Jose has a bigger ego than them all. I would like to hear you opinions on who the next boss should be, and what you think about England’s time under McClaren. Comments or e-mails as usual please.
I Need That Patch
So one week later than was expected, the first Pro Evolution Soccer patch arrived on PS3. I am not sure what many people were expecting with this patch, but it was never on the cards that this would change anything other than the game speed, and sort out problems with the lag. A patch released by Konami was always going to concentrate on issues related directly to game play, as that is their department. Changing anything else would both admit the game was not the finished article, and give them less to update in next years version of the title. Things such as untucked shirts; editable boots and even Peter Cech’s headgear are not of any interest to Konami as a developer. Vent your anger if you will, but if you were expecting this, you are looking in the wrong place. Option files and edit data are the places you will find cosmetic changes to the game, and these will 90% have been done using the in game editing tools, not anything extremely radical. As I said before, I have experienced very little lag during offline games, and therefore the patch has so far proved nothing in the way of improving or detracting from that. With this said, I did notice that the replays ran slightly smoother, and that the pitch patterns did look much crisper. I have been unable to test the patched version of the game yet due to work and girlfriend commitments, but will give my take on the experience in next weeks article. I am pretty sure that the patch is now also available on 360; and both can be updated by simply starting the game whilst connected up to the Internet.
Crash, Bang Wallop
Just a quick question to many of you out there, mainly to those using the PS3. I have personally never experienced this situation, but a mate has several times, and I was wondering if anyone else had the same problem. During 2 player games, have you experienced the game freezing on the loading screen at half time? It has only started happening since he downloaded version 2.01 of the Playstation update, but it has happened pretty much every time he has played the game since then. Maybe this new patch will sort out the issue, that remains to be seen, but your take on this problem, especially if any of you have been experiencing it, would be very welcome.
He’s Not Ready
So Seabass has come out and said that PES2009 is going to be a complete rehaul and that Konami were never prepared to be making multi-format, multi generation games. Anyone who has played Pro Evolution Soccer 2008, no matter how much you enjoy the game, could see that the same love and care that has graced recent editions was slightly missing in this version. The games are not bad games at all, but the fact that the game has so many ‘problems’ implies they have tried to keep everyone happy, and ended up disappointing many. The news that PES2009 may actually come out in 2009, as opposed to late 2008 is quite a brave statement to make, and its one that proves just how different Konami and EA Sports really are. EA Sports have an entire section of their company dedicated to making sports titles, and as a result, can improve each year, whilst still being able to work on a bigger picture, whereas Konami has a small section dedicated to their football title and have to try and get by on a year by year basis.
PES and ISS before it never used to be released yearly, and has since had to change to try and compete, which is perfectly understandable. The market is a fierce one and with so few football games available, the need for competition is major. My question is would you rather see a better PES released in 18 months, as opposed to a decent one released in 12 months, and more importantly, what are the major changes you, the PESGaming.com visitors think are the real problems with the series? Yes, we know about the lacklustre Edit Mode, and the ridiculous lag problems some experience, but what other things will turn this game into the Holy Grail, which we all expect. I am leaving this totally open, as I will start discussing things for PES2009 in the New Year, but all opinions will be welcomed.
That’s your lot for this weeks very interactive Interfering With Play. Anything you have read in this column, which you feel require a reaction can be expressed either publicly, via the comment section, or privately, via my e-mail inbox, danbolas@hotmail.com. You are more than welcome to speak to me on msn, but please send an e-mail first, explaining your age and a little about yourself, especially where you got my address from! Also, anyone looking to host an online PES2008 tournament, please get in contact with myself or Peter, as this kind of information is what will help keep the PESGaming.com community strong well into 2008.
i have a 12 inch cockkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkk!!!!!!!!!!!
I have downloaded the update for this game on xbox360 but the online lag issues still remain, nothing has changed whatsoever
konami announcement on patch
——————————————————————————–
27.11.2007
PES 2008 Patch details for Xbox 360 and PS3
Information about the free update here
Konami Digital Entertainment GmbH has released updates to rectify issues with the Xbox 360 and PLAYSTATION®3 versions of Pro Evolution Soccer 2008.
The free download addresses the online lag and the slowdown that affects the game in both online and offline modes.
The PLAYSTATION®3 update also fixes problems associated with downloading the game to the console’s hard drive.
Konami will continue to look into ways to extend users’ enjoyment of PES 2008 and is still working on improvements.
http://uk.gs.konami-europe.com/news.do?idNews=293
No change with the online whatsoever, i cant beleive im saying this but Fifa has it working perfectly online come on Konami fix this one thing so we can play online otherwise people wont purchase the game next year, i wont if i cant play online and I dont even play as much online as others do but it is still blocking my full experience of the game, sort it out asap
in respect to the game freezing, i had the same issue. i later realised it only froze when i played with either man u arsenal chelsea or liverpool, this gave me the idea that it might be the option file i had so i deleted all the information and reinstalled the option file including all the kits and it worked fine and has been since then.
I reckon release a decent patch same time next year eg. club and roster updates and a lag free online patch to keep us busy until 2009, then i would happy to wait until then. It would be worth it…
Hi dan, since i update 2.01 i cant play pro evo. it just sits at the start loading screenw when it displays the line up.
not happy.
konami r shit. im playing swos now.
I agree with the There’s Is Nothing Like A McLaren part.
José Mourinho is the right man and I say this as a Man United Fan.
But replacing the Manager will not be the only thing needed.
Get rid of Frank Lampard, Michael Owen, Gary Neville and some other older players. Introduce the likes of Gabriel Agbonlahor, Theo Walcott, Michael Johnson. Also, I think the system should be changed to a 4-3-3, this way, England can dominate midfield. Having Gerrard and Johnson or Barry and Hargreaves playing the holding role. Up front it should be Rooney as leading hitman and Agbonlahor and Walcott/Joe Cole/Wright-Phillips/Bentley working as wingers. These are just my thoughts. If not Mourinho then Klinsmann is the right man. Look at what he did with Germany…
Now for me the patch for the 360 has improved replays alot, but for the online play, no change. Tried it last night, and the person who i was playing against was one on one with the keeper, keeper ran out, smothered the ball. stood up, next thing i know the ball was in the net. RUBBISH
I wouldn’t mind if they left it 18mths until the next pro evo BUT only if, like comment 5 Mike suggested, they brought out a decent patch in February that included all of the updated tranfers from January. This would give them two months to work on the lag issues that are still as bad as ever online.
If they spent the next two months working on the flaws in this game, and opened up the 8 kit rule in edit mode, to leave us with a decent game to play for say 15mths then that would be fair enough.
Controversial I know but I would like to see hand balls brought back as I am fed up with the amount of blatent hand balls I see in every match I play.
Brilliant got the update for the xbox 360, fantastic,
BUT WHAT THE FUCK IS IT FOR? cuz i havnt seen no change!
Long live the RAFA REVOLUTION!
THIS MIGHT LOOK A BIT TEDIOUS TO READ BUT PLEASE DO AND LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU THINK:
I totally agree that Steve McLaren wasn’t the right man for the job and if he was brutally honest he probably knew all along he was out of his depth. His lack of managerial experience at the highest level was painfully obvious and despite a Eufa cup final with Middlesborough he simply did not have the tactical awareness or the apptitude to make big decisions in big games. Like against Croatia for example it is an absolute disgrace that he played Carson in nets. McLaren publicly stated that he would stick by Robinson so by dropping him he has totally destroyed his confidence at country level. I can also think of at least 3 other keepers that should have got the nod ahead of Carson (James - for his experience in such a big game, Green - incredibly underrated, and Foster - while not getting many games at Utd , sometimes a keeper produces his best form when being ou tof the team for a while) I also think he should have played Beckham from the start. The state of the pitch at Wembley was not suited to an out & out winger like Wright-Phillips. Whereas it ideally suited Beckham’s game of accurate passes and pin-point crosses. Sure look at what happened within minutes of his introduction providing Crouch with such a deft pass that we got a goal form it. I also think the decision to play Crouch up front on his own was shocking, what was neeeded was either Joe Cole or Wright-Phillips to play just off him to pick up his knock-downs because the big man won so many balls. The problem being however that there was simply no outlet for him to pass to.
Now all these comments are coming from a Northern Ireland fan but I consider myself British and always support England in major tournaments. Like the rest of you I am truely gutted that there will be no home nations flying the flag and it truely will be a non event next summer. Also, depsite the fact that Northern Ireland did not qualify, only just missing out, I believe we can hgold our heads high after some truely magnifcent performances against some of the world’s top teams. How many English fans can say the same about their team? After beating Spain and Sweden at home I think we can now have some optimism for the future and I cannot wait for the World cup qualifying to start as we will have a great chance if we build on the progress that has been made. Now, with regards to the best cadidate for the England job I also agree that there is only one man for the job - Mourinho. While he is undoubtedly tactically sound, the man only excells when he is left to his own devices and is allowed to pick his own team. Now with the national team obviously there is no worry abou transfers and over-zealous chairman and owners present to stick their noses in. I also think he would sort out this ‘ego’ problem the England players have had for the past 6 years. I don’t think he would have any qualms dropping big game players if their form wasn’t great.
So there we go, that’s my rant over with. I’ve been wanting to get that off my chest for some time and I’d appreciate it if you let me know if you agree or disagree with any of my commentss.
Hey guys, i think i know why the game has been crashing on the line-up screen etc. I had the same problem myself, i would either be tryin to do a 1 player, 2 player or the master league and get as far as the line ups screen and it would freeze/crash. Tried wiping the disc etc to see if it was anything to do with that but no luck. At this time i was seriously considering taking it to a shop like game and trading it in. But one day, i started up pes and it came up “Game data is corrupt, please exit this game and delete game data”. So what i done was load up the game and went into system settings and deleted the system data. Went to do a 2 player with my younger brother and shazam it was finally working and has so ever since. Hope this helps yall
Psn addy is g_nerin316 feel free to add me
@Dan
“I am aware Liverpool and United fans may not love him (Mourinho).
Dan
Liverpool & Man UTD fans do not support England; they only support their club teams. In Liverpool’s case, it stems from political, cultural issues & what Liverpudlians see as a biased south east media, Liverpool would love to break ties with it’s English imperial roots and become a republic, yes I know, sounds ridiculous, but it is true. Man UTD fans apathy towards the English national side is a more simple one to explain, they are simply arrogant twats!
As someone from the southeast I find it difficult to understand how an Englishman cannot be proud to be one, but, in the scousers case, as mentioned above, it can be quite a tricky one to debate!
assache shut up you retard. As a MANU fan I have been to see manu and england games alot. For me taking a trip to wembley wins everytime. Theres simply nothing like watching your home nation in a fantastic stadium like wembley.
So dont put all utd and pool fans in the same boat and for your information I have no problem with Mourinho taking over. Its out of him and harry for me. So stick your stupid opinions up your fat hairy arse. I am proud to be English until people like you make us look stupid.
I think that the problems with Pro Evo can be sorted out quite easily;
when you play as national teams, or as teams from say Spain or Italy, the game to me has the right “Feel”. This is due mainly in my opinion to the official licensing and just better attention to overall detail; better player likenesses, pitcure-perfect stadia and kits, accurate fan chants and weather etc etc. Compare that to an away match against Berkshire Blues in a cheap-looking Sunday League strip, playing at an Asian Baseball stadium - how is this relevant to the Premier League in any way AT ALL?! This quite literally detracts hugely from the game, shattering the illusion it should be trying hard to create.
I think we’d all compromise a year of development of gameplay completely for the official licensing and attention to relevant detail to be sorted out ……..ONCE AND FOR ALL! Essentially, I think Pro Evo has to look at what makes Fifa successful, despite it being such a Shit game; cos it may not stay Shit forever! (…and stop overrating Michael Owen)
What makes Pro Evo less realistic this year when playing Master League is a real shame:
1. There are hardly any injuries to players anymore and when players go off injured they always come back on uninjured.
2. The other scorelines are just so unrealistic. The average score of a football game according to Konami is 1-0. Its pathetic. Teams like Man U, Chelsea etc often score 3,4,5 goals in a game. I’m playing Middlesbrough in the Master League and after 15 games I’ve scored 35 goals. The next highest scoring team is Newcastle with 12 goals scored. How unrealistic is that!!!!
3. The computer opposition very rarely foul with sliding challenges or get booked for harsh challenges, even on top player settings. This is very unrealistic again.
Konami you don’t have a clue!!
(PC VERSION) How the fuck can you play this shit. Back to PES6. Can you believe Van Nistelroy or Ramos of Real Madrid, THEY NEVER SIT OUT on the real thing… On this shitty game, 3 games and they are TIRED?!!! WTF.. SEABASS PLS AT LEAST watch live SOCCER and fix the fucking fatigue and superman AI system. AI scores 8 out of 10 heading, more by corners… rarely the score with a play by play (a mistake also from PES6). FIX the fucking MASTER LEAGUE MAKE IT REAL. You dont have to have official teams to have a REAL SYSTEM. a real calendar, real money… Played today FIFA on PS3, WOW, what a change! PES beware. Hate fifa series, and today I realized EA big $$$ is making a change. All PES fans, like me, should take a look. Exange defective PES titles with fifa, will have no lag issues, not as nice gameplay, but interesting aproach. I have a super computer, run CRISYS full high detail with NO lag and I have to play PES on MEDIUM to reduce lag???!!!! Bull, PES is out of my league this year. Hope the US version gets fixed.
ps3 freezing.
i’ve experienced game freezes many a time now. Even before this highly anticipated patch, 2.01.
Since then nothing has changed. I deleted the game data and the option file before the patch to solve the problem and havent installed the game data again to rid of the problem, and I’m left to install it again to hopefully solve it.
Long long time pro evo fan…. dissappointed.
PRO EVOLUTION IS THE BEST FOOTY GAME SERIES OUT THERE, ANY FIFA FANS WITH SHIT VIEWS SHOULD GET LOST…………..YES THE PRO EVO THIS YEAR IS NOT AS GOOD AS EXPECTED BUT IS STILL BETTER THAT FIFA. NEXT YEAR THE PRO EVO WILL BE UNBELIEVABLE………………COME ON……..OH YEAH FIFA COCKS GET LOST AND GET A LIFE AND OF COURSE BUY PRO EVO
HAS ANYONE WHO ORDERED OFF PLAY.COM HAD THIS EMAIL ABOUT THE £50K COMPO. APPERANLTY THEY WERE GONNA SEND ONE THE END OF NOVEMBER??!?
CHEERS
@Nofear
Point taken. Unfortunately, when trying to provoke debate, it can be that when generalised arguments are used, it gets people going (as your post proves). Yes there are exceptions to all rules and we are all individuals, so, generalising starts the process of breaking down individual points.
My post contained more info about some sections of the population of Liverpool simply because I know more about the subject than I do about why some Manchester Utd fans sing “Argentina” at England games, yes I’ve been and yes, I’ve heard them.
As a Manchester Utd fan you may have your own opinion on that subject, so, share that opinion and ‘bang’ we could start quite an interesting debate on this forum.
I apologise for my flippant “arrogant twats” remark, but, it did work, didn’t it?
Fuck Manchester United bastards wankers with small dicks , wanna fight come dwn south!
Well if you wanted to just “get people going” then yes, if you wanted to make a valid point then no.
@Dial E Says:
Unfortunately your juvenile comments are a sad reflection of the schooling standard in this country……….. Quick…. Dinners ready…. Mummy will be upset!