Welcome to this week’s Interfering With Play. I sit here typing this slightly gutted by the end of the Master League Beta which closed on Sunday. For those of you that took part, I wonder how many of you who are in the same boat of simply not wanting to play PES 2010 anymore, having experienced what is to come? The fact remains that Master League Online is a very good game mode that will arguably rival anything else currently on PES. I can not comment for anyone else, but in my experience I had no lag at all, I could only blame my own inability for mistakes that were made and apart from a couple of dodgy animations, was very please by the whole experience. If you haven’t played it, I think its pretty fair to say commenting on the game is a bit silly and once you have your views will be as valid as anyone’s, love it or hate it. I haven’t spoke personally with anyone who has genuinely disliked the game in its current build, and this looks a positive step for the launch in October! Whilst I will touch on the mode again later on, let’s crack on with this week’s Interfering With Play.
“That Interview”
I would like to take the opportunity to thank Jon Murphy for taking time out of what is a very busy schedule to do the interview for PES Gaming. Under no circumstances is this me sucking up or flattering for the sake of flattery but fact remains he took the time to answer questions, and that I appreciate.
The answers he has given range from the straight forward to the slightly more awkward and I am hoping that whilst you may not agree with everything he has said, at least he has come out and given his opinion on the issues made. I will quickly look at a couple of these questions now, taking on board what you guys have said in the comments section too.
Like a bad smell, the net issue is seemingly not going away. I have made it perfectly clear to everyone who wants to listen the nets don’t bother me at all. I think this is the impression 60% or so of the PES Gaming community have too, however, the 40% have the right to have their say, and I believe Jon was just as surprised as myself by how many of you actually do care about the issue. Simple fact, the mode will not be featured in PES 2011, and by the sound of the feedback I assume it will be reviewed to be featured in PES 2012. Is the lack of net editor going to make a blind bit of difference to the way the animations, the AI or the game plays, of course not. However, it is (for many people) an important cosmetic addition similar to boots, balls and stadiums and in the current ‘editing’ generation needs to be included. Fact is now, following the feedback and the interview, the voice regarding nets has been heard and registered.
The frequency of downloadable content is something that concerns me slightly. If the previous years are anything to go by, we are going to be waiting nearly a month to get anything near an up to date squad list for PES 2011 following release, and this simply won’t do when playing online. The fact it is free shouldn’t be used as an excuse, and whilst I can understand the ‘once every couple of months’ philosophy on Konami’s DLC policy, it needs to happen quicker after real events occur.
The weather is one issue I feel could really work, and am a bit disappointed it has been overlooked again this year. Whilst I do agree that certain aspects are more important, I would have personally put dynamic weather effects that genuinely change the way the game plays would have benefited the all-round experience as opposed to a stadium editor. Playing against Russian sides in the snow or Brazilian clubs in the sweltering heat would have made for much more realistic and accurate in game challenges, and the addition of further conditions (snow, wind, or humidity levels) would have adverse effects on certain team’s styles or tactics. Again, it is interesting to see Konami looked at it and looked past it, but as long as it’s on their radar, it was be included in 2012, once the 2011 issues (if any) have been ironed out.
They are my views, but I would be more than happy to discuss any views you guys have via e-mail. The address is at the bottom of this article.
“S.H.O.P.P.I.N.G, We’re Shopping”
Already the novelty features in the PES 2011 Shop are getting ridiculed. I for one never purchased them on previous games, as the appeal of a horses head or riding a dinosaur just wasn’t there, and I feel they are a strange addition to add to the western version game. In Japan, novelty features in games like this are much more common and almost expected. Nothing ruins the drama of Resident Evil 5 more than Shiva in clubbing attire, and games such as Tekken or Street Fighter are littered with novelty modes. For the European market, there are no such easy fixes when it comes to unlockables, as we tend to ask for something that enhances our game experience as opposed to adds a bow or gives it a new coat of paint.
These additions, whilst petit and trivial would only have taken minutes to add to the game. A feature such as a net editor or dynamic weather would have taken days, as they are more than just cosmetic overlays. Different styles of nets would have to react differently to when a ball hits them, a player runs into them, a player slides into the, etc, whereas the barrel ball is simply a ball that looks like a barrel, using all the same properties as the original match ball.
The issue was raised that many people asked the return of the PES shop, well aside from classic players and teams, what kind of features did these people really expect to be included in the shop? New stadiums or editing options perhaps, but as a general rule the quick add-on features were always going to be there or thereabouts.
“It’s Over”
For those of you who didn’t get in the Beta, I am offering an opportunity for simple questions about the whole experience. With the demo to be released soon, and the game just over a month away, it isn’t too long for you guys to wait, but if you have any questions about the incarnation of PES 2011 I have played, please get in touch and I will do my best to give you an honest and frank answer. Please ask the questions via e-mail and I will either get back to you directly, or in the form of an acknowledgment in next weeks column.
“It’s Out Of Date”
Finally this week, I will leave you with one big concern from the PES 2011 beta. Whilst yes, for the most part it has very much been a case of roses and puppy dogs, the one issue that is unavoidable is the current state of the game’s database.
The online beta only featured the English, Spanish, Dutch, Italian and French leagues, and therefore being a team from the Europa League or South America wasn’t an option, however the teams featured on the game were grossly out of date when it came to squad lists. Newly promoted teams were on the game (Tangerine Dream is Blackpool for anyone that is interested) but the players at each team, including the newly promoted were the same that ended at their clubs last year. Manchester City had no Silva, Yaya Toure or Milner, Arsenal still had Sol Campbell and Real Madrid were yet to receive Ozil. This obviously didn’t matter too much in the mode we were playing as you were using fake players to start off, and you would just search for the signings you were after, however this does not bode well for the first week in October, especially as the domestic transfer window closes today.
If Jon’s comment is true about DLC, we may have to wait until November, 3 months after deadline day to play with anything that resembles accurate squads online, and for a game that is meant to be the real deal this year, this simply won’t do.
That’s your lot for this week, with quite a few interactive points to get your teeth into. Comments are welcomed as always, and e-mails can be directed to inteferingwithplay@hotmail.co.uk. For universal football gaming news, make sure you check out www.soccergaming.com and next week will see the return of the Interfering With Play Player Of The Season awards.
Thanks For Reading
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@49 – You can adjust the speed settings in PES 2011, so that might be to your liking.
Cool-new space age controller out for xbox 360. WITH upgraded D-pad. Been waitin ages for this…
http://uk.xbox360.ign.com/articles/111/1117085p1.html
@52
You still use D-pad? That’s so last decade lol
How does speed online works ?
@ Dopecoil the updated option file will serve you sh*t if you intend to play online.
2012 looks like having proper nets and dynamic waether. Should be the retrun by then. Took a while, but I think we’ll get there.
@ robbie,,,sssshhhhh, don’t mention the nets,, we are not allowed to anymore.
@ ClauSS
PES 2011 is not going to be what PES 2010 should have been, it’s going to be what PES 2008 should have been! 3 years to get the game-play right which means 4 years for a proper next-gen version (If we’re lucky). So frustrating!
D PAD FOREVER! Plus all you lot moaning that long shots go in too often, sort out your defences! learn to press the ball and change the settings to help you defend and stay close enough to block the shots.
Simple
“The frequency of downloadable content is something that concerns me slightly.”
I am also concerned about that. And that is even more shocking :”we may have to wait until November, 3 months after deadline day to play with anything that resembles accurate squads online”
NBA Live 2010 had dayle refreshed rooster and all!!!!
Yup, can’t understand why we wait so long for downloadable updates when NBA 2K10 has daily results and stat changes based on live rosters. The file downloads are fast and simple to install and always very accurate. Remember last year Konami stuffed the DLC and online said you shouldn’t use David Villa and a few others?! Poor form Konami.
I like that John said they didnt’ realise certain things were fan favourites and therefor that’s the reason Konmai is well known for removing things that people liked.
Good to see he wants to put a stop to that, but really shouldn’t a sports game be trying to constantly add to games rather than take away? Swapping out shirt and short combos goes on in real life (look at the world cup and FIFA’s regulations) so this should never have been taken out- fan fav or not. Devs should be always aiming to have a fully realistic game one day. I undertand the shop and penguin suits (which BTW is the only novelty item I enjoyed) are taken out becasue removing them doesnt’ take away fromt he integrity of PES being a football simulator, but swapping shorts (I’m just using this example here- there are others) is a basic and should have been valued by Konami as an integral part of the sport, irrespective of the fans’ opinion on them.
PS- I also say “booooo” to long waits between DLC and updates.
I dont’ mind waiting for DLC like new kits, but rosters and player stats surely should be very regular….
I hope they bring more statistics in the game, especially online play, id like to know which players have scored for me etc in total.
guys i bought fifa10 these days just 2 see what was the diffrence. i havent played a fifa game in ages. in my 20 or so games online i havent had any lag problems whatsoever and i could still give a good game 2 my opponents while i was playing with liverpool or as roma and they were having real and barca.i just didnt feel the huge difference that is in PES,the keepers are much better than pes even though in fifa u score lobs more easily. i know in PES i could only dream of beating big teams with liverpool or roma(unless my oponent was weak) because if the big teams wont beat me i know my defenders will mess up or my keeper will do a blooper and i will loose.
i agree with many of u about the DLC…i dont mind the kits or boots or whatever i can wait 4 those but i want 2 have up to date transfers and teams and the DLC files not 2 mess up my modified data already.
plus the games need more statistics ai agree with nr.64 Subtle here. if i can see how many ranking games ive played i wanna see how many friendly games ive played aswell.
funny this yes in stead of concentrating on the things 2 fix on pes we gonna have pumpink and statue heads and who knows what models for balls….interesting lol.
yea john murphy u good with words i give u that.
I’m not a Liverpool fan by any stretch but Liverpool are one of the top 5 teams in the world and you should be able to give the likes of Barca and Real a good game. Sadly from the videos i get the impression that Messi and Ronaldo are still by far the best but hopefully with MLO we will not face these two.
@ 64 subtle
yeah more stats would be good and i have no idea why that they took out that feature of who scored for you during the match, why do they do this?!
@ 66
LOL Liverpool are one of the top 5 teams in the world. lol lol lol
Football manager and PES should form an agreement for data and idea sharing.
PES can use Football manager’s stat database and licences and FM can use PES’s graphics and animations.
EA have direct competition with their management game whilst Konami do not. Also FM cannot use the J-League or Japan due to PES having the licence. Which they could also share.
Unless they have already tried and failed in their negotiations, this seems like a no brainer.
If Konami can’t agree with FM they could always give the Championship manager lot a ring.
@66
Liverpool aren’t even one of the top 5 teams in England, let alone the world!
Barca, Man U, Chelsea, Inter are top four and then I think there is a drop with Liverpool being fifth or sixth. Despite Torres and Gerrard having poor world cups they are still two of the best players in the world right now.
NEW TRAILER!!
http://pes2008editing.blogspot.com/2010/09/new-pes-2011-trailer.html
Why oh WHY do KONAMI make an official trailor and stresses their achiles: THE GOALKEEPERS (and misses transfers)!?!?
What a joke that free kick from Ronaldo, the GK just jumps aside as if too say: “oh, how lucky, that ball almost hit me, I could just ddge it in time otherwise I had gotten hurt.”
Sad… Does the marketing department from KONAMI ever learn?
and another flaw: Great that you release an official trailer with Boriello so prominently in it in a Milan shirt even though he is a Roma player since 2 days.
Take that footage OUT then, KONAMI seems to be saying: “We make the same mistakes (keepers, transfers) over and over again, so we are not afraid to even show that in a trailer!”
SAD!
Keep an eye out here for news…
http://pes2011.com/
New trailer looks awesome too
PS – Arsenal are obviously higher ranked than Liverpool.
Guys,
since 2009 I have been playing fifa, because my mates convinced me to cross the divide. Fifa 2010 was a game that improved on 2009, however I still miss things about PES. The question is how can I re-cross the divide again?? I feel I will be disappointed with PES 2011, however I have not got a clue what its going to be like. Just wanted to know your feelings on whether you think PES 2011 will take the footy crown from Fifa??
Can’t Konami just copy nets from Football Kingdom?
@72 MagicaRoma
oh mate i totaly agree with u there i was speechless as soon as i saw that lame trailer and couldnt believe how bad it actually was. i guess thats what we should expect they dont even bother lol
Actually, it looks like Konami have changed the trailer on their site now. Strange.
Anyway…
@74 – I for one think you missed out on the better game in 2010, so there’s that.
I see where you’re coming from though, so two pieces of advice:
1. Give PES 2011 a fair chance. Apparently this year’s game takes quite a bit of an adjustment period, and like I find with all PES versions, it always seems like a game where the more you put into it the more you get out of it.
2. Having the attitude that you think you will be disappointed can’t help. Sure, you might find PES 2011 knocks your socks off and you have no doubts about it once you play it, but if you expect it won’t please you, then you’re almost ensuring that will be the case. There’s always room to nitpick anything if you have a negative outlook, so, yeah, making the switch is partially a mental battle, simply because you’re going to have to fight off the urge to always compare the game to it’s competition.
Another piece of advice which might help would be to go back an play PES 5 and/or 6 for a while. That should get you back into PES mode…
Also, keep in mind that so much of what you probably like about Fifa was taken directly from PES, so there is a lot which will “cross the border” so to speak.
PEACE
@ 75.
Word! The animation team from Football Kingdom knew their business.
@ 74
i have to say that i didnt really like fifa 10, i have been playin fifa since fifa 08 but i found fifa 10 very flimsy or something and the ball doesnt hit the back of the net right, scoring a goal doesnt feel satisfying just seems very flat
and also from playing fifa i never got the same buzz from playing a season as i did on the master league in pes. Thats why i cant wait to get back into pes and i havent bought a pro game since pes2008 on ps2.
also what Dave O says try playin some old pes.
@titus
you are right, The nets in football kingdom are far more realistic than fifa or pes period.
It would have been cool if we could select our own national teams based on the players available. So if Ronaldinho isnt on Brazil we could still put him in the team for online play.
What also would be cool is a rematch option online, so both can agree to do a play again.
@73 Dave O
“PS – Arsenal are obviously higher ranked than Liverpool.”
- PREACH!
That freekick on the trailer.. Wat were they thinking.. they must have been high, only explanation.. it would have been a good trailer that wasnt in it -.-
^No, just standings ;)
Ronaldo’s freekick had absolutely no spin!!! lol! the ball just moved in the air like magic
If the trailer is evidence, then the poor keepers might brake the game. To miss transfers and possibly poor refs are my other two big worries. Thank god we have the pes shop for that extra realism LOL…Seriously now: If theres time, remove silly novelties from the shop, integrate realistic nets and kit swap & pleeeeeeeeeeasssssssssseeee fix the keepers after no many years of butter hands and blind eyes!
@ joekim1 – often when Ronaldo strikes a dead ball the ball does not spin in the air, hence how he gets the un-natural swerve and movement on the ball
@66 lol, ur kidding right?? liverpool top 5 in the world??
@69 100% agreed..
@86 yes, i know, but the ball in the trailer is simply unrealistic, as in IMPOSSIBLE unless you can move objects with your mind or are gordon freeman in Half life 2.