By Toby Green
Euro 2008 hasn't even finished yet, but it already feels as if the new football season is just around the corner, thanks to Konami's annual announcement that they are working on a new Pro Evolution Soccer.
Like the first swallow of summer, it marks the point at which we can start to get excited about domestic football again, both real and virtual.
"Pro Evolution Soccer 2009", the seventh in the series, is set to be released this autumn, and the developers are promising a range of new additions. They includes a "stunning graphical update", which promises to make the player's movements more realistic, and "all-new options [that] allow users to tailor the game to their own tastes".
What this actually means, I doubt we'll find out for a while, but even meagre crumbs are enough to whet my appetite. Many people were disappointed with the previous instalment, and although it didn't prove a massive step forward for the series, it was still the definitive football simulation and miles ahead of the staid offering from the FIFA camp.
Despite this, there's no doubt that Konami are going to have to do something different this time if they want to maintain their hard-fought reputation. In an interview, PES creator Shingo "Seabass" Takatsuka promised that they would take the game "back to the drawing board" for the 2009 version.
So what does everyone hope to see in the new instalment? Are you happy for the developers to tweak the game play here and there, or did "PES 2008" convince you that the whole franchise needs an overhaul?
The ball physics were way off in PES 08, but it still beats FIFA hands down.
Posted by: James | Tuesday, 24 June 2008 at 10:58 AM
I bought PES08 for the multiplayer but its so laggy its unplayable. This is the main thing they need to improve for the 2009 version.
Posted by: Daz | Wednesday, 25 June 2008 at 01:38 PM
Nice, a very usefull info.
Posted by: jocuri | Wednesday, 25 June 2008 at 02:52 PM
When it comes to FIFA08 Vs PES08 on a PC, PES wins hands down. But PES08 was still a very poor game.Too many flaws too much bias towards the computer and overall a very average game in terms of gameplay. Graphics and gameplay wise it still killed FIFA08.
Konami knows it has a long way to go for its next installment of PES and I hope they know alot of their die hard fans (me included) have lost faith in the half baked idea of PES 2008. I hope they do really step up their standards as it was when they 1st made this francise.
Posted by: Jb | Friday, 27 June 2008 at 03:09 PM
PES 2008 was an absolute abomination and the end point of a sorry decline in the PES series since PES 5.
Everything about it was terrible, from the running with the ball with Ronaldo or Adriano will beat everyone because their is NO defensive skill involved, to the useless pressing to the awful refereeing. Oh the keepers were also laughable, palming shots into the net when they were in the middle of the goal. And the LAGGGGGGGG.
It was truly sad and developed horribly lop sided games where tactics wouldn't get you anywhere if you were facing a Ronaldo or Adriano loving playing.
For the first time since ISS on the PS1, Fifa was a better addition. I will not be rushing out to buy PES 2009 this time but waiting to see if its worth it this time.
Posted by: US | Wednesday, 02 July 2008 at 10:32 AM