Sports Interactive announces Football Manager 2009
Posted by Graham. Filed under Europe, G, News, PC, Sony PSP, Video. Tagged with Football Manager, Sports Interactive.
Yesterday evening Sports Interactive announced the latest edition to the best selling PC franchise, Football Manager 2009.
The announcement came in the form of two Youtube videos. The first (shown above) has very little actual gameplay footage or information, but is more of a mini documentary on Sports Interactive and the Football Manager series. While not an essential watch, it is actually quite interesting.
Football Manager 2009 is being released on PC and Mac, with the PSP also recieving a stripped down version - Football Manager Handheld 2009. No main console versions announced (yet).
Check out after the break for the second (gameplay) video and more information.
The second trailer, announces some of the new features the game has to offer. The good news is that Sports Interactive listened to fans of the series, and changed or added some new features with feedback they received.
Below is a quick round up of some of the features mentioned:
- Assistant manager feedback dramatically improved.
- Press conferences added with media as a whole improved.
- Can now play as a female manager.
- Competitions all updated for all 51 countries.
- Over 350,000 players and staff in database.
- Training and player interaction more in-depth.
- Managers can ‘ask’ players to learn new skills (player stats affect abilites to learn different skills).
- Board confidence improved - club stature and squad harmony added.
- Every single financial area modeled correctly.
- UI updated and improved based on user feedback. Widescreen support added.
- Transfer system recoded from scratch. Shortlisting more efficient and accurate.
- Match engine now in 3D using motion capture. With a 2D option still available.
- 3D engine made with the help of Sega Japans Virtua Striker team
- Tactics system tweaked.
- “TV mode” during match, removes the interface so you can see more of the pitch.
- Ability to show various attributes via widgets.
- Replays can be done in realtime by simply moving the time slider at the bottom of the match window (similar to FM Live)
But apparently that is not all!
Sports Interactive has said that they will announce more new features throughout the coming months, through a series of blogs, podcasts and news stories.
I’ve never actually played a FM game, as they don’t interest me much - but for some reason I cannot help but get excited when I hear a new one announced.
The game is due for release November 14th. For PC, Mac and PSP.
[Source: FM Official Site and NeoGaf]
[Special Thanks: Jon and Ryan]
Comments on this article
There have been 17 responses to this article.
How does this have ANYTHING to do with SEGA!?? huh!??
SEGAWIZ
Posted September 4th, 2008 at 4:19 am.
Excuse me. The ONLY thing this has to do with SEGA is that they got help from the Virtua Striker Team.. I dont know if this was worth the post.
SEGAWIZ
Posted September 4th, 2008 at 4:25 am.
I thought it was a Sega game… ;_;
T+
Storm!
Posted September 4th, 2008 at 5:31 am.
You pair of absolute idiots… Sega owns Sports Interactive, they are a Sega studio now it has EVERYTHING to do with Sega.
Narrow minded bitches.
Ryan
Posted September 4th, 2008 at 5:34 am.
Err yeah.
SEGAWIZ - as Ryan (so colourfully explained)
Sega owns Sports Interactive - and the Football Manager franchise!
It’s a Sega-owned game.
Graham
Posted September 4th, 2008 at 6:03 am.
G & Ryan no baka!!!
Looks like Sports Interactive can leave Sega when they wants… -_-; and carry on this franchise.
Or not? What happens if they leave Sega?
T+
Storm!
Posted September 4th, 2008 at 7:40 am.
Well if they did leave - they wouldn’t be able to call the franchise Football Manager anymore.
That sort of thing has happened already. Sports Interactive originally made Championship Manager - which was published by Eidos Interactive.
But then Sports Interactive wanted to break away - and they started making Football Manager titles. And then Sega snapped them up - and I believe that Sega owns the rights to the franchise (which most publishers do).
-But sometimes it works out so the developers own the rights to the games they make.
Right now I don’t think SI would leave Sega - as the Football Manager franchise is doing pretty damn well with Sega backing them.
-Eidos still publish Championship Manager games, but they just don’t seem to be as successful as the FM games.
Graham
Posted September 4th, 2008 at 10:26 am.
Hey! I’m the one who made the thread in forums! Not Ryan! I think you guys have a rather clear anti-french bias when handing out special thanks. >=(
jon
Posted September 4th, 2008 at 12:04 pm.
Oh shoot - sorry Jon.
Tbh I didn’t actually look in the forums - I shall add your name to the article as well though.
Graham
Posted September 4th, 2008 at 12:15 pm.
Ryan you can calm down you little bitch. Just because I don’t know about some failed Sports game franchise doesnt mean I am the dumbest person.
Never heard of “Football Manager”.. Seems pretty cruddy if you ask me.
SEGAWIZ
Posted September 4th, 2008 at 2:33 pm.
Thanks G, I was (partially) kidding. XD.
SegaWiz, Football Manager is actually one of the biggest franchises in Europe. It typically sales well over a million copies just in Europe, and, in a good year, can manage those numbers just in Britain. I’d consider it Europe’s version of Madden, only better put together.
jon
Posted September 4th, 2008 at 3:27 pm.
lol. So wait this is like a European Madden?
Maybe this is why I never heard of it.. :P
I was like “how does this have anything to do with SEGA”. I mean I didnt see a mention of SEGA anywhere which was interesting. :P
I stand corrected.
SEGAWIZ
Posted September 4th, 2008 at 6:58 pm.
Failed sports series… lol.
It is the fastest and best selling PC game in Europe, year on year…
Ryan
Posted September 5th, 2008 at 6:37 am.
“lol. So wait this is like a European Madden?”
Just to clarify SEGAWIZ.
Football Manager is NOTHING like Madden in terms of play.
For one thing its Soccer (to all you US people), and you basically build up your team with training and buying new players etc.
You don’t physically PLAY any matches - so you don’t control any players. But you can influence what goes on in the games.
It’s kind of like an in depth strategy sports title. Kind of hard to explain it all unless you play it.
But it is VERY successful. Each year it seems to get better, and sells more than the previous versions.
-But if you want the European equivilent to Madden - then it would probably be the FIFA or ISS games (also Soccer).
Graham
Posted September 5th, 2008 at 11:59 am.
Never heard of it here in the states. So is this a UK only game?
SEGAWIZ
Posted September 5th, 2008 at 7:53 pm.
I think it might be European only. As our main sport is Football (soccer) - We don’t get too many American Football, Baseball or Hockey games here (some, but not as many as the US).
But I think they Sports Interactive might have released a similar title in the US a couple of years ago. Not sure if it was Soccer or American Football - but I think it was a Management game.
Graham
Posted September 6th, 2008 at 8:39 am.
Actually, it’s available in the states too - but over there it’s called “Worldwide Soccer Manager”.
And it really is massive over here in the UK and Europe - and has been since it first came out, 16 years ago.
FM Player
Posted September 16th, 2008 at 6:01 am.