Congrats Sports Interactive [Archive] - Front Office Football Central

Eaglesfan27

08-11-2005, 11:26 PM

I think this is news:

Sega soccer sim to kick around Xbox 360

http://www.gamespot.com/b.gif
Football Manager 2006 set to take the pitch overseas in spring 2006.

Sega Europe and Sports Interactive today announced the Xbox 360 debut of their well-received (http://www.gamespot.com/pc/sports/footballmanager2005/review.html) soccer management series. Scheduled for release in Europe next spring, Football Manager 2006 will feature hundreds of divisions across 50 countries, not to mention 250,000 players and staff.

"Finally a home console system is being released that can do Football Manager justice", said Miles Jacobson, managing director of Sports Interactive, no doubt referring to the Xbox 360's high-definition graphic capabilities, which should make for some dynamite-looking player rosters and spreadsheets.

Beyond its soccer series of management sims, Sports Interactive has also enjoyed success with its recent NHL Eastside Hockey Manager (http://www.gamespot.com/pc/sports/eastsidehockeymanagerfe/review.html) sim. A PC and Mac version of Football Manager 2006 is slated for release in early November, with a PSP edition hitting shelves about the same time as the Xbox 360 edition.

By Brendan Sinclair -- GameSpot (http://www.gamespot.com/)
POSTED: 08/11/05 05:33 PM PST

dubb93

08-11-2005, 11:28 PM

"Finally a home console system is being released that can do Football Manager justice", said Miles Jacobson, managing director of Sports Interactive, no doubt referring to the Xbox 360's high-definition graphic capabilities, which should make for some dynamite-looking player rosters and spreadsheets.

thats some funny shit. Congrats on the accomplishment SI.

Vince

08-11-2005, 11:28 PM

Airhog

08-11-2005, 11:28 PM

I think this is news:
"Finally a home console system is being released that can do Football Manager justice", said Miles Jacobson, managing director of Sports Interactive, no doubt referring to the Xbox 360's high-definition graphic capabilities, which should make for some dynamite-looking player rosters and spreadsheets.

I dont know why, but that line just cracked me up

aran

08-11-2005, 11:31 PM

I dont know why, but that line just cracked me up

maybe because it's a rip on something illogical like releasing a game based on gameplay on a system based on graphics. :cool:

SackAttack

08-11-2005, 11:55 PM

Don't forget that one of the SI Championship Manager games made it to Xbox in Europe, so this isn't unprecedented.

Call me when they bother to release it stateside!

dervack

08-12-2005, 02:36 AM

To bad that the PSP version has been pushed back to next year also. Was hoping that one to be the first version Football manager I purchased.

Marc Vaughan

08-12-2005, 05:59 AM

Thanks for the kind words chaps :D

maybe because it's a rip on something illogical like releasing a game based on gameplay on a system based on graphics.

Strangely enough it does make sense though as the HDTV option allows much more information to be displayed upon the screen which in a game like FM makes a huge difference (chances are we'll release some HDTV screenshots in due course).

ice4277

08-12-2005, 06:02 AM

Cue rumors of a new 3D match engine in 3, 2, 1...

HomerJSimpson

08-12-2005, 08:13 AM

Cue rumors of a new 3D match engine in 3, 2, 1...

I would guess that couldn't possibily happen without a total re-write of the engine. That's probably several years away.

ice4277

08-12-2005, 08:14 AM

I would guess that couldn't possibily happen without a total re-write of the engine. That's probably several years away.
Oh, I totally agree. But that doesn't stop people from speculating about it.

Marc Vaughan

08-12-2005, 08:16 AM

I would guess that couldn't possibily happen without a total re-write of the engine. That's probably several years away.

The game is already modelled in 3D to around a scale of one inch (we need to do this for the 2D pitch) - so it won't require a full rewrite of the match engine HOWEVER it would need a lot of work on animations, 3D displays etc. and we haven't got close to where we feel the stuff we can do on the 2D display is completed yet so don't hold your breath ...

ice4277

08-12-2005, 08:19 AM

The game is already modelled in 3D to around a scale of one inch (we need to do this for the 2D pitch) - so it won't require a full rewrite of the match engine HOWEVER it would need a lot of work on animations, 3D displays etc. and we haven't got close to where we feel the stuff we can do on the 2D display is completed yet so don't hold your breath ...
Would this mean then, that something like a 45-degree angled view of the pitch, as opposed to a strict top-down view, would be possible with little effort?

terpkristin

08-12-2005, 08:50 AM

Eaglesfan27

08-12-2005, 08:59 AM

So there will be PC version, a PSP version, and an XBOX360 version, right?
I don't know, even if I had an XBOX360 (which I'm not sure about yet), personally I don't see myself playing a text sim game on a big console. PSP is fine, means it's portable so I can play it on the road without lugging around the laptop. PC is fine, that's how I like most of my text sims. But console...not too sure.
Either way, it *is* good news for SI Games, and for that, they get a big congrats. :)

/tk
I completely agree. I'll get FM 06 for my PC, not my Xbox 360. I'll also buy a version for my PSP (assuming it is compatible with American PSP's) as it will make my PSP a much more used product and will make work breaks more fun.

I just thought it was awesome for SI specifically, and more generally the industry as a whole that a text sim game is going to be made for the Xbox 360 (although I had forgot that CM has previously been on the Xbox.) :)

JonInMiddleGA

08-12-2005, 09:03 AM

Strangely enough it does make sense though as the HDTV option allows much more information to be displayed upon the screen which in a game like FM makes a huge difference (chances are we'll release some HDTV screenshots in due course).

Count me among those that found this logic pretty amusing. Estimates are that some 15% of households in the US currently have HDTV, even with projections that expect HD units in service to triple over the next 2-3 years, you're still talking about less than half the homes where this will even matter.

Long-range, maybe this makes sense? Short-term? I'm not seeing it as being much more than mildly relevant.

Calis

08-12-2005, 09:33 AM

Well as an owner of an HDTV, I find it pretty relevant. :)

Good news though, more versions of FM can't be a bad thing I think. I'd love to play it lounging out on the couch. It would be a little more comfortable for those 18 hour FM sessions. Also have a PC that's getting long in the tooth, so I imagine it'll actually run better on a 360 than it would my PC.

I'll more than likely stick to the PC though, just for the ease of modding, adding the pictures, graphics, all that jazz..easier to share tactics, training, all that stuff. It's just MADE to be a PC game. I wouldn't be against grabbing two versions though, so I'll wait and see on the XBox one.

The PSP version is just cruel though, that's the only thing I've heard yet that gives me the urge to go out and get one of those. I'll hold strong though.

HomerJSimpson

08-12-2005, 09:41 AM

Count me among those that found this logic pretty amusing. Estimates are that some 15% of households in the US currently have HDTV, even with projections that expect HD units in service to triple over the next 2-3 years, you're still talking about less than half the homes where this will even matter.

Long-range, maybe this makes sense? Short-term? I'm not seeing it as being much more than mildly relevant.

But what percentage of those who own HDTV will purchase a XBox 360 or other next edition console? (Very, Very High) If you're are targeting a product toward people who are willing to spend their disposable income toward video games, the HDTV group is a pretty good target.

maximus

08-12-2005, 09:46 AM

Could this be another sign that devs are leaving the PC market?

Anthony

08-12-2005, 09:46 AM

but the question remains - does FM actually need to be released on a console, especially one geared towards HDTV?

that's like using a Lamborghini to drive your kid to school and do some grocery shopping with. sure, you *can* use your Lamborghini for that stuff...but why would you want to?

still, good news for the company. Marc is a great person (online, that is), and the company makes a great game (even if i don't like that sport), so congrats on the great news.

HomerJSimpson

08-12-2005, 09:48 AM

Could this be another sign that devs are leaving the PC market?

I don't know if devs could ever completely leave the PC market, but most major developers already take the PC market as an after-thought.

HomerJSimpson

08-12-2005, 09:50 AM

And to follow that thought up, I think as the consoles get more and more "pc like," I think us PC gamers are going to see more and more straight ports, and only smaller developers concentrating on the PC market.

Marc Vaughan

08-12-2005, 09:55 AM

Would this mean then, that something like a 45-degree angled view of the pitch, as opposed to a strict top-down view, would be possible with little effort?

Not something we're looking into at the moment, but if we ever get the urge it'd probably be possible ....

Unless we play around with that sort of thing for a while though there are obvious problems to such views eg.

* Restriction of view of playing area (ie. players behind players, off-screen areas of the pitch). This is important because off the ball runs are often important in soccer.
* Distance problems (ie. players looking smaller in distance might make it harder to work out who they are etc.)
* Harder for people to skin/customise the look and feel of the matches
* Less natural for people viewing the game (most soccer fans have seen blackboards/animated action plays on TV with players represented ala a FM match view - however very few will have seen them with blobs sitting at a 45 degree angle). Hence this might put them off the idea of the watching the 2D view.

So, yes if thats your 'bag' then there's hope for the future - just don't expect it in a hurry ... we've more planned for our current view yet.

Hope this helps,

Marc

ice4277

08-12-2005, 10:01 AM

we've more planned for our current view yet.

Thats good enough for me :D

Farrah Whitworth-Rahn

08-12-2005, 10:22 AM

Congrats Marc, and the rest of the SI crew.

ISiddiqui

08-12-2005, 10:27 AM

Strangely enough it does make sense though as the HDTV option allows much more information to be displayed upon the screen which in a game like FM makes a huge difference (chances are we'll release some HDTV screenshots in due course).
Woot!! My HDTV will be put to good use... and like someone else pointed out, it isn't a waste because you can lean back on your couch and play for hours on end.

wheels

08-12-2005, 10:47 AM

That's great news, Marc. You could display an entire almanac of information on an HDTV screen. http://dynamic.gamespy.com/%7Efof/forums/images/smilies/biggrin.gif

Congratulations.

dervack

08-12-2005, 03:40 PM

The PSP version will work on all the systems, as only the movies on the UMD's are region specific. Now, saying that, I wouldn't be surprised in one of the firmware upgrades that they make the games locked to specific regions. Here's hoping that they don't.

dervack

08-12-2005, 03:44 PM

Hey Marc, got a quick question for you. I know that with Football Manager, you guys have been producing the game for a while for the PC market, and are now just putting it into the handheld market. What are the chances that we'll see a PSP version of OOTP in the near future. I would assume that OOTP7 is not going to be doable, however, if the sales numbers of FM on the PSP are as good, or better than expected, could we possibly see the next version of OOTP on the PSP? I know at least one person who would buy it on that system, and like I said, I will be importing the Football Manager stateside as well.

Daimyo

08-12-2005, 04:49 PM

Count me among those that found this logic pretty amusing. Estimates are that some 15% of households in the US currently have HDTV, even with projections that expect HD units in service to triple over the next 2-3 years, you're still talking about less than half the homes where this will even matter.

Long-range, maybe this makes sense? Short-term? I'm not seeing it as being much more than mildly relevant.
That stat isn't really relevant. Its much more relevant what percentage of XBOX 360 owners own HDTV sets which I bet is a bit higher, especially for early adopters of the new system. I know several people who are just now starting to look seriously at getting an HDTV set because the XBOX 360 is the first time they see a need for it...

Daimyo

08-12-2005, 04:50 PM

DOLA, I bet HDTV makes a larger difference for text sims than you would expect. SDTV is notoriously poor at displaying text.

ZXTT

08-12-2005, 05:00 PM

Count me among those that found this logic pretty amusing. Estimates are that some 15% of households in the US currently have HDTV, even with projections that expect HD units in service to triple over the next 2-3 years, you're still talking about less than half the homes where this will even matter.

Long-range, maybe this makes sense? Short-term? I'm not seeing it as being much more than mildly relevant.

That other half isn't buying many $40-60 video games. Really, I think that most of the non-essential-product spending in the US is done by no more than half the population. And if you have an HDTV you're prepared to spend money to be entertained and are far less likely to spend it on stuff that doesn't support the HDTV.

ZXTT

08-12-2005, 05:05 PM

Eaglesfan27

08-12-2005, 05:27 PM

Marc,

There's been a lot of complaining because the 360's CPU isn't the out-of-order single core monster game programmers have gotten used to. I'm curious if you have any comments on what it's like to program this thing?
I would bet there is some sort of non-disclosure agreement that prevents them from commenting on Xbox 360 specifics.