SI Games Announces Football Manager, 5-Year Deal With Sega

[SirFozzie]

Looks to happen around noon time eastern (late afternoon British time)

Hopefully it will be an announcement that they've signed on with Sega Europe, that the US League and Players will be in their New Football Game, that EHM:FE will be having a public beta (only way us Yanks will get a shot at it before release ;)) and that Eidos Sucks.

Oh wait.. we don't need an announcement..

We all know Eidos sucks already... :)

[SirFozzie]

WOOHOOO!!!

They just posted an announcement :)

SI signs 5 year SEGA deal
BREAKING NEWS : 11am
Sports Interactive has today signed a five year deal with Sega.

Keep your eyes firmly fixed here as we get more information from the London Press conference.......we have plenty of announcements and updates so keep coming back! New website coming soon!

[3ric]

Cool, keep us updated, I can't access sigames from work... :(

[Marc Vaughan]

In case of interest (as our website has only got (cough) 30Gb of bandwidth and is straining at the moment) ...

11.00am - We've signed with Sega on a 5 year deal for all games which we create.
11.10am - Football Manager is the name for our new game

[Ben E Lou]

Just checking here, is this game football or soccer then?

[SirFozzie]

Thanks Marc!

Any word of whether US players and leagues will be reintroudced into Football Manager?

[SirFozzie]

SkyDog: Our Soccer, their football..

They call our football "GridIron"

[Ben E Lou]

OK. Unsubscribing to the thread. :p

[SirFozzie]

Footy hater! :( Gerooff!!

[SirFozzie]

Hey Francis and Marc (I see you're reading the thread)

Congrats on signing a long term deal (5 years is just about forever in computer games development)

Here's to hoping you guys can get EHM:FE over here to the US, make you guys even more a hit, and to get you to create other games with the detail and the passion of CM!

Cheers!

[Ben E Lou]

Footy hater! :( Gerooff!!I seriously tried to get into Championship Manager, and it was clearly a deep-well done game, but the bottom line for me was that I found the games and stats meaningless. I learned from CM that I need to have at least some level of interest and knowledge of a sport before I can get into a text sim of it, which means I'll stick to baseball, football and basketball. The good news for me is that I don't have enough free time to play the text sims of those three games as much as I'd like, so it isn't like I'm missing out when I don't play sims of other sports.

[SirFozzie]

Just giving you guff SD ;)

But it's amazing how many of us sports sims folks gravitate to CM.. that's why I was so disappointed when CM 03/04 was not only not to be released here, but the US players removed. Fortunately, Marc and his crew made a good enough game that as the old saying goes..

"Every time I think I'm out.. they pull me back in!"

[Francis_Cole]

screenshots were relased on the sega site if you are interested :)
http://www.sega-europe.com/screenshots/01.html

[ice4277]

SI Guys,

Wow wow wow some of those shots look VERY nice. I love the Champions League draw, a lot of the graphic touches are very nice as well. I also think the goalflashes on the match screen are a great touch. Question: does the fact that we see AFC Wimbledon as the controlled team mean that we will be able to manage way down into the feeder divisions, or was it just done as a mock-up for these early screens.

[Peregrine]

I learned from CM that I need to have at least some level of interest and knowledge of a sport before I can get into a text sim of it, which means I'll stick to baseball, football and basketball. The good news for me is that I don't have enough free time to play the text sims of those three games as much as I'd like, so it isn't like I'm missing out when I don't play sims of other sports.

I know the feeling. I like CM but I don't have the time to play it along with everything else, and I also find some of the details a bit confusing, though you can usually play through them.

[BreizhManu]

Just read a preview of what will be announced later, looks nice

[Marc Vaughan]

"Just checking here, is this game football or soccer then?"
Soccer - (will undoubtably be called Soccer Manager in the US I'd imagine, don't do the biz stuff here)

11.25am - SI are the owners ofthe Football Manager brand (ie. if we move publishers again in the future it comes with us).
The heritage of the game is great as it was one of the first ever soccer management sims released in Europe and is still fondly remembered now.
11.30am - SI will continue to suppor the SI community and the majority of webmasters who have sites dedicated to our games will have recieved a present in their inbox earlier today.

[Marc Vaughan]

11.40am - Win £10,000! - Design the logo for FM. It will be voted for by the SI community as well as the ESPNSoccerNet and GamesRadar communities (apologies to GamesSpy ... I don't do biz stuff).
Full details will be on sigames.com later.
11.50am - First new feature list for FM
12.00am - FM Screenshots shown
12.10am - Press Releases available
1pm - EHM Screenshots available

[BreizhManu]

11.30am - SI will continue to suppor the SI community and the majority of webmasters who have sites dedicated to our games will have recieved a present in their inbox earlier today.

quick quick fmsuisse.com is still available, I'm going to buy it just to screw Christian :D

[CraigSca]

Wow, congratulations on your agreement with Sega, Marc! Sounds like FM will be much easier to purchase (in the States) than CM, and that's a good thing :).

[Marc Vaughan]

Oh by the way some mockup screenshots are visible now at:

http://www.sega-europe.com/screenshots/04.html

(and yes we're expecting FM to be released worldwide :D)

[BreizhManu]

btw were your hollidays good ? (strange, nobody asked this before :D )

[klayman]

1pm - EHM Screenshots available
If these are new screenshots is there a link?

[Alf]

11.10am - Football Manager is the name for our new game

Back to the roots => Football Manager was the first Manager game about football back in the "Amstrad" days :D. I managed to make a similar one for "Atari" before things finally went professional (and out of reach for a single guy like me).

[Marc Vaughan]

If these are new screenshots is there a link?
I don't have the URL to hand I'm afraid (our webmaster is at the press conference - I'm holding fort in the office) ... they'll be available on sigames.com when the websites live.

[klayman]

I don't have the URL to hand I'm afraid (our webmaster is at the press conference - I'm holding fort in the office) ... they'll be available on sigames.com when the websites live.
Ok, no problem. I can wait.

[Celeval]

Uh.... where's that kleenex?

[HornedFrog Purple]

I am glad they changed it to Football Manager because I could never win a Championship except for CM3 when Robbie Keene was a goal machine.

[kserra]

all I can say is wow wow wow...

The screen shots look clean, crisp, and the added color really makes it stand out. Dumb little change, but I think the country flags that denote nationality is just beautiful...

Can't wait to check out the site once all the Brits go to bed tonight!

Can I order now? When can I expect to receive it? :) sorry

Kevin

[BreizhManu]

Can I order now? When can I expect to receive it?

we haven't even started the research for the database (well I know Belgium as already started, but France not yet)

[Celeval]

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Updated user interface

Football Manager’s user interface will look markedly different to anything that has come before. Navigation between screens will be easier, with each screen explaining what information is on offer and how to get to other, related information. Consistency between separate game elements will also be more noticeable than in previous football management games: operations such as player filtering and sorting will now work consistently throughout the game. The game’s look – which now includes a two-panel option – will also be easily customised, allowing managers to store their preferred views and to return quickly to them.

Refined game engine

Sports Interactive’s long-standing and award-winning game engine has been refined and tuned in accordance with the feedback received from fans of its previous games. For example, Football Manager 2005 incorporates more than 30 extra fields for player data, including the all-new new ‘preferred moves’.

Updated database and competition rules

As has always been the case with Sports Interactive’s management simulations, Football Manager 2005’s database and competition simulation will be as up-to-date and accurate as is humanly possible.

Pre- and post-match information

Managers will be presented with enhanced information before and after each match, to show team line-ups, injuries and tactics before the match, and lots of stats about the match afterwards.

International player news

Managers will receive information on international performances, allowing them follow their players’ careers and ascertain how they are performing at the highest level.

Cup summary news

Events which unfold in each round of all of the major cup competitions will be delivered to the manager in a news summary.

2D clips from agents

Managers are likely to receive ‘video clips’ (executed using the game’s acclaimed 2D match engine) of a player’s performances, sent to them by that player’s agent with view to a possible transfer.

Coach reports on squads

In addition to commenting on individual players, coaches will now offer their opinions on the squad as a whole, thus helping managers to decide which areas of their team need improvement.

Job centre for non-playing positions

Non-playing jobs will be advertised through an in-game ‘Job Centre’, improving the manager’s ability to hire coaches and other staff.

Mutual contract termination

Managers will be able to offer surplus players an opportunity to agree mutual contract termination, which will reduce the cost of releasing players and trimming squads.

Enhanced player loan options

Managers can now approach other clubs to offer young players on loan, a process which will make it easier to give younger players competitive experience. Also, when players’ loan periods expire, the manager will have an opportunity to extend the loan (where appropriate).

Manager ‘mind games’

Managers can click on any other manager’s name and issue a comment to the media relating to that person. The effects of these comments will see an increase in the amount of pressure surrounding title races, relegation battles, Cup ties and so on. It will also be possible to use this feature in relation to your own players, other clubs, media pundits etc.


Further Features

• Playable leagues in 43 countries.
• More than 140 playable senior divisions and in excess of 100 playable cup competitions.
• Reserve and junior league competitions.
• More than 235,000 players and staff (from 145 different countries) with players boasting more than 120 separate attributes and non-playing staff boasting 40.
• A database of more than 14,000 clubs, 3,000 of which can be managed.
• Data supplied by a network of more than 2,500 researchers from around the world.
• Updated 2D ‘top-down’ match engine.
• Improved ‘radio commentary’.
• Increased interaction with the media.
• Reworked injury system.
• Improved scouting system.
• Improved finance module to reflect the changing face of football.
• Comments when negotiating with human managers (network multi-player game only).
• Inclusion of U18 Caps.
• More realistic awards system.

[Marc Vaughan]

The screen shots look clean, crisp, and the added color really makes it stand out. Dumb little change, but I think the country flags that denote nationality is just beautiful...
It'll also display in text the name when you hover over them (for those of us who are useless at recognising flags) ...

[Francis_Cole]

FM: educational + fun :D

[kserra]

I expect this game to be the best sports sim ever...

As someone who never understood top flight soccer, CM was so addictive and immersive that I found myself learning and appreciating the game...now, if there's a Premiership match on, I find myself glued to the TV...

Anyone who has not tried CM should really give this new incarnation a try...it boasts of features that our favorites like FOF and OOTP are still years away from implementing...

[Tigercat]

Marc - Any chance of Console ports in the future? Lord knows that text sims never seem to make it to console gaming machines, but if any can, it would be one of y'all lines. Although I don't know how prevelent consoles are over there, so it may just be a wasted thought.

[kserra]

Sorry, one more thing...

What changes are being made to ensure that the game does not slow down like the previous games...

What type of computer requirements are you guys shooting for...

ok...back to work...maybe...

[SirFozzie]

Here's the scary thing:

It looks like roughly the same amount of nations, but 50 MORE LEAGUES..

Never Mind the Conference.. how low can you go???

(Foz's Head Explodes)

[Marc Vaughan]

Marc - Any chance of Console ports in the future? Lord knows that text sims never seem to make it to console gaming machines, but if any can, it would be one of y'all lines. Although I don't know how prevelent consoles are over there, so it may just be a wasted thought.
The CM3 engine made it onto the Xbox in Europe and did very well, the forthcoming next-gen consoles are now starting to approach the stage where they can probably handle the CM4 game engine .... I'm evaluating this at the moment, time will tell ;)

[Marc Vaughan]

Sorry, one more thing...

What changes are being made to ensure that the game does not slow down like the previous games...

What type of computer requirements are you guys shooting for...

ok...back to work...maybe...

It'll be based on our existing game engine so will be an enhanced version of that, we are looking into optimising it further so I've expect it to move a tad faster than CM4 .... but no great promising from me in this regard.

[Thomkal]

Marc,

First off congrats on the deal with Sega, hope it works out for you.

Second, how "newbie friendly" do you expect this version of the game to be? As someone with no soccer background, I was had no clue what to do in previous versions. :)

[Blade6119]

any word on the U.S. players and league....PLEASE???!!!

[Blade6119]

dola, and congrats on the deal. Sega is a hell of an upgrade of Edios!

[3ric]

Marc,

First off congrats on the deal with Sega, hope it works out for you.

Second, how "newbie friendly" do you expect this version of the game to be? As someone with no soccer background, I was had no clue what to do in previous versions. :)

A "tutorial mode" as in Civ3 would be a nice addition for beginners.

[GrantDawg]

Don't tell my wife, but I've found the new love of my life. We will be honeymooning 24 hours a day until I colapse in a heap shortly after launch date.

[Qwikshot]

Time to start saving cash again...

[MIJB#19]

SkyDog: Our Soccer, their football..

They call our football "GridIron"I always like "American Football", it sounds so much better.

[Radii]

screenshots look amazing. The live updates section during match play is espicially appealing.

[ice4277]

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Pre- and post-match information

Managers will be presented with enhanced information before and after each match, to show team line-ups, injuries and tactics before the match, and lots of stats about the match afterwards.

International player news

Managers will receive information on international performances, allowing them follow their players’ careers and ascertain how they are performing at the highest level.

Cup summary news

Events which unfold in each round of all of the major cup competitions will be delivered to the manager in a news summary.

2D clips from agents

Managers are likely to receive ‘video clips’ (executed using the game’s acclaimed 2D match engine) of a player’s performances, sent to them by that player’s agent with view to a possible transfer.

Manager ‘mind games’

Managers can click on any other manager’s name and issue a comment to the media relating to that person. The effects of these comments will see an increase in the amount of pressure surrounding title races, relegation battles, Cup ties and so on. It will also be possible to use this feature in relation to your own players, other clubs, media pundits etc.


Further Features

• More realistic awards system.
Pre- and post-match info sounds like a very useful feature. It will be great to finally get player info from international matches again! Cup summary news sounds like a great idea, perhaps a weekly roundup of league action as well? 2D clips from player's agents sounds intriguing, and the manager's mind games portion is something that should definitely increase the amount of media interaction in the game. This was probably the best news one could receive on a cold Thursday in Michigan :D

[Chubby]

Congrats Marc and others at SI.

Since I would assume these will be out on cd as opposed to download I'm really looking forward to being able to go to the mall and buy it on a spur of the moment as I usually do with PC games.

I can't wait for EHM :)

[Crapshoot]

11.40am - Win £10,000! - Design the logo for FM. It will be voted for by the SI community as well as the ESPNSoccerNet and GamesRadar communities (apologies to GamesSpy ... I don't do biz stuff).
Full details will be on sigames.com later.
11.50am - First new feature list for FM
12.00am - FM Screenshots shown


I didn't know Duffy had a bit of Robbie Savage in him (Screenshot) :D

[druez]

Best sports game ever. I love CM and I'm sure I'll love this upcoming game even more.

I'm looking forward to hockey as EHM was a great free game and I can only imagine what this version will be like.

I really wish you guys would make an American Football Game :).

[illinifan999]

Dammit! I don't even know what to say right now. That feature list just sounds so much better and I didn't think it was possible to make it that much better.

[Karim]

Wow...

God that interface looks gorgeous.... So long Eidos...

[Easy Mac]

The interface looks like Itunes for soccer. Nothing wrong with that, but I hope those windows explorer menus on the left won't be in the finished game. I hate having to click those little square boxes in order to expand menus.

[tucker342]

wow, that feature list is nice:D

[daedalus]

Marc and the folks at SI, congratulations on the deal. The new screenshots are gorgeous.

Good job, y'all. :)

[daedalus]

I seriously tried to get into Championship Manager, and it was clearly a deep-well done game, but the bottom line for me was that I found the games and stats meaningless. I learned from CM that I need to have at least some level of interest and knowledge of a sport before I can get into a text sim of it, which means I'll stick to baseball, football and basketball. The good news for me is that I don't have enough free time to play the text sims of those three games as much as I'd like, so it isn't like I'm missing out when I don't play sims of other sports.No game is for EVERYBODY. I absolutely respect your opinions on this because I know you've given CM a legitimate and fair attempt before forming your opinion. [And if I remember correctly, twice.]

I'm a soccer-disliker who became a soccer-fan of sort from playing CM/FM. I'm even considering . . . buying Arsenal kits. I'm ashamed of myself.

But, dang, I can't wait for this game.

[Marc Vaughan]

Congrats Marc and others at SI.

Since I would assume these will be out on cd as opposed to download I'm really looking forward to being able to go to the mall and buy it on a spur of the moment as I usually do with PC games.

I can't wait for EHM :)

We're hoping for a retail release worldwide for them, obviously at this early stage I have no idea of exact details regarding this (just concentrating on getting the games made myself .. Miles deals with all the biz stuff).

[Ben E Lou]

Bump...unstick...archive

[Francis_Cole]

Bump...unstick...archive

That sounds painful :D

[SirFozzie]

LOL!

So, how's your bandwidth bills Francis? Your ISP crying all the way to the bank? :)

[moriarty]

I'm a soccer-disliker who became a soccer-fan of sort from playing CM/FM. I'm even considering . . . buying Arsenal kits. I'm ashamed of myself.

I bought my Liverpool kit and I don't even like the color red. Might have to get a new jersey too if Owen leaves.

[GrantDawg]

I would love an England team kit.

[Desnudo]

---
Job centre for non-playing positions

Non-playing jobs will be advertised through an in-game ‘Job Centre’, improving the manager’s ability to hire coaches and other staff.

Mutual contract termination

Managers will be able to offer surplus players an opportunity to agree mutual contract termination, which will reduce the cost of releasing players and trimming squads.

Enhanced player loan options

Managers can now approach other clubs to offer young players on loan, a process which will make it easier to give younger players competitive experience. Also, when players’ loan periods expire, the manager will have an opportunity to extend the loan (where appropriate).

Manager ‘mind games’

Managers can click on any other manager’s name and issue a comment to the media relating to that person. The effects of these comments will see an increase in the amount of pressure surrounding title races, relegation battles, Cup ties and so on. It will also be possible to use this feature in relation to your own players, other clubs, media pundits etc.


Further Features

• Playable leagues in 43 countries.
• More than 140 playable senior divisions and in excess of 100 playable cup competitions.
• Reserve and junior league competitions.
• More than 235,000 players and staff (from 145 different countries) with players boasting more than 120 separate attributes and non-playing staff boasting 40.
• A database of more than 14,000 clubs, 3,000 of which can be managed.
• Data supplied by a network of more than 2,500 researchers from around the world.
• Updated 2D ‘top-down’ match engine.
• Improved ‘radio commentary’.
• Increased interaction with the media.
• Reworked injury system.
• Improved scouting system.
• Improved finance module to reflect the changing face of football.
• Comments when negotiating with human managers (network multi-player game only).
• Inclusion of U18 Caps.
• More realistic awards system.

--------

Oh man I can't wait. It all sounds so good. Manager mind games might get me to try out MP. The screens look so sweet. Huge GUI improvement.

[Desnudo]

Dola:

People in England actually call football "gridiron" in casual conversation? I just have trouble picturing people saying that without laughing.

[rkmsuf]

they should call it "oblong ball through a big H"...

[Desnudo]

Would you stop following me around please? ;)

[rkmsuf]

Desnudo, you're my hero...

[Godzilla Blitz]

Great news. Congrats to SI and Marc!

Looking forward to the new game!

With Sega pushing the game, it sure would seem that SI Games has the upper hand in the upcoming Eidos vs. SI Games soccer text-sim battle. Speaking of which, are there any screen shots for Eidos' "Championship Manager"? He he.

The new features look interesting too.

[Desnudo]

Desnudo, you're my hero...

It's all about the fans rkmsuf. I couldn't do it without you.

[Mac Howard]

I guess congratulations are in order, Marc, though I'm a little surprised that your experience with CM4 and Eidos didn't make you wary of tieing in with another mainstrweam publisher. I trust you have maintained content independance and some say in the release of the final game.

I personally hope that both you and Eidos go on to produce excellent games to disperse this silly mentality that there's only one game worth playing and that competition and innovation return to the genre for the benefit of us all. I await the games from both of you with considerable interest and apprehension :)

Editing

mainstream - I really have to stop watching Rugrats! :rolleyes:

[daedalus]

I bought my Liverpool kit and I don't even like the color red. Might have to get a new jersey too if Owen leaves.Owen in another jersey . . . would just be so wrong. So very wrong.

[BreizhManu]

Owen in another jersey . . . would just be so wrong. So very wrong.

Real Madrid anyone ?

[daedalus]

Real Madrid anyone ?I'm not saying it's impossible or even, now, unlikely. It'd just seem . . . wrong. Just as odd as it is to see Beckham move.

In fact, I'd think of Owen as the most likely target of Real. I honestly don't know how he compares as a footballer to either Henry or Van Nistelrooij but he's a bigger "draw" then either as far as I can tell. As far as I know, he's definitely a bigger draw in the Far East. That makes him a more fitting target for Real. Owen aside, Tottie would be more logical as a draw than either of the other two strikers.

[Mac Howard]

Henry I think is the more flexible player. If I were looking for a player to fit in with the likes of Ronaldo, Raul etc Henry would be my pick. Not that Real necessarily buy the player who best fits in with the current squad :)

[ice4277]

I think Real may finally wise up and go after somebody like Sol Campbell to help out their defense.

[BreizhManu]

I think Real may finally wise up and go after somebody like Sol Campbell to help out their defense.

The problem is that Florentino Perez isn't thinking of building a team, what he wants is a star.So, yes, Defense is what the Real really need to improve but if Perez can get a Henry or an Owen instead, he'll buy it even if it is useless for the team.

[DukeRulesMAB]

Marc - Any word on US players and leagues? I guess it's most likely that's a detail yet to be worked out, but hopefully Sega's presence in the US is a good sign?

[ice4277]

The problem is that Florentino Perez isn't thinking of building a team, what he wants is a star.So, yes, Defense is what the Real really need to improve but if Perez can get a Henry or an Owen instead, he'll buy it even if it is useless for the team.
We'll see if thats what they are thinking after they fail to win the Champion's League this year.