Mention football games around here, and folks immediately gravitate to the beautiful game as digitally constructed in the FIFA series. But PES? Man, those stories get more scorn than a business that specialises in getting rid of unwanted puppies. Last year’s PES 2014 however, hit a new benchmark for public hate, with a public Metacritic score right now of 4.5. That’s pretty low, and it might have something to do with the fact that the game was a buggy mess.
And that’s after PES 2013, a game which is largely considered to be the best of the series, before the 2014 edition got a red card. Some folks say that PES 2014 felt decrepit and ancient, while others such as the highly valued opinion of FRG2000 reckon that the entire game was broken. And Konami agrees with that sentiment.
“With PES 2014, we had a new engine – the FOX Engine – that we were trying to incorporate and many of the gameplay feelings of PES were just lost really, because we were trying to make a game that looked beautiful,” PES Production’s European brand manager, Adam Bhatti said to Videogamer.
But really, PES has been known for playing the beautiful game but not really caring about… how we moved, having the most accurate animation. [Earlier PES games] definitely captured certain things, like a player run, for example, but it was super responsive and that allowed you to be very instinctive when you played. [In] PES 2014, you had to think two seconds before you were going to do something because the animation would play out, and that’s not PES.
That’s all fine and dandy then, but what does that really mean for the franchise? Quite simple actually. A PES game will dispense some football action when it’s done. Simple as that. Of course, what sounds simple is still a helluva a challenge for an annual sports game, and Suarez forbid that such a genre game release in the year that it is named after.
Still, a game releasing when it is completely finished, even with micro-transactions, sounds like a great idea to me. My word, we could be onto something here.
Last Updated: July 9, 2014
Alien Emperor Trevor
July 9, 2014 at 09:07
Did my sarcasm detector just beep? No… I must have imagined it.
Jim Lenoir (Banana Jim)
July 9, 2014 at 09:08
The future is hyper-episodic gaming. Research has shown that gamers rarely bother to finish games, so why not sell the ending to those hapless sacks that do. Also, why sell something for only 60 dollahs when you can sell it for $160 through hyper-episodic add ons and content.
Yes, we’re EAKonamiUbisoft. Fuck You Gamers!
Umar Reborn XIV
July 9, 2014 at 09:09
Hehehe you know it’s BS when the PR statement starts with “Research has shown”
Alien Emperor Trevor
July 9, 2014 at 09:10
Right up the CrapperCom?
Hammersteyn
July 9, 2014 at 09:12
That’s that mean all the people that bought PES 2014 gets half their money back? Didn’t think so
Alien Emperor Trevor
July 9, 2014 at 09:14
“We’re sorry for knowingly releasing a broken game. Please buy the next one. We promise it’s better.”
Hmmm… where have I heard that before? O_o
Jim Lenoir (Banana Jim)
July 9, 2014 at 09:15
Molyneux cycles are getting out of hand. Release shitty gaming. Defend it with PR, Apologise for shit game just in time for the next shit game. (Rinse and Repeat)
Hammersteyn
July 9, 2014 at 09:22
I wonder how well Godus is doing?
Jim Lenoir (Banana Jim)
July 9, 2014 at 09:22
Moly has been very quiet, so I guess… “not so great”
CAE9872
July 9, 2014 at 09:22
Becoming a bit of an F’ing trend lately!!! And there goes some respect I had for PES; admit to releasing a half-finished game. What next – release no game for R800!!!
Dutch Matrix
July 9, 2014 at 09:42
Just that! R800.00 But we gave you a shiny manual. Now please log in, and pay us a further R800.00 for some game.
Jim Lenoir (Banana Jim)
July 9, 2014 at 09:14
The Gaming industry is in need of an industry-wide collapse. Sure, jobs will be lost. Executives will defenestrate themselves and plunge to the Earth to form a rubbery goo on the pavement – But it’s clear now, one can not make an omelette without breaking a few eggs, and Rome needs to burn.
ROME NEEDS TO BURN!! And EA needs to be first! DEATH TO EA!
Umar Reborn XIV
July 9, 2014 at 09:17
Industry needs to burn!….but just keep those JRPGs intact pretty please
Jim Lenoir (Banana Jim)
July 9, 2014 at 09:18
Nothing can kill JRPGs. They’re like heavy metal. SquareEnix tried to kill the JRPG, but failed as they were smite to the ground.
Umar Reborn XIV
July 9, 2014 at 09:22
NEVER! They will live on forever in the hearts of pre-teen Japanese school girls!
Alien Emperor Trevor
July 9, 2014 at 09:30
Yes! Keep the JRPGs intact. And COD. And BF. And WOW. And AC. And ME. And DA. Hmmm… no wonder nothing changes.
Hammersteyn
July 9, 2014 at 09:19
EA is Rome, Indie games are nomadic like Atilla the Hun. Rockstar is like Sparta.
Jim Lenoir (Banana Jim)
July 9, 2014 at 09:21
EA is the Carthagian Empire. The Gamers are ROME! LET HUBRIS NOT BE OUR DOWNFALL!!! (Straps on a BANANA SHAPED GLADIUS!!!)
Dutch Matrix
July 9, 2014 at 09:44
I do not think you want to strap on a banana shaped anything, unless you are aiming for the “We will F&ck You Up!” metaphor…
Hammersteyn
July 9, 2014 at 09:21
Also I nominate Capcom as second to die, if only because of Megaman.
Jim Lenoir (Banana Jim)
July 9, 2014 at 09:22
Hail Megaman! I second this nomination! Death to Capcom. Death to EA. Death to Konami!
Dutch Matrix
July 9, 2014 at 09:43
Banana for President!
No. Really…
Hammersteyn
July 9, 2014 at 09:16
Also, nice bong.
Alien Emperor Trevor
July 9, 2014 at 09:17
Coincidentally, “bong” is the sound effect that played when he kicked the ball.
Jim Lenoir (Banana Jim)
July 9, 2014 at 09:24
Incidentally, the whole of Brazil is in need of a bong today.
Hammersteyn
July 9, 2014 at 09:26
$11 Billion budget for the World Cup, suffers worst defeat ever. The only way it could have been worse was if Brazil lost by this margin to Argentina in the final
Alien Emperor Trevor
July 9, 2014 at 09:26
I’m waiting to see if one of the players is assassinated. If it was Colombia it would already have happened.
Jim Lenoir (Banana Jim)
July 9, 2014 at 09:30
If it was Colombia, heads would have rolled (LITERALLY)
Hammersteyn
July 9, 2014 at 09:24
Or the sound when it hits an Executives head
CAE9872
July 9, 2014 at 09:22
Speaking football – shame about Brazil. Whahahahahaha…man I have seen school kids defend better!
Hammersteyn
July 9, 2014 at 09:24
Ive seen Poland defend better against Germany, wait were still talking football right?
Alien Emperor Trevor
July 9, 2014 at 09:29
There’s a tanking joke in there somewhere.
Jim Lenoir (Banana Jim)
July 9, 2014 at 09:29
That Blitzkrieg!
Hammersteyn
July 9, 2014 at 09:30
Jeremy Clarkson had the right idea
http://theinspirationroom.com/daily/commercials/2009/8/top-gear-berlin-to-warsaw.jpg
Ragnar Lothbrok
July 9, 2014 at 10:43
With a bit more polish they could have won.
Hammersteyn
July 9, 2014 at 10:52
hahahaha
Jim Lenoir (Banana Jim)
July 9, 2014 at 09:25
I have seen grannies in the granny football league play better. It was like Germany had set the difficulty to easy….
CAE9872
July 9, 2014 at 09:26
LOL
Hammersteyn
July 9, 2014 at 09:26
One played Fifa the other PES
Alien Emperor Trevor
July 9, 2014 at 09:27
hahahaha
Jonah Cash
July 9, 2014 at 09:31
Don’t play PES so don’t really care…. Hope Fifa 15 is better than Fifa 14 was for the first few months!!
FoxOneZA
July 9, 2014 at 10:47
Tried FIFA World F2p this morning. Kept on coming up with connection lost 🙁
Jonah Cash
July 9, 2014 at 12:01
Yes that version got fucking 2 servers if that!!! It has the worst lag in the world!!!