Konami promises big with PES 2010

By Robert Purchese Published 8 April, 2009

Going back to "simulation roots".

Konami has announced the next instalment in the Pro Evolution Soccer series for release on PC, Xbox 360, PS3, PS2 and PSP this autumn.

We're promised the biggest, best and most realistic Pro Evolution Soccer ever, of course. Immediately, swarms of buzz-words - "reworked", "revamped", "greatly enhanced" - surround the graphics and animations paragraphs. These are unlikely to mean creator Seabass has ditched the old engine in favour of a new one, however, and we won't really know the extent of the changes until we see the game in motion.

So, on we go, because underneath are changes worth noting. Konami has dedicated an entire team to improving online play in PES 2010 and bolstering downloadable content, for starters.

Plus, Konami wants PES 2010 to go back to the "simulation roots" of the series, which means removing "soft goals" and making defenders and midfielders cover space for each other to eliminate silly weak spots. Several players can be controlled at once, too, and runs can be triggered during set-pieces.

Formation-bossed player behaviour has been sidelined in favour of unique player behaviour based on their strengths and weaknesses. Good crossers will entice team-mates to flood the box, for example, while lone strikers will prompt quick support and skilled dribblers will scare the snot out of defenders.

That should reduce time spent formation fiddling, as should a new power gauge that quickly assesses formations and whether one will greatly overpower another. Perhaps a team with great width plays a narrow-minded opponent, let's say; in that case the gauge will favour the former.

A new penalty system requiring greater control and accuracy has been added. Also note the introduction of zonal defending, smarter referees (pigs can fly!) and more believable goalkeepers.

Konami promises "vital new additions" to the Master League, but won't say what, and Argentinian wonder-boy Lionel Messi will beam out from the PES 2010 box. Konami has exclusive UEFA Cup (now the Europa League) licence, as well.

"We aim to make PES 2010 a more user-friendly, immediate experience that places the emphasis on getting straight into the gameplay for which the series is famed. PES 2010 will look better, will play better, and will recreate real football as closely as the current hardware will allow," said Konami Japan's Naoya Hatsumi.

We'll see.

Picture of Robert.

About Robert Purchese

Bertie is Eurogamer's Senior Staff Writer. When he's not hunting down news stories he's often found playing with his kids or gabbling about fantasy games and strange online worlds.

Read more articles from Robert by visiting the Robert Purchese archive page.

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Comments (38) Latest comment 3 years ago

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  • AaronTurner #1 3 years ago

    Is this the same press release from previous years?

  • DFawkes #2 3 years ago

    I thought that said "Konami promises bug with PES 2010". That'd have been a good headline.

  • Razzajazz #3 3 years ago

    So far, all this press release has done is convince me that I should invest in FIFA '10 this year. I really want them to buck their ideas up at Konami, and it doesn't look like it's happened, unfortunately. :(

  • Lionheart #4 3 years ago

    /waits for both demos... How premature is this btw, i bet EA are cracking up laughing

  • NotSoSlim #5 3 years ago

    Alot of good changes there and as theyn have a actula next gen team working on the game insted of the same number that worked on the PS2 games i am hopeful. As long as it improves i will buy

    Like the idea of different players being controleed and back to simulation roots!!

  • The-Bodybuilder #6 3 years ago

    Same engine? Same problems, same results.

  • hiddenranbir #7 3 years ago

    @Aaaron Turner

    Haha, yes it is!

  • ryohazuki1983 #8 3 years ago

    Gonna take a few years to catch up with Fifa IMO. Only way they can catch up, is if EA get lazy (Like before) and just ride of the success from 09.

  • chiz #9 3 years ago

    The promise of a dedicated team working on the online mode may sway me this time. After the joke that was pes09's online play, I'm very skeptical.

  • CallousB #10 3 years ago

    Surely they are not going to be so stupid as to keep releasing the wii version late ? they must realise how much it would benefit from a marketing standpoint if it's released at the same time.

  • Lankysi #11 3 years ago

    I'd like to see more realistic offside decisions......i.e. not computer pin-point accuracy on whether or not a player's strayed off, I'm talking human factor decisions!

    I'd also like to see more intelligence from your own team players, so lets hope that promise does materialise as show in the press release (altho we all know PR's are just marketing hype)

    And I'd LOVE to see up to date transfers!! PES has been coming out a week after FIFA in recent years and yet FIFA manages to have teams up to date as far as the August transfer deadline, PES doesn't.........how does that work?!

  • dahsif #12 3 years ago

    ACTION speaks louder than WORDS.

    UPDATE:
    Also, "Konami promises bug with PES 2010" would have been far more truthful, not to mention funnier.
    Edited by 1 at 08/04/09 @ 13:28

  • stueyg87 #13 3 years ago

    they need to do something with it, the past 3 versions have been shocking.

    go back to PES2 or 5 and it'll be a great game.

  • andywilkie35 #14 3 years ago

    "go back to PES2 or 5 and it'll be a great game."

    If they go back to PES5 then all will be forgiven

    Also bring back Memorial matches - surely the point of profiles on 360 and PS3 is ideal for this, but they took it out. Absolutely baffling.

  • Hermiod #15 3 years ago

    If they released PES4 or PES5 with HD graphics and updated teams I'd be more than happy. Every PES since has been an absolute joke.
    Edited by 1 at 08/04/09 @ 13:52

  • NotSoSlim #16 3 years ago

    @ Lord

    Yea of course Wii/360 and ignore the millions of PS3 owners!! lmao

    Edited by 1 at 08/04/09 @ 14:08

  • Zomoniac #17 3 years ago

    Really, who cares? You've said the same thing, that this year is the real next gen year, for the last 3 games. The few million sad PES obsessives so utterly grounded in their stubborness who cannot take the fact that their precious game has been outdone by the evil corporate FIFA are all going to buy it regardless, and the rest of us, who just want the best game, are so fed up of your bullshit, and so relieved that EA haven't just matched your game but excelled everything you've ever done by an inconceivably vast margin whilst you release the same archaic game year after year, that we've just lost all faith in your ability to actually develop a decent game.

  • SteveB #18 3 years ago

    For years we said that the perfect footy game would marry the game play of PES with the licenses and presentation of FIFA. We now have this, it's called FIFA 09.

    PES is irrelevant now. I would do the opposite to what they are proposing to do and make it more arcade like. take it back to it's Nintendo roots. Bringing back analogue control would be a start and would differentiate it from FIFA.

  • LiamK #19 3 years ago

    "they need to do something with it, the past 3 versions have been shocking.

    go back to PES2 or 5 and it'll be a great game."

    Well, why not just play PES 5 then?

    To be honest, I think this is part of the series problem. Last year's PR talk mentioned about how the series was going to try and be more like PES 5. This year they mention going back to their simulation roots. It means that PES is caught in a constant cycle of changing something, then changing it back. FIFA on the other hand just says "how can I make this better?", and that approach has now paid off.

  • Fab4 #20 3 years ago

    Have they actually seen Lionel Messi 'beaming'? It isnt a pretty sight.

  • tobs #21 3 years ago

    I have bought every PC PES and quite a number of Playstation ones, and ISS before that. It has been a disaster since 6, so my friends and I are back on 6 with a free update for latest transfers, a private server program and running kitserver so the textures are higher res(sort of) and wide screen. I'll try the demo this time out, but for the first time Seabass has used all the good will up so not an automatic purchase for me. As Brian Potter said - "shape up or sh*t out!"

  • Lankysi #22 3 years ago

    And would someone PLEASE do an indoor mode a la Masters Football on Sky!

  • El-Dev #23 3 years ago

    Fifa 09 was the first Fifa I'd bought since Fifa 2001(which was one of the games I got with my PS2) and I must say I'm quite happy with that.

    PES2008 on the PS3 was an absolute shambles and 2009 was no better from what I gathered playing it on my housemates 360. I didn't like Fifa09 when I first played the demo but it definately grew on me and is a great football game, though it has a steep learning curve.

    @ lord, are you actually fucking serious? I will give you serious kudos if you never post a comment, speak and breathe ever again.

  • hiddenranbir #24 3 years ago

    It means that PES is caught in a constant cycle of changing something, then changing it back.

    Typical way Japanese developers seem to handle their games.

  • awb83 #25 3 years ago

    I've said it before and I will say it again.....

    Even though FIFA is brilliant when it comes down to playing a game of football PES09 beats FIFA, but it terms of an overall package FIFA beats PES hands down.


    What Konami have said about PES2010 sounds promising, lets hope they deliver

  • Eurolamer #26 3 years ago

    FIFA really is great this year but it doesn't have the personality of the older Pro Evos. Somehow it just feels a bit clinical. The manager mode doesn't inspire the same love that Master League used to.

    PES '09 was pretty good but a bit of a safety option. They need to get back on track with a solid release or PES could become a forgotten series.

  • superdelphinus #27 3 years ago

    "Even though FIFA is brilliant when it comes down to playing a game of football PES09 beats FIFA,"

    that simply hasn't been the case for about 2 cycles now

  • number9 #28 3 years ago

    @Zomoniac
    +1

    @simon0044
    You clearly live in denial.
    I have never understood people who become supporters of a console as if it were a football team.
    But people who become supporters of a game series goes way way beyond my imagination.

  • El-Dev #29 3 years ago

    "If you want all the bells and whistles of football but with gameplay akin to playing on ice in slow motion buy Fifa

    If you want crap master league, not many licensed teams but a decent game of football buy PES

    This is still as true today as it was in 1999

    Fifa is a good single player game when you get past the fact it plays nothing like football

    PES is a great multiplayer game of football when you get past the fact it doesnt have the flash of Fifa

    It does'nt matter how many game sites say Fifa has caught up or is better, any true football gamer knows it isnt"
    ------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------ ----------------------------------

    This statement is completely incorrect.

  • TrevSkyline #30 3 years ago

    Again, the big "PROMISIES"!

    Every year Konami spout this crap - after being a life long PES fan I finally made the jump to Fifa last year, it was a much better simulation of football than Konamis shocking PES 2009.

    It's going to take some MAJOR improvement to take me back to PES......GAME ON!

  • AusFreelancer #31 3 years ago

    Talk is cheap....and so is their budget.

  • ozallez #32 3 years ago

    i'm sold on the manager mode (albeit flawed) in fifa as well as the gameplay. So they'd need to radically change the Master League to get me back.

  • Zomoniac #33 3 years ago

    Fifa is a good single player game when you get past the fact it plays nothing like football

    In football teams build up slowly from the back, holding up the ball, adjusting the tempo of the game, moving off the ball always looking for the perfect break. Rather like FIFA. But they can't sprint the length of the pitch in three seconds and routinely score from 40 yards out. So not really like PES at all then.

  • Zomoniac #34 3 years ago

    i'm sold on the manager mode (albeit flawed) in fifa as well as the gameplay. So they'd need to radically change the Master League to get me back.

    I'm not massive on FIFA's manager mode. My main objection is... why after two games of the season do all my players start every match with 0 stamina, but all opposition players always have full? If my players get season fatigue at a ridiculously fast rate then surely everyone else's should as well? I pretty much have to have a second set of ten players to swap in every three games just to let them be able to run again.

    But Ultimate Team mode is a million kinds of awesome, and made with a fine combination of crack and heroin.

  • Mr-Bozzey #35 3 years ago

    japs making footy games .... no it just doesnt work its not in there culture ! leave it to the west lads fifa 10 is gonna own !

  • El-Dev #36 3 years ago

    Zomoniac, put your fitness training up to about 8 or 9 and your players will have full stamina.

  • buzzer317 #37 3 years ago

    @Mr_Bozzey On the other hand, Canadians are the true masters of "soccer"!
    Edited by 1 at 09/04/09 @ 17:06

  • colvinrhys #38 3 years ago

    If everyone likes talking about fifa and EA so much they are on the wrong forum. PES is brilliant every year it gets better . Online needs a bit of work burt what i would like to see is a bit more colourand enthusiasim in the crowd.