PES4 'definitely' playable on Xbox Live - sources

By Tom Bramwell Published 3 September, 2004

Highly placed insiders inform us that an announcement is imminent, after Konami takes an Xbox build featuring a Live button to Game Stars. PS2 owners, however, will almost certainly miss out.

Having discovered an Xbox Live button in the Game Stars Live build of Pro Evolution Soccer 4 earlier this week, Eurogamer has been told by various insiders that the Xbox version of the famous football title will "definitely" be playable online - although we're still waiting to find out whether more than two players will be able to compete at a time.

Konami has yet to officially confirm or deny Xbox Live support, despite including an Xbox Live button in its Game Stars Live build of the game (which, for the record, does look exactly like the photographed Xbox booth floating around forums and mailing lists at the moment), but we understand from sources close to the publisher that an announcement is now imminent.

However, the PS2 version of the game will almost certainly not support online play - or PS2 Online in any regard. The word circulating at the moment is that the PS2 version was submitted to Sony this August barely a couple of weeks after Winning Eleven 8 shipped in Japan - something that Konami will neither confirm or deny - and does not include any online gameplay functionality.

The fate of the PC version, meanwhile, is more difficult to comment on. The PC version was not at Game Stars Live from what we saw, and Konami has yet to comment on the version's networking support.

Pro Evolution Soccer 4 is due out on PS2, Xbox and PC early this October.

Picture of Tom.

About Tom Bramwell

Tom is Operations director of Eurogamer Network and Editor-at-Large of Eurogamer.net. He joined the company in February 2000.

Read more articles from Tom by visiting the Tom Bramwell archive page.

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Comments (18) Latest comment 8 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • Tomster #1 8 years ago

    If only Sony paid a bit more attention to their developers instead of their bloody Cell chips... oh well, just buy an Xbox ;)

    Wicked!!!

  • uiruki #2 8 years ago

    Well, this could be a very big coup indeed for Xbox if they market it right - Xbox Live, the only way to play PES online. It could sell a good number of consoles over Christmas if they start running a TV advert for Live, for example.

  • perilikid #3 8 years ago

    Me = happy.

  • praetorian #4 8 years ago

    The only reason I'd get an Xbox would be to play PES online. £100 for the console and £40 for the game... much as I love PES, it's not worth £140.

  • TipTop #5 8 years ago

    True but once you have spent the £140 you can also play PGR2, Black Arrow and SC:pT online, which is better value imho ... :)

    PES4 = teh win (or some other suitably cool and happening jargon)

  • perilikid #6 8 years ago

    Plus, praetorian, I'm sure you'd be able to get a deal on it.

  • gizmo #7 8 years ago

    WOW.

  • Sunrise #8 8 years ago

    PES4 on Live! is worth buying an XBOX and the game for me. I'm still researching how hard the broadband company is going to make it for me!

  • jeff #9 8 years ago

    fantastic news but i just want to hear an official announcement from konami although it seems pretty definate now.

    there can't be any doubt though that this is great news for microsoft in europe as i know many people who don't have live yet,but with pro evo online many people will go for xbox live pretty much just for this game.

    as for how many players online well i would be ok with 2 players although i'm sure this will increase as the developers get to grips with xbox live,i would like to see konami include a ranking system eg,how many games you've won,lost,drawn or quit[one of the problems on live is people who are getting beat in sports games just quit the game so this should be shown on there rank so you can decide not to play against them].
    all in all this should be a massive hit for konami and xbox.

  • Khab #10 8 years ago

    /imagines 22-player matches

    /faints with pleasure

  • coderkind #11 8 years ago

    So long as they make sure that people who quit the game if they're losing are punished with an official loss, then I'll be happpy.

    There is nothing more frustrating than Streetfighter on the XBox when someone pulls the plug just before they lose!

    As for online play, 2 players will do for now, but if they include online tournaments I'll officially cream myself. Twice.

    I've already an XBox, but if I didn't I would shell out £140 for Pro Evo online; the game IS THAT GOOD.

  • sir_tripod #12 8 years ago

    I was going to sell my xbox but now I'm not so sure. The situation is made even worse with this news along with GTA:SA coming soon, which will probably be a better version due to the graphics, loading time and downloadable content, notwithstanding the shitty controllers. In addition there's Burnout 3: Takedown on "Live", Outrun 2 and Halo 2 of course. The futures bright. The future's black and green - or so it seems.

    It looks like my once beloved PS2 will now have to be shown the door. If only Sony weren't such laggards with getting the PS2 online...

  • jeff #13 8 years ago

    hopefully konami won't go the codemasters route with england international football that had serious disconection issues and no stat tracking whatsoever.The games xbox live feature was clearly rushed and it showed,big style.

  • gamingdave #14 8 years ago

    /imagines 22-player matches

    /pictures 22 fools playing out of position all chasing the ball going for glory

  • mcmonkeyplc #15 8 years ago

    Im going to faint!

    I just played this at game stars and it seems the control system is very well suited to the xbox. It's almost like playing it on the PS2! I picked up the controller with out any prior knowledge as to how the xbox control was set up. I scored a goal within 10 minutes (game time) of playing!

    No, one can use the excuse that their not used to the controls on this game cause there practically the same!

    As for the graphics, they were a bit meh PS2 style maybe a bit more polished and for some reason smith looks like a mong. I dont really care about these issues really, as far as I was concerned the game played great and that's all it needed.

    Now we have Live play and I've just avoided creaming my self!

  • MoFo #16 8 years ago

    Spot the Microsoft employee/marketing tosser.

  • TheRealBadabing #17 8 years ago

    Random PS2 Fanboi said:

    "Spot the Microsoft employee/marketing tosser. "

    Trust me, I have known some marketing pillow-biters in my time but you are wrong in this case. It does work on an Xbox pad, and Konami have decided, as they have always said they would, to go for the best online option for their game.

    No-brainer really, Live is the best online service.

  • onezeonx #18 8 years ago

    lol 20 BIG titles !!!

    i dont think so
    ps2 has maybe 5 BIG TITLES and about 10-15 ok/good ones

    the xbox has more BIG titles than that



    plus if you dont like the x box pad get a converter
    pro evo on xb live will be great
    Edited by 1 at 04/09/04 @ 14:42