Why I play Football Manager: the story of Shane “the wonder kid” Paul
Football Manager 2012 has been released, and like every year, the same questions are being asked: Why does a game that looks like Microsoft Excel sell so well? Why would you want to manage footballers when they could be playing them? Why do so many people play it for hours on end?
Well I’ve played a lot of Football Manager over the years, so I’m going to try and explain why. It’s because despite all the stats and number crunching, Football Manager is a game about stories. It’s about the little narratives that emerge from every game. Like this one. The story of Shane Paul.
FIFA 12′s Impact engine might need a bit of work
The FIFA 12 demo is out now. This year, they’ve added a smart new physics engine, the “Impact Engine”, to better model player collisions. Think of GTA’s hilarious ragdolls, but with more balls. This video, spotted via Reddit, suggests it might need a little bit of work.
What a finish.
The best custom leagues for Football Manager 2011
Do you find yourself getting bored with the usual league systems present in Football Manager? Have you always wanted to see a British Superleague or have the chance to play in a league based on the USSR circa 1991? If you can say yes to any of those questions then this list is what you need. Inside you can find five of the best, or most bizarre, custom leagues ready for you to play right now.
Five essential Football Manager 2011 mods
Football Manager 2011 has plenty of custom leagues and new skins, but mods themselves are pretty scarce. Still, we’ve selected the top five Mods to customise and streamline your Football Manager 2011 experience. Click through for the mods, and details of how to download.
FIFA 12 will be “as good on PC as it is on console”
FIFA eh? It’s a sore point for PC gaming football fans. Especially when they’re told the PC version won’t be as hot as the console counterparts. As Rich mentioned in his FIFA 11 review: “It’s hard not to be jealous of FIFA 11′s flashier console cousin.”
But it’s all change on the FIFA front. Eurogamer report that executive producer Kaz Makita has been bigging up our version of the ball-kicking sim, saying: “This is the moment all PC gamers have been waiting for, as they are finally going to fully experience the award-winning FIFA gameplay on their preferred platform.” Contrary to popular belief we are getting the Player Impact Engine – that’s the new tech that makes fatter players heavier and thinner players more flimsy.
Click through for the first PC screenshot and gameplay trailer.
First Football Manager 2011 details revealed
Sports Interactive yesterday announced 2011′s version of their life-altering, habit-forming Football Manager series. The game’s first screenshots are below, and I spoke to developer Sports Interactive’s Studio Director Miles Jacobson – look out for the interview later on the site – who explained a few of the game’s key features. Obviously, you’ll be managing footballers under your charge, but there’s a greater focus this year on reactivity: negotiations with players and agents are done quickfire over a virtual table, doing away with previous years’ oddly slow back and forth on contract discussion.
