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Developer interview: Pro Evolution Soccer 2015

Soccer is becoming more and more popular worldwide, so are games that simulate it. Pro Evolution Soccer 2015 is one of the most anticipated sports games of the year, Krishna Bahirwani talks to game developer, Adam Bhatti, to discover what goes into making a game franchise which has sold more than 82 million copies globally

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Was the pressure high because of last year's shortcomings?
Absolutely. When we started thinking about how we approach the game, we needed to take a look at what our fans were saying, and what they wanted. They were not happy, and felt we'd forgotten why the fans played PES. We took this moment to reassess, to react, and create something true to our series. Because we felt if did that, not only would we win them over, but everyone who plays football games.

What can we expect from PES 2015?
A return to our roots. We went all the way back to PES5 and PES6, the time where most believe PES was the king. After last year, we needed to reset in many ways, and what better way to do that than by taking some of the greatest football games ever made? We wanted users to feel the game was responsive, to feel the enjoyment of taking players on and playing that killer throughpass, and finally bring that true feeling of satisfaction when you scored a great goal.

What differentiates PES from FIFA in your opinion?
Attention to detail when it comes to player representation and team representation. I want you to control players like our coverstar Mario Goetze and instantly feel his strengths and weaknesses. The way the players move, take a touch, tackle, fall etc etc. It about making every player in the team unique.

Then you have the team styles. This year we have given every team 3 formations for home and away, which factors in when they have the ball and when they don't. This makes using every team a totally different experience, and modes like Master League come to life staying engaging.

How much work goes into making a PES game? How large is the team and how does that compare with other Konami titles?

The key difference with PES is the fact it's a yearly title. It requires us to use the team across UK and Tokyo, and make sure that once we reach a certain stage of development, a smaller part of the team start looking towards the future. This allows us to keep making big changes each year.


How difficult is it to keep all aspects of gameplay balanced in a PES game?

It's the biggest challenge of any game really, and something that PES has had to battle each year. Known as a game for the hardcore football fan, the connoisseur's choice, it has to be challenging but without ever excluding someone. At the same time, make it too easy and suddenly you're alienating the fans who have been supporting the franchise for many years. It difficult, but very rewarding when you get it just right.

Tell us about adaptable match environments and my Club?

The adaptable environments came from us trying to give the user a unique experience when playing certain teams. We hear stories of smaller clubs not watering the grass when bigger club come to visit, just to through their passing game off. Same goes for cutting the grass, which impacts ball speed. Again this adds a lot of depth to Master League, where every match experience can differ completely based on those factors.

myClub is our new team building mode, where you use agents to purchase players and managers to create a team of stars. It's not a card game, we wanted to be far more closer to the real sport. So as progress through the game you'll earn in-game points that can be used to buy these agents, or use real money to use the best agents straight away and get the best players quicker.
There is a balance though. Along with managing your Team Spirit, which impacts how well your players play together, you have to stick to your manager ethos. If you have someone, like Pep Guardiola for example, who is known to play 4-3-3 but you have players suited for 4-4-2, you'll have to try and sign players that fit your styles or a manager that fits your system.

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