Football Manager Handheld Preview

In between the booth babes and the general frenzy that was E3, we were ushered into a small, poorly insulated room that formed part of the Sega stand (music from a nearby stand was too loud and imposing – and crap), where we met with Miles Jacobson (Managing Director) and Marc Duffy (Product Manager) from Sports Interactive for details on the latest incarnation of the hugely successful PC spreadsheet, Football Manager 2006, plus news of the PSP version. Oops, did I say spreadsheet? I meant the most accurate football simulation there is.

Cheap jokes aside, it was a meeting I was very much looking forward to. Championship Manager 01/02 for many remains the pinnacle in the series and many an hour was lost to that title, both in solo and hot-seat play. Part of the appeal came about because it was very easy to pick-up and play for a little while (well, that was the intention – sessions quickly became protracted affairs), something that I for one felt became lost with later instalments in the series. That hasn’t stopped each version since selling like proverbial hot-cakes, though, even after a change of publisher and title last year. So, I was keen to know if the upcoming PC title would win me back, and also find out about the PSP version, to see if they can pull it off.

Details of the PSP version came first. The intention behind it, to paraphrase Miles, is to create a game that could be used when engaging in calls of nature, an admirable aim I’m sure you’ll agree. Much like WarioWare is cited as being five-minute gaming for the GBA/DS, so could FM06 be for the PSP. Play a match, negotiate a deal for a new star player, then save and turn-off. Simple. Of course, longer sessions will no-doubt come about, for those on-the-train moments, or waiting around airports (how I could have done with it whilst waiting at LAX to come home!).

For those oblivious to the PC title, Football Manager simulates the whole of the football world, from nurturing the youth team to dealing with the press – it’s the most comprehensive simulation of the sport, without doubt. Now to be fair, those expecting the same level of detail on the PSP are kidding themselves, because the small handheld simply isn’t the number crunching work horse that the PC is, and compromises have had to be made. But this is by no means a simple cash-in; indeed, what they have managed to cram into the unit is phenomenal. For starters, everything looks incredibly crisp and clear, and fears that there may just be too much info on the screen (with it looking cluttered) are unfounded. Most of the usual features are included (although training takes a back seat): multiple leagues, a large player database and dealing with the press, and everything else fans will expect.

Whilst we weren’t able to play any code, to actually see it running on a PSP is quite an achievement. I mean, Football Manager on a handheld? It’s a crazy, crazy world. So although there isn’t much to say on the actual game, things look very, very promising. Oh, and in the brief demo of the match engine, Watford beat Brighton (much to Miles’ delight). It’s fair to say that FM2006 on the PSP could be viewed as an extension of CM01/02, but with all the nice, new spangly features. And that would not be a bad thing at all.

The real money-maker, though, is the PC version. Unfortunately we weren’t able to see any code running, instead being presented with a series of static screenshots, but these did show us some of the new features we can expect to see when the game hits retail. Of those that were being discussed (there are more features that are to be announced soon enough), one that immediately made me happy was a more refined training system. Anybody who has charted the progress of the series will recall that the training mechanics underwent a massive overhaul in CM4, and garnered praise and hate in equal measure, as it went from simplistic to – dare I say it – anal, meaning that if you wanted to get involved you needed to sort out the schedules for each day of the week, giving you 30+ different areas (each affecting certain areas of the players’ development). It was quite daunting and meant that to get anywhere meant a lot of work. Well, FM2006 will bring back some simplicity. Slide-bars govern how much time is spent on a certain discipline, and the overall work-rate can be adjusted, so you can work players into the ground (at the risk of tiring and/or injuring players), or you can make it a more relaxing affair (and thereby slowing the rate of improvement). The key to the system, though, is that it’s quick and easy to organise, whilst providing enough depth for those that wish to find it.

Another nifty feature is the ability to see where your star winger can actually play. Previous versions of the game have had ‘hidden’ positions that a player can slot into, but you would have to study them carefully to find them. Well, hunt no more, as a graphical representation will tell you where they can play, along with an indication of how well-suited to that position they are. Players’ special moves (as it were) are now displayed, so if you have a striker that is good at long-range shooting, you can now tailor your team’s tactics to attempt to engineer situations that will allow this trait to be exploited. It’s a little detail, but enriches the experience and allows even more control of affairs.

Press interaction has also been improved, with more options dependant on the situation. And something that has been talked about before – manager contracts – is also in there. We were shown examples of the negotiations of such a contract, along with press reports from key players expressing delight or displeasure, depending on how they go.

All-in-all, things look very promising. Never content to rest on their collective laurels, the improvements already announced are more than simple cosmetic changes; indeed, the new training system alone has this reporter excited at the prospect of no longer ignoring that part of the game. We’ll be keeping an eye on this one, and hope to have some impressions of actual gameplay shortly, so watch this space.