Just because Konami have been concentrating so much on the gameplay in PES 2012, don’t think they’ve ignore the graphical side of the game. As you can see below, the graphical detail in each of the players faces are absolutely stunning! Congratulations have to go to Konami for pulling off such life-like appearances.
Konami have took a lot of stick the last couple of years for ruining possibly one of the most loved game franchises of all time, now it seems that they are trying to re-capture the essence of what made PES so amazing in the first place. Judging by these videos they are on the right track. I am a huge Pro evo fan so I was ecstatic to see how much of an improvement PES 2012 looks from previous iterations. Pro Evolution Soccer 2012 or FIFA 12? It might be closer than you think this year.
As a life long ‘PES fan’ I couldn’t of been more happier with today’s news that Konami confirmed the release date for PES 2012. It will be released in Europe on 14th October 2011, two weeks after FIFA 12 is released. It will be interesting to see whether this has any bearing on sales figures, it could well be a master stroke form the Japanese developers. All I know is, I am very excited for this game.
Jon Murphy, European PES Team Leader said
“PES 2012 is a massive advance for the football genre, truly the most ambitious and advanced football game ever. The additions we have made in terms of Teammate Control, Active AI and Off the Ball Control and elevate the level of play to new heights. No other game allows users so much control over their team, and PES 2012 ensures that the days of gaps in defence and shouting at teammates to make a run are long gone. This is a very exciting time to be a PES fan, and we are delighted that we can set a firm date for football fans to mark in their calendars.”
Konami's Jon Murphy who is the European PES Team Leader, answers questions from the fans across Twitter, Facebook and his personal blog. Some very interesting information about what's to come. This video will make true Pes Fans very happy, I'm sure.
Would you buy Metal Gear Solid 2 again for $49.99? Well what about if I threw Metal Gear Solid 3 in there with it? I mean come on that's a great deal. No? Fine I'll throw in the PSP title Metal Gear Solid: Peacewalker as well. Happy? Great, because this is the exactly what Konami are releasing later this year. Yes, Maybe it is a bit pricey but did I mention they will all be in glorious HD! Okay even if it does look anything like the God Of War HD Collection then it will still be a bit too expensive but Konami know, there are enough die hard Snake fans out there to make this offer worth while.
With Gamescom just around the corner, Konami have announced some details of what you can expect to be shown this year. Leading the charge this year will as always be Pro Evolution Soccer 2012, which has been getting some fantastic praise from critics so it makes sense for them to show off there legendary franchise.
Also on display and playable on the floor will be survival horror favourite Silent Hill along with Metal Gear Solid: Snake Eater 3D.
Its a strong start for Konami who always favour Gamescom to the most respected E3 and you can be sure that more announcements will follow shortly.
Will PES 2012 beat FIFA 12 this year? No, Probably not. With Fifa 11 shipping more than 820,000 in week one sales, To think that PES will out sell the giant this year is naive to say the least. Although are we looking at it all wrong? I mean do Konami want all of that fanbase? or just the hardcore. Well John Murphy UK PES Team Leader tells CVG what he thinks about this whole FIFA Vs PES debate and what chances PES has this year of attracting fans back to the former kings of virtual football.
Jon Murphy telling CVG:
"I really do believe that the offering we've got this year will pull some fans back from the competition. Perhaps we'll see another year when people buy both games, but after six months, we want to make sure they trade-in only one of them - and it's not ours.
"[FIFA] has the atmosphere, the crowds and certain licences we don't - and everybody knows they've got better commentary than us. I can't see that changing. And some of the stuff they're doing with the collisions looks great, depending how it works as you actually play.
"But if you want pure gameplay, I think we'll smash them this year. We've got so many things going for us, but just the lightness of touch and the way the players move independently is fantastic. You notice it instantly."
Murphy added: "We don't want everyone, it's not about that - we want the front runners, the opinion formers, the players who tell their friends 'you've got to check out PES this year'. We want to bring them back, and I think we can."
Pro Evolution Soccer 2011 was a massive improvement from 2010.. but seeing as PES 2010 was beyond terrible, that praise is meaningless. Konami had dropped the ball and they knew it (Eventually) Which led them to re-thinking there strategy for the future of the PES series. 2011 was a huge step in the right direction. It improved every aspect of the game and brought back a few glimpses of magic that made PES so incredible. The press haven't been to kind to the series in the past few years, Some of it harsh but most deserved. Pro Evolution Soccer 2012 seems to have taken the base of 2011 and once again improved on almost everything. PES has always been close to my heart, Even through the dark days, Which is why reading these impressions from the press gets me all giddy with excitement! Can Konami bring back the King of Football Gaming? The race may be close than you think...
Official Playstation Magazine
”Elsewhere, PES 2012 was Borderline astounding for me – not in terms of overall quality, but in the sense that last year’s game was so far behind FIFA 11 in terms of on-field gameplay, and that most definitely isn’t the case any more. This is a much slicker, more immediate experience, which harks back to the halcyon days of PES’s last PS2 years: zipping balls around in tight spaces, admiring the almost human AI of players off the ball (diagonal runs across and around defenders, something FIFA still hasn’t quite nailed, are a particular joy), and introducing an intriguing set piece concept where you can control a specific player on a corner, free kick or throw in, rather than the actual kicker himself. It doesn’t play perfectly – keepers still need a bit of work (and we’ve been saying that about PES for many years) – but no game at the show surprised me more in terms of how far it has turned around since a previous iteration.”
IGN
"FIFA and Pro Evolution Soccer continue to provide the world with realistic soccer action, year after year. With each set of 365 days, tweaks and changes come to the game, and players continue to step onto the field. Some years the changes are greater than others, but sometimes it's the little tweaks that are surprisingly groundbreaking. We've talked about the great additions to FIFA 12 this year, but I was pleasantly surprised to see what Konami did to their franchise"
Your teammates will use the space.
"In Pro Evolution Soccer 2012, the differences all fall on the shoulders of AI - but it truly opens up the playing field. It's based on the idea that you're not in charge of your team - they live their own lives. So they need to react to the field like a unique specimen. If you're jogging around a real field, as much as you yell, you're still not in charge of what your teammates are doing. PES2012 implements this idea beautifully into the game.
So when the whistle blows in any match of PES2012, the computer gets to work. When you're dribbling down the field, your teammates are going to break into space (even diagonally), draw defenders off of you, and help finish the play as any trained footballer should. This leaves you the ability to concentrate on your footwork and not worry about the execution around you. In action, the difference is immediately noticeable and you can always find the open man"
The AI is open for a pass.
"On the defensive side, you're going to notice the computer taking over as well. If a striker blows past his cover, the computer will automatically jump to cover him while the rest of the team catches up. This makes scoring a more difficult undertaking – but that's exactly how it needs to be.
Konami's a few months away from announcing its licenses for teams this year, and the modes and additions are still a secret. But with some simple finesse of artificial intelligence, Pro Evolution Soccer 2012 has leapt ahead of its predecessors and feels like a fun day on the pitch"
Gamespot
"FIFA 12 wasn't the only football game on show at this year's E3 expo, with Konami unveiling a bunch of new features for Pro Evolution soccer 2012. As yearly updates go, PES 12 is looking like a big one, with improved animation, visuals, and AI updates that attempt to make it a more realistic experience. With FIFA currently taking the football crown, Konami's certainly got its work cut out to return the series to its glory days and back to the top of table"
"Of all the new features, PES 12's AI improvements are the biggest, with changes being made to almost all aspects of the game. Our first look started with active AI overlap, a new feature that's designed to improve the performance of players off the ball. In PES 11, if you passed the ball forward to an open area on the pitch, more often than not supporting players wouldn't chase the ball down. Players will now run forward to receive passes, letting you make better use of open space.
This is enhanced by improvements made to dummy runs and diagonal runs, which see players drawing out defenders to give you space to play the ball and make runs across the whole length of the pitch, rather than just along one side of it. The next new feature we were shown was zonal defense. It attempts to improve defensive lines, so players now stay in formation. We were shown a clip from PES 11, which showed defensive players in a zigzag formation outside of the box. In PES 12, that line has been straightened up to more accurately mimic real-world players.
The final AI improvement we were shown was called zonal marking, which attempts to improve the defensive play of your teammates. Players will automatically pick up on runs of attacking players, chasing them down and launching tackles. As well as AI improvements, we were shown one tweak to the controls, which allows you to control players off the ball. For example, if you've got a throw in or a free kick, you can move other players around the pitch, as well as line up your throw or shot"
"improvements are substantial, and if they work as promised, they'll go some way toward making PES 12 a more realistic experience and a better alternative to FIFA. With the game currently only 60 percent complete, there's still a lot of new features Konami has yet to implement, including new personal update data, animation improvements, and more responsive button presses. Pro Evolution Soccer 2012 is due for release in the third quarter of this year. Look out for more on GameSpot soon"
As it seemed Konami couldn't get a space to hold there press conference on the days of E3, They decided to hold it a few days early. Lord knows why they weren't allowed, especially after they had the best show at last years event.. Even if it was for all the wrong reasons.
One Million troops, Luchadors on stage, THAT weird scary guy... This video holds a special place in my heart.
Konami Press Conference 2010
And onto this years Press conference. Some rather nice annoucement which should ramp up your E3 excitement that little bit more, Enjoy!
With many top quality games being released during Q4 this year, Batman Arkham City sticks out as one of the most exciting. Rocksteady have been very generous with information on the sequel, The villain's that will be looking to make Batman's life a living hell, The open world environment of Gotham City to run around in, And now the latest little nugget. Batman's friend/foe/love interest Catwomen will not only make an appearance in the game but she will also be a playable character with her own individual skill set and upgradable features. With October getting closer and closer, Its hard to keep our massive Bat Boners from exploding all over our consoles.
With E3 just days away, Sony are preparing to blow all of our little minds with the official presentation of the PS Vita. Judging by these screens that have been leaked, The hype could well be justified. For a hand held gaming device, The screens of Uncharted and Wipeout look absolutly stunning. The question is, Even with all the impressive tech and specs.. Is it enough to survive in the ever increasing smartphone gaming world.
EA's development of the Fifa series over the last decade has definitely had its ups and downs. Being the kings of Football gaming until Konami brought out the very successful PES series. With Fifa now back on top they could rest on there laurels, But with there latest trailer, It is clear to see that EA have no intention of just churning out the same game every year. The all new Player Impact Engine is one of those improvements that could well and truly change the Fifa series and possibly football gaming forever. Player physics have been improved so much that player collision look incredibly realistic, Which could take the fluidity of the game to a whole new level.
