The rise in popularity for FIFA games has not done the Pro Evolution franchise any favours as many PES fans in the past have moved over to FIFA and with online play the FIFA games are taking the lion’s share when it comes to the install base. This means the next PES 2015 title will have to pull out all the stops to win back gamers that have deflected onto FIFA over the years, and with co-development expected in the UK this could give those in charge the opportunity to make their next instalment more authentic.
To be fair, I only played the demo of PES 2014 and found that this was a pretty decent soccer game, but my friends are all FIFA fanatics which meant I was less inclined to get hold of the real game. After playing the FIFA 14 since it came out the improvements haven’t seemed that drastic since I left the Pro Evo franchise when FIFA 12 came out, and I have been looking at reasons to return.
This is where the developers at Konami need to look at feedback on both games along with gamer suggestions, and the UK football fans could be the ideal audience to listen to. According to a report on CVG Konami are aware of what has been going wrong with the franchise and they are working on this as the upcoming title will be co-developed by a new UK studio, which intends to grasp the attention of a European audience.
I might be a bit biased here by saying the best football in the world is played in Europe and the prestigious league attracts players from all over, including South American players that are enticed by big money, elite clubs and the familiar languages of the south European leagues. With that in mind, the Premiership is one of the best leagues in the world and we can see how UK football could be advantageous when it comes to basing their next game.
In addition, Konami’s Europe boss Shinji Hirano revealed that PES 2015 has already been planned for the PS4, but has not divulged anything about an Xbox One version. This will be the first time the game will be partly handled by a British development studio, and although Hirano is reluctant to divulge too much he gives us the impression that PES will be making a comeback.
As Konami tries to appeal to its European fans can you see PES 2015 getting back to a position where it competes directly with FIFA?
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