Sports Interactive Unveils Football Manager 2008 News

SEGA Europe and Sports Interactive have today confirmed the development of Football Manager 2008. Set for release on PC and Mac before Christmas with Xbox 360 and PSP versions in early 2008, Football Manager 2008 will be the latest iteration of the hit management sim, to be joined in March by Football Manager Live.

A raft of features are being built into the game including improved usability, a new dynamic Adviser system, and a complete overhaul of the International Management system and the Awards system. Sports Interactive are also implementing more effective compression techniques, allowing for quicker load and save times. Besides a list of a dozen advancements, FM 2008 will also include over 100 adjustments to the game, with the aim of making the franchise more user-friendly than the past.

In a bid to re-create a more realistic transition in the build up to a match, FM 2008 will see the debut of Match Flow, and feature a step-by-step process that shift seamlessly from team selection, tactics, each of the halves, and post-match analysis. Timed out tactical changes have also been removed, replaced by real-time tactics and a mini-pitch, which will also be used in Football Manager Live.

A new Confidence system will also be included, aggregating the thoughts of the board and the supporters into a single section. Calls for the manager to drop players or keep track on certain finances will feature in Confidence, with the supporters views on individual performances having a direct effect on a player's morale.

International Management has is also receiving an overhaul this year, with improved Pool Selection, player interactions, Captain selection, and separate morale ratings for players all helping to create a broader and more realistic experience. Additional details such as the commentary noticing when an international manager is watching a match, and speculation as to whom he's there to watch, will further deepen the franchise's reputation for delivering compelling gameplay.

SI has confirmed however that the Face in the Game competition will not running this year; instead the studio has licensed 'FaceGen', which will randomly generate a face for every fictional character in the game. Even more remarkably is the news that the fictional players' images will visibly age over time until their retirement from the game.

"With Football Manager 2008 we're once again raising the bar in the sports management genre." commented Miles Jacobson, Studio Director of Sports Interactive. "With dozens of new small features and larger things like a complete revamp of international management and the new match flow system, we're really looking forward to seeing the reaction from people when they get to play it on release."

TVG recently sat down with Miles Jacobson about the game, we'll have the full interview arriving shortly...