A slew of official international licences along with domestic sides join the ranks in Konami's football franchise...

Due for release across Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 2, PSP, Nintendo DS, and PC in October, Konami has today confirmed the latest batch of licensed teams appearing in Pro Evolution Soccer 2008.

As well as gaining official licenses to use a number of international teams, including Brazil, Greece, Portugal, Scotland, and Ireland, PES 2008 will include a number of domestic sides from across Europe join the ranks of Manchester Utd, Bayern Munich, and Barcelona, such as Newcastle, Tottenham, RSC Anderlecht, Panathinaicos, Spartak Moscow, and Fenerbache.

"Konami has worked hard to bolster the number of licensed clubs in PES 2008, and the new additions represent a huge step forward for the series," commented Jon Murphy, Pro Evolution Soccer Team Leader for Konami Digital Entertainment GmbH. "We listen very closely to what people want from the series, and hope these new additions further extend PES 2008's reputation within both die-hard football fans and newcomers alike."

Additionally, PES 2008 will see a refined team-based AI called Teamvision, which aims to ensure that players won't sit back on familiar tactics through the flow of a match. Further refinements have also been made to the set-pieces in the game.

The annual jostling between Pro Evo and EA's FIFA looks set to continue once more in the coming weeks...