Before the eternal debate of Cristiano Ronaldo or Lionel Messi, there was an argument that drew the dividing lines just as deep: FIFA or Pro Evolution Soccer. Pro Evo, or PES, was permissible to the aficionados, always having the authenticity, they claimed, that FIFA lacked. FIFA looked pretty and had the licenses, but PES played better; Konami’s offering had the feel of a simulation and EA’s had an arcade appeal.
A compromise was made: FIFA fans could revel in their out-of-the-box picture perfect game and Pro Evo’s could pride themselves on more challenging gameplay and, most importantly, the iconic Master League.
Castolo, Jaric, Minanda – who could forget them? The ragtag bunch were the very essence of the early years of the series, borne out of International Superstar Soccer, so when I spoke to Gavin Shales, a senior data editor for PES, I was delighted to hear how cherished old Dodo and co are by the makers themselves. “My favourite player from the Master League Defaults was Espimas,” the Salisbury-based analyst told me. “The French winger had decent pace that I used over and over again to advance up the pitch. He also had a bit of a rocket on him if you were brave enough to trust him from range. He was always the last player I replaced.”
Back when Ivarov was between the sticks, Gavin had a lot of spare time on his hands and believes it was time well spent, which is something many of us cannot say about our Career Modes and Master Leagues. “I believe my passion, history playing PES, and sensible, unbiased mind was enough to qualify me for a data editor role,” he admitted. “PES 6 is probably my all-time favourite. It’s always a tough call out of PES 5 and PES 6 but I give it the nod due to the sheer amount of fun I had with the game. My mates and I played an awful lot, regularly organising big tournaments that would take us all day to finish. Great days.”
Eleven years later, the likes of Iouga and Stremer were no longer with us – replaced by players such as L. Giorza and J. Rice – and Gavin was no longer just a fan of the series. “I applied for a role when Konami were advertising. I have been working on PES since 2016, so 2020 will be the fourth game that I have worked on.”
Since then, he’s worked on Southampton for three editions, and for the upcoming release was responsible for Burnley, Blackburn, Millwall and Stoke. He tells me that each team has just one editor but conferring with colleagues is vital in producing a balanced division and a stable Master League as youth players mature. “We’ve seen inflated or inconsistent ratings in past iterations of PES and I’d like to think that those days are well and truly in the past now,” he answered when I asked him what he’s most proud of achieving in his time with Konami. “By ensuring all team and player data is correct and accurate for each one I am allocated, I’ve helped to create a balanced and unbiased set of teams within Divisions 1 and 2.” That’s the Premier League and Championship to those blessed with official licensing.
If you grew up making your own players and teams in the game’s expansive Edit Mode, you’ll be warmed by the fact that’s pretty much Gavin’s job. “We are given full control over player stats but at the same time we can’t just set all stats to 99.” As if anyone would ever do that, would they? “All players get reviewed and anything crazy will get rejected, but yes, absolutely, I have full control over individual attributes, and it is one of our primary responsibilities.”
In recent years, nextgen consoles and 4KTVs have lent themselves to virtually faultless player likeness in-game, where once upon a time only a distinctive haircut, a particular freekick run-up, or running style would allow a gamer to tell the difference between Roberto Larcos and Von Mistelroum. “I’d certainly say PES’s strong point has always been reflecting a player’s individuality – PlayerID, as it is known in-game. We focus quite a lot on ensuring the correct motions are selected for all players. Each year there are usually new attributes, player traits and player motions added as the game advances, so there is more to consider. I personally think the games improve each year; sometimes not as much as people would like but there is always progress.”
With the main European footballing calendar over for a couple of brief months, the new releases are just around the corner, and although Gavin wasn’t able to reveal anything – I did ask – his optimism should give fans a reason to feel the same way. “I am excited about 2020 and the updates to Master League sound incredible,” he said, sounding every inch the doting devotee and not just an employee. “The new features are the sorts of things that fans have been requesting for many years now and I am intrigued to see how the ‘Real World Data’ is used and how the ‘Interactive Dialogue System’ plays out.”
The Master League Remastered announcement on Konami’s website acknowledged what every PES player has known for years and promises change: “Your imagination will no longer be tasked with filling in the blanks when navigating the player transfer system. Enhanced integration of real-world data has now been incorporated to bridge the gap between game and reality.”
“Konami have certainly injected fresh life into the mode, and I hope this is just the beginning,” Gavin enthused. Master League had become stagnant in recent editions but hopefully the element of personal creativity and storytelling required that has always been part and parcel of its appeal doesn’t get entirely eradicated. “Master League is my favourite,” Gavin unequivocally stated, “I’ve been playing each year since its introduction in ISS Pro Evolution on PS1. I get lost in the mode due to my imaginative mind. I find myself picturing the newspaper headlines following a big result and running my own commentary in my head. I hope everyone else does this too.” We do, Gavin, we do.
Along with the improved transfer system and the dialogue, which will allow your manager avatar to react in a manner of ways to results, transfers and news pieces, the game also provides you with an opportunity to start your Master League as Johan Cruyff, Diego Maradona or Zico.
It’s quirks such as this that have always marked PES as different. Who can forget playing as an ostrich or penguin back in the day, or buying a rainbow action replay streak to follow the ball around? “I’d love to see the return of the PES Shop,” Gavin concedes. “I used to enjoy the process of generating PES Points and then unlocking extra content and features. It used to take a while but slowly I’d unlock all the Classic Teams, Players, Stadiums.” And, of course, the dinosaurs.
It is this yearning for the nostalgia that keeps many fans returning year after year, staving off the relentless progression of its rival ever moving forward in the world of online gaming. For many, offline play has firmly remained in the domain of Konami, but over the past few years, the very visible switch of focus to their own online mode – myClub – and to evermore finer recreation of player likeness, has seen their bread and butter go stale.
“Master League was probably technically at its best during the latter period of the PS3/Xbox360 era. I’d say PES 2013 to be precise as the gameplay was at its peak for that generation. The most fun I’ve had, though, has to be on PES 6 on PS2. I still have great memories of having a young strike force consisting of Rooney and Podolski. The damage those two done …
“Whereas in the current generation, I have only used the new players a couple of times. It’s just not the same. They were once named so oddly that I couldn’t actually pronounce them. There was no way that I could feel connected to them in the way we all could with the old defaults. That’s why I continue to recreate them each year. That’s just how Master League should be played in my opinion.”
In recent years, you could be forgiven for believing that PES has been trading off of its fans’ loyalty while chasing a quick buck in the online gaming market, but it very much feels that this year’s pre-release information has reasserted Konami’s intentions to care for its beloved offline mode once more. For many, PES is Master League and Master League is PES. It seems that its makers have finally taken note.
“I’m very proud to be able to contribute to the PES series which has given me so much joy over the years,” Gavin ended our conversation by saying. “It’s still a bit surreal to see my name on the credits each year. I have been playing these games for around 25 years and wouldn’t dare to even estimate how many hours that would equate to. I am very much looking forward to the new release.”
By Jordan Florit @thefalselibero