Fair enough, but what really irks me from a technical standpoint is people that constantly claim that Fifa is the better game of football, with this superior gaming engine. That type of statement is ill-informed and highly uneducated from technical footballing standpoint. That is the statement that I challenge. Fifa has an animation system that is truly mind-blowing, world class in every conceivable area, but it serves to hide some serious flaws in the replication of real life football. The bread and butter stuff that are paramout in replicating the beautiful game are criminally over-looked in favour of polish and shine and impeccable visuals.
1. A varying first touch system is the basis for everything that follows in football, EA never address this.
2. Preferable feet, another massive part of the real game, again,criminally overlooked.
3. Individuality - every player has a unique skill-set made up of many technical aspects of game, this has to replicated and broken down in as many different areas as possible in order to create 11 individual players that collectively make up a completely unique team.
4. Form/Condition/Confidence - Individuality is one thing, but then PES takes that even further and quadruples the variables by adding 4 differing types of form/confidence/condition. Add into the equation the Form numbers added to PES 2010 that range from 1-6 which accurately simulate a players consistency throughout the season, and you have literally infinite individuality from game to game. This is genius. Confidence makes up a very high percentage of a footballers game, you can be one of the worlds greatest players, but without it, you can play like a schoolboy. See Rooney in the World Cup as a perfect example. Fifa doesnt address this, although to be fair, individuality needs to be strongly in place prior.
5. Angles - Football is all about angles and percentages. What I mean by that is you need to be able to create diverse body angles and postures that have a significant bearing on the percentage of accuracy of the consequential outcome of any pass, volley, shot, first touch or header. You simply cannot be facing one direction, be on your weaker foot and expect to reverse a pass or shot with greater degree of accuracy than a player that is posture perfect. Of course player statistics have a massive impact on this, and the higher the technical level of the individual player, the higher percentage that incorrect posture will have a more beneficial outcome. This is missing from Fifa, but again, individuality has to be in place prior in order for this theory to be executed.
I dont have a clue about programming, but when we talk about game engines, for me that means programming that can merge all of the above together to accurately simulate the game of football. In that regard PES does is brilliantly. More importantly, if Konami fall down slightly in any area, that fact that they strive to achieve this end result shows that they have a real understanding of how the game of football works. And as a footballer, you cannot help but appreciate their concept, philosophy and understanding of the mechanics.
There are alot more casual gamers out there looking for a quick fix, than they are people that truly understand footballing technique and can appreciate exactly what Konami have always strived to achieve. Hand on heart, I dont know any professional or semi-professional footballer that doesnt play PES over Fifa for all the reasons I've mentioned about. Joe Cole, Rio Ferdinand, Darren Fletcher, Lee Catermole, Matty Bates, Stu Downing, David Wheater, James Morrison are just a few I've spoken to about PES over the years who are big fans of the series. You can add into the mix players Ashley Cole, John Terry, Steven Gerrard, Messi, Fabregas, who I've read that have vocally said in various publications that PES is their game of choice. There isnt any coincidence here, it's just how it is.
I so accept alot of people get alot of enjoyment out of Fifa, and I agree maybe my comment was a little harsh to say the least, but when your passionate about something, fully comprehend the very clever technical recreation of the game that Konami constantly strive to achieve, then these completely inaccurate suggestions and statements, that I know for a fact are just plain wrong, kind of winds me up a bit.
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) or are those previewers too optimistic ( or not looking close enough )?
