To my utter amazement Konami had this aced long ago.

So where are you going to place your click? May I suggest the read more link below.

Yip. That’s right. Konami’s KCEO studio had penalties pretty much nailed 12yrs ago and for my money the system they used has not been bettered by any football title since. Sure, the Wii version of the game comes close but still fails to relay any real sense of drama to the player in the way the ISS series of games on the Nintendo 64 did all those years ago.

So let us take a look at the ISS games spot kicks in action first…

Click here to view the embedded video.

Click here to view the embedded video.

What made this system so effective was the battle of wits between players as the kicker could hide his placement marker and play blind. It sounds easy but when you consider that each player had a different level of accuracy(denoted by the size of the target on screen) it made taking a blind kick risky business. At the same time however, you could select your placement with the marker on screen, toggle it off and your opponent would be unsure if you had changed target.

Important : What isn’t shown in the video is how the cursor resets to the centre of goal if you release the Stick/D-pad. I think this is worth noting on account that it demands a steady hand from the player which increased the tension a tad more.

Notice in the second video that in changing the foot the player strikes the ball with affects accuracy, and also worthy of note in particular is that in the first video England actually win a penalty shoot out!

I think this is the way penalties should be implemented into the franchise. I can remember many tense, cat and mouse like encounters in the shoot outs with my mates on the ISS games on N64. These microcosms that contribute to the overall real, palpable drama of the game are sorely missed and instead I find myself now dreading a shoot out – or even a penalty during a match – for all the wrong reasons.

But why just stop at porting over an old, yet effective system and leaving it be I ask? Times have changed, technology has evolved and the level of interaction a player has in a game has along with it. As effective as the ISS penalty system was and still is, it need only be the solid foundation on which to innovate further and draw the player in even more.

First, let’s look at the obvious. Chipped kicks should allow for full control over placement. Now I know you don’t see many players place chipped kicks in the sport and tend to go down the middle but why shouldn’t we have the option to do so if we feel so inclined/brave. Maybe we could have a polar opposite to this mapped elsewhere that allows you to strike the ball along the ground with the stick/d-pad being used for placement.

Another mechanic I would welcome is the ability to switch between putting your foot through the ball and side footing it. This could be made possible by making every direction pressed towards goal having the player strike with the laces as it were, and every direction pressed away from goal have him open the foot up to side foot. Now imagine being able to switch on the fly as he goes to kick. That would be your ability to wrong foot the keeper before striking right there.

The rumble function on todays controller is screaming out for it to be used and yes, it has been implemented already to some degree, but what if the amount of feedback was dictated by a players ‘penalty composure’ stat and not just technique accuracy and power. An example here being a Kaka’ shaping up to take a kick having less feedback on the controller than say a less composed player in the same situation(John Terry anyone? sorry Chelsea fans!) It needn’t end there though as over the course of a shoot out the feedback increases more and more, varying between each player so the Kaka’ taking the first kick would be a little more composed than the Kaka’ taking one of the later kicks. In a match situation time on the clock could also impact on this(90th minute kicks would be daunting prospects) as could the matter of it being a kick taken at home or away or even the importance of what is at stake in the match itself(final/semi-final, league decider, CL qualification) and who is to say weather couldn’t also have it’s affects.

Moving on(yes I have more!) I remember playing a first person shooter recently. You know how in some first person shooters when you take aim with a sniper rifle you only get a steady aim for a short period of time, well why can’t the penalty system in a football game have similar, so going along with the feedback of the controller the aiming cursor itself is not exactly stable and only pressing say L2/Lt steadies it but only for a few seconds and the length of time in which it remains stable is again dictated by a players ‘penalty composure’ rating. I should add that the instability of the cursor wouldn’t be impossible to manage so you wouldn’t need to fine tune every kick using the L2 button.

What these additions/enhancements to spot kicks would add is another layer of strategy over proceedings. I can imagine players suddenly taking a close look at there team before entering a shoot-out and getting the order right, maybe even making substitutes in a games dying moments in order to get the best penalty takers on the field before the dreaded whistle goes. As for Master League impact suddenly penalties could be something you actually train with your squad at in order to get the right mix and even improve players abilities from the spot. Keepers could benefit from the training too.

As is often said in football, penalty shoot-outs are a different game entirely to what happens in the 90-120mins of open play that go before them. A time for composure or lack there of to surface in even the most talented of individuals as they suddenly feel like the loneliest man on the planet, so I think it is about time Konami really looked to capture that high stakes drama once and for all.

I think the break has worked to be honest.

Read on to see how some time of reflection and detachment has reaped rewards and has inspired a sense of optimism for the future of the series.

It isn’t just the break from ‘in the zone’ videogaming that has helped however, but also the dust settling after a turbulent last few months in the PES landscape. I say PES but in many respects it applies to FIFA too. Both games have there highs and lows and it is proved for me anyway that only once the pandemonium that surrounds the games release had calmed down and I could reflect on the game in a far more relaxed, accepting manner and I could open my mind up to what was on offer. The result has been that I am enjoying the game for the most part.

Does this mean that the games inherent flaws have all but evaporated as a result? Of course not. I still on occasion – though not as often as was the case a couple of months or so back admittedly – loudly proclaim that Seabass is a huge, thundering backside of a man for including that god-awful turning animation for players with less an 80 for dribbling. Honestly, that particular ‘move’ is as useful as a glass trampoline or deciding that by taking your shoes off and throwing them at the sky you can push the clouds away.

What has certainly changed on a personal level is how I am choosing to play the game. No longer am I playing  in a naïve manner trying to convince myself that the impossible (within the current coding of the game at least)  or down right broken will in fact be possible or conquered with just a little more effort and concentration on my part. It is somewhat at odds with how I used to play PES because, well, in all honesty PES on PS2 – although offering a stern challenge – was a forgiving and rewarding experience.  Anything could and usually would happen in classic PS2 PES but it erred more on the side of rewarding the player or at least only frustrating in a way that you honestly believed you would get it right next time as the coding married with the excellent balance  of the controls inspired you and made you more determined.

PES2010 on next-gen however is a game not blessed with those assets that set the PS2 game apart from its then – and even more recent – competitors. This all being said though, the next-gen version of the game does have a trick or two up it’s sleeve that although somewhat underdeveloped suggest Seabass and team might at least have a vision as to how they want to see the franchise progress.

I like how patience in possession is rewarded for one thing, particularly in the middle third. I like that going backwards is the best way to go forwards(if that makes sense) Now it could be argued that these prolonged, patient build ups jar somewhat with realism and potentially make the game feel a little too pedestrian and I would happily accept that to some degree. Not every team is capable of maintaining possession like a Barcelona for example and play in neat little triangles in the middle third always seeming to have a man free, but what I do think that PES gets right is portraying the importance of possession and patience(when required) in the real sport. It strikes me that it has gotten lost in the next-gen that these are just videogame representations of the sport and not Match of the Day simulators, and that sometimes they have to take a little artistic license over the reality of playing or even watching the sport we love. As such maybe these long spells of possession that the AI or you, the player have – while not visually representative of the sport – do engage the player and having them ‘thinking’ football. It has to be conceded that it is perhaps not as balanced as it could be, and frustration can boil over due to technical short comings in coding and control response that take this out of the players hands, but there is a philosophy there I feel that is worth noting as a positive.

Another part of the game I have grown to appreciate is the long passing. Before, in previous instalments, it did not feel like you had that much control over power and placement and while placement is still sometimes is an issue, the same cannot be said for power. You can play some lovely short little lofted passes just about anywhere on the pitch that can make the game look (and you feel)  very slick indeed.  It hints maybe that a Konami are aware of the need to introduce more openness to play.

It is here were the game not so much shines but gives a hopeful chink of light at the end of what feels like a very long tunnel for the franchise. While PES2010 may not have got it completely right this time, and that admittedly this player could be being perceived as having to ‘engineer’ a challenge, I do think there is an excellent philosophy of digital football bubbling underneath the surface that can be realised. To go along with this greater variance in patterns of play and tempo needs to be presented to the player. If PES can merge its philosophy with the right balance and a smattering of technical prowess it could offer up an experience truly worthy of the name in this generation and hopefully we get that much longed for experience in PES2011.

After the most recent podcast I thought it would be a good idea to elaborate on a topic that was touched upon on my first team outing with the team.

D-pad or Analogue? It is a debate that continues to rumble on in the PES universe.

But what if instead of the developers offering both control types to the player on-the-fly in order to keep everyone happy they instead forced the player to commit to one or the other before Kick-off? How could this simple decision the player is asked to make revolutionise the game as we know it?

Read on after the jump to find out how commitment from the player really could set them – and the game as a whole – free in a few simple steps!

First of all two steps. Two simple steps that will allow the game to be potentially changed forever :

1) Player commitment to stick or D-Pad – The player has to select whether they are going to use stick or D-pad for basic movement. Which ever method they select means the alternate to it is locked out for player control, so a D-pad player cannot switch to stick control unless they pause and select stick and vice versa. Controller inputs are being wasted when you have the ability to switch between stick and D-pad on the fly.It should also be mentioned here and now that with this commitment, execution of the various feints and alike would be mapped for suitability. So using the d-pad retains the use of quick jabs of the pad, but stick users could perhaps have a more user friendly stick rotation based system.

2) Shift Attacking emphasis and Strategy control to the D-Pad/Stick – ties in with the commitment from the player to go D-pad or stick, as what this means is that tactics and attacking emphasis can be shifted over to the d-pad or stick depending on the players choice for control. Okay, so this all sounds very ‘FIFA’ in doing this but you can’t help but think that EA were on to something here. Tactics and attacking emphasis of your team can change games but surely more potent a weapon is having more control of the player in possession.

Okay, now we have done that,  L2/LT has become free as a result!

So what to do with this button now that it has been set completely free?

Well, the possibilities – while not quite being limitless – are somewhat vast. The games basic(and even advanced) controls are all still very much in place as they always have been, but now we have another input that could be used to completely change the way the game can be played. My suggestion for L2/LT is to make it the Manual Modifier Control button.

Now lets go onto how this new Manual Modifier Control button would work.

Well straight off it can be used as an input that when pressed in conjunction with pass, long pass, through ball or shoot allows the player full manual control of these actions and all there variants which by that I mean finesse shots or lofted through balls for example. So, pressing and holding L2/Lt, pressing the D-pad or stick(whichever method you have chosen to control movement with in other words) in any chosen direction and pressing pass would result in the ball being played precisely in that direction, with the length of time the pass button is held dictating weight.

At last! Full manual control over execution of passes and shots, but the really great thing about this is that the player is able to do all this on-the-fly as the assisted method is still in place so long as you are not pressing down on L2/LT when performing an action. In other words you are not forced to play the game using either assisted or manual control from the off as the game can do both meaning it is completely at the players fingertips how they wish to play. Want to knock the ball about safely using the assisted controls? It’s there. Want to shake yourself free of the games assistance? It’s all there at your fingertips in an instant. the potential here is huge surely.

It doesn’t end there for Manual Modifier Control though. Oh no, there is still a bit we can eek out of the system yet!

I remember fondly on the N64 version of ISS98 that it had a nifty little button command simply referred to as ‘Trapping’. What trapping did was basically allow your player to control and takedown a pass in whatever way they saw fit. So pressing down the ‘Trapping’ button as a high ball was incoming saw your player leap in the air a chest trap the ball. However if you held down the trapping button and then pressed in any direction on the pad/stick your player would leap to control the ball but this time would caress the ball down in the direction you had presse. This wasn’t just reserved for high or mid height passes either as when receiving a grounded pass and performing the same action would see you player flick the ball up in the direction chosen allowing him to set for a volley or even flick the ball over himself and any markers in close attention into the bargain! Honestly, how many times have you been playing PES and just wished you had a little more say in how a player traps the ball or performs his first touch? Well ‘Trappping’ should make a comeback and it too could be assigned to L2/Lt along with the ability to manually control passes, shots etc.

Did I also mention that the ‘trapping’ button, when held in down when your player was stationary and no direction was pressed on the D-pad/stick would see him start to juggle the ball? and when you then pushed the stick or pad in chosen direction he would start to juggle on the move albeit slowly so as it was somewhat risky though offered the ability to showboat somewhat? These are the little lost gems of control that need to make a re-appearance in a Konami football title. I know ISS98 on the N64 was programmed by a different developer(KCEO) but surely Seabass and co. could take alittle dip into yesteryear for some inspiration.

When I said that the commitment to D-pad or Stick by the player would result in one input being freed up I was lying however.

Y’see the fact is it would free up completely two controller inputs! That’s right, two, as the right stick would now also be free as a knock on effect from making L2/LT the Manual Modifier Control button as Manual passing need no longer be assigned to the right stick as it is just now in the game.

Now I wonder what we could do with that! And let’s not forget that while the right stick could be used independently for whatever could be dreamed up for it, the Manual Modifier Control button used in conjunction with it could offer up something as well into the bargain.

Maybe the possibilities are limitless after all.

You guys know what to do and where to go and do it!

With us now on new platforms, and a fresh younger audience coming onto the scenes, such alliances aren’t as prominent or profound. And with FIFA setting the benchmark these days to the majority, is it time PES liberated itself and catered for the ‘Ronaldo’s and Ronaldinho’s’ of this world?

Some of you might say PES has already tried and failed. The auto trick stuff that was in PES 2009 was a disaster, always happening when you least expected it to – and when you didn’t want it to happen. In 2010 it’s improved but a long way from being perfect. Dogged with response times and odd animations it never flowed with other gameplay aspects.

Personally, the tricks felt natural and accessible when on the right stick, but with Konami trying to accommodate some form of manual passing we’ve been left with an after thought via button combinations. Personally it’s not a huge issue, as I’m not someone who uses tricks when playing PES. I can’t remember ever doing the 360 roulette on the PS2 games during a match, showboating was never my style. Saying that, the current implementation of tricks is very poor, and something needs to change.

I point you to a well thought out and well written document by freak08 in our PES 2011 feedback section (read it here). It’s a reinvention of how tricks could be performed in PES, but always keeping the natural feeling of the series at it’s core. Personally I feel it’s important to keeps tricks as a luxury than a core element in the game, anything else just wouldn’t be PES. From freak08′s document however I feel having the option to divulge caters for a whole new audience, and at the same time takes tricks off the goddamn d-pad/analogue stick!

Let us know what you think!

Today though I ask myself, is 2k really the answer?

When it comes to a sports game developer, the guys at 2k are more than qualified to produce a decent effort if they attempt to make a football game – especially on this current generation. While the NHL games sit firmly in the shadows of EA’s alternantive, the NBA games lead from the front. Similar things can be said for the MLB games. And while they don’t set the pace in every sport genre they are in, the quality of their games are consistent and robust.

One of the key reasons why fans admire the 2k guys more than most, is there willingness to accept and work with modern day technologies. The graphics mixed with realistic movements and atmosphere in all their games is top tier, as is their dedication to produce a true simulation of the sports they adhere to.

It all seems like a no brainer, but for me there’s one big if – the same ‘if’ we’ve been saying for 2 years now. IF Konami get it right this year, will 2k be needed? If PES 2011 finally answering the calling, in a world cup year, will a forray into the football market be a massive mistake? Of course it will, and that’s why I wouldn’t be so brash and hope they enter.

Sure, if you asked me before PES 2008 came out, with the ability to see into the future, I would have begged 2k. But things change, and with it so are Konami. As each year goes by we expect them to finally welcome nextgen not just in the graphics, but the full package. And as the years do pass we expect them to do it sooner than later.

Personally I’d love a 3rd publisher to come in and give us more alternatives, but in the grand scheme of things I doubt 2k is the answer. In my opinion the answer is the evolution of Konami, and their willingness to embrace this generation with open arms. Their mentality and philosophy is what I adhere to, I hope they can finally mix that with modern day expectations – rather than 2k giving me an alternative.

Since the embargo ended late last week the fans have been bombarded with information, videos, screenshots, and of course reviews. Me and Suff give our final word on PES 2010, and have some choice words to say about the websites who have been reviewing the game pre-launch.

The discussion ended up lasting just over an hour, so make sure you sit back and relax to this one. After all, you’re all days away in receiving your copy (Euro listeners), and seeing for yourself what all the fuss is about!

Enjoy!

Hit the jump for the full explanation!

Unlike the last time I went away for a while, I took PES 2010 with me. I couldn’t bear to be without a game I’ve been playing consistently since I got code. I was away on business, and luckily had the evenings spare to play some PES. Quickly (thanks to my big mouth) word got out that I had code, and Monday evening I had a room full of 9 guys eager to play the game.

A bit concerned about the solidarity of the code, and the fact they adored FIFA 09, I set up the code and let them loose with PES 2010. I watched in amazement and massive satisfaction as they all fell in love with the game and spoke of how much of a change it was from last year. Graphics got the major praise, with many following FIFA last year due to visual appeal. Gameplay caused frustration sparingly (due to code bugs), but the faults were quickly overlooked as everyone was enjoying it immensely. So much so that we didn’t all go to sleep until 4.30 am! That continued for 3 more days, as the talk of the offices were filled with jubilation for PES 2010.

For many its all predictable, as its what you all expect and want from the game. For me it was a sense of justification, as it seems backing PES over FIFA these days shouldn’t be done or spoken of out loud. To see a large group of people who don’t visit websites or even get caught up with the pre-launch hype genuinely impressed by PES 2010 was refreshing, and filled me with confidence.

When I came back last night from a long journey I instantly downloaded the FIFA 10 demo. I was exhausted, but couldn’t stop playing the game. The subtle changes (very much like PES on the PS2 days) are massive in the way they change how you play the game, and the abundance of animations were a joy to behold. But there was something in the back of my mind which told me, after hours of fun, that PES 2010 is very close – much closer than people think. I grabbed the phone and one by one phoned the guys at work and asked their opinion. Having a more casual outlook they told me of their love for FIFA 10, but couldn’t get over the visual side of PES 2010 and how poorly the kits, player models and actual players look in FIFA 10. Gameplay wise, they were more impressed with FIFA 10, but claimed it was very close, with PES 2010 refinement from this code to final to be a key factor in what game they will play this year.

And I have to say I’m on the same boat. The final code will be in my hands early next week and I’ll be able to judge exactly what PES 2010 will have to offer us this year. Seeing both PES 2010 at 70-75%, and now FIFA 10 at around 90-95%, I’m actually buzzing – on a total high. Reason being PES more than holds up at this stage, and the final work will no doubt determine if Konami – out of nowhere – reclaim the crown from an incredible FIFA 10.

It’s been difficult for me on so many levels today. I’ve watched boards get overrun with the usual negativity that follows PES these days, the two have become synonymous with one another. What I’ve found though is that much of it is rash judgement, and what tends to happen is that as the day goes on people start to take everything in and formulate a more considered opinion.

Animations have been the hot talking point, and while key movements are worryingly familiar, the difference from this year to last year is profound. Unfortunately, thats a comparison that doesn’t sit well with everyone – understandably. When me and Suff sat in front of Jon Murphy back in June he asked us what the one thing we would like to pass onto the development. I said ‘its all about the animations’. Jon, along with press releases before him, confirmed much work will be done in this field, and to expect a game that moved realistically and convincingly. Whilst there is improvement, the impact of such things have been lost in translation.

Then there’s the worryingly consistent feedback we’ve been getting from press at the event, stating response times are extremely poor, with the instant movement PES is known for non-existent. That, along with glitches, seem to be leaving most testers with a bad taste in their mouths.

All this would worry most, but I stand by my commitment to believing that PES 2010 will be a game to remember. Not crazy blinded loyalty, but more a look to the response and playtest reports compiled days before the event. After all this talk of PES 2010 not being up to standard, we can’t dismiss previews from Eurogamer, IGN, GameSpot etc etc this week. All the big sites spoke of surprise and enjoyment at playing the latest code, after been very skeptical after their initial hands-on in June.

Then there’s the reports from PESFan that the code on show floor is behind the code they have, perhaps eradicating fears of glitches and poor response times. And while that’s reassuring, it’s concerning to think how the public will respond to the code in the coming days. Surely an inferior code is the last thing you want people to see? Clearly Konami haven’t thought this one through.

But criticisms aside, the one thing that shines above everything has to be the visuals. While it’s been dragged into the background by gameplay issues (rightly so), I didn’t want to simply dismiss it altogether. Revolution is a big word, perhaps a word ourselves and Konami should think twice before using freely, but you can use it to describe what Seabass and co have achieved this year in the front end.

If Konami do iron out these bugs and keep their word on animations and fluidity – that coupled with the gorgeous graphics will surely make PES 2010 a winner.

Pop back tomorrow for more from Gamescom, including the much anticipated Seabass interview!

The video released by JVN, at first, brought a lot of discontent. With the site mainly bothered about getting the news out, it failed to prep people watching the video about what the main focus was. It wasn’t until PESFan posted the video (at the actual time it was supposed to hit) that we got some details on the code. The video was all about the strategies, and I though it detailed everything perfectly. It goes to show just how in-depth PES 2010 will be.

Now I must admit, I’m getting bored with all the people crying out ‘you said this for the past two years’ when talking about early code. It bores me because this year is OBVIOUSLY different. Sure the ‘early code’ line has been used to death, but it doesn’t take a scientist to admit/realise that Konami are working very differently this year.

First of all it looks lovely, better than FIFA on next gen. Secondly, press and community sites were shown the game the earliest they’ve ever seen it. Konami have then admitted that work on the game is continuous, and bit by bit the work they have been doing behind the scenes will start to come into public view. We’ve been stressing immensely how Gamescom will be key – Konami have stated that themselves.

The buzzword right now is animations, and quite simply they aren’t in yet. We’ve seen some really nice animations in videos here and there, but the core still seems a tad familiar. We’re hoping that Konami keep to their word and the game moves amazingly well, and from what I hear from guys playing recent code, Konami haven’t disappointed.

So whats left to say then? Just wait for Gamescom. Its what we’ve been told, and what you all should do before passing judgement. Besides, it’s less than a week away.

It was great to see Seabass in general, if I’m honest. More serious, less amused, and in many ways more aware of the task ahead. It was a tactical decision to take him out of the ‘firing-line’, with fans hurling a magnitude of abuse at a man who created an incredible football series. One thing I’ve realised since starting this blog, is that fans can be as fickle as they are misinformed, and to blame one solitary person for the mishaps on nextgen is unfounded. Konami’s struggles on the new platforms have eased, and with years gone by working with the hardware, perhaps its now we see Seabass utilize the tech to its maximum capacity.

And it was towards the end of the video that got me excited. When asked about the basic concept, Seabass replied with…well you can see it the header. I my opinion, one of the biggest contributing factors that gave PES that untouchable and incredible feel was the priority on the work going into player representation. For Messi to play like Messi, for Torres to finish like Torres, and for the like of Xavi to pass and move like Xavi. It’s something we take for granted, but something that has gone missing over the past few years. A few months ago I wrote a piece on how the PES series has lacked that bit of TLC, never feeling as polished or as loved as the PS2 versions. It seems someone has go that fire back, and with it a returning intent to make sure every little thing is spot on.

With the re-focus, and emphasis on new animations and graphics, this could be the title we’ve been all been waiting for. For many it’s been a long 2 years since PES6, we all hope PES 2010 will be worth the wait.