EA Sports FC 24 may not roll off the tongue as well as FIFA 24, but that’s all you’ve got to worry about with EA’s rebranding of its popular FIFA football game franchise.

Long ago, the diehards would dismiss EA’s FIFA games as commercial sellouts, a rudimentary football arcade game compared to Konami’s superior Pro Evolution Soccer. PES fans, dismissing the familiarity of the licenced clubs in EA’s FIFA franchise would, instead, have to pick the likes of “North London” instead of Arsenal, or “Merseyside Red” instead of Liverpool. Teams made up of phonetically named players similar to the real ones but spelt differently for licencing reasons added to the cringe. The inevitable (unofficial) patch would then be released, post-launch to rename all the teams and players properly. But this was back when the FIFA licence was worth something and Pro Evolution Soccer ruled the roost.

Things change.

EA Sports has long got to grips with its digital rendition of the beautiful game, the annual FIFA games rarely leaving the top ten of the best-seller list. Whilst each iteration was never a revolution, over the years, the developers have transformed the game into a technical marvel, perfectly capturing the essence of what makes football the world’s game.

So, when EA’s FIFA licence wasn’t renewed, it wasn’t the big deal that the global football governing body thought it would be. Unlike Konami back in the day, EA Sports secured all the teams, players, tournaments and cup licences to continue their franchise without the blessing of FIFA. All that’s missing is the FIFA World Cup, which is no loss, to be honest.

What we have with EA Sports FC 24 is, effectively, everything that a FIFA 24 game would have been, with just a different name.

EA has taken this opportunity to spruce up the menus a bit, but they are still as unintuitive as most EA Sports titles. So, if you are familiar with the usual EA Sports arse-backwards menu systems you’ll still feel right at home.

As well as the rebranding, the game has all the usual visual tweaks and stat updates that are the bread and butter of annual sports games. The game uses a new version of the Frostbite Engine and something called “Play Styles” that better interprets players’ real-world abilities into the game.

FC 24 does look good and the player animations are incredibly realistic. This is likely down to the big improvement this year- the implementation of Hypermotion V Technology. I don’t want to sound like I’ve been drinking from the EA fountain, but the game really does have a next-level vibe to it. Whereas recent FIFA games have used data captured from real players, Hypermotion V Technology uses the captured volumetric data of entire 11-person teams from over 180 elite-level matches.

All the game modes that you’d expect are included. You can jump straight into a quick friendly against a computer control opponent or friends, locally. There’s the player career mode, allowing for a more personal journey through FC 24, or you can get involved in the details of running a club with the manager career mode. There are all the competitive online modes and, of course, the collectable card game/fantasy football mashup, Ultimate Team.

For the first time, EA Sports FC 24 Ultimate Team brings male and female players together in the same team. Despite the new franchise name, I was pleased to be able to bring my currency across from FIFA 23 and start fleshing out my own Ultimate Team with new card packs. Still massively deep, it’s easy to sink lots of time (and cash) into building up your perfect squad.

For those that like their football short and sweet Volta Football offers players quick Futsal-type matches on open and fences courts. Volta now offers online cross-play, the same as other online modes, with players using the same generation of hardware (i.e. PS5, Xbox Series X|S and PC) all being able to play together.

All the above is for nought if the players are not responsive on the pitch, which they very much are. As with its FIFA predecessors, FC 24 perfectly captures the nail-biting excitement of football. Missed goals and fouling opponents will have you shouting at the TV, with perfectly-timed offensive attacks rewarding you with exhilaration. FC 24 is a beautiful game, both visually and in its gameplay.

EA Sports FC 24 is the complete package continuing the legacy of EA’s FIFA franchise. The amazing gameplay, and incredible on-pitch visuals, all wrapped up in the signature EA TV broadcast-style presentation make this a must-buy for FIFA fans.

The post EA Sports FC 24 (Xbox Series X|S) Review appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

LetsPlay.Live are excited to announce a partnership with New Zealand Football to bring the FIFA 19 New Zealand Football National Championship to Kiwi gamers.

As an official FIFA eNations Cup Qualifier, the LPL league will give four New Zealand FIFA players the opportunity to travel to Auckland for a live broadcasted Grand Final.

The national winners on each console (one on Xbox, one on PS4) will then be flown overseas on an all expenses paid trip to London, England to represent New Zealand against their counterparts from 15 other selected nations.

“We’re excited to be invited by FIFA to be one of 16 nations to compete in this competition,” explains New Zealand Football Commercial Director Carl Jackson – who is looking forward to seeing some of the best FIFA gamers in the country in action.

“Partnering with LetsPlay.Live will enable us to deliver a fantastic tournament with the domestic finals being broadcast on SKY Sport, as well as the Twitch and Facebook platforms. We’re hopeful that the top FIFA 19 competitors will be able to take part and earn the right to represent New Zealand on the world stage.”

LetsPlay.Live Director Duane Mutu is just as enthusiastic about hosting this unique opportunity.

“LPL are incredibly excited to partner with New Zealand Football to give Kiwi FIFA players the opportunity to compete on the world stage,” he says.

“LPL are focused on providing pathways into professional esports for Kiwi gamers and see this partnership as a great step for the country’s FIFA players to make their dream a reality. We are also thrilled to see New Zealand Football take this stride into esports, providing crossover for both digital and traditional football players.”

Entry is free to New Zealand passport holders aged 16 years and over. For more information on the tournament and registration, go HERE.

The post LPL presents the FIFA 19 NZ Football National Championship appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

EA SPORTS’ FIFA 19 is celebrating the pinnacle of club football competition as the UEFA Champions League enters the knockout stages of the tournament. To celebrate EA is releasing new cover artwork, featuring three potential Champions League Champions, Neymar Jr., Kevin De Bruyne, and Paulo Dybala.

Starting today, players who purchase FIFA 19 and who have not played FIFA Ultimate Team (FUT) mode (including the EA Access and Origin Access trials), will start their FUT squad with one of these players on 10-match loan. They will also receive additional UEFA Champions League themed FUT 19 content, including four special UEFA Champions League kits and 5 UEFA Champions League player items (up to 85 overall rating).

The Champions and Ultimate editions on PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC also offer a range of additional content on top of the base game, including Jumbo Premium FUT packs, Cristiano Ronaldo and Neymar Jr. Loan Items for a set number of FUT Matches, special edition FUT kits designed by FIFA soundtrack artists and more.

With over 55 million UEFA Champions League matches played in over 180 countries to date, users have played through the tournament thousands of times. Players can see some of the impressive EA SPORTS FIFA 19 UEFA Champions League data in the below infographic. Additionally, learn more about the available features and modes in FIFA 19 here.

EA SPORTS FIFA 19 is available worldwide on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC, and Nintendo Switch.

The post FIFA 19 – UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE W. ALL NEW CONTENT appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

Football, the beautiful game. This year there’s no football game more beautiful than EA Sports’ FIFA 19.

Up until recently, FIFA fans were treated only to the usual, annual, roster updates and gameplay tweaks that, for a reviewer, sounded a more like marketing hyperbole than genuine reasons to buy the latest iteration. Over the years, though, EA Sports have been refining ball control, player emotion and supporter interaction. The franchise has got to the point that the game is pretty damn close to watching football on live on TV.

For FIFA 19 we get the biggest addition to the game in years, with the inclusion of the European Champion’s League. Once the crowning glory of Konami’s rival Pro Evolution Soccer game franchise, FIFA 19 pulls out the stops in giving the new championship a massive introduction. As fans start FIFA 19 they are treated to an opening cinematic showcasing the European Champion’s League, before diving straight into a match playing as the legendary Italian club and home of Cristiano Ronaldo, Juventus, against Paris Saint-Germain.

FIFA 19 on PC

For The Champion’s League, Derek Rae and former Arsenal and England International, Lee Dixon, provide the commentary. Martin Tyler and Alan Smith return for commentary duties for on all the other matches, as before. The commentary is as good as ever, there’s still a bit of repetition, but the new Champions League commentary is very welcome. FIFA still lags behind NFL in the commentary stakes, if you ask me.

With FIFA 17, EA Sports introduced The Journey. The cinematic narrative campaign followed upcoming UK sensation, Alex Hunter on his journey to football stardom. Last year’s FIFA 18 continued the story of The Journey and Alex Hunter’s international success.

On PS4, Xbox One and PC, FIFA 19 concludes the story with the final chapter of The Journey. For this closing instalment fans get to switch between Alex Hunter, his sister Kim Hunter and his friend Danny Williams. The Journey adds a bit of meat to the game for fans that like a bit of drama with their football.

With the European Champion’s League now part of the FIFA franchise, FIFA 19 offers the most comprehensive range of licenced club championships from around the world, as well as the opportunity to play Women’s International and custom Men’s International competitions.

FIFA 19 on PC

Career mode returns again. Fans can choose to reach the top as a manager or as a player. But, it wouldn’t be FIFA without the FIFA Ultimate Team. The fantasy football / collectable card game is back. This year content from both the UEFA Europa Cup and Champions League has been added to FUT.

The on-pitch action seems to have been tweaked, yet again, this year. Things seemed to slow down to a more realistic pace last year, but with super-human wingers that would leave me a nice gap in the middle. This year my opponents really made me work for a goal.

The match visuals and animations remain top class. The player models, themselves, still reside in uncanny valley. Arsenal’s Mesut Özil, really needs to get EA to sort out his boss-eyed visage. The players in FIFA are particularly awful compared to the great work that EA does with NFL players in Madden. If they can model blades of grass getting crunched under a meticulously modelled designer football boot as it strikes a similarly detailed football, with raised stitching, the developers can sort out the faces of their football stars.

FIFA 19 on Switch

PC gamers that have signed up for EA’s Origin Premium service will find a copy of FIFA 19 sitting in their account free-of-charge, waiting to be downloaded. The game is identical to its console brethren but offering better visuals for suitably endowed gaming rigs. Playing across three monitors is great. The experience is marred by the controlled player identifier being slightly offset in full screen mode, but fixed by selecting borderless windowed.

The Switch version does a great job of cramming the game in a portable system. As with FIFA 18, the Switch version doesn’t use Frostbite, the game engine that powers the other versions of the game. This means that the campaign story, The Journey, is, yet again, denied to Nintendo fans.

Although greatly improved from last year’s entry, the Switch version of FIFA 19, is a compromised affair. Playing on a TV, the visuals are a world away from those of the PS4 and Xbox One.

FIFA 19 on Switch

As a portable version of FIFA 19, which includes all the other content form the PC / PS4 / Xbox One versions, sans The Journey campaign, the Switch version is superb. You are taking a fully-functional, bona fide FIFA 19 experience with you, on the go. The smaller screen means that more precision is required in aiming your passes and shots. Some extra time of the trainer and you’ll be up to scratch, and likely a better player on the TV as well.

FIFA 19 offers fans more football action than ever before. With the introduction of the European Champions League, the franchise has never been so complete.

The post FIFA 19 (Xbox / Switch / PC) Review appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

SEGA Europe Ltd. and Sports Interactive are delighted to announce the headline features for Football Manager 2019 which, together with a new look and feel and the long-awaited introduction of the official Bundesliga license, combine to make this the greatest ever release in the history of the world’s most popular football management simulation.

Training has undergone the biggest overhaul in the series’ history. The all-new module now includes a wealth of new options, sessions and programmes to help managers get the best out of their senior players and develop their young stars. Sports Interactive has worked closely with real-world clubs and coaches to ensure that the new methods are truly representative of what happens on training pitches across the globe.

The changes are just as significant when the players move from the training pitch to full match mode. Managers now have much more control over the way their team plays, as FM’s tactics module has also enjoyed a significant revamp. New preset tactical style options allow managers to either select from some of the most popular systems from world football or develop their own, unique tactics and philosophies. Experienced managers will notice the greater range of team instructions on offer, as well as the fact that different instructions are available depending on whether your team is in a phase of attack, defence or transitional play.

Fans will be able to apply these tactics to any one of the 36 fully licensed clubs in the top two flights of German football, as Sports Interactive has signed a licensing agreement which will see clubs from both the Bundesliga and Bundesliga 2 kitted out with official club badges, kits and player faces – a first in the series’ history. The introduction of German clubs and leagues also means that FM19 will also feature a full German language translation, increasing the portfolio of in-game languages to 19.

There’s a lot in FM19 for less experienced managers too, particularly the brand new ‘manager induction’ system which acts as an intuitive and interactive tutorial system that allows fledgling gaffers to find their feet without having to leave their save game. FM veterans can also make use of the induction system to find their way around this season’s new and updated features.

Something that will be immediately noticeable to all players is the game’s new look, which combines a fresh presentation with an air of familiarity. The combination of the updated user interface and new manager induction system make this not only the best-looking version of the game to date, but also the easiest to pick up and play.

Miles Jacobson, Director of Football Manager, says: “We’ve been through a major shift as a studio over the last year; moving office, improving our working practices as a team and spending a huge amount of time looking ‘under the hood’ of Football Manager. The result of all this work can be seen throughout Football Manager 2019 – it has a clean new look, and lots of freshness under the hood too, not only with the new features, but also lots of other changes that make it an even more compelling experience to play. We’re all very proud of what we’ve achieved with FM19 and are very much looking forward to hearing what our fans have to say when they get their hands on it.”

Having been the subject of much debate and controversy in the world of football over the past year, video technology makes its debut in FM19, in the form of both the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) and goal-line technology. Both technologies will feature in competitions that make use of them in real-life and will be sure to create as many talking points over the course of a save game as they have in the real world.

In addition to the headline features, more information on lots more new features and tweaks to expect in FM19 will be revealed in the coming weeks.

Football Manager 2019 will be released on PC and Mac on November  the 2nd of Novermber 2018. Football Manager 2019 Mobile and Football Manager 2019 Touch will also be available from the same date, while the Nintendo Switch version of Football Manager 2019 Touch will be available later in November 2018.

The post New Tactics, New Training, New Look appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

Konami Digital Entertainment B.V. has officially announced their agreement with AC Milan to continue as the club’s Official Football Video Game Partner as well as widening their existing agreement. The deal extends an already successful partnership between KONAMI and the Italian club into its second year. Legend players alongside this partnership announcement will be announced shortly.

AC Milan is a club that has enjoyed a rich history since its birth in 1899, boasting the greatest number of successes for an Italian side on the international stage. AC Milan has won Europe’s biggest club football competition seven times, the European Cup Winners’ Cup twice and is also the five times winner of the match between the reigning champions of the two main European club competitions.

The agreement will see the club’s players be perfectly recreated within PES 2019 thanks to KONAMI’s proprietary 3D scanning system. KONAMI was also given extensive access to the San Siro in order to recreate a highly detailed emulation of the stadium’s features and dimensions within the game.

The 3D scanning system will not only capture the visual likenesses of players such as Lucas Biglia, Alessio Romagnoli and Gianluigi Donnarumma, but will also imitate their movements, playing styles and tactical capabilities. In fact, AC Milan is currently available in the PES 2019 demo, which can be downloaded for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC.

KONAMI will enjoy continued prominence across the San Siro’s match-day LED sponsor boards, and PES 2019 will also be promoted via the ground’s giant LED screen. Additional promotions will take place in official partner zones in the ground, the Milanello Sport Centre training facility and the Vismara Sport Centre.

“We are delighted to be continuing with KONAMI as a worldwide partner of AC Milan and one that beautifully captures the essence of our club within PES 2019,” said Lorenzo Giorgetti, Chief Commercial Officer of AC Milan. “We are excited to be offering our fans the opportunity to experience both the players and the San Siro so accurately created within the game once again this year.”

“AC Milan is one of the biggest and most successful clubs in world football, so we are thrilled to be continuing our partnership with them,” commented Jonas Lygaard, Senior Director Brand & Business Development at Konami Digital Entertainment B.V. “KONAMI is dedicated to working with the biggest clubs in the world, and with a history such as AC Milan’s and the talent they have on display within their current squad, we are doing just that.”

PES 2019 will be available on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC, on August 30th 2018, with the demo currently available for download across all consoles.

The post THE ‘POWER OF FOOTBALL’ STRENGTHENS appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

N-Dream AG — creators of the leading cloud-based virtual gaming platform AirConsole that brings friends and family together for same-room multiplayer enjoyment anywhere, anytime — invites fans to bring the soccer action of the 2018 World Cup off-pitch and into their living rooms with Final Goal, a new soccer title that blends realistic gameplay with retro-arcade action. With the simplicity of AirConsole, play Final Goal today from any web-browser supported device (“the console”) and up to eight mobile phones (“the controllers”) to shoot, tackle and pass, or switch players on the fly between you and up to seven of your friends. GOAL!!!

Available today exclusively on AirConsole in both a free and premium edition, Final Goal features family-friendly gameplay that even the most casual of players can pick up in a snap. Your favorite team didn’t qualify this year? No problem! With over 50 national teams to choose from with an AirConsole Hero subscription — including those that didn’t make the cut this year — Final Goal won’t be getting any red cards for lack of fun or content. Kicking out a few rounds of Final Goal for bragging rights during half time couldn’t be any easier with AirConsole either; all you need is a web browser, a mobile phone and some friends (or frenemies) to challenge.

“We’ve designed AirConsole to be a highly accessible gaming platform that delivers great quality content and keeps friends and family playing together. We couldn’t be happier to share Final Goal with football fans around the world, just in time for the 2018 World Cup,” said Andrin von Rechenberg, N-Dreams AG’s CEO. “It’s the perfect way to fill time between halves or matches, keeping the excitement of the game alive off-pitch.”

AirConsole is the most accessible way to game with friends and the ultimate platform for local multiplayer and party games. Start playing in seconds on either Windows PC, your Android TV, tablet, or via computer browser casted to a smart TV, and control the action with your Android or iOS mobile phone. AirConsole boasts a continually growing collection of over 100 first- and third-party games. A wide variety of titles and genres are completely free to play, with more games and additional content available through the AirConsole Hero subscription. With a former Googler at the helm, AirConsole offers a revolutionary low-latency cloud-based gaming experience without the need for proprietary hardware.

The post Football in the Cloud appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

PES 2019 will fulfill Konami’s ongoing commitment to increase the number of licenses confirming; more fully licensed leagues and stadiums, more club licensed partnerships, and a host of new Legends that will be announced in the weeks to come.

FC Barcelona star and global ambassador Philippe Coutinho will be featured on this year’s cover while a special David Beckham edition featuring a present-day version of one of England’s all-time greatest footballers.

Fans will be able to experience lifelike player movement making PES 2019’s famed superior gameplay even greater as Beckham, Coutinho and more have their unique playing styles brought to life. The game takes player individuality to the next level by introducing a variety of new skill traits that give the player a chance to create Magic Moments on the pitch, which is now the forefront of PES 2019’s superior gameplay.

Finding space in tough-to-break down opponents will take a twist as well with Visible Fatigue, which will impact performance and behaviour. New shooting mechanics will take into account improved ball physics, player and ball position, and player skills and shot styles. Hitting the back of the net in PES 2019 will be more satisfying than ever before with new net physics and celebrations added, teamed with new crowd animations.

The beautiful game has never looked better thanks to ‘Enlighten’ software for true-to-life visual effects and 4K HDR across all platforms. Real time ‘Global Illumination’ lighting and shadows has led to improved in-game graphics with better crowd detail, real grass textures and the return of the incredibly popular snow weather effect.

myClub will see its biggest revamp to date, as the brand new player card design system leads a series of revolutionary changes to the way players build their squads. myClub players can also look forward to finding High Performance Players, including Legend Players and Players of the Week with temporarily boosted stats based on real world performances.

Konami is also excited to continue its partnership with one of the world’s biggest pre-season football tournaments, International Champions Cup (ICC). Elements of the ICC will be implemented into Master League, which will also include a new negotiation system, living menus and realistic transfers, elevating the mode to new heights.

PES 2019 players can also look forward to a new menu interface, dynamically updated to bring fans the latest news about PES from the game itself. The new modern look is built around motion bringing the menu screens to life, while giving fans exclusive offers, including discounts on other upcoming products.

“Konami has listened to the fans and has put their changes and suggestions at the forefront of what makes PES 2019 the best addition to the franchise yet,” commented Jonas Lygaard, Senior Director for Brand and Business Development at Konami Digital Entertainment B.V. “Our number one desire is to give the fans more of what they want and delivering it sooner than ever before. On August the 30th, more licensed teams, more fully licensed leagues, and the continued improvement of PES’ superior gameplay. We believe in The Power of Football and that’s why PES 2019 will be our most powerful game yet, with 4K capabilities and improved player individuality bringing all aspects of football to life.”

PES 2019 will be available on PlayStation4, Xbox One, and PC, on August 30th, 2018.

PES 2019 will be available in two physical editions, with new global ambassador Phillippe Coutinho on the front cover of the standard edition and David Beckham on a special edition which gives fans the opportunity to unlock myClub bonuses. Also available at launch will be a digital-only Legend edition that will include even more content for myClub!

The post Prepare for The Power of Football appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

Konami Digital Entertainment has added another legendary player to its enviable PES 2018 roster of Legends with the signing of England midfield genius and global superstar David Beckham.

Arguably the most recognizable football player of modern times, David Beckham’s 20-year career saw him win 19 major trophies as he played for title-winning teams in England, Spain, Italy and the United States of America. He was the first British player to be featured in 100 UEFA Champions League matches, and enjoyed an international career that garnered 115 England caps. His incredible ability from dead-ball and set-piece situations resulted in dozens of truly memorable goals before his retirement in 2013.

KONAMI is delighted that such a leading light of world football has agreed to join PES.  The Leyton-born star will see his incredible career recreated in-game as a Legend in the forthcoming PES 2018.

“It’s a great honour to join the roster of legends that work with KONAMI as PES Ambassadors,” offered David Beckham. “I look forward to seeing my career represented in this fantastic game, and working with such a talented team of people who obviously love football as much as I do.”

Following PES 2018‘s launch on September 14th, 2017, several versions of David Beckham from key points of his illustrious career will be featured in the game’s myClub mode across different campaigns. A total of five eras will be represented, from his formative years in England, through to his times in Spain, Italy and the United States of America, alongside one representing his International profile. Using KONAMI’s proprietary scanning and animation systems, Beckham’s unique playing style and abilities will be faithfully recreated for those playing the hugely popular myClub mode.

The addition of David Beckham to PES 2018 perfectly reflects the new game’s message that it is “Where Legends are Made.” Fans will be able to experience this directly in myClub as they build a team from scratch and draft Legends such as Diego Maradona, and now David Beckham, into their team. Additionally, making his debut as an in-game player, the world’s fastest man and most recognisable athlete in the world, Usain Bolt, will be also available within the myClub mode as an exclusive pre-order bonus.

“David Beckham is rightfully a legend within the game, and we are delighted to welcome him to the PES family,” commented Jonas Lygaard, Senior Director Brand & Business Development at Konami Digital Entertainment B.V. “His fantastic career and all he has achieved will be faithfully recreated for those playing PES 2018, and we look forward to working with him as we unite to promote PES 2018 as the definitive football title.”

PES 2018 boasts more new features and enhancements than any PES title in the last 10 years, with more new ways to play and no part left untouched. The series’ famed gameplay offers total control over the on-field action, as users guide players that behave, move and react just like their real-life counterparts. New additions to the control systems add more fluidity to the game, while a new user interface makes accessing the many facets of the game a simpler process. KONAMI has also confirmed that the PC edition of the game will enjoy total parity with that of the leading console iterations.

The new game also introduces more ways for fans to play. Full 11-Vs-11 online options are joined by co-operative 2-Vs-2 and 3-Vs-3 modes with support for local guests. The much-requested ‘Random Selection’ match returns with all new content, while the Master League implements pre-season tournaments, a new transfer system and pre-match interviews and an insight to the changing rooms. Similarly, ahead of next season’s eSport tournament, the official PES LEAGUE has been integrated into the main game.

PES 2018 will be released on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. The game will also be available via Steam in a version that has undergone substantial improvements in terms of aesthetics and content, ensuring the game enjoys parity with the current gen formats. PES LEAGUE will also be included in PES 2018 in order to support the growing eSport culture.

The post David Beckham signs exclusive deal with KONAMI as PES Legend Ambassador appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

Konami Digital Entertainment B.V. has announced that Usain Bolt – track running’s most decorated athlete and the fastest man in the world has become the latest ambassador for PES 2018.

Usain Bolt is a legend in athletics and is the current World Champion in the 100m, 200m and 4 x 100m relay events. Since bursting onto the athletics scene in 2002, Bolt has been an unstoppable force and has won countless medals and huge acclaim, while his famed ‘to di world’ winning pose has become iconic. The Jamaican athlete is also a huge football fan and an accomplished player, and his new agreement with Konami will see him faithfully recreated as an in-game player via a special pre-order incentive for those purchasing PES 2018 ahead of launch.

Anyone pre-ordering PES 2018 ahead of its September 14th, 2017 (global) release date will be able to unlock Bolt as an in-game player at launch exclusively for myClub. Konami has used its proprietary face-scanning systems to perfectly recreate the athlete in-game, while his running style and – more importantly – incredible pace will make him an asset to any side.

Usain Bolt joins the Konami team as PES 2018 gears up for the new season. Centred on the concept that PES 2018 is “Where Legends are Made”, the new game boasts more new features and enhancements than any PES title in the last 10 years, more new ways to play, and a PC version to the standard of the leading console iterations.

No part of PES 2018 has been left untouched, with its famed gameplay ensuring users enjoy complete control over the on-field action, as they guide players that behave, move and react just like their real-life counterparts to victory. New additions to the control systems add more fluidity to the game, while a new user interface gives the game a more broadcast-like feel and makes accessing the many facets of PES 2018 more user-friendly.

Matches are played at a more realistic pace, while a new strategic dribbling system offers greater close control, including contextual shielding, use of the control stick to initiate shimmies and a REAL Touch + process, wherein players will react to receiving a ball using the chest, head and legs to bring a pass under control dependent on the height and pace of the received ball. The game’s many set piece routines have also been reworked, including penalty kicks and a one-player kick off routine.

A new REAL Capture system also provides PES 2018 with true-to-life lighting across day and night games, while over 20,000 components have been faithfully recreated to recreate the turf, tunnels, and the surrounding areas of stadia such as Camp Nou and Signal Iduna Park. The individuality of how the likes of Usain Bolt and key players move, shape to shoot and make passes is also closer to real life, with Konami motion-capturing players within realistic environments in a complete overhaul of the in-game animation system. Core movements such as walking, turning, and posture have been reworked also, while the player models now have greater variety, with attention paid to the way kits fit differing physiques. Konami’s agreements with partner teams will also see tattoos recreated on players as well.

PES 2018 also allows more ways for people to play. Full 11-Vs-11 online options and the myClub mode where players build a team from scratch, are joined by co-operative 2-Vs-2 and 3-Vs-3 modes with support for local guests. The much-requested ‘Random Selection’ match returns with all new content, while the Master League implements pre-season tournaments, a new transfer system, pre-match interviews and an insight to the changing rooms. Similarly, ahead of next season’s eSport tournament, the official PES LEAGUE will be integrated into the main game making registration much easier.

“PES fans will know that, historically, the legendary Babangida is the fastest player in the game – but not anymore more!” commented Jonas Lygaard, Senior Director Brand & Business Development at Konami Digital Entertainment B.V. “We are delighted that a legendary athlete and committed football fan such as Usain Bolt has agreed to become an Ambassador for the PES series, exclusively. Those who pre-order now will be able to add the fastest man in the World to their myClub team. Usain’s enthusiasm and willingness to help with his inclusion in the game have been fantastic, and we look forward to those pre-ordering the game unleashing his pace on unsuspecting defences when PES 2018 is released on September 14th, 2017.”

“I love football and have played PES for as long as I can remember – it’s the best football game there is – and it’s a great honour to be a part of it and its success,” added Usain Bolt. “When the opportunity arose to be a player in PES 2018, it was too good to be true. Having my face and movements scanned for use in the game was a fascinating process and I hope those who pre-order the game make full use of my pace and skill!”

PES 2018 will be released for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.

The post Usain Bolt joins KONAMI for PES 2018 appeared first on Shane the Gamer.