Football Manager 2006 PSP & Xbox 360 Preview

PSP

Nestled amidst the antique shops and estate agents of the London Borough of Islington sits an anonymous door. A door that leads into a world of geekdom and fanaticism that is unlike any other you are likely to experience at a games developer. For the talk within these walls is not of videogames, it is of football.

Perhaps what makes Football Manager different from other sports games is the relationship with the real sport itself. Games such as FIFA and Pro Evolution Soccer merely represent the sport, they merely cloth themselves in the trappings of the world they are trying to recreate. There’s something very different about the atmosphere at Sports Interactive. Maybe its because if you take on the company’s five-a-side A teams you’ll be lined up against Ray Houghton, or it may be that you as likely to bump into famous footballers there than games industry worthies.

Home Turf

PSP

Sports Interactive’s roots have spread deep into football, with over 1500 researchers across the globe reporting back with the information required for Football Manager’s exhaustive database. In some ways this database is more impressive than the game itself. It’s a massive undertaking to collect and collate accurate information on so many leagues, teams and players. The developer doesn’t name names, but there’s only one way so much of the contract data in the game is accurate and that’s collaboration with club insiders, officials and players.

The developer is proud of the accuracy of the database, it has predicted the success of many a star player such as Thierry Henry. It’s no secret that Football Manager is in wide use in many football clubs as managers use the exhaustive database to find new talent or to learn as much as possible about forthcoming little-known opponents. This is a games developer that isn’t just close to football, it has become part of the fabric of football.

One week ago I found myself within the walls of Sports Interactive to see the latest areas into which the developer was spreading its influence. The magnificently detailed football database is about to be unleashed onto new formats. On April 13th 2006 Football Manager 2006 is set to be released on PSP and Xbox 360.

Mr Hexic

PSP

When I arrived at Sports Interactive there was a sense of achievement and relief in the air. The crunches were over, both games were done and the development team was about to enjoy a weekend without work. The PSP version of Football Manager 2006 had been submitted to Sony and the Xbox 360 was about to follow to Microsoft a few days later. It was an ideal time to take a look at both games and what they have to offer the football fan and gamer.

We were taken through the games by Sports Interactive’s Managing Director and future Hexic-HD world champion, Miles Jacobson. His confidence in the quality of the new games was reassuring; he was clearly excited about both versions. When he told us he played Football Manager several times a week it was clear that this wasn’t just bluster, his excitement was genuine, perhaps this enthusiasm was even higher than that for his beloved Watford FC.

The buzz around Football Manager on PSP is that of classic gameplay. This is a game designed so that you can pick and play, have a few quick games while your enjoying your half-time Bovril or sat on the toilet. Classic gameplay is also something you’ll hear bandied about regarding the PSP version. While back-to-basics isn’t a phrase you’ll hear from Sports Interactive, it’s clear that FM2006 harks back to the classic straight-forward approach of the earlier Championship Manager games while retaining many of Football Manager’s newer features.

Long Life on PSP

Xbox 360

Football Manager on PSP is also a technical marvel. As you’d expect with any iteration of the franchise, there’s a short wait when beginning a game for the first time while the database is built up, after that it zips along at a rapid pace. You’ll be able to play Football Manager 2006 for over six hours continuously as once set up, the game doesn’t access the UMD from that point on – so those classic PC marathon sessions on the PC are just as possible on the PSP game.

Perhaps one of the trickiest aspect of running Football Manager on PSP is making use of the small screen. The clean crisp presentation is very impressive. The screen is easily readable and never appears cluttered. At all times a small legend at the bottom of the screen shows the user how to navigate within FM. The presentation is certainly more pleasing on the eye than the rival Championship Manager on PSP. You can’t play as many leagues at once as the PC version of FM yet this doesn’t feel like a cut-down iteration at all

There’s no multiplayer option in the PSP game this year but this is something that Sports Interactive is looking at including in future versions. However multiplayer action is very much part of the Xbox 360 game. Dedicated fans of football management games tend to get a little nervous around console version though, the perception is they lack depth and are all about flashy 3D match engines than detailed stats and hyper-intelligent AI.

Strange Controversy

Xbox 360

There’s no need to be afraid of the Xbox 360 game though because this is the full PC game with added extras. There’s no dumbing-down for consoles on display here. The game has courted controversy however. Recently US games sites have been reporting with incredulity the fact that FM2006 on Xbox 360 requires the console to have a hard drive. The way this has been reported has amused and bemused SI, it’s been known for a long time that it would be HD only, yet many journalists who probably have little knowledge of the franchise at all are suddenly getting in a lather about it.

Perhaps they believe it’s the beginning of an apartheid in Xbox 360 gaming, with some games being aimed at those that can afford the slicker peripherals and a high definition display. Northing could be further from the truth though, Sports Interactive’s philosophy regarding HD-TV is as much a revelation as it is amusing. Taking pride of place in the deverloper’s office is a battered and rather shoddy looking television, it’s the cheapest and nastiest 14” standard definition TV Sports Interactive could find. And it’s on this television that the look of the game has been developed before the team was every allowed the used of a HDTV.

This has resulted in the game that’s attractive and more importantly perfectly readable on any television, from the cheapest battered portable to the very best high definition screen. HDTV owners do get the added bonus of a couple of quick tactics screens working side by side rather than replacing each other, but apart from that Football Manager 2006 looks great on anything you can throw at it.

Live from Old Trafford

Xbox 360

The performance of the game is very good, as you’d expect its in line with a high-end PC. There’s the usual pause when setting up a game but after that the console makes light work of simulating matches.

Just like the PSP game there’s a legend on the screen at all times making it easier to navigate the game. The controller has been used very effectively, making navigation very easy. The best use of the bad comes from clicking in the right stick, which is a shortcut to tell the game to move the clock on.

Football Manager 2006 on Xbox 360 is looking in fine form, a great re-working of all the complexities of the PC version, with a slick control method and attractive visuals. However the story doesn’t end there because there’s Xbox Live multiplayer to enjoy. You’ll be able to set up cups and leagues with your friends without the worry of it all coming crashing down if you lose someone as the AI will take over. Watching two players bring differing strategies against each other is almost as much fun as playing yourself.

Added to the mix is a really wide selection of Xbox 360 achievements, from winning your first game, selling or player to the top prize of becoming the best Football Manager 2006 player in the world. Here on PSP and Xbox 360 Sports Interactive has two very strong sports games lined up for imminent release. From the enthusiasm of the development team to the quality of the two games on show it seems a sure bet to say that Sega has two big hits on its hands here.