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Konami launches free-to-play version of soccer sim 'PES 2019'
Looking for some football action without forking out full price for FIFA? Konami announced today that it is releasing PES 2019 Lite, a stripped down and free-to-play version of its soccer simulator, for Xbox One, PS4 and PC. The focus of the "Lite" title is MyClub, a game mode that allows players to assemble super squads of their favorite footballs past and present. The mode includes optional in-app purchases, which may be how Konami plans to make its money with the free-to-play game.
'FIFA 19' has everything it needs to be the best
I've always tried to love FIFA and Pro Evolution Soccer equally, though there are years when one franchise wins me over the other -- even if it's by a tiny bit. You can always count on the game mechanics of Konami's PES to be a pleasure to play, but EA Sports' advantage with FIFA has been that it owns the official licenses to the biggest clubs and players. I don't know about you, but I'd rather play with Manchester United than Man Red. This year, the most important change to FIFA 19 is the addition of the UEFA Champions League, Europe's premier club competition, which had featured on PES since 2008. EA Sports didn't need the Champions League to make FIFA great, but it was basically the only thing it was missing. And now, at the expense of PES, it's finally here.
RIP, 'Pro Evolution Soccer'
I have a mild obsession with FIFA video games, largely because I like playing with official teams and players rather than fictional ones. But, I always gave Pro Evolution Soccer (PES) a chance. Two years ago, I even wrote that Konami's title was actually better than EA Sports', much to the the disbelief of many of my football friends. A big reason I always kept coming back to PES (aside from its more realistic gameplay) was the fact it had licensing rights for the UEFA Champions League (UCL), Europe's most prestigious club tournament. Since 2008, FIFA players have had to make do with a generic version that EA Sports created, which simply wasn't good enough. You need that UCL orchestral theme song and the original trophy to make the competition feel real. But thing will be changing soon, and Pro Evolution Soccer is going to suffer as a result.
EA can’t buy what makes ‘PES’ great
It hasn't been a good month for Pro Evolution Soccer. Back in May, UEFA ended its partnership with Konami, a deal that allowed PES to include the biggest annual club tournament in Europe. And, perhaps more importantly, the teams that qualified for it. Some of those big names remain thanks to separate licensing deals with the club itself or with a league. It's true that EA is stacking the deck when it comes to teams and tournaments in FIFA, but the charm of PES goes way beyond its team roster.
'PES 2019' loses Borussia Dortmund ahead of launch
Konami's Pro Evolution Soccer series can't catch a break. It's been second fiddle to EA's FIFA series for years, and with news that another team has ended its licensing agreement with the underdog football franchise likely won't help matters any. Borussia Dortmund "prematurely" exited its licensing agreement with the game-maker ahead of its 2020 agreement, as spotted by Kotaku.
'PES 2019' hits PC, PS4 and Xbox One on August 28th
If you'd rather not support EA's definitions of "gambling" and "loot boxes" but still want to play virtual soccer football, maybe this year's Pro Evolution Soccer from Konami will tickle your fancy. PES 2019 will be in stores August 28th (US) and August 30th (Europe) for Steam, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. It'll feature 4K HDR video across "all capable platforms," too. Hopefully that means support for the PlayStation 4 Pro and Xbox One X in addition to PC. Earlier last month it was revealed that the franchise would lose its license for the Champions League teams and players, and Konami hasn't provided any information yet on what will replace them. However, its announcement trailer for the new game features and awful lot of David Beckham, and there will even be an edition of the game named after Posh Spice's husband. The game is up for pre-order right now, and we'll probably get answers to our burning questions about which leagues and stadiums will be featured next month at E3.
FIFA 18's story mode has become the franchise’s best feature
When FIFA 17 came out last year, its standout feature was something called "The Journey." For the first time in the franchise's 24-year history, EA Sports added a story mode where you can pretend to live the life of a professional soccer (er, football) player. The plot centered around a fictional character named Alex Hunter, a British teenager who's trying to make a name for himself in the English Premier League. Your goal, naturally, is to guide him in his quest to do exactly that. Thanks to its success on FIFA 17, the adventure continues with FIFA 18's "The Journey: Hunter Returns."
Play as David Beckham in his prime in ‘PES 2018’
Konami's Pro Evolution Soccer franchise always vies with EA Sports' FIFA series for the year's best football game. To get an edge over its competitor, Konami packed new features into this year's edition -- along with licensing some celebrity athletes to include in your squad. While champion sprinter Usain Bolt was an odd choice to include in the game, the next addition to PES 2018 is a no-brainer: The legendary David Beckham.
Engadget at E3: Why Konami has high hopes for 'PES 2018'
Pro Evolution Soccer 2018 promises to be the franchise's best title in years, thanks to a combination of smoother gameplay and improved life-like graphics. Then there's the fact you'll be able to play My Club matches as Usain Bolt, the eight-time Olympic gold medalist. Sure, it's a pure marketing move, but that doesn't mean it won't be fun to have him play for your team. We had the game's global brand product and manager, Adam Bhatti, join us on our E3 stage to talk more about these features, as well as whether or not Pro Evolution Soccer 2018 will be getting a Nintendo Switch version. Spoiler alert: That's not a yes-or-no question.
'Pro Evolution Soccer 2018' continues to be a pleasure to play
Every year, there's the ongoing debate about which football game is the best: EA's FIFA or Konami's Pro Evolution Soccer. And the truth is, they're both great in their own right -- FIFA traditionally has the better graphics, PES the better gameplay -- so no one would blame you for picking one over the other. This year, with Pro Evolution Soccer 2018, Konami says it has made its best football title in over a decade, and I'm happy to report that, at the very least, it is noticeably better than the 2017 version. Just as you would expect.
‘Pro Evolution Soccer 2018’ hits PC and consoles September 12th
The next edition of Konami's perennial FIFA competitor just got a release date: Pro Evolution Soccer 2018 comes out on September 12th. This year's version adds new online co-op modes and immersive touches alongside a UI overhaul. Best of all it's also coming to PS3 and Xbox 360, which is great news for last-gen holdovers.
Konami and soccer star Maradona call truce over game licensing
That dispute between Konami and sports legend Diego Maradona didn't last long. The two have reached an out-of-court settlement over Pro Evolution Soccer 2017's alleged use of the footie star's likeness without his permission. The exact financial figures aren't public, but Konami is paying Maradona in return for a big favor: he'll promote the game from now until 2020. He's also donating some of the money toward improving soccer pitches in his native Argentina.
Soccer icon Maradona threatens to sue Konami for using his face (update)
You may have been excited to see sports legend Diego Maradona in Konami's Pro Evolution Soccer 2017, but the superstar himself is... less than thrilled. Maradona has threatened to sue Konami for allegedly using his likeness in the game without permission. We've reached out to Konami for its side of the conversation, but it's reasonable to presume that this could get messy if a lawsuit goes ahead. That seems likely when Maradona's lawyer, Matias Morla, has vowed to "crack down" on the PES2017 developer.
'Pro Evolution Soccer' gets a free-to-play version this December
For years, FIFA and Pro Evolution Soccer have been fighting for the hearts of football fans. EA has always had the money, with authentic strips and team names, but PES players will argue that Konami's gameplay makes it a technically superior franchise. If you're currently sat in the FIFA camp, or have been avoiding football games altogether, Konami hopes to win you back with a free-to-play version of PES 2016. Details are scarce, but Polygon reports that it'll be available from December 8th on PlayStation 3 and PlayStation 4, with an Exhibition Mode featuring seven professional teams. Like the yearly FIFA demos, these include some pretty all-star squads -- you can expect the likes of Bayern Munich, Juventus and AS Roma to be available from the outset. You'll also get access to MyClub, which is a mode where you can build and manage your own custom team. Even if you play it just a handful of times over the Christmas break, it's free, so really what's there to lose?
Konami calls it quits on AAA console games, reports say
Konami is shutting down much of its AAA console-game development for the foreseeable future, according to a report on French site Gameblog (as translated by Eurogamer). The only two franchises on Konami's AAA plate are Metal Gear Online and Pro Evolution Soccer 2016. Otherwise, there are no plans to develop additional Metal Gear, Silent Hill, Castlevania or other AAA games at Konami, the site says. An additional report on Gameblog claims that Konami Worldwide Technical Director and head of the studio's Fox Engine, Julien Merceron, has left the company. We've reached out to Konami for clarification. These reports play into recent rumblings of unrest at Konami and a shift toward mobile-game development, following a series of odd events at the studio.
Archetype, Hero of Sparta 2 on iPad, PES 2010 coming
A few high profile apps have made their way over to the iPad recently. First up, Archetype is that first-person shooter that ran surprisingly well on the iPhone. It's now available on the bigger device with updated HD graphics and a redesigned HUD to take advantage of the bigger screen space. Additionally, the game has been updated since launch with a new level and a Rocket Arena gametype. The app is US$4.99 on the iPad, compared to the iPhone's $2.99 version. Gameloft has released their Hero of Sparta 2 app in an HD iPad version as well, bringing God of War-style action to Apple's tablet. HoS2 features new weapons and enemies across 12 different levels, and unlike the first Hero of Sparta for the iPad, word is that this one runs and looks great. If you were a fan of the first game and need something new to play on the iPad, you can buy Hero of Sparta 2 now for $9.99. And finally, at GDC Europe last week, Konami announced that it would be bringing Pro Evolution Soccer 2011 to the iPad. This series is also known as Winning Eleven, and it's supposed to be head and shoulders above most other soccer franchises out there, so seeing the brand new version out on the iPad is a nice coup for soccer fans. The app is due out in October of this year, just about a month after the new version of the game arrives on consoles. Unfortunately, there's no word on price yet, but given the premium nature of the title and Konami's pedigree, we're probably talking about a $9.99 game here as well.
PES 2008 demo on XBLM, too good for US and Canada
Some of you have been anticipating the release of this demo onto the Marketplace for a while now and we're happy to say that your wait is over. Ready for download this very moment off of the Xbox Live Marketplace is a hefty 1.18GB demo of Konami's Winning Eleven: Pro Evolution Soccer 2008. And to our European fanboys, do you remember all the times you've complained about the US getting exclusive XBLM content that wasn't available to you? Well, this is one of those times you get content the US doesn't, because the Pro Evolution Soccer 2008 demo is not available to Asia or North America Xbox Live members. You lucky devils.
The best PS3 game at Leipzig was a soccer game
The Leipzig Games Convention has come and gone, and the critics agree: Konami's Pro Evolution Soccer 2008 is the best PS3 game on the show floor. What? I guess Sony made a big deal about FIFA for no reason. The jury stated "Football is coming home: the best current football game celebrates its PS3 premiere with diving, wall building and complete online support - including leagues and rankings."The game is apparently so good that it also won an award for being the best PS2 game at the show. We knew that Germans loved their soccer, but we didn't know that they'd prefer this game over all the other games at Games Conference! A shock victory, perhaps?
Pro Evolution Soccer coming to Wii in 2008
Yes, we know. It's a bad joke. But in talking about a franchise debut on the Wii, a franchise we have little to no familiarity with, we were stuck trying to find the appropriate image. The important thing is we're getting more third-party support, which is something we can never get enough of.And if you're curious about how the game plays, you can check out a trailer for the Xbox 360 version right here. You know, just to give you an idea.
LGC07: Pro Evolution Soccer 2008 coming to Wii in... 2008
During the Konami Press Conference at the Leipzig Games Convention today, it has been confirmed that a Wii version of Pro Evolution Soccer 2008 will be released during the course of, err, 2008. While the current generation versions of the game will be out October this year, Wii'll have to wait before kicking off. While it's currently unknown how exactly the game will differ from its console counterparts, you can likely expect a complete overhaul of the control method. We already envision strapping Wiimotes to our legs and frantically kicking our TVs over in excitement. Well, we do that already, but now we'll have a game to go with it.
