In terms of sheer global popularity, there isn’t a sport that is more watched and loved than football (or soccer for our more American readers). Even within the football world, there are many niches, including football video game lovers, and within those niches exist more niches: Being in the thick of the action with games like FIFA or PES and being at the helm of your favorite club, leading them to glory with FIFA Manager and the acclaimed Sports Interactive franchise: Football Manager.
Days ago, Football Manager 2014 was officially announced and although it isn’t everyone’s favorite game, and it is certainly less glitzy and contains less corporate brouhaha than its ‘rival’ FIFA Manager, it is still a massive thing in its own right. Like any sports title, it is a yearly title, but Sports Interactive appears to do its utmost to make the game better with every iteration (some unsettling bugs from FM 2013 notwithstanding).
Changes Promised
- There will now be a Linux version that is compatible to play with both the Windows and Mac versions.
- Better integration with Steam.
- Cloud saves.
- A Challenge Editor (allowing players to create their own challenges and upload them for others to try).
- A more realistic Transfers and Contracts system with even more new clauses and more realistic reactions.
- More options for squad and staff interactions, including asking key players to comfort unhappy players.
- General improvements in User Interface.
- An improved match engine (of which you can see some early footage below).
- Tactical overhaul on how tactics are made and how things are done.
- More sophisticated boardroom interactions.
- Brand new News system that involves colors! Also, streamlining the experience.
- Football Manager Classic is better.
Some Early Screens
The new (more colorful) News screen!
New Instructions Options
New Training Overview
End of Season Meeting
The Improved Match Engine
This is still said to be a very early work in progress, but already the match engine looks much more improved than it was in FM 2012 (which was the last one I really got into). If you sort of squint your eyes to the point where it kind of blurs your vision, you could fool yourself into thinking you are watching a real football game with the improved lighting and player animations.
System Requirements
The system requirements are out for all 3 of the platforms that Football Manager 2014 is releasing for: PC, Mac and Linux. Sports Interactive is unlikely to go back to consoles, but they are monitoring the situation with smartglass for a potential return, since their short experiment with the Xbox 360. Although Football Manager isn’t that heavy on the graphical side of things, the database stuff can really make a computer keel over (especially when you are simulating multiple leagues in multiple countries with a large database) so it’s good to know if your system reaches the bare minimum:
PC
OS: Windows XP, Vista, 7, 8
Processor: Intel Pentium 4, Intel Core, AMD Athlon (XP: 1.6GHz+ or Vista/7/8: 2.2GHz+)
Memory: 1 GB RAM
Graphics: NVidia GeForce FX 5900, Ultra ATI Radeon 9800, Intel GMA X3100 (128MB VRAM)
DirectX: Version 9.0c
Network: Broadband Internet connection
Hard Drive: 3 GB available space
Mac
OS: Mac OS X 10.6, 10.7, 10.8
Processor: Intel Core 1.8GHz+
Memory: 1 GB RAM
Graphics: NVidia GeForce 7300, GT ATI Radeon X1600, Intel GMA X3100 (128MB VRAM)
Network: Broadband Internet connection
Hard Drive: 3 GB available space
Additional Notes: OpenGL 2.0 compliant
Linux
OS: Ubuntu 12.04 LTS Linux
Processor: Intel Pentium 4, Intel Core, AMD Athlon 1.8GHz+
Memory: 1 GB RAM
Graphics: NVidia GeForce 7300 GT, AMD Radeon HD 2400, Pro Intel HD 3000/4000 (128MB VRAM)
Hard Drive: 3 GB available space
Additional Notes: OpenGL 2.0 compliant
Release Date
A solid release date hasn’t been announced yet, but it is slated for release before Christmas 2013. And if historical trends is any indication, it’s probably going to be between mid-late October and early November.
Stay tuned to AotF for more Football Manager 2014 coverage!
Are you a fan of Football Manager? Does this new one look enticing or does it just look like the same thing in a new dress? Leave a comment below!
