Released: 07/11/24
Platforms:
Football Manager 2024 (PC/Mac), Football Manager 2024 Console (Xbox/PS5), Football Manager 2024 Touch (Apple Arcade and Nintendo Switch™) and Football Manager 2024 Mobile (Netflix) launched worldwide from released worldwide on Tuesday, November 6th.
The most complete edition in series’ history, FM24 was an historically significant title for the franchise. It marked our first release in Japan, complete with official licensing of the Meiji Yamada J. Leagues for the first time. It was also the first time in FM history that our Mobile title was released as a Netflix exclusive.
Hailed by fans and media, FM24 broke multiple player records. It reached 7 million players, more than FM23’s lifetime total, inside 100 days and went on to pass the milestone of 15m lifetime players.
New for this season
FM24 was the 20th game in the Football Manager series and a love letter to football.
In addition to the ground-breaking new ability to transfer forward careers from FM23, FM23 Console and FM23 Touch, FM24 was packed with headline developments influenced by the world of football.
Players were able to enjoy greater variety in every career with the arrival of two new game modes – Real World and Your World. Real World mirrors when players actually joined a club, while Your World sets club squads and budgets at the day a career starts.
Truer Football Motion, Match Authenticity & Positional Play
Enhancements to player animations, ball physics and lighting delivered the most immersive Match Engine in Football Manager history.
More intelligent player rotational movements added more fluidity to every highlight. The introduction of the new Inverted Full-Back role helped the franchise keep pace with the modern’s game latest tactical trend.
Set Pieces Refresh & Coaches Debut
Players were able to make an impact at both ends of the pitch thanks to an overhauled Set Piece Creator. The addition of Set Piece Coaches to backroom staff was inspired by professional football and gave players additional support to develop winning routines in every scenario.
Smarter Transfers, Squad Building & Finance
FM24’s transfer market had a big overhaul, making it the most refined in series history. AI managers were made smarter than ever, meaning more strategic recruitment decisions and more competitive transfer battles.
Introducing Intermediaries & Offloading Players
To reflect the growing influence of agents in modern football and to give players more tools to offload players, outbound transfers got a revamp too in FM24. New Intermediaries helped managers offload surplus players for a cut of the final transfer fee. Additional functionality for existing Agents and the debut of TransferRoom, football real-life transfer marketplace, delivered more real-world powered tools to build elite teams and dominate the competition.
Individual Player Targets & Interaction Logic
Players could motivate your team to achieve more on and off the field by setting them individual Targets. Whether focused on goals scored in a season or average training performances, they could better challenge their star players and top prospects to maximise their ability.
FM24 Console launched globally from November 6th on Xbox, Xbox Game Pass and, after a sparkling debut season, PlayStation 5.
As well as the ability to bring forward your saved games from FM23 Console, FM24 Console included a number of features that ramped up the immersion and elevated the experience for players.
In addition to mirroring the Set Piece and Match Engine upgrades in the PC title, FM24 Console included bespoke improvements to both Dynamics and Training. For Dynamics, that was a new system empowering managers to define their own style with a clear view of how their players bought-in and responded to their approach. Training took the form of a new menu that delivered more control over the development of first-team players and academy prospects.
Board Requests were redefined, better allowing managers to make their voice heard and influence their club’s development.
For the most competitive managers, they had more avenues to compete with their friends following the first-time introduction of cross-play between Xbox and PS5 consoles.
FM24 Touch launched on November 6th on both Apple Arcade and Nintendo Switch. It came with a host of changes, from in-game navigation enhancements to a new Dynamics system that will brought managers closer to their star players.
Matchdays looked significantly better, with FM24 Touch adopting the player movement, ball physics and lighting improvements also made to FM24 and FM24 Console.
An enhanced layout for iPhone levelled up the experience for players accessing the game on the move, presenting information in a friendlier, more intuitive way.
Elsewhere, there were significant improvements to Set Pieces, Training and Board Requests.
FM24 Mobile brought the thrill of fast-paced football management exclusively to Netflix.
Matchday was the centre of most of the game’s new features. A Pre-Match Hub delivered key insights before big games, while new in-match notifications made it easier than ever for managers to make winning changes when their team needed it most. Whether it was a title decider, relegation scrap or cup final, managers got key information straight after the final whistle in the new Post-Match Hub.
New reputation titles added a customised element to the gameplay experience, with players picking up different monikers as they progressed through their career based on their tactical approach, personality and transfer decisions.
FM24 Console launched globally from November 6th on Xbox, Xbox Game Pass and, after a sparkling debut season, PlayStation 5.
As well as the ability to bring forward your saved games from FM23 Console, FM24 Console included a number of features that ramped up the immersion and elevated the experience for players.
In addition to mirroring the Set Piece and Match Engine upgrades in the PC title, FM24 Console included bespoke improvements to both Dynamics and Training. For Dynamics, that was a new system empowering managers to define their own style with a clear view of how their players bought-in and responded to their approach. Training took the form of a new menu that delivered more control over the development of first-team players and academy prospects.
Board Requests were redefined, better allowing managers to make their voice heard and influence their club’s development.
For the most competitive managers, they had more avenues to compete with their friends following the first-time introduction of cross-play between Xbox and PS5 consoles.
FM24 Touch launched on November 6th on both Apple Arcade and Nintendo Switch. It came with a host of changes, from in-game navigation enhancements to a new Dynamics system that will brought managers closer to their star players.
Matchdays looked significantly better, with FM24 Touch adopting the player movement, ball physics and lighting improvements also made to FM24 and FM24 Console.
An enhanced layout for iPhone levelled up the experience for players accessing the game on the move, presenting information in a friendlier, more intuitive way.
Elsewhere, there were significant improvements to Set Pieces, Training and Board Requests.
FM24 Mobile brought the thrill of fast-paced football management exclusively to Netflix.
Matchday was the centre of most of the game’s new features. A Pre-Match Hub delivered key insights before big games, while new in-match notifications made it easier than ever for managers to make winning changes when their team needed it most. Whether it was a title decider, relegation scrap or cup final, managers got key information straight after the final whistle in the new Post-Match Hub.
New reputation titles added a customised element to the gameplay experience, with players picking up different monikers as they progressed through their career based on their tactical approach, personality and transfer decisions.
Released: 08/11/2022
Platforms:
Football Manager 2023 (PC/Mac), Football Manager 2023, Football Manager 2023 Mobile (iOS/Android) and Football Manager 2023 Touch (Apple Arcade and Nintendo Switch™) were all released worldwide on Tuesday, November 8th. For the first time in the series’ history, a Football Manager title was launched on the Apple Arcade platform with FM23 Touch returning to iOS devices on November 8th.
Since its release, FM23 has been met with a positive reaction from both fans and media, who’ve praised it for its smooth gameplay. It has also become the fastest title in series history to record more than two million unique players.
NEW FOR THIS SEASON
FM23’s key new features were designed with the aim of moving the studio ever closer to its goal of making the most realistic simulation of football possible.
Our extensive contacts within the footballing world drove our Recruitment revamp, with the tweaks to Scouting and the introduction of the Squad Planner based on the way real clubs set about targeting, identifying and shaping their squads for the current season, the next one and the one after.
A wholesale rewrite of AI managers and countless new animations were the headline additions to the most realistic Match Engine in series history, while the licencing of the UEFA Club Competitions for the first time gave the game a whole new level of authenticity and immersion.
IMPROVED AI MANAGERS
When stepping out onto the virtual pitch, our players now face the most realistic AI managers in the history of the series. An overhaul of their decision-making has made them smarter, allowing them to make more contextual decisions and push you harder in every game. The Match team also rewrote the Out of Possession instructions to make them more accessible and align our in-game terminology with modern football trends.
RECRUITMENT REVAMP
Managers now have more recruitment tools at their disposal than ever before. The Squad Planner provides an in-game overview of your best players in every position over the course of the current season and next two; with a better oversight of your prospects in the pipeline, it’s never been easier to meet long-term club ambitions. Additionally, Agents are now more integrated than ever before, offering your more channels of communication with your players and avenues for understanding contract demands and transfer expectations.
UEFA CLUB COMPETITIONS LICENCE
Experience a greater sense of occasion with fully licensed UEFA club competitions, including the UEFA Champions League, the UEFA Europa League and the UEFA Conference League. Remodelled Cup Draws and officially branded team sheets, scoreboards and goal graphics vividly bring to life Europe's elite cup competitions.
SUPPORTER CONFIDENCE
The voice of the fans is better represented in-game than ever before with the introduction of a new Supporter Confidence system. Showing the breakdown of a club’s fanbase from the core to the corporate, FM players have got a better grip on their expectations on and off the pitch. Delivering on both will hopefully ensure a bright, long-term future in the dugout.
Extensive work was put in to ensure that Matchdays in FM23 Console had a more ‘hands-on’ feel to them. The Touchline Tablet was remodelled, evolving something that appeared sporadically between highlights to the go-to place for match stats, player stats, latest scores and tactical advice. That, combined with controller functionality and focus improvements, helped to provide a more active match experience, pulling you into the heart of the on-pitch action.
Tied to this was the integration of Team Talks into a console edition for the first time. Available at half-time and full-time, these interactions allowed managers to make their voice heard with a range of reactions.
FM23 Console also included a raft of accessibility changes. There are new and improved Colour-Blind options available for those with Protanopia, Deuteranopia and Tritanopia. During matches, the game will automatically pause at pivotal moments, allowing users to process the game at their speed. In a similar fashion, the new onboarding process ensured that whether you were an experienced player or a series newcomer, you got the right level of detail and responsibilities in every career.
A host of new additions ensured that FM23 Mobile remained clear at the top of the mobile gaming football league.
The thrill of developing young talents into superstars became a more integral element of the game with the introduction of a brand-new Development Hub, a revamped Youth Intake screen and an enhanced Mentoring system.
A long-requested addition to the series, Team Talks made their debut in FM23 Mobile. Available pre-match and at half-time, it was possible for managers to individually praise or criticise players. Once they’d given their thoughts, a reaction screen would show the initial responses of the players and their team-talk reaction would be shown in post-match media items also.
FM23 Mobile was the first title in the Mobile series to feature integration with our exclusive member’s club FMFC. Members were able to login and get access to free exclusive game modes, with three challenges - ‘Unrest at Home’, ‘You Can’t Win Anything with Kids’, and ‘The Dangers of Capitalism’ – available to play. Selecting a national team from game start was also available exclusively to FMFC users.
Following a one year’s absence, Football Manager Touch returned to iOS devices thanks to an exciting partnership with Apple Arcade. FM23 Touch launched there and on Nintendo Switch™ on November 8th.
Joining the Apple Arcade platform meant that our 3D Match Engine was accessible on iPhone for the first time, and that managers could keep their career on the move whether they were playing on their phone, iPad, Mac or Apple TV.
A streamlined user interface on matchdays brought players closer to the on-pitch drama, while the addition of Team Talks at half-time and full-time allowed managers to capture every emotion and become a difference-maker in every situation.
Extensive work was put in to ensure that Matchdays in FM23 Console had a more ‘hands-on’ feel to them. The Touchline Tablet was remodelled, evolving something that appeared sporadically between highlights to the go-to place for match stats, player stats, latest scores and tactical advice. That, combined with controller functionality and focus improvements, helped to provide a more active match experience, pulling you into the heart of the on-pitch action.
Tied to this was the integration of Team Talks into a console edition for the first time. Available at half-time and full-time, these interactions allowed managers to make their voice heard with a range of reactions.
FM23 Console also included a raft of accessibility changes. There are new and improved Colour-Blind options available for those with Protanopia, Deuteranopia and Tritanopia. During matches, the game will automatically pause at pivotal moments, allowing users to process the game at their speed. In a similar fashion, the new onboarding process ensured that whether you were an experienced player or a series newcomer, you got the right level of detail and responsibilities in every career.
A host of new additions ensured that FM23 Mobile remained clear at the top of the mobile gaming football league.
The thrill of developing young talents into superstars became a more integral element of the game with the introduction of a brand-new Development Hub, a revamped Youth Intake screen and an enhanced Mentoring system.
A long-requested addition to the series, Team Talks made their debut in FM23 Mobile. Available pre-match and at half-time, it was possible for managers to individually praise or criticise players. Once they’d given their thoughts, a reaction screen would show the initial responses of the players and their team-talk reaction would be shown in post-match media items also.
FM23 Mobile was the first title in the Mobile series to feature integration with our exclusive member’s club FMFC. Members were able to login and get access to free exclusive game modes, with three challenges - ‘Unrest at Home’, ‘You Can’t Win Anything with Kids’, and ‘The Dangers of Capitalism’ – available to play. Selecting a national team from game start was also available exclusively to FMFC users.
Following a one year’s absence, Football Manager Touch returned to iOS devices thanks to an exciting partnership with Apple Arcade. FM23 Touch launched there and on Nintendo Switch™ on November 8th.
Joining the Apple Arcade platform meant that our 3D Match Engine was accessible on iPhone for the first time, and that managers could keep their career on the move whether they were playing on their phone, iPad, Mac or Apple TV.
A streamlined user interface on matchdays brought players closer to the on-pitch drama, while the addition of Team Talks at half-time and full-time allowed managers to capture every emotion and become a difference-maker in every situation.
Released: 09/11/2021
Platforms:
Football Manager 2022 (PC/Mac), Football Manager 2022 Xbox Edition, Football Manager 2022 Mobile (iOS/Android) and Football Manager 2022 Touch (Nintendo Switch™) were all released worldwide on November 9th. For the first time in the series’ history, FM22 and FM22 Xbox were available from Day One for Game Pass subscribers, opening up the franchise to millions more users around the world.
The FM22 development cycle produced its own problems for the studio, as most people continued to work from home in the face of the continuing COVID-19 pandemic, but lessons learned from FM21 meant that while the game’s development was still done remotely, processes were much more efficient.
Since its release, FM22 has been met with an enormously positive reaction from both fans and media, who’ve praised it for its smooth gameplay and immersive new additions.
NEW FOR THIS SEASON
With a focus on interaction and information, FM22’s key features were designed with the studio’s continuing pursuit of the ultimate football simulation in mind. A brand-new animation engine and a revamped pressing system were among the headline additions to the most immersive Match Engine in the game’s history, while the suspension of disbelief factor was cranked up with the introduction of the all-encompassing Data Hub, a new Transfer Deadline Day module and weekly Staff Meetings.
On-Pitch Authenticity
The product of several years’ worth of hard work, FM22’s brand-new animation engine elevated Matchdays to another level this season with far more realistic dribbling and player movements. The revamped pressing system brought a new level of intelligence to every passage of play, unlocking smarter decision-making, the possibility for errors and enhanced realism. Additionally, the introduction of the new Wide Centre-Back role continued the trend of the series keeping pace with the world’s latest tactical innovations.
Powered by Data
Packed with the same analytics and reporting methods that the world’s biggest clubs use, the new Data Hub allowed players to craft their own custom dashboard packed with stats and insights that would help them elevate their team’s performance levels.
Backroom Rewrite
Regular talks with managers and coaches from across the professional game powered the introduction of new, true-to-life Staff Meetings. With the frequency of these meetings flexible, players were provided with a greater level of feedback, support and organisation from these backroom sessions in every career.
Deadline Day Drama
The new Transfer Deadline Day module completely changed the dynamic of the transfer window’s climax, replicating the highs, lows, unpredictability and immersion experienced by players, coaches and fans the world over on one of the most dramatic fixtures in the footballing calendar. A rewrite of player values was among a host of further scouting and transfer improvements.
Football Manager returned to Xbox following last season’s successful campaign, with FM22 Xbox Edition allowing managers to compete for the game’s biggest prizes in a bespoke version adapted for console play.
Considerable focus was placed on improving the way the game’s user interface worked with the Xbox Controller to make navigation from screen to screen easier. Changes were made throughout the game, most noticeable in areas where players were able to multi-select rows of information and benefit from the new sound effects introduced.
Further additions, including News Effects and versions of the headline upgrades for FM22, placed the emphasis on giving managers more tools to perform, from making squad information more intuitive and actionable, to clearer feedback on how their actions affect their players.
A host of new additions ensured that FM22 Mobile stood clear at the top of the mobile gaming football league.
Managers were able to unleash new potential with the ability to load up to five nations in any career, while the addition of the South African league opened the door to African continental competitions for the first time.
Scouting and Transfers both enjoyed significant overhauls, with managers benefitting from improved search options, better scouting intelligence, the ability to create bespoke assignments for the first time and an extensive under-the-hood rewrite of the transfer targeting system.
Other additions included brand-new media narratives, the inclusion of AI headshots for newly-generated players, a new home dashboard, a redesigned game setup flow and a greater breadth of media commentary.
A significant change to the Touch series for this season was that the only playable version of FM22 Touch was that available on the Nintendo Switch™. There was no version made for Steam, Epic, iOS or Android.
FM22 Touch boasted improved integration between the Joy-Con controllers and the game’s user interface to make working through the game even easier. The UI was revisited across the whole game and improvements were made to a number of areas that added up a significantly improved experience, whether users were played in Handheld Mode or docked to the TV.
This year’s edition was the most polished yet on Switch, with players benefitting from the ability to load five nations for the first time as well the introduction of the Data Hub, the Transfer Deadline Day module, News Effects and the new animation engine.
Football Manager returned to Xbox following last season’s successful campaign, with FM22 Xbox Edition allowing managers to compete for the game’s biggest prizes in a bespoke version adapted for console play.
Considerable focus was placed on improving the way the game’s user interface worked with the Xbox Controller to make navigation from screen to screen easier. Changes were made throughout the game, most noticeable in areas where players were able to multi-select rows of information and benefit from the new sound effects introduced.
Further additions, including News Effects and versions of the headline upgrades for FM22, placed the emphasis on giving managers more tools to perform, from making squad information more intuitive and actionable, to clearer feedback on how their actions affect their players.
A host of new additions ensured that FM22 Mobile stood clear at the top of the mobile gaming football league.
Managers were able to unleash new potential with the ability to load up to five nations in any career, while the addition of the South African league opened the door to African continental competitions for the first time.
Scouting and Transfers both enjoyed significant overhauls, with managers benefitting from improved search options, better scouting intelligence, the ability to create bespoke assignments for the first time and an extensive under-the-hood rewrite of the transfer targeting system.
Other additions included brand-new media narratives, the inclusion of AI headshots for newly-generated players, a new home dashboard, a redesigned game setup flow and a greater breadth of media commentary.
A significant change to the Touch series for this season was that the only playable version of FM22 Touch was that available on the Nintendo Switch™. There was no version made for Steam, Epic, iOS or Android.
FM22 Touch boasted improved integration between the Joy-Con controllers and the game’s user interface to make working through the game even easier. The UI was revisited across the whole game and improvements were made to a number of areas that added up a significantly improved experience, whether users were played in Handheld Mode or docked to the TV.
This year’s edition was the most polished yet on Switch, with players benefitting from the ability to load five nations for the first time as well the introduction of the Data Hub, the Transfer Deadline Day module, News Effects and the new animation engine.
Released: 24/11/2020
Platforms:
Football Manager 2021 was released worldwide on PC, Mac, iOS and Android on November 24th 2020. Football Manager 2021 Touch followed on December 1st 2020, with the Nintendo Switch™ edition completing the line-up on December 15th. This year also marked Sports Interactive’s first console release in over a decade as we returned to Xbox with Football Manager 2021 Xbox Edition.
The FM21 development cycle was unlike any other faced by the studio as they, like almost every other business the world over, had to adapt in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic. Most of the game’s development was done remotely and Microsoft Teams meetings quickly became the order of the day.
Despite the challenges the team faced, FM21 was met with an overwhelmingly positive reaction from fans and media alike. Steam reviews for the game were unprecedentedly positive, while FM21 hit one million sales faster than any of the studio’s previous releases.
Stamp your style
FM21’s headline feature set introduced a number of changes to key areas of the game including the interaction system, matchday experience and the recruitment module. Gestures replaced tones to offer managers more options when getting their message across to their players, something also bolstered by revamped press conferences and new Quick Chats.
MATCHDAY EXPERIENCE
Every fixture was turned into a true spectacle with a new build-up and post-match experience while animation, lighting and graphical improvements that delivered the best-looking 3D match simulation in the series. xG also made its debut, in conjunction with SciSports, as part of a wider revamp to the stats and analysis in the game.
TAKE YOUR RECRUITMENT TO NEW LEVELS
Scouting and making the next move in the transfer market became all the more focused with brand-new recruitment meetings which allowed for greater forward planning. For the first time, managers could also approach agents directly about a player’s interest in joining a club, mimicking how most of the big deals are done across the real world of football.
CELEBRATING SUCCESS
Managers were able to savour their previous campaign and revel in their success like never before. The brand-new season review picked out the season’s highlights and team’s top performers in a dynamic presentation, while title presentations were given the billing they deserve. Blood, sweat and tears go into winning trophies and in FM21, those moments mattered more than ever.
FM21 Mobile was our most polished edition in the series so far, boasting several features that took the game’s detail level to new heights.
Managers could set up feeder clubs and arrange their own pre-season friendlies for the first time, while they also had three additional nations to manage in after Argentina, Mexico and Canada entered the fray.
Tactics saw a complete revamp, with managers now benefitting from the tactical templates already in our other titles. Three new player roles were also added to further tactical customisation, while set-pieces were re-defined.
Interaction was also given an overhaul with Squad Hierarchy and Player Social Groups introduced to give the manager a fuller picture of team morale. Managers could also set their Club Captain and could praise or criticize their players.
Xbox players across the world were delighted as Football Manager returned to Xbox for the first time in over a decade with FM21 Xbox Edition.
Modelled on our popular Touch series, FM21 Xbox Edition offered players a bespoke edition with all of the detail and realism of the Football Manager series, carefully crafted for optimal performance with the Xbox controller.
FM21 Xbox made use of Microsoft’s Play Anywhere technology which allowed managers to kick-off a career on console and then pick-up on any Windows 10 PC while Smart Delivery allowed managers to purchase the game once and play it across the Xbox ecosystem.
FM21 Touch introduced a host of graphical improvements and a redesigned match display that showed more of the action than ever before and created an all-new gameday experience. Touchline ‘Shouts’ made their debut, allowing players to motivate, inspire or demand more from their players from the sidelines.
Increased analysis in Team Reports, news items and end of season summaries showed a team’s strengths and illustrated exactly how they stacked up against the opposition and how to exploit their weaknesses. FM21 Touch also brought across a number of features from FM21 such as our new ‘expected goals’ system (SIxG), end of season presentation elements and the raft of match engine AI, animation and graphical improvements that made it the best match engine in the series to date.
FM21 Mobile was our most polished edition in the series so far, boasting several features that took the game’s detail level to new heights.
Managers could set up feeder clubs and arrange their own pre-season friendlies for the first time, while they also had three additional nations to manage in after Argentina, Mexico and Canada entered the fray.
Tactics saw a complete revamp, with managers now benefitting from the tactical templates already in our other titles. Three new player roles were also added to further tactical customisation, while set-pieces were re-defined.
Interaction was also given an overhaul with Squad Hierarchy and Player Social Groups introduced to give the manager a fuller picture of team morale. Managers could also set their Club Captain and could praise or criticize their players.
Xbox players across the world were delighted as Football Manager returned to Xbox for the first time in over a decade with FM21 Xbox Edition.
Modelled on our popular Touch series, FM21 Xbox Edition offered players a bespoke edition with all of the detail and realism of the Football Manager series, carefully crafted for optimal performance with the Xbox controller.
FM21 Xbox made use of Microsoft’s Play Anywhere technology which allowed managers to kick-off a career on console and then pick-up on any Windows 10 PC while Smart Delivery allowed managers to purchase the game once and play it across the Xbox ecosystem.
FM21 Touch introduced a host of graphical improvements and a redesigned match display that showed more of the action than ever before and created an all-new gameday experience. Touchline ‘Shouts’ made their debut, allowing players to motivate, inspire or demand more from their players from the sidelines.
Increased analysis in Team Reports, news items and end of season summaries showed a team’s strengths and illustrated exactly how they stacked up against the opposition and how to exploit their weaknesses. FM21 Touch also brought across a number of features from FM21 such as our new ‘expected goals’ system (SIxG), end of season presentation elements and the raft of match engine AI, animation and graphical improvements that made it the best match engine in the series to date.
Released: 19/11/2019
Platforms:
Modern football managers aren't just expected to improve results. Sometimes they arrive with specific strings attached to their employment. We must be saved from relegation. We must qualify for Europe. We must win multiple trophies every year. Depending on where you are in the football pyramid, demands will vary. For Football Manager 2020, we made sure this was reflected in every club's vision.
This overhauled boardroom experience meant each team would feel unique, making specific requests. Those requirements could even be grounds for contract renegotiation. It changed the game's 'win condition' to be more reflective of real-life management, where even success on the pitch sometimes isn't enough to satisfy the people holding the purse strings.
To help you achieve your goals, FM20 gave you an improved scouting system with richly detailed reports to guide your transfer business, while player development was redefined, allowing you to carefully control how you brought through talent while overseeing the progress of your top players too. All of this plugged in alongside previous advancements to player personalities, along with new tweaks to add to the authenticity, like your club captain drawing up a code of conduct and list of fines for disciplinary breaches.
Could you drag your team to glory? Would that even be enough to satisfy the board? There was only one way to find out.
What We Said
Football is a game of opinions. From team selection to transfers and tactics, everyone has their own ideas on how to get results on the pitch. Sports Interactive™ and SEGA® are giving would-be managers the chance to prove that their opinion means more than most when Football Manager 2020 releases in early November.
FM20 will give players the chance to call the shots at their favourite club as they take control of their team’s destiny and make all the decisions that a real manager does as they develop their team and attempt to deliver a sustained level of success.
What They Said
Daily Star
5/5
"Football Manager is back and its focus on long-term construction of a footballing powerhouse is refreshing for a series that previously felt solely focused on the short-to-mid term. The only challenge you'll have now is keeping in the board's good graces long enough to leave your imprint on a club."
Cubed3
9/10
"Football Manager is still the ultimate football simulation series, and this latest addition makes enough positive changes to keep the gameplay fresh, and improve on some of the minor frustrations of previous entries."
IGN
8.7/10
"Subtle changes in the backroom and the boardroom have a surprisingly invigorating effect on what was already a series in fine form. There’s now real gratification in being a mid-table over-achiever, and entering Football Manager 2020 as a total beginner is a more realistic prospect than before."
New Features
Significant Innovations
- Club Vision - Boardroom experience overhauled to be more unique to each team and tied into the long-term progression of the club
- Player Development Redefined - Carefully control how you bring through talent while overseeing the progress of your important players too
- Scouting Enhancements - Scout reports would give you more useful information in a better layout to help guide your decisions
- Match Engine Updates - Players move more realistically off the ball, make better decisions in attack, defend more precisely, and much more
The world's most authentic mobile football management simulation returned with a bigger database than ever and more ways to nurture your team in Football Manager Mobile 2020.
You could now choose to ply your management trade in the Danish Superliga or the Greek Superleague, bringing the number of starting nations available to an all-time high of 21.
Other improvements included an updated youth development system, allowing you to implement a more holistic vision of how you grew your club, and you could also keep a reserve team ticking over to improve competition for places in the first XI. Elsewhere, a reworked news system brought you more information on squad harmony and individual happiness levels, allowing you to avoid morale problems before they got out of hand.
As ever, FM20 Mobile was supported by the 2D Match Engine, allowing you to keep a close eye on how your charges implemented your tactics on the field. For anyone looking to play Football Manager on the go, this was the ultimate answer.
Significant Innovations
• More Leagues Than Ever - You could now take to the dugout in 21 countries, with Danish and Greek leagues the latest available on mobile
• Updated Youth Development - Bring the best young players through by spending time nurturing youth talent
• Reserve Team - Keep up competition for places by moving players back and forth between the first team and reserves
• Reworked News System - Learn more about the happiness of your squad
Sometimes trophies are not enough. Clubs these days have long-term visions, and they want personnel who deliver against them. For Football Manager Touch 2020 (as with the home computer version), you must sign up to the board's club vision to be handed the job, and it will be no good winning domestic cups and reaching continental knockout phases if the demands you agreed to were greater.
While maintaining the streamlined and simplified style that made it so popular as a spin-off to the full FM titles, FM20 Touch also introduced a new Development Centre, drawing together ways of tracking and developing youth players as they start to transition towards the first-team squad. If you need to look outside the club for the next big thing, revamped negotiations let you spend more time on the minute details before anyone put pen to paper.
FM20 Touch retained its focus on transfers, tactics and the matchday experience, offering a slick, touch-friendly management sim, and a perfect alternative entry point for anybody not ready or time-rich enough to step up to Football Manager.
Significant Innovations
• Club Vision - Can you satisfy the board's craving for long-term club development? Pay close attention to your objectives, because less glamorous silverware won't save you if you fall short
• Development Centre - Nurture your youth players so they can finally break through and pin down a spot in your squad
• Revamped Contract Negotiations - Agonise over the detail to make sure that both sides get what they want - or walk away
• Improved Visuals - Redesigned player and manager models, improved lighting and overhauled pitch visuals combine to create the best-looking match experience yet
The world's most authentic mobile football management simulation returned with a bigger database than ever and more ways to nurture your team in Football Manager Mobile 2020.
You could now choose to ply your management trade in the Danish Superliga or the Greek Superleague, bringing the number of starting nations available to an all-time high of 21.
Other improvements included an updated youth development system, allowing you to implement a more holistic vision of how you grew your club, and you could also keep a reserve team ticking over to improve competition for places in the first XI. Elsewhere, a reworked news system brought you more information on squad harmony and individual happiness levels, allowing you to avoid morale problems before they got out of hand.
As ever, FM20 Mobile was supported by the 2D Match Engine, allowing you to keep a close eye on how your charges implemented your tactics on the field. For anyone looking to play Football Manager on the go, this was the ultimate answer.
Significant Innovations
• More Leagues Than Ever - You could now take to the dugout in 21 countries, with Danish and Greek leagues the latest available on mobile
• Updated Youth Development - Bring the best young players through by spending time nurturing youth talent
• Reserve Team - Keep up competition for places by moving players back and forth between the first team and reserves
• Reworked News System - Learn more about the happiness of your squad
Sometimes trophies are not enough. Clubs these days have long-term visions, and they want personnel who deliver against them. For Football Manager Touch 2020 (as with the home computer version), you must sign up to the board's club vision to be handed the job, and it will be no good winning domestic cups and reaching continental knockout phases if the demands you agreed to were greater.
While maintaining the streamlined and simplified style that made it so popular as a spin-off to the full FM titles, FM20 Touch also introduced a new Development Centre, drawing together ways of tracking and developing youth players as they start to transition towards the first-team squad. If you need to look outside the club for the next big thing, revamped negotiations let you spend more time on the minute details before anyone put pen to paper.
FM20 Touch retained its focus on transfers, tactics and the matchday experience, offering a slick, touch-friendly management sim, and a perfect alternative entry point for anybody not ready or time-rich enough to step up to Football Manager.
Significant Innovations
• Club Vision - Can you satisfy the board's craving for long-term club development? Pay close attention to your objectives, because less glamorous silverware won't save you if you fall short
• Development Centre - Nurture your youth players so they can finally break through and pin down a spot in your squad
• Revamped Contract Negotiations - Agonise over the detail to make sure that both sides get what they want - or walk away
• Improved Visuals - Redesigned player and manager models, improved lighting and overhauled pitch visuals combine to create the best-looking match experience yet
Released: 02/11/2019
Platforms:
Nobody likes losing, but once you're done shouting at the media and commiserating with the players, there's only one place you can fix it: the training ground. For Football Manager 2019, we introduced the biggest training overhaul in the series' history.
The new training system was brimming with ways to return your team to winning ways. There were tons of options, sessions and programmes to help managers, each based on meticulous research undertaken with real-world clubs and coaches. You really could train your team the way professional footballers are trained.
You need to know your objective if you want to train efficiently, so we paired this overhaul with a revamp of the tactics module, with numerous new preset styles to draw upon (or develop yourself), as well as team instructions for attacking, defensive and transition phases.
Thanks to a new licensing deal, you could also work with 36 fully licensed clubs across the DFL Bundesliga and Bundesliga 2, with German translation available in-game too (among 19 language options). Having embraced technology early, German leagues were also host to new goal-line and VAR technologies - as were all competitions where these breakthroughs had been adopted in the real world.
It was also time for a visual refresh. FM19 featured a new logo and, after years of service, retirement for 'Manager Man' on the cover, replaced by a manager's eye view of the pitch.
What We Said
London, England – 6 August 2018: With fans eagerly anticipating the upcoming season, Sports Interactive and SEGA are delighted to announce that would-be managers will get the chance to ensure their team finishes top of the league when Football Manager 2019 hits the streets on Friday, November 2nd with a new look brand.
Football Manager 2019 will be saying goodbye to the iconic ‘Manager Man’ who has featured on the cover of every Football Manager game since FM 2005, to be replaced by a manager’s eye view of the pitch as the gaffer and players head down the tunnel ahead of a big match. With redesigned logos, loads of new and improved features, and the implementation of the DFL Bundesliga license for the first time, Football Manager 2019 is set to be even more comprehensive in its realism than ever before.
What They Said
Games Radar
4.5/5
"Sports Interactive may have just done the impossible and created the ultimate Football Manager game, one you can dip into for the next half-decade without needing to buy any future editions, save for downloading updated squads. But we’ll cross that bridge when we get to it. Right now, I’ve got another match to play."
PCGamesN
9/10
"Sports Interactive has exposed more of the game’s workings to players than ever. It feels both fresh and familiar at the same time, while being the best Football Manager has ever played on day one."
PC Gamer
90%
"Return to the digital dugout for the most comprehensive footie management simulation around."
New Features
Significant Innovations
• Brand New Look - New logo, new cover artwork, and a slick interface through all the game's new features
• DFL Bundesliga Licence - Take the reins at 36 fully licensed clubs from across Bundesliga and Bundesliga 2, with full German translation available
• Massive Training Overhaul - The biggest revamp in the series' history offered new options, sessions and programmes to help managers get ahead
• Tactics Module Revamp - New preset styles, unique tactics and philosophies, plus loads more team instruction options
• Manager Induction System - Whether you were new to the game or just wanted an introduction to new features, the induction system guided you to what mattered
Football Manager Mobile 2019 reflected the growing maturity of leagues around the globe, with the addition of the Russian League and Chinese Super League to bring the list of countries where you could manage up to a biggest-ever 19. As well as tons of strong domestic players, both leagues are home to plenty of familiar faces who you may remember from other global leagues - can you help them discover regional glory at their new clubs?
Elsewhere, FM19 Mobile included updated training and transfer modules, giving you new ways to improve your team. On the training ground you could help nurture players' talents in specific roles, while real-time transfer negotiations allowed you to go back and forth with negotiating partners to settle on the best deal for both sides, truer to life than ever. An improved player search feature helped you find the right players to target.
With technology rife within the game by now, FM19 Mobile also saw the introduction of goal-line tech and the video assistant referee (VAR) in leagues where they had been introduced, adding an extra frisson of authenticity to the world's most realistic mobile football management game.
Significant Innovations
• New Leagues To Conquer - Test your mettle in Russia and China as the two new nations complete a roster of 19 countries where you could manage
• Training & Transfer Revamps - Negotiate in real time for players and then coach them into the roles you need them to fill
• VAR - Finally, you can make that little TV shape with your hands. Just make sure you put down your phone first
Football Manager Touch 2019 returned to the dugout alongside its bigger sibling, bolstered by new features and of course up-to-date transfer data to make sure this edition of the streamlined Football Manager experience was the definitive one to play.
As usual, FM19 Touch focused on the core aspects of management - transfers, tactics and the matchday experience - while FM19 allowed more demanding players to dig deeper into every aspect of management life.
For FM19 Touch, we added more off-the-shelf tactical presets, including Gegenpress, Tiki-Taka and Catenaccio, and revamped training with a fresh and simplified interface, representative of how clubs develop younger players and prepare the first team for individual fixtures and the season ahead. There were also new manager inductions, designed to guide and elevate new dugout-dwellers towards success.
Most exciting for fans of the continental game was the addition of the DFL Bundesliga licence, meaning that 36 fully licensed teams from Bundesliga and Bundesliga 2 were added into the mix for the first time in the series' history.
Significant Innovations
• Tactical Wizardry - Choose from presets including Gegenpress, Tiki-Taka and Catenaccio to outwit your opponents
• Revamped Training - Fresh and simplified, reflecting how the big clubs mentor their younger players and keep the first XI primed for battle
• Bundesliga Joins The Party - DFL Bundesliga licensing adds 36 new teams across two divisions to the ranks of manageable clubs
• Refreshed UI - A lick of paint and a ton of quality-of-life improvements make for the most dashing, user-friendly FM Touch in the series' history
Football Manager Mobile 2019 reflected the growing maturity of leagues around the globe, with the addition of the Russian League and Chinese Super League to bring the list of countries where you could manage up to a biggest-ever 19. As well as tons of strong domestic players, both leagues are home to plenty of familiar faces who you may remember from other global leagues - can you help them discover regional glory at their new clubs?
Elsewhere, FM19 Mobile included updated training and transfer modules, giving you new ways to improve your team. On the training ground you could help nurture players' talents in specific roles, while real-time transfer negotiations allowed you to go back and forth with negotiating partners to settle on the best deal for both sides, truer to life than ever. An improved player search feature helped you find the right players to target.
With technology rife within the game by now, FM19 Mobile also saw the introduction of goal-line tech and the video assistant referee (VAR) in leagues where they had been introduced, adding an extra frisson of authenticity to the world's most realistic mobile football management game.
Significant Innovations
• New Leagues To Conquer - Test your mettle in Russia and China as the two new nations complete a roster of 19 countries where you could manage
• Training & Transfer Revamps - Negotiate in real time for players and then coach them into the roles you need them to fill
• VAR - Finally, you can make that little TV shape with your hands. Just make sure you put down your phone first
Football Manager Touch 2019 returned to the dugout alongside its bigger sibling, bolstered by new features and of course up-to-date transfer data to make sure this edition of the streamlined Football Manager experience was the definitive one to play.
As usual, FM19 Touch focused on the core aspects of management - transfers, tactics and the matchday experience - while FM19 allowed more demanding players to dig deeper into every aspect of management life.
For FM19 Touch, we added more off-the-shelf tactical presets, including Gegenpress, Tiki-Taka and Catenaccio, and revamped training with a fresh and simplified interface, representative of how clubs develop younger players and prepare the first team for individual fixtures and the season ahead. There were also new manager inductions, designed to guide and elevate new dugout-dwellers towards success.
Most exciting for fans of the continental game was the addition of the DFL Bundesliga licence, meaning that 36 fully licensed teams from Bundesliga and Bundesliga 2 were added into the mix for the first time in the series' history.
Significant Innovations
• Tactical Wizardry - Choose from presets including Gegenpress, Tiki-Taka and Catenaccio to outwit your opponents
• Revamped Training - Fresh and simplified, reflecting how the big clubs mentor their younger players and keep the first XI primed for battle
• Bundesliga Joins The Party - DFL Bundesliga licensing adds 36 new teams across two divisions to the ranks of manageable clubs
• Refreshed UI - A lick of paint and a ton of quality-of-life improvements make for the most dashing, user-friendly FM Touch in the series' history
Released: 10/11/2017
Platforms:
In Football Manager 2018, we brought player dynamics and squad harmony right to the fore. Now you could see in detail how social groups were spread around your squad and who held the most influence. Decisions you make about who plays and who sits things out, and about who you add to the squad, need to fit around those harmonics, and it may require compromises to maintain them.
Building a harmonious dressing room was a nuanced endeavour, so we updated our scouting system to allow for greater subtlety. A true-to-life representation of the techniques used by the world's biggest clubs, it let you carefully apportion resources into different areas scouting, potentially giving you vital information about how new players would improve or disrupt the balance of your dressing room.
On the pitch, the matchday experience was greatly enhanced by a new graphics engine, producing the best lighting, stadia and player models in the series' history, brought together under a sleeker match interface with modernised presentation. There were also redesigned tactics screens, putting analysis at the heart of everything, and a new Medical Centre to help you manage injuries across the squad and watch out for potential ones.
What We Said
As football clubs across the globe are busy making their final signings of the summer, there’s one addition that every football fan needs in their squad… and we’re delighted to reveal that Football Manager 2018 will be ready for action on Friday, November 10th.
Anyone who pre-purchases Football Manager 2018 (for PC, Mac or Linux) through a SEGA approved retailer* will be able to start pre-season at least two weeks prior to the official street date through a fully-playable Beta version (single player careers started in the Beta can be continued in the full game).
In addition, fans who pre-purchase Football Manager 2018 (before Monday, October 9th) and have Football Manager 2017 in their Steam Library will receive a 'Contract Extension Bonus' discount of 25% off their purchase via Steam or the SEGA Store.
What They Said
GameSpot
9/10
"The series' propensity for telling emergent stories has only increased with this emphasis on player personalities and morale, and it bleeds into every other facet of Football Manager 2018's design, from transfers and injuries, to team selection and tactical considerations. These are changes that tilt the simulation closer to reality with captivating aplomb, and ensure that the armchair managers among us are kept busy for another whirlwind 12 months of 40-yard screamers and cup final heartbreak."
PC Gamer
89%
"Is this Football Manager’s most ambitious instalment yet? It’s certainly the most well-rounded in recent memory. Ask me again in 12 months’ time, once my save file has inevitably racked up hours into the hundreds. And by that time I might have won back the dressing room."
The Telegraph
8/10
"Fundamentally, there aren’t many changes to the Football Manager core. This is a yearly update of a series that’s been around for a long time. All the same, there have been fundamental changes to elements of the game, and they’re welcome, and logical."
Significant Innovations
• Never Lose The Dressing Room - New tools to understand the hierarchy of social groups in your squad, helping you build a harmonious team by encouraging partnerships on and off the pitch
• Most Realistic Match Engine Ever - A new graphics engine improved lighting, player models, interface and presentation
• Real-World Scouting System - True-to-life representation of the techniques used by the world's biggest clubs
• Avoid That Injury Crisis - The new Medical Centre let you tap into the medical team's knowledge to keep on top of recovery times and avoid potential injuries in future training sessions
• Tactical Revamp - A new tactical interface that puts analysis at the heart of everything
• Fantasy Draft Redesign - Including a new interface that's ideal for streaming
Armchair manager who has to leave your armchair more than you'd like? Then Football Manager 2018 Mobile was the game for you. Designed to be played on the move, it offered a stripped-back take on core FM gameplay while maintaining plenty of depth.
You could choose to manage teams from 17 playable nations, with South Korea and USA joining the list this time out (good news for MLS fans), or you could use the returning My Club mode to create your own custom club and squad.
Changes this year included more tactical options, allowing you to adjust player roles more subtly in the hunt for an effective formation, issue new player instructions and implement additional attacking and defensive options.
You could also start a season as an unknown manager, forcing you to contend with doubtful pros as you tried to imprint your philosophy, which presented a challenge to even the hardiest FM veteran.
Significant Innovations
• More Countries Than Ever - USA and South Korea join the ever-growing list of nations where you can manage, with 17 available in total
• Improved Tactical Options - Tinker with your team in more depth than ever to find the formation that fits and get your players to use it fruitfully
• My Club Returns - Build a custom team of your friends and family
Having established itself as the accessible, brilliantly playable side dish to the banquet that is the home computer version, Football Manager Touch 2018 took the spinoff series to new places, debuting on Nintendo Switch. Co-developed with sister studio Hardlight (the team behind Sonic Dash and Sonic Jump), FM18 Touch was our first foray into console gaming in many years, and the first time the 3D Match Engine had graced a console.
Sports Interactive and Hardlight put in the hard yards to deliver a versatile Switch edition that could be played however players wanted. The user interface was unique to Switch, with customised controls that allowed budding managers to use touchscreen and Joy-Con controllers as they saw fit. Playing on a big screen in docked mode or out on the go, it was the full FM18 Touch experience at your fingertips.
Whether you played on Switch, tablet or computer, FM18 Touch offered a refined take on the 'transfers and tactics' formula that had proven so popular since it was first introduced as FM Classic several years previously. Developing your football philosophy, navigating the transfer market and tackling scenarios in Challenge Mode was all there, with greater depth and variety than ever.
Significant Innovations
• FM Debuts On Nintendo Switch - Co-developed with Hardlight, the Switch edition featured a unique interface designed to work whether docked or on the go
• Tactics & Transfers - Focus on getting your team on the pitch and racking up the results in this accessible, brilliantly playable spinoff from FM18
• Everyone's A Philosopher - It's easier than ever to get better at tactics as the analysis steers you towards strengths by highlighting weaknesses
• Challenge Mode Returns - The popular scenario mode that asks you to resolve challenging situations to the best of your management ability
Armchair manager who has to leave your armchair more than you'd like? Then Football Manager 2018 Mobile was the game for you. Designed to be played on the move, it offered a stripped-back take on core FM gameplay while maintaining plenty of depth.
You could choose to manage teams from 17 playable nations, with South Korea and USA joining the list this time out (good news for MLS fans), or you could use the returning My Club mode to create your own custom club and squad.
Changes this year included more tactical options, allowing you to adjust player roles more subtly in the hunt for an effective formation, issue new player instructions and implement additional attacking and defensive options.
You could also start a season as an unknown manager, forcing you to contend with doubtful pros as you tried to imprint your philosophy, which presented a challenge to even the hardiest FM veteran.
Significant Innovations
• More Countries Than Ever - USA and South Korea join the ever-growing list of nations where you can manage, with 17 available in total
• Improved Tactical Options - Tinker with your team in more depth than ever to find the formation that fits and get your players to use it fruitfully
• My Club Returns - Build a custom team of your friends and family
Having established itself as the accessible, brilliantly playable side dish to the banquet that is the home computer version, Football Manager Touch 2018 took the spinoff series to new places, debuting on Nintendo Switch. Co-developed with sister studio Hardlight (the team behind Sonic Dash and Sonic Jump), FM18 Touch was our first foray into console gaming in many years, and the first time the 3D Match Engine had graced a console.
Sports Interactive and Hardlight put in the hard yards to deliver a versatile Switch edition that could be played however players wanted. The user interface was unique to Switch, with customised controls that allowed budding managers to use touchscreen and Joy-Con controllers as they saw fit. Playing on a big screen in docked mode or out on the go, it was the full FM18 Touch experience at your fingertips.
Whether you played on Switch, tablet or computer, FM18 Touch offered a refined take on the 'transfers and tactics' formula that had proven so popular since it was first introduced as FM Classic several years previously. Developing your football philosophy, navigating the transfer market and tackling scenarios in Challenge Mode was all there, with greater depth and variety than ever.
Significant Innovations
• FM Debuts On Nintendo Switch - Co-developed with Hardlight, the Switch edition featured a unique interface designed to work whether docked or on the go
• Tactics & Transfers - Focus on getting your team on the pitch and racking up the results in this accessible, brilliantly playable spinoff from FM18
• Everyone's A Philosopher - It's easier than ever to get better at tactics as the analysis steers you towards strengths by highlighting weaknesses
• Challenge Mode Returns - The popular scenario mode that asks you to resolve challenging situations to the best of your management ability
Released: 04/11/2016
Platforms:
We've heard it a million times: the new manager will have lots of things to worry about in their in-tray. But what if the in-tray was smarter and more actionable, rather than just overflowing? For Football Manager 2017, we made sure it was.
Now you would receive messages that were more intuitive, contextual and relevant, with advice from staff that could be actioned without leaving the inbox. You no longer had to go out of your way to perform little tasks, buried many menus away, and together these tweaks could add up to a few extra points a season.
Away from your inbox, the 3D Match Engine was improved with over 1,500 new motion-captured animations, better AI decision-making, improved stadia and realistic LED ad hoardings. FaceGen technology allowed you to scan your own face into the game, so you could admire yourself stalking the touchline. And if your team was losing, you could check in on a delightful new social media feed to see how the result was going down.
With over 2,500 real clubs to manage and over 500,000 footballers and staff to choose between, this was the biggest Football Manager yet, but you had to be careful when selling a potential inbound player on your 'project' - fail to convince them and you could end up in a protracted transfer saga.
What We Said
Now that all of their club's fixtures are in the diary, there's only one date left that real football fans need to know... and we're happy to reveal that Football Manager 2017 & Football Manager Touch 2017 will hit the streets on Friday, November 4th.
People who buy Football Manager 2017 on PC/Mac/Linux will get a free copy of Football Manager Touch 2017 (the streamlined, ‘transfers and tactics’ version) with their purchase, and Touch which will also be available as a standalone release from the same day.
Fans who pre-purchase Football Manager 2017 from a participating digital retailer will be able to start their new managerial career at least two weeks prior to the official street date through a fully-playable Beta version (single player careers started in the Beta can be continued in the full game).
What They Said
Trusted Reviews
4.5/5
"FM16 was close to the complete game, and FM17 is a very definite leap forward. It’s not easy to improve on a near-perfect product but through smart and intuitive tweaks, this feels like the best iteration yet."
PC Gamer
85%
"Developer Sports Interactive has done a better job of addressing the sometimes daunting complexity of the series than it has done for years."
GameSpot
7/10
"The perennial strengths of Football Manager are stronger than ever, yet it’s the furtive improvements to the match engine that really set Football Manager 2017 apart from its immediate predecessor. Sure, I still have gripes with the tactical interface, and there isn’t anything new there worth writing about. But if your rear end has ever been entrenched in the virtual dugout or you're just a fresh-faced hopeful looking to begin your journey, Football Manager 2017 is easy to recommend to the budding manager."
Significant Innovations
• Smart Inbox - The most intuitive, contextual and relevant information sent to you daily, actionable straight from your inbox
• 3D Match Engine Upgrades - Over 1,500 new motion-captured animations, better AI decision-making, improved stadia and LED ad hoardings
• New Staff Roles - Bring in Data Analysts and Sports Scientists to help get the most out of your players
• Fantasy Draft Progression - Popular multiplayer mode returns with a new single-player version where you play against AI managers modelled on real people who are famous fans of FM
• Social Media Feed - Fans and media now have their say on social media
Perfect for playing on the go, Football Manager Mobile 2017 was the super-accessible sibling to FM17 and FM17 Touch, but no less serious about delivering an impeccable football management simulation.
You could manage any club from 15 countries, including all the big European leagues - and Polish and Turkish leagues were included for the first time on mobile. Improved scouting controls made it easier to find the right talent-spotters and set them to work, while tighter squad control options helped you get a handle on your team, disciplining players who put in poor performances, demonstrated unprofessional behaviour or found themselves on the receiving end of a red card in a previous match.
New transfer options added to the realism. Loan players could now join with a future buyout clause, and it was possible to appeal work permit applications, all of which added to the ways in which you could bring top players to your club.
Significant Innovations
• Accessible and Intuitive - The most accessible version of Football Manager, perfect for playing on the go, with a finely tuned and intuitive interface
• Two New Leagues - Control any club from 15 countries, now including Poland and Turkey for the first time on mobile
• Improved Scouting - Search and hire your own scouts to help with signings
• Tighter Squad Control - Respond to poor performances, unprofessional behaviour and dismissals. Don't let them get the better of you
• New Transfer Options - Loan players with a future buyout clause, and the option to appeal work permit applications
The much-loved 'transfers and tactics' version of the home computer smash hit returned with Football Manager Touch 2017, bringing with it a raft of enhancements to everything from the 3D Match Engine to Challenge Mode, along with a number of new features and quality-of-life improvements to interface and visuals.
The 3D Match Engine received significant upgrades, thanks to a bunch of new motion-captured player animations, improved AI and stadia, and new camera angles. Or, if you were in a hurry, you could now choose 'Instant Result' to skip the action and see who would have won without your intervention. Let's hope they were paying attention on the training ground.
Away from the pitch, there was a new, more intuitive inbox, a social media feed to keep up with punters and pundits' take on your performances, new backroom staff, and a wide range of improvements to scouting, all delivered via the same slick, touchscreen-optimised interface that won plaudits a year earlier. FM17 Touch was simply the best way to manage your team on a high-end tablet.
Significant Innovations
• Enhanced 3D Match Engine - New motion-captured animations, improved AI and stadia, and new camera angles bring the beautiful game to life as never before
• New Inbox & Social Media - Keep up with everything to do with your club in your inbox, and try not to get distracted by the howls of discontent on social media when your first XI puts in a shocking performance
• Instant Result - In a hurry? Then skip the action and see who would've won with minimal input from the sidelines
• And Much More - New backroom staff, a wide range of changes to scouting, and new content for Challenge Mode, among many other improvements
Perfect for playing on the go, Football Manager Mobile 2017 was the super-accessible sibling to FM17 and FM17 Touch, but no less serious about delivering an impeccable football management simulation.
You could manage any club from 15 countries, including all the big European leagues - and Polish and Turkish leagues were included for the first time on mobile. Improved scouting controls made it easier to find the right talent-spotters and set them to work, while tighter squad control options helped you get a handle on your team, disciplining players who put in poor performances, demonstrated unprofessional behaviour or found themselves on the receiving end of a red card in a previous match.
New transfer options added to the realism. Loan players could now join with a future buyout clause, and it was possible to appeal work permit applications, all of which added to the ways in which you could bring top players to your club.
Significant Innovations
• Accessible and Intuitive - The most accessible version of Football Manager, perfect for playing on the go, with a finely tuned and intuitive interface
• Two New Leagues - Control any club from 15 countries, now including Poland and Turkey for the first time on mobile
• Improved Scouting - Search and hire your own scouts to help with signings
• Tighter Squad Control - Respond to poor performances, unprofessional behaviour and dismissals. Don't let them get the better of you
• New Transfer Options - Loan players with a future buyout clause, and the option to appeal work permit applications
The much-loved 'transfers and tactics' version of the home computer smash hit returned with Football Manager Touch 2017, bringing with it a raft of enhancements to everything from the 3D Match Engine to Challenge Mode, along with a number of new features and quality-of-life improvements to interface and visuals.
The 3D Match Engine received significant upgrades, thanks to a bunch of new motion-captured player animations, improved AI and stadia, and new camera angles. Or, if you were in a hurry, you could now choose 'Instant Result' to skip the action and see who would have won without your intervention. Let's hope they were paying attention on the training ground.
Away from the pitch, there was a new, more intuitive inbox, a social media feed to keep up with punters and pundits' take on your performances, new backroom staff, and a wide range of improvements to scouting, all delivered via the same slick, touchscreen-optimised interface that won plaudits a year earlier. FM17 Touch was simply the best way to manage your team on a high-end tablet.
Significant Innovations
• Enhanced 3D Match Engine - New motion-captured animations, improved AI and stadia, and new camera angles bring the beautiful game to life as never before
• New Inbox & Social Media - Keep up with everything to do with your club in your inbox, and try not to get distracted by the howls of discontent on social media when your first XI puts in a shocking performance
• Instant Result - In a hurry? Then skip the action and see who would've won with minimal input from the sidelines
• And Much More - New backroom staff, a wide range of changes to scouting, and new content for Challenge Mode, among many other improvements
Released: 01/12/2015
Platforms:
Returning to the rink after an eight-year hiatus, Eastside Hockey Manager offered fans the most realistic, in-depth, and immersive simulation of ice hockey management available.
SI used Steam’s Early Access functionality to initially release in March 2015, taking onboard community feedback and releasing regular updates to improve and refine the game for full launch in December of that year.
Fans could take full control of their roster, deciding who to sign, who to draft, and who to draft. Having assembled the perfect backroom team, players then had the choice of taking over coaching duties themselves or delegating to a head coach.
Whichever option they choose, following the action was easier than ever thanks to the improvements that were made to the 2D Match Engine.
Other new and updated features included: a multiplayer mode allowing more than 30 players to compete against one another, additional screen resolutions, support for custom and historic databases, and full Steam Workshop functionality.
Released: 13/11/2015
Platforms:
After years of sharing tales of virtual touchline glory with friends, Football Manager 2016 finally gave you a chance to go head-to-head. One of two new game modes, Fantasy Draft gave you all the same amount of cash and then let you assemble your best possible team, before throwing you together in a mini league to help separate the best from the rest.
The other new game mode was Create-A-Club, allowing you to build your own custom team and add it to any existing league (reminiscent of the popular My Club option in previous Handheld titles). In keeping with the customisation theme, FM16 also let you design a manager avatar to spring from the dugout in style and complain about dubious throw-ins.
FM16 featured improvements to the matchday experience with over 2,000 new animations helping the 3D Match Engine to shine, you had more options to plan set-pieces and a new highlights package to keep up to date with other leagues. Prozone integration then gave you authentic tools to prepare for your next big match, with more stats than ever.
Finally, Classic mode was also rebranded Football Manager Touch, which let you carry over our game in the accompanying FM Touch 2016 release for high-end smart devices.
Significant Innovations
- Fantasy Draft - Build a team and compete against friends in a mini league
- Create-A-Club - Tired of guiding your local team to global domination? Then build a completely custom team and do it with them
- Prozone Integration - Authentic tools to prepare for your next big match, with more player, team and competition stats than ever
- Improved Matchday Experience - More than 2,000 new animations, more control in planning set-pieces, and a new highlights package to keep up to date with all the leagues
- Football Manager Touch - Classic mode is now FM Touch, which lets you carry on your game in the accompanying FM Touch 2016 release on smart device
What They Said
PC Gamer
83%
"Football Manager is actually something of a misleading title; these days it’s more like Football Micro-Manager. And while handling the minutiae of training ground life is a relatively new, and impressive, feature, developer Sports Interactive has by no means lost track of what got it this far."
The Guardian
4/5
"Few game franchises have ever gripped like this one, and its symbiosis with the real sport remains rather staggering. For those who recall the heady days of Championship Manager, but who became alienated by the increasing complexity of its Football Manager replacement, FM 2016 represents an opportunity to come back. Your loved ones and work mates, however, may regret it."
VideoGamer
8/10
"Once you get your head around everything the game offers it'll have you in its grasp, and probably won't let go for tens, if not hundreds, of hours. That doesn't mean Football Manager 2016 is perfect, far from it, but it's still a damn good game that lets armchair football fans live out their dreams better than the rest."
Designed to be played on the move, Football Manager Mobile 2016 was the most refined version of handheld Football Manager to date, allowing you to pick any team from 14 countries (including all the big European leagues) and see how far you could take them. Managing Barcelona proving a little easy? Why not see how you handle those wet and windy nights in Stoke?
This time out, we offered new tactical instructions. You could choose where your team concentrated its passing, select your main attacking threat or creative outlet, and even advise your goalkeeper on distribution. If in doubt, kick it out.
Coaches were also part of the mix now, helping to design focused training sessions for the next big match, while you could level up your management by pursuing bronze, silver and gold coaching badges that would help you to specialise in different management areas.
Not only that, but a new transfer window parity feature allowed you to start your first season with the football world as it was in real life (with only free transfers allowed), allowing you to see how you really might fare in the immediate football climate.
Having whet players' appetites for what could be possible on high-end tablets, Football Manager Touch 2016 was a veritable feast. Refined to be even more responsive and sensitive to touch control, with lots of contextual dropdowns and other helpful adjustments, it was the slickest, most cultured take on Football Manager that you could ask for on a tablet.
Of course, FM16 Touch was also available as part of FM16, and sold separately on PC and Mac, so if you had any of those versions then you were also treated to cross-save support, allowing you to continue your game on whichever device you happened to have at your disposal. The simplified take on FM - focusing on transfers, tactics, set-piece planning and opposition instructions - continued to prove popular.
On top of features like the returning Challenge mode, FM16 Touch also introduced Create-A-Club, allowing you to build up your own footballing dynasty and fill it with whoever you liked. Tired of dragging your childhood team to the pinnacle of world football every year? Then why not see how the team of your favourite childhood TV presenter fares, or perhaps you and your mates? However you play, FM16 Touch was there for you, home and away.
Designed to be played on the move, Football Manager Mobile 2016 was the most refined version of handheld Football Manager to date, allowing you to pick any team from 14 countries (including all the big European leagues) and see how far you could take them. Managing Barcelona proving a little easy? Why not see how you handle those wet and windy nights in Stoke?
This time out, we offered new tactical instructions. You could choose where your team concentrated its passing, select your main attacking threat or creative outlet, and even advise your goalkeeper on distribution. If in doubt, kick it out.
Coaches were also part of the mix now, helping to design focused training sessions for the next big match, while you could level up your management by pursuing bronze, silver and gold coaching badges that would help you to specialise in different management areas.
Not only that, but a new transfer window parity feature allowed you to start your first season with the football world as it was in real life (with only free transfers allowed), allowing you to see how you really might fare in the immediate football climate.
Having whet players' appetites for what could be possible on high-end tablets, Football Manager Touch 2016 was a veritable feast. Refined to be even more responsive and sensitive to touch control, with lots of contextual dropdowns and other helpful adjustments, it was the slickest, most cultured take on Football Manager that you could ask for on a tablet.
Of course, FM16 Touch was also available as part of FM16, and sold separately on PC and Mac, so if you had any of those versions then you were also treated to cross-save support, allowing you to continue your game on whichever device you happened to have at your disposal. The simplified take on FM - focusing on transfers, tactics, set-piece planning and opposition instructions - continued to prove popular.
On top of features like the returning Challenge mode, FM16 Touch also introduced Create-A-Club, allowing you to build up your own footballing dynasty and fill it with whoever you liked. Tired of dragging your childhood team to the pinnacle of world football every year? Then why not see how the team of your favourite childhood TV presenter fares, or perhaps you and your mates? However you play, FM16 Touch was there for you, home and away.
Released: 15/07/2015
Platforms:
Football Manager Online was the product of a unique strategy partnership between DaLe Games and SEGA Europe to bring the world's most authentic football management simulation to gamers across China.
A free-to-play version of the classic game, FM Online saw you build your own club and compete in online competitions that emphasised social components such as an online transfer system. You could also play quick ranked matches against other real managers of different levels at any time.
As you'd imagine, FM Online drew upon the series' huge database, deep tactical acumen and its 3D Match Engine technology to deliver an experience that would be familiar to fans elsewhere in the world.
Significant Innovations
- Unique Online Gameplay - Build a team and compete against other real players, seeking promotion and (hopefully) avoiding relegation
- Online Transfer System – A new social component where players traded with one another to bolster their squads
- World-Beating Database - Using Football Manager's famous database of players and staff from clubs and nations around the globe
- Core FM Tech - Including the 3D Match Engine, our most realistic representation of your tactics on the playing field
Released: 07/11/2014
Platforms:
You don't need to be a student of football to recognise that not every manager is the same. Some like to throw an arm around a player, some draw lines on the pitch and tell players where to stand, and others tuck into an egg butty while the coaching staff handle training. Whatever your style, Football Manager 2015 accommodated you. At the start of the season, you use 'manager points' to spread your focus across coaching, scouting, youth development, man management, or a little of everything. What type of manager are you?
FM15 also recognised the differences in player personalities, and it was important to pay attention to this when considering how to motivate them. Some players do need the arm round the shoulder, but others need a kick up the proverbial.
This season also saw significant changes to the user interface (with the return of the left-hand nav bar), a new Scouting Centre integrating all areas of player recruitment, and more advances in the matchday experience, with over 2,000 new motion-captured animations among many other improvements. Classic Mode also received a round of updates, allowing you to skip your first preseason to get straight into the action, delve a little deeper in some areas, and access new unlockables.
Significant Innovations
- Be Your Own Manager - Define your manager as never before, using the new manager points system to shift your focus into areas that suit your style, impacting the kind of info and support you receive throughout the game
- Player Personalities - Pay attention to new personality information to keep your players happy and motivated. Confidence player down on his luck? Ripping him a new one may not be the best strategy...
- User Interface Overhaul - A new left-hand nav bar helped organise information more intuitively, getting you to the things you need faster than ever
- Matchday Experience - Over 2,000 new motion-captured animations, new lighting, improved player models and physics, improved AI, touchline team talks and more.
- Classic Mode Changes - The popular Classic mode returns with more freedom when selecting nations, leagues and players, skippable preseason (in your first season), more player training options and board requests, plus more unlockables, like 'Dodgy lasagne', 'Unsuspend player' and 'Lifetime player'
What they said
IGN
8.9/10
"Everything that makes the Football Manager series so damned addictive remains completely intact and has been expanded upon in FM2015, but intelligent changes made to navigation and the way data is displayed makes for a much friendlier experience and speeds up seasons considerably. The improved attention to detail on match-day, plus the new in-game team talk options, make me feel more invested, more like a manager instructing my team from the sidelines than ever before. Not bad for a game composed almost entirely of menus, really."
GameSpot
8/10
"Football Manager is about progress, not revolution, which is arguably what its audience wants, and exactly what this year's game provides. Sports Interactive has crafted a game as predictably exhaustive as Andre Villas-Boas's gameplan, but as brutally effective as one masterminded by Mourinho. Football Manager has long since attained cult status and this release serves only to further stimulate that dedicated subculture."
The Telegraph
8/10
"FM15’s changes tend to contribute to gentle improvement rather than startling disruption, but should do enough to tempt you into starting that managerial journey all over again."
As smart devices grew in power, so Football Manager Handheld 2015 rose like a very tall striker at the back post to meet them. This year's unstoppable downward header of technical advancement was a brand new match engine, the most realistic 2D Match Engine we've ever put together - an ideal way to survey the action on that beautiful new iPad or massive Android tablet you bought "for the kids to use in the car".
FM15 Handheld also introduced a new Scouting Agency that kept you up to date on the current and future potential of the top 50 players in the world. Elsewhere, new World Rankings for international teams and national leagues would evolve over time based on performances in continental competitions.
My Club also returned, allowing you to assign Player Roles to each squad member, and if you happened to be enjoying the work of a real-life player in your regular FM Handheld save-game, you could now import them to My Club. Then you could watch them strike up a promising partnership with Gary from accounts, or your second aunt twice removed, or whoever else you had been inspired to include in your custom line-up.
Managers keen to get ahead quickly could also now purchase an in-game editor that allowed you to alter game data directly, giving yourself more cash or improving a player's stats.
The emergence of more powerful tablet devices a few years back presented us with an exciting opportunity. While Football Manager Handheld 2015 was a universally playable title suitable for phones and everything else, the additional power available in high-end devices was ideal for something rather more expansive. Say hello to Football Manager Classic 2015.
Based on the popular Classic mode introduced to great acclaim in FM13, FMC15 was a standalone tablet title offering a simplified (but still detailed) version of Football Manager for the home computer. You chose a club in one of 117 leagues from 51 nations around the world and primarily focused on tactics and transfers. You could delve into other aspects like scouting, media and finances, but mostly this was delegated.
Heftier tablet tech also allowed us to introduce the 3D Match Engine on smart devices for the first time, offering a wide variety of camera angles accompanied by an optional stream of in-game stats, reports, advice from the Assistant Manager and score updates. With a unique touchscreen-optimised interface, this really was like playing the computer version on the go.
As smart devices grew in power, so Football Manager Handheld 2015 rose like a very tall striker at the back post to meet them. This year's unstoppable downward header of technical advancement was a brand new match engine, the most realistic 2D Match Engine we've ever put together - an ideal way to survey the action on that beautiful new iPad or massive Android tablet you bought "for the kids to use in the car".
FM15 Handheld also introduced a new Scouting Agency that kept you up to date on the current and future potential of the top 50 players in the world. Elsewhere, new World Rankings for international teams and national leagues would evolve over time based on performances in continental competitions.
My Club also returned, allowing you to assign Player Roles to each squad member, and if you happened to be enjoying the work of a real-life player in your regular FM Handheld save-game, you could now import them to My Club. Then you could watch them strike up a promising partnership with Gary from accounts, or your second aunt twice removed, or whoever else you had been inspired to include in your custom line-up.
Managers keen to get ahead quickly could also now purchase an in-game editor that allowed you to alter game data directly, giving yourself more cash or improving a player's stats.
The emergence of more powerful tablet devices a few years back presented us with an exciting opportunity. While Football Manager Handheld 2015 was a universally playable title suitable for phones and everything else, the additional power available in high-end devices was ideal for something rather more expansive. Say hello to Football Manager Classic 2015.
Based on the popular Classic mode introduced to great acclaim in FM13, FMC15 was a standalone tablet title offering a simplified (but still detailed) version of Football Manager for the home computer. You chose a club in one of 117 leagues from 51 nations around the world and primarily focused on tactics and transfers. You could delve into other aspects like scouting, media and finances, but mostly this was delegated.
Heftier tablet tech also allowed us to introduce the 3D Match Engine on smart devices for the first time, offering a wide variety of camera angles accompanied by an optional stream of in-game stats, reports, advice from the Assistant Manager and score updates. With a unique touchscreen-optimised interface, this really was like playing the computer version on the go.
Released: 30/10/2013
Platforms:
British fans of a certain vintage will remember TV adverts that claimed, "Life's complicated enough." Heading into Football Manager 2014, we felt that keenly, so we rethought key aspects of the core simulation in simpler, more user-friendly ways.
One key change was a tactical overhaul. Gone were the endless slider bars that had previously governed the precise intensity with which your full-backs might invade an attacker's space, for instance. Instead, new managers were able to choose between options like "Defend deeper" and "Defend much deeper". While this approach was simpler, it also better reflected the way players were coached in real life.
The 3D Match Engine was maturing nicely, with more AI tweaks, improved lighting and animations and reactions to on-field incidents. Transfers now included additional real-world clauses, like the option to loan a player straight back to the selling club for the remainder of the season. You could also negotiate your contract and budgets with the board in more nuanced ways, or ask leaders in your squad to help cheer up unhappy team-mates.
This was also the first year we added Linux support, while Steam Workshop let managers create and share custom content, including new challenges. Cloud saves were possible, and when Football Manager Classic was released as a standalone game on PlayStation Vita, we enabled cross-save between FM Classic on Vita and on PC/Mac.
Significant Innovations
• Linux, Cloud Saves & Workshop Support - Play on Linux, access your save file from any PC, create and share content, and use cross-save with FM Classic on Vita
• Tactical Overhaul - A full redesign of how tactics are created, selected and implemented, doing away with slider bars in favour of simpler choices
• 3D Match Engine - A raft of improvements including better AI, lighting and animations, individual player character and kit models, and better reactions
• Classic Mode Evolved - Run more than three playable nations, and 'fast play' mode now included Transfer Deadline Day, a Match Plan wizard and more unlockables
What They Said
GameSpot
9/10
"Not so long ago, Football Manager represented an impenetrable proposition to anyone who didn't know the difference between a False 9 and an Engache. That time is a thing of the past. Kudos to Sports Interactive for delivering a much more inclusive game, but without so much as hinting at compromising the experience for veterans."
The Guardian
4/5
"Promoting his book recently, Sir Alex Ferguson kept reiterating his mantra of control. The joy of Football Manager 2014 comes in deciding precisely what aspects of management of which you want to directly control, and in navigating its myriad systems to stamp your own philosophy on a club."
PC Gamer
87%
"The scarf I hold aloft still has 'Classic Mode' stitched on it, as it's still the most elegant distillation of Football Manager, but I can see now that it's only a matter of time before I'm swallowed whole."
Released: 02/11/2012
Platforms:
After years of layering on ever greater realism and complexity, Football Manager 2013 offered players a choice. Would you like the full-fat simulation, where you can dig into every conceivable facet of football management? Or would you prefer a faster-to-play, more streamlined take on Football Manager in the shape of the brand new 'Classic' mode?
Whatever your answer, the game had plenty to offer. Classic mode was the headline addition - a less time-consuming, alternative way to engage with what remained a deep simulation. This simplified approach primarily focused on transfers and tactics, and once you got the hang of it you could make it through a whole season in 8-10 hours.
Classic also included Challenge Mode (introduced in last year's FM Handheld), which let you tackle a range of football management scenarios. If you can't face the relegation battle that's engulfed the team in your main save file, why not spend the evening trying to rescue a small Dutch team from a similar fate where the stakes are lower?
Regular Football Manager mode wasn't short on improvements either. The 3D Match Engine was one of the most visible enhancements, with a sizable bump in graphical fidelity underpinned by new animations, a revamped 'televisual' camera system and dramatic improvements in player AI. FM13 also introduced more staff roles, including a Director of Football to help tackle those jobs you hate.
Significant Innovations
- Classic Mode - Fancy a change of pace? Jump into Classic mode and play a simplified game closer to the FMs of old.
- Challenge Yourself - Tackle a range of pre-packaged football management scenarios and see if you can achieve a specific goal.
- Improved 3D Match Engine - Overhauled visuals, improved AI and new camera angles helped bring games to life as never before.
- More Staff Roles Than Ever - Directors of Football joined the workforce, while more specialised coaching staff could also be called upon to assist you.
- Greater Steam Integration - Multiplayer functionality tapped into Steam's friends system, offering bespoke one-off league and cup options and global leaderboards.
WHAT THEY SAID
The Guardian
"Football Manager 13 at last offers the chance to play the game at a level of intensity you're comfortable with – and even Tonton Zola Mokouko would agree that that's a great thing."
Eurogamer
"There's something almost sacrilegious about Football Manager 2013. Realism has for so long been the cornerstone of the series' yearly releases that the inclusion of a new, streamlined 'classic' mode somehow feels like a betrayal. But those fearing Sports Interactive's attentions have been divided in a similar way needn't have worried - the full-fat Football Manager has clearly had just as much time spent on it as any previous yearly update, if not more. Load up a new game and it doesn't take long to notice how much has changed since last year."
PC Gamer
"The landmark addition is the new Classic mode, which rewinds the game to something more akin to Championship Manager circa 1998, delivering fewer options and quicker seasons."
Smartphones and tablets had well and truly conquered the world by the time Football Manager Handheld 2013 came out. With all the changes introduced by the latest instalment in FM's portable series, you could more easily enjoy doing the same.
Key changes included a new player comparison module, which allowed you to easily hold one player up against another to judge their relative abilities (great not just for transfers, but also for squad management), real player photos for licensed leagues, and the ability to move players between the first team squad and reserves. We also had 14 playable leagues now, in-game achievements to gun for, and an array of device-friendly additions, like Retina support for high-end iOS devices.
Recognising that some players wanted to get ahead in management quickly, we also introduced some optional add-ons. You could bring in a 'Sugar Daddy' chairman to grease the financial wheels, expand your stadium immediately, or jump straight into national management. These extras could be bought in the smart device store or earned in-game.
Challenge Mode also returned (having debuted in FM13's Classic mode this year on PC and Mac) with a new challenge, "The Dangers of Capitalism".
We also brought the PSP series up to date again with an expanded range of 34 leagues across 11 nations, and all the latest transfer data.
Smartphones and tablets had well and truly conquered the world by the time Football Manager Handheld 2013 came out. With all the changes introduced by the latest instalment in FM's portable series, you could more easily enjoy doing the same.
Key changes included a new player comparison module, which allowed you to easily hold one player up against another to judge their relative abilities (great not just for transfers, but also for squad management), real player photos for licensed leagues, and the ability to move players between the first team squad and reserves. We also had 14 playable leagues now, in-game achievements to gun for, and an array of device-friendly additions, like Retina support for high-end iOS devices.
Recognising that some players wanted to get ahead in management quickly, we also introduced some optional add-ons. You could bring in a 'Sugar Daddy' chairman to grease the financial wheels, expand your stadium immediately, or jump straight into national management. These extras could be bought in the smart device store or earned in-game.
Challenge Mode also returned (having debuted in FM13's Classic mode this year on PC and Mac) with a new challenge, "The Dangers of Capitalism".
We also brought the PSP series up to date again with an expanded range of 34 leagues across 11 nations, and all the latest transfer data.
Released: 21/10/2011
Platforms:
Most years Sports Interactive manages to cram in well over 100 improvements to Football Manager, some large, some small. For Football Manager 2012, we found ourselves adding over 800 new features. While none was quite as profound as something like the 3D Match Engine had been a few years earlier, every little helped.
New players were given a brand-new standalone tutorial and supported by in-game hints and tips as they began their debut season. Everyone benefited from a new overhauled interface, too, with an adaptive layout that used more or less of your screen resolution depending on the size of your display, with new filters, custom columns and other widgets to help give you the most comfortable dashboard.
The 3D Match Engine was bolstered by new animations, a whole new crowd system, improved weather dynamics, more stadiums, and the ability to adopt "Behind Goal" or "Director Cam" views of the action. And a new "Manage Anywhere, Anytime" feature meant you could add or take away playable nations on your saved game as you pleased.
Smaller but devilishly entertaining was the new tone system, which allowed you to choose from six different styles of speaking to modify your team talks and conversations. For managers keen to send just the right kind of message to press or players, it was ideal.
Significant Innovations
- Contracts and Transfers Overhauled - Loyalty bonuses, better amateur and youth contracts, and the ability to lock certain aspects of the discussion made for a more nuanced manner of hardball negotiating
- 3D Match Engine Improvements - New camera angles, a new crowd system, more animations, more realistic weather and more stadiums
- Manage Anywhere, Anytime - Add or take away playable nations on your saved game whenever you desire
- Intelligent Interface - Big screen? Then take advantage of it by laying out extra widgets and gizmos. Smaller space? The game will adapt to maximise efficiency.
- Tonal Barking - To borrow a wonderful joke from IGN's review. The tone system let you adjust the tone of your comments to suit their context and goals
- Massive Independent Tutorial - As well as continued in-game support, a new discrete tutorial module gave players a thorough onboarding as required
WHAT THEY SAID
The Telegraph
"The biggest achievement here is managing to reach out to new or lapsed players, while still piling on new intricacy for long term fans. For them, this is a compelling tangle of improved, impassioned football strategy, bursting with detailed dealings, sumptuous stats and days out in Shrewsbury. And it's never been a better time to step into the dugout for rookie gaffers."
9.0/10
"Some may look at Sports Interactive and detect a faint glimmer of complacency, but just because Football Manager's opposition have all but given up, this doesn't mean the king can't rule his kingdom."
PC Gamer
"FM 2012 has seen off all its rivals but even before this, the FM series was the only choice, with its sheer depth and freedom compensating for the flaws that accompany it."
Football Manager Handheld 2012 expanded the series' reach as it ventured onto Android devices for the first time in addition to the traditional iOS and PlayStation Portable editions, cementing its position as the most realistic and widely played football management sim.
FM12 Handheld on iOS and Android was also notable for the addition of a new Challenge Mode, tailored to the sort of short, sharp bursts of gameplay time that people dabbling in mobile apps tended to have at their disposal. Challenge Mode served up quick-to-play gameplay scenarios that pitted you against challenging managerial circumstances.
Of course, the full game was still there to play as well, with 37 leagues fully updated for the 11/12 season and over 20,000 players in the database. New features this year included Star Players, helping you identify key movers in your squad, an updated interface with more graphical bells and whistles, Apple TV mirror support, and social media integration, allowing you to keep your friends up to date with your managerial accomplishments.
Over on the PSP, the database was tipping over 22,000 players and staff, all up to date with the latest transfers, while tweaks to the core simulation allowed you to spend more time negotiating with the board on club affairs and development, including stadium expansion and improved training facilities.
Football Manager Handheld 2012 expanded the series' reach as it ventured onto Android devices for the first time in addition to the traditional iOS and PlayStation Portable editions, cementing its position as the most realistic and widely played football management sim.
FM12 Handheld on iOS and Android was also notable for the addition of a new Challenge Mode, tailored to the sort of short, sharp bursts of gameplay time that people dabbling in mobile apps tended to have at their disposal. Challenge Mode served up quick-to-play gameplay scenarios that pitted you against challenging managerial circumstances.
Of course, the full game was still there to play as well, with 37 leagues fully updated for the 11/12 season and over 20,000 players in the database. New features this year included Star Players, helping you identify key movers in your squad, an updated interface with more graphical bells and whistles, Apple TV mirror support, and social media integration, allowing you to keep your friends up to date with your managerial accomplishments.
Over on the PSP, the database was tipping over 22,000 players and staff, all up to date with the latest transfers, while tweaks to the core simulation allowed you to spend more time negotiating with the board on club affairs and development, including stadium expansion and improved training facilities.
Released: 05/11/2010
Platforms:
The art of good business is to be a good middleman, so when we set out to introduce detailed contract talks to Football Manager 2011, we went and spoke to a bunch of real-life agents. This helped us introduce a deeper negotiation system where players, agents and the club would go back and forth in real time, and personal feelings of those involved were just as important as the numbers.
FM11 also introduced the most intuitive training system in the series' history, with a new 'match preparation' area of training for laying down specific areas of focus ahead of the next game. You could also set individual schedules so players focused on up to 14 skill areas.
Two years on from the introduction of the 3D Match Engine, we delivered a huge round of improvements, with over 100 new animations, player emotions, player models, stadiums, pitch textures, improved lighting, floodlit night matches and more goal celebrations.
One of the most-requested new features was dynamic league reputation. As teams grew stronger and performed better on a continental level, so the league they played in also grew in stature, attracting better players to its shores. Funnily enough, this feature coincided with PSG turning Ligue 1 into a key destination in world football. It's a funny old game, eh?
Significant Innovations
- In-Depth Negotiations - Working with real-world agents, we designed a system of detailed negotiations that better reflected the way deals are done in football
- Intuitive New Training System – With a dedicated match-prep area for drilling players on the way to play against specific upcoming opponents
- 3D Match Engine Updates - Over 100 improvements across everything from player models and animations to textures and lighting
- Dynamic League Reputation - As a league grows in stature due to the success of its teams, those teams start to attract the cream of the crop of global players
WHAT THEY SAID
Eurogamer
"The sum of FM 2011's parts is the most organic but more importantly, most believable man- and team-management experience the series has provided. Don't be expecting perfection, because you won't find it – but even if you own last year's version you should seriously consider investing in this follow-up, a recommendation I certainly don't make every year. And if you've been holding off purchasing a Football Manager game for the last few years, then this is the year to get back in the game."
VideoGamer
"More important than all the above is the fact that Football Manager 2011 is a huge time sink that will keep you playing for hours on end for months to come. There has often been an argument for add-ons to the previous year's version, simply fixing a few things and updating stats, but this year Sports Interactive has made a game that feels like the most essential for a very long time. Being a manager has never been so realistic or as much fun."
GameSpot
"Football Manager 2011 is a great game that has something for fans both old and new. If you've been skipping iterations because of fatigue, this one is a good place to start afresh. Having the team blend and match preparation elements at the fore makes FM 2011 more accessible, and players of all abilities benefit immensely from the increased transparency. New contract negotiations make the act of signing a player more interesting, and money-grabbing agents disgust you as much in-game as they do in real life. This season, the Football Manager experience is more compelling than ever."
The latest version of Football Manager Handheld for the PlayStation Portable was a modest upgrade, introducing player data for the 2010/11 season and a streamlined interface, where an easily navigable system mapped everything on-screen to the PSP buttons, meaning you could quickly skip from your formation to a rival team sheet with all the smoothness of a Brazilian attacking midfield.
The refreshed iOS edition of FM11 Handheld also brought player data into line with the new season, allowing managers to tackle 29 leagues in 11 countries, and offered greater flexibility all over the shop. You could implement more formations, set custom tactics, give players specific roles on the pitch, and if you ever got lost you could fall back on a new in-game tutorial to help you find your way again.
As smartphones and tablets continued to grow in quality and diversity, so the iOS edition of Football Manager would keep on evolving to keep pace.
The latest version of Football Manager Handheld for the PlayStation Portable was a modest upgrade, introducing player data for the 2010/11 season and a streamlined interface, where an easily navigable system mapped everything on-screen to the PSP buttons, meaning you could quickly skip from your formation to a rival team sheet with all the smoothness of a Brazilian attacking midfield.
The refreshed iOS edition of FM11 Handheld also brought player data into line with the new season, allowing managers to tackle 29 leagues in 11 countries, and offered greater flexibility all over the shop. You could implement more formations, set custom tactics, give players specific roles on the pitch, and if you ever got lost you could fall back on a new in-game tutorial to help you find your way again.
As smartphones and tablets continued to grow in quality and diversity, so the iOS edition of Football Manager would keep on evolving to keep pace.
Released: 30/10/2009
Platforms:
After the game-changing addition of the 3D Match Engine a season earlier, Football Manager 2010 debuted with a less dramatic suite of new features, but sometimes the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.
That's certainly how players felt when they got used to the new user interface. In a series where the menus are the game, a new UI was a huge deal. Changing to tabs along the top of the screen confused veteran managers initially, but they grew to celebrate the way FM10 grouped information and functions more intuitively.
This year we also went in two-footed on tactics. The Tactics Creator allowed you to choose an overall philosophy for your team and easily define roles for players. Turning a midfielder into a "deep-lying playmaker" used to involve tuning individual instructions for things like passing and tackling; now it was just one click away.
Elsewhere, the new Match Analysis tool helped you judge how well your players were delivering on your vision, while being able to adjust tactics from the touchline was another seemingly small but valuable addition.
If the 3D Match Engine was the banner signing a year earlier, this was the finely tuned champion team built around it. Critics agreed, helping FM10 to its highest ever metascore.
Significant Innovations
- Radical User Interface Overhaul - For the first time, a system of ‘tabs’ was used to group information along the top of each screen, presenting key information in a new way that felt more intuitive to players.
- Streamlined Tactics Creator - Managers could now select an overall playing philosophy and give players specific roles and instructions, saving loads of time previously spent hunting for individual settings.
- Influential New Touchline Presence - Managers could now shout instructions during a match and quick-switch between tactics to outwit opponents!
- Ground-breaking Match Analysis - Keeping pace with developments in the game, managers now had access to a suite of analytics during and after games to assess and respond to performances.
- Game-Changing League Editor - Whether you wanted to add divisions to existing leagues or invent new divisions and cups, League Editor let you explore the football management fantasies you most cared about.
WHAT THEY SAID
90%
"Football Manager 2010 retains its title as the reigning champion of the football management PC gaming league. There is much to love about FM 2010. It is not a giant leap forward, but it does not suffer any for that. Veterans of the FM series will still love it, while newcomers will pick it up and never want to put it down."
9/10
"Make no mistake, Football Manager 2010 is the best football management game on the market by some stretch, a game of unrivalled realism, depth and longevity, and the most accessible FM game we've seen for many years."
90%
"Football Manager returns with further improvements. The new version allows us to maintain better control of our team during games, and also increase the quality of 3D visualisation. FM 2010 goes deeper in the interaction with our players, media and the coaching staff, creating a great gaming experience with its fantastic artificial intelligence. Year after year, the series takes hold their place in the genre, adding new capabilities without sacrificing any of the features seen in previous versions. This sports title keeps on top of its genre, setting a benchmark for every football management simulator."
As one sun sets, another rises. While the PlayStation Portable series continued going strong, this was also the first time FM had appeared on the increasingly popular (and growing) iOS range of devices.
For Football Manager Handheld's latest PSP outing, we shipped an improved match engine, a new UI skin that gave the game a fresh and vibrant look, and a range of other tweaks. You could learn about the board's confidence levels, and access reports from coaches, scouts and the assistant manager as you strove for glory. We also had unlockable managerial abilities and - fittingly as the PSP came towards the end of its career - testimonial matches.
The iPhone was less than three years old when FM10 Handheld brought our simulation to its screen (and those of the iPod touch), and the initial offering would have been familiar to PSP players. 34 leagues in 11 countries, squads of up to 36, and a shrunk-down database of around 20,000 real-world players (complete with January 2010 transfer data) made for a pocket-sized take on the beautiful game. In a nod to the new format, you could even play music while you managed.
There was still room for improvement, but it was already clear that the touch-screen management of the iOS version was the future for portable Football Manager.
As one sun sets, another rises. While the PlayStation Portable series continued going strong, this was also the first time FM had appeared on the increasingly popular (and growing) iOS range of devices.
For Football Manager Handheld's latest PSP outing, we shipped an improved match engine, a new UI skin that gave the game a fresh and vibrant look, and a range of other tweaks. You could learn about the board's confidence levels, and access reports from coaches, scouts and the assistant manager as you strove for glory. We also had unlockable managerial abilities and - fittingly as the PSP came towards the end of its career - testimonial matches.
The iPhone was less than three years old when FM10 Handheld brought our simulation to its screen (and those of the iPod touch), and the initial offering would have been familiar to PSP players. 34 leagues in 11 countries, squads of up to 36, and a shrunk-down database of around 20,000 real-world players (complete with January 2010 transfer data) made for a pocket-sized take on the beautiful game. In a nod to the new format, you could even play music while you managed.
There was still room for improvement, but it was already clear that the touch-screen management of the iOS version was the future for portable Football Manager.
Released: 08/01/2009
Platforms:
Experienced armchair managers had to check their expectations at the door when it came to the revolutionary Football Manager Live. Released in early 2009 after a long period of gestation, this massively multiplayer take on managing the beautiful game (complete with a monthly subscription) let you build your own custom club and compete against real people all around the globe to see who would end up with a grandstand named after them.
Defining your own club (you could choose your name, colours, badge and home ground) was the first step, after which you could use some pre-picked players or try to assemble a dream team using a modest £500,000 starting budget, operating within a daily player wage limit. You then chose a suitable football association to join - out of 10 supported, each of which played matches at different times of day to help suit a variety of lifestyles - and faced off against other players in seasons that lasted 28 real-world days.
To develop yourself as a manager, you had to pursue different skill areas, but focusing on one meant you would lose out in others, so it took a while to really build yourself up and become competitive. Meanwhile, the transfer market was more like an online auction house, allowing you to bring real-world talent (FM Live used the Sports Interactive database of over 330,000 footballers) to improve your squad.
There hadn't been anything like it before, and while it didn't last forever, those who fell under its spell found it hard to go back.
Released: 14/11/2008
Platforms:
Developed over three years with support from SEGA's Sports R&D Division, the 3D Match Engine was the headline addition to Football Manager 2009, revolutionising the way managers saw their team in action. After years of text commentary or watching 2D circles, seeing your motion-captured players take to the field for real was a special moment.
Naturally FM09 made as much hay as it could from this new feature, including a special TV View that let you watch matches in full-screen with custom widgets docked to the image showing you information on player performance, action zones, pitch radar and scores from other matches. The addition of widescreen support for the first time in FM (remember when everything was 4:3?) added to the sense of new horizons.
All this focus on the 3D Match Engine didn't stop us getting stuck into other areas. Your Assistant Manager would now pop up before and during games to help you judge performance, player motivation levels and tactical efficiency. Away from the pitch, press conferences let you fire up the mind games more than ever, while you could dig further into the board's confidence levels too, learning their take on squad harmony and club stature.
Significant Innovations
- 3D Match Engine - This was the big one. Developed with support from SEGA Sports R&D, the new match engine let you watch your team in action as never before.
- Widescreen Support - It's funny to think this ever wasn't a thing! But as the tech became widespread, so we adapted the game to take advantage.
- Assistant Manager Feedback - Top managers can't do it without top support, and FM09 let you draw on the experience of your number two directly.
- Media Management & Press Conferences - Get into the heads of your rivals by using the media to your advantage.
- Expanded Board Confidence - Learn about squad harmony and club stature as you take in whether the board is happy with your performance.
WHAT THEY SAID
9.1/10
"FM09 is still easily the most in-depth, enjoyable and addictive way to pretend you manage a football team. When you have a formula as compulsively successful as this, one that guarantees you top the PC best-sellers list year on year, it’s churlish to suggest reckless tinkering for the sake of it."
9/10
"If you want a high stress virtual job on top of your real one, have hours to burn each day looking at an interactive database, and fancy yourself as the next Alex Ferguson, Football Manager 2009 might be the only game you'll need until this time next year."
8/10
"Strip away the hiccups and this is a must-have game, with the added excitement provided by the 3D match engine worthy of the entrance fee alone. And while it may not be quite the finished article, Football Manager 2009 still has more than enough quality and strength in depth to be considered championship-winning material."
With PC and Macintosh managers dancing down the touchline at the inclusion of the new 3D Match Engine, PlayStation Portable owners might easily have felt left out. But they needn't have worried. After years of retro text commentary, PSP sheepskin-wearers were finally able to enjoy a full 2D Match Engine experience in Football Manager Handheld 2009.
Released day-and-date with the home computer versions for the first time, FM09 Handheld's principal innovation was the match engine, which brought football to life in a way previous instalments could not. Finally, you could see your charges dot around the pitch (literally, as they were little dots), occupy the space you highlighted on the whiteboard and dart into the channels you moaned at them about in training.
In addition to this, FM09 Handheld introduced the ability to play up to four top-tier divisions at the same time, allowing you to move around the continent just as you could on PC and Mac. We also included new light and dark skins to help your eyes cope with the strain of watching all those well-worked goals fly in (hopefully for your team).
With PC and Macintosh managers dancing down the touchline at the inclusion of the new 3D Match Engine, PlayStation Portable owners might easily have felt left out. But they needn't have worried. After years of retro text commentary, PSP sheepskin-wearers were finally able to enjoy a full 2D Match Engine experience in Football Manager Handheld 2009.
Released day-and-date with the home computer versions for the first time, FM09 Handheld's principal innovation was the match engine, which brought football to life in a way previous instalments could not. Finally, you could see your charges dot around the pitch (literally, as they were little dots), occupy the space you highlighted on the whiteboard and dart into the channels you moaned at them about in training.
In addition to this, FM09 Handheld introduced the ability to play up to four top-tier divisions at the same time, allowing you to move around the continent just as you could on PC and Mac. We also included new light and dark skins to help your eyes cope with the strain of watching all those well-worked goals fly in (hopefully for your team).
Released: 19/10/2007
Platforms:
Football Manager 2008 was one of those games that was better and easier to use throughout, but a casual observer might struggle to put their finger on exactly why.
Take the Match Flow. For FM08, we worked hard to improve the atmosphere and coherence of the matchday experience, bringing team talks, in-game adjustments and the half-time and post-match flows together as a seamless journey. You didn't pause to make tactical changes - you brought up the tactics screen and used a mini radar to keep one eye on the action. The result was the biggest change to matchdays since the 2D Match Engine.
The look and feel of FM08 was tidier and cleaner, too, enveloped in a "much sleeker Web 2.0 style" (GameSpot), while refinements to the in-game advisor made the game more approachable. The Match Engine itself also received a freshening-up, with plenty of input from our football advisor Ray Houghton and research into tools used by real-life managers.
Beyond that, a new Transfer Centre helped manage all transfer and loan activity in one place, while overhauled financial controls let you monitor everything from matchday income to season-ticket sales, and move funds around the wage and transfer budgets to assist.
It was also now possible to change the dimensions of your home pitch before the season began, to better accommodate your play style
Significant Innovations
- Brand New Match Flow - The biggest change to the matchday experience since the 2D Match Engine brought together a seamless flow before, during and after matches
- Overhauled Interface & Advisor - Getting around the game, getting things done and understanding features had never been simpler
- New Transfer Centre - Control every aspect of transfers and loans from a single module in the FM interface for the first time
- Finance Revamp - Matchday income, corporate box income, season ticket news, investment funds, sponsorships, win bonuses, and more. Suddenly you could see how money flowed in and out of the club more easily, and adjust accordingly
- Over 100 New Features - Monitor supporter and board confidence, organise fan days, win the European golden boot, see FaceGen-based regen player photos, and a whole lot more
WHAT THEY SAID
PC Zone
90%
Christmas 2007, Page 85
"The uncanny knack of mirroring real life is testament to the massive infrastructure of international scouts that provides the player database, allied to the witchcraft that goes on under the bonnet."
9.0/10
"The streamlined interface may draw in a few new punters, but this is still Football Manager as nature intended, and a brutally unforgiving intrusion on your time. A benchmark title for the PC, this is a game that you don’t so much play as have a relationship with. And not necessarily a healthy one…"
8.5/10
"Overall, Football Manager 2008 is a worthwhile upgrade for long-term players, and a much more accessible experience for those who have been put off by the scale of this truly massive game."
If you've ever seen a UMD, then you know it's a diminutive fella, the close-dribbling 'little magician' of optical media. But after years learning the PSP, we were able to pack more features onto it than ever for Football Manager Handheld 2008.
Perhaps the most exciting was the ability to customise tactics. The previous games had allowed a certain amount of tweaking, with a range of preset formations, but for FM08 Handheld you were able to move players around, setting runs for them and saving the resulting tactics. You could even share them with friends using an 'import' function.
Another influential addition was reserve squads. No longer were you bound by the constraints of your first team. Now you could nurture upcoming talent and then slot them into the first XI. You could promote and demote players, in fact, which also influenced transfer value. Lots to think about as you watched the cows zip past on the 4.58 to Whitby.
We also had faster load times, smoother matchdays and another lick of paint for the shrunk-down PSP interface. This was more of a retro experience, with text commentary and fewer bells and whistles than the home computer version, but for fans craving that FM bug on the go, there was still nothing else like it.
If you've ever seen a UMD, then you know it's a diminutive fella, the close-dribbling 'little magician' of optical media. But after years learning the PSP, we were able to pack more features onto it than ever for Football Manager Handheld 2008.
Perhaps the most exciting was the ability to customise tactics. The previous games had allowed a certain amount of tweaking, with a range of preset formations, but for FM08 Handheld you were able to move players around, setting runs for them and saving the resulting tactics. You could even share them with friends using an 'import' function.
Another influential addition was reserve squads. No longer were you bound by the constraints of your first team. Now you could nurture upcoming talent and then slot them into the first XI. You could promote and demote players, in fact, which also influenced transfer value. Lots to think about as you watched the cows zip past on the 4.58 to Whitby.
We also had faster load times, smoother matchdays and another lick of paint for the shrunk-down PSP interface. This was more of a retro experience, with text commentary and fewer bells and whistles than the home computer version, but for fans craving that FM bug on the go, there was still nothing else like it.
Released: 18/10/2006
Platforms:
Ever wise to the ways of football, Football Manager 2007 made a big deal of using the media to send messages to players around the world. You don't like to talk about other teams' players... but that one is really talented and would fit in well here.
Of course, you could also use this facility to turn inward and praise or excoriate members of your own dressing room. Sometimes it lit a rocket, sometimes it expedited a change. FM07 went big on plenty of other aspects of player interaction, too, adding pre-match team talks and more in-depth youth squad management.
Scouting also received a revamp, allowing managers to inspect a scout's credentials before assigning them, while the addition of feeder clubs let managers establish mutually beneficial relationships with other teams, loaning players to blood them in competitive football, gaining first option on promising recruits, and playing in pre-arranged friendlies.
The console edition of FM07 also received a new user interface that brought on board feedback from Xbox 360 players to deliver a more refined, joypad-friendly experience.
Significant Innovations
- Feeder Clubs - Hoover up young talent and then farm it out to your official feeder friends overseas before bringing the players back once they start to peak
- Scouting Revamp - FM07 improved scouting in several ways, allowing you to take a more refined approach to investigating global talent than ever before
- Player Interaction - For the first time, you could speak about players in the media, unsettling rivals and boosting or shattering your stars' fragile egos
- Xbox 360 Tweaks - The successful console version returned with a new interface that tapped into feedback from the game's new generation of fans
WHAT THEY SAID
9/10
"Far from being a lazy update to an already feature-rammed game, Football Manager 2007 is a revelation. It's no longer simply about displaying your strategic acumen and ability to wheel and deal in the transfer market, but a fascinating journey into the man-management that plays just as crucial a part in the role of the modern coach."
PC Gamer
88%
[December 2006, Page 104]
"FM 2007 remains a blinding mass of statistics at first sight, but they yield an intoxicating world of heartbreaking injuries, transfer coups, heroic defeats and the pursuit of glory. In short, it's football. No other game comes close."
4/5
"If the previous games in the series appealed to you then Football Manager 07 will also, swallowing up hours of your time without you even realising it. If you’ve never encountered the series (what rock have you been under?) and you’re a football fan then you have to give it a try, provided you can afford to abandon your life for the ton of hours required to be a successful football manager. Come on Barnet!"
After winning over the fans during a strong first season in the dugout, Football Manager Handheld 2007 returned with a raft of new features to improve the portable football management simulation experience.
The new PSP instalment was a definite advance on its direct predecessor, adding new leagues and competitions, the ability to send out multiple scouts, and a new player search template, all of which made wheeling and dealing on the go that much simpler.
FM Handheld 2007 also introduced international management for the first time on PSP. Strong results domestically sometimes led to a national team job offer, and if you excelled in that role, then you could unlock International Management mode, allowing you to begin new games as a national coach thereafter.
One-on-one wireless multiplayer was another new addition, taking advantage of the PSP's built-in Wi-Fi, while a database editor allowed players to update the game with marquee transfers. Coupled with the text-based commentary, the whole thing had a delightful retro tinkerer feel that continued to keep armchair (and indeed bus-seat, train-seat, plane-seat) managers pleasantly sated.
After winning over the fans during a strong first season in the dugout, Football Manager Handheld 2007 returned with a raft of new features to improve the portable football management simulation experience.
The new PSP instalment was a definite advance on its direct predecessor, adding new leagues and competitions, the ability to send out multiple scouts, and a new player search template, all of which made wheeling and dealing on the go that much simpler.
FM Handheld 2007 also introduced international management for the first time on PSP. Strong results domestically sometimes led to a national team job offer, and if you excelled in that role, then you could unlock International Management mode, allowing you to begin new games as a national coach thereafter.
One-on-one wireless multiplayer was another new addition, taking advantage of the PSP's built-in Wi-Fi, while a database editor allowed players to update the game with marquee transfers. Coupled with the text-based commentary, the whole thing had a delightful retro tinkerer feel that continued to keep armchair (and indeed bus-seat, train-seat, plane-seat) managers pleasantly sated.
Released: 22/09/2006
Platforms:
SI stepped out onto the ice for the third time in 2006 with the digital release of NHL Eastside Hockey Manager 2007.
NHL EHM 2007 boasted the series’ biggest database to-date, with more than 45,000 players and staff at the disposal of fans.
Whether they were taking charge of club or country, the gameplay experience was elevated by further improvements to the user interface and ‘real-time’ 2D Match Engine.
Battling for bragging rights in multiplayer action was no longer confined to hotseat playing, either. Developments in technology and the introduction of a ‘Fantasy Draft’ made face-offs global.
Released: 21/10/2005
Platforms:
Football Manager 2006 was the first time the series was opened up to a console audience in addition to traditional PC and Macintosh players. Thanks to the new Xbox 360's hard disk drive, it was finally possible to build a football management game on console without compromising the depth of the simulation. (This was also the first year for Football Manager Handheld, which you can read about separately.)
New audiences were also on our minds when we introduced the comprehensive in-game tutorial, with over 30,000 words of tips and suggestions. Wherever you were in the game, you could hit F1 to receive guidance, and while this feature was designed primarily for new players, veteran managers told us they also benefited from the occasional refresher!
FM06 was notable for the introduction of half-time team talks. It didn't always help but it was a useful tool to have in your locker room.
Match prep was also assisted by a revamped training system, with individual schedules and additional roles for back-room staff, while fussy managers could now look up referee profiles and perhaps adjust tactics when yellow cards were likely to be in the offing.
Significant Innovations
- Console Players Welcome! In addition to full-bodied PC and Mac versions, Football Manager 2006 was released on the new Xbox 360 console, using its vital HDD.
- Comprehensive Tutorial - Not sure how to do something? FM now offered in-game support on every page for the first time.
- Negotiate With The Board - Managers could push the directors to invest in the team and facilities, but everything came at the cost of increased expectations.
- Team Talks - You could finally get into the players at half-time - and then talk them down again after the final whistle.
- Revamped Training and Injury Modules - Set unique schedules, task coaches with specific roles, and receive reports from the physio; all part of keeping the squad trim.
WHAT THEY SAID
9/10
"But what you really want to know at the end of this dissection is whether it's worth shelling out for all over again? Yes, if you want the best version of the best football management game ever made."
PC Format
90%
[December 2005, Page 89]
"It's imposingly deep and demanding."
8/10
"Many of the best next-gen games released so far for the 360 have impressed with their stunning visuals, but there's nothing flashy about Football Manager 2006; It doesn't need to be when it's head and shoulders above all other football management games released on consoles to date."
Released: EU - 27/05/05, NA - 27/09/05
Platforms:
Second in Computer Games Magazine’s list of 2005’s best computer games, NHL Eastside Hockey Manager 2005 was appreciated by fans and critics alike.
One of the biggest leaps from SI’s first foray into ice hockey the previous year was the user interface upgrades. The studio acted on community feedback and worked to align the game’s layout more closely to Football Manager.
The addition of the AHL and ECHL helped grow the database to more than 30,000 players and staff – twice the number available in 2004 – and provided fans with a choice of more than 3,000 teams to coach.
Players were brought closer to the action with the introduction of a tactical 2D match view. The addition of training camps, meanwhile, provided more tools for squad and player development.
For its release in North America, the game had updated rosters and rules for the 2005/06 season, including the NHL’s new salary cap.
Released: 05/11/2004
Platforms:
After many years' success with Championship Manager, Sports Interactive started a new chapter in its history by partnering with SEGA to release the very first Football Manager title.
Fittingly, Football Manager 2005 is best remembered for the enormous depth of its coveted database, the heart of the series. 2,500 researchers around the world pitched in to ensure players could play as over 5,300 teams in 158 divisions from 51 league countries.
Whatever fantasy you wanted to pursue, whether it was taking your home country to the World Cup or saving your hometown from relegation, the chances are you could do it, wherever in the world you happened to call home.
The advent of Football Manager also gave us the chance to rethink how we presented the game. While the interface wasn't overhauled as radically as it would be a few years later, additions like browser-style 'forward' and 'back' buttons were appreciated in a time when web tech was only just starting to cross over into mainstream interface design.
FM05 was also the first time players could engage in media mind games, picking from stock phrases to send rival managers into uproar. As for the gaming media, they recognised Football Manager was picking up where they had left off.
Significant Innovations
- Unprecedented Database Depth - Sports Interactive's not-so-secret weapon was the huge research that went into its football database, bigger than ever in FM05 with over 5,000 playable teams.
- New Series, New Look - The first Football Manager game introduced browser-style navigation buttons and grouped information more intuitively than ever.
- Media Mind Games - For the first time in the series, players could stoke rivalries by distracting other managers with pithy takedowns in the press.
- Control Creative Freedom - Managers could dictate their team's creative freedom, width and tempo, using slider bars to maximise accuracy.
- Optimised Data Engine - Football Manager now processed a lot of the action behind the scenes while you played, rather than waiting to be told to do so, reducing the amount of time spent watching progress bars with crossed fingers.
WHAT THEY SAID
4/5
"The incredible detail in the database throws up unexpected but fascinating situations during a season, making Football Manager 2005 almost painfully addictive. As a Tottenham Hotspur fan, I have already proved that I can do a better job of managing the club than the now-departed Jacques Santini, and have the added joy of bossing around and giving a humiliating nickname to new boss Martin Jol."
9/10
"Football Manager 2005 is the only football management game worth bothering with if you've got any real interest in the game."
9/10
"If you are serious about football and fancy yourself as the next Jose Mourinho (probably without the huge money pit), you could easily spend half your life playing Football Manager 2005."
Released: September and October 2004
Platforms:
Having previously existed as an independent, free game, the release of NHL Eastside Hockey Manager took the series to new heights under the SI banner.
Combining the knowledge of creator Risto Remes with the power of the SI game engine, NHL EHM carried with it a database of more than 15,000 players and staff.
Whether they opted for single player or hotseat multiplayer, fans could choose from more than 15 global hockey leagues to coach in.
After initially launching in Europe, the game was released online and via retail in North America.
10 years of games before FM
Our back catalogue goes even deeper. We've been making great games since '94, with our releases through the late 90s and early 00s attracting critical praise and fan acclaim as some of the fastest-selling PC games of all time.
