‘Its time for PES to transform’

It’s not the first time we’ve been promised a complete overhaul for Konami’s Pro Evolution Soccer series, but Konami is shouting loudly about a host of radical changes to its franchise that it hopes will help wrestle back the footballing crown from rival EA.

FIFA 2010 outperformed PES 2010 both critically and commercially, with EA claiming last year that its game had outsold Konami’s by a ratio of four-to-one.

It was time for PES to transform, and PES 2011 represents the most ambitious redesign in the series’ history,” European PES Team Leader Jon Murphy stated.

We’ve continued to work closely with the fans to pinpoint what it is about football that PES didn’t do. Total freedom was the priority and all-new animation a must. PES 2011 does both – indeed, they are directly linked to each other – and while the new game is recognisably PES at its heart, it is also the most radically improved version ever.”

This is just the tip of the iceberg for PES 2011. We have some significant announcements still to come regarding game modes and gameplay functions. We are confident that PES 2011 will both surprise and delight football fans. They are going to have to relearn how they play, as this is a very different game, but I am confident it will blow them all away.”

Murphy’s comments echo those made by lead developer Shingo Takatsuka earlier this year.