Football Manager 2014

Football Manager 2014
Developer(s)Sports Interactive
Publisher(s)Sega
Producer(s)Miles Jacobson
SeriesFootball Manager
Platform(s)Microsoft Windows, OS X, Linux, iOS, Android, PlayStation Vita
ReleaseMicrosoft Windows, OS X & Linux
  • WW: 30 October 2013
iOS, Android
  • WW: 14 November 2013[1]
PlayStation Vita
  • WW: 11 April 2014
Genre(s)Sport simulations
(Association football)
Business simulation

Football Manager 2014 (commonly abbreviated to FM14) is a football management simulation video game developed by Sports Interactive and published by Sega. It was released on Microsoft Windows, OS X, Linux on 30 October 2013. A handheld version titled Football Manager Handheld 2014 was released for iOS and Android on 14 November 2013. A PlayStation Vita version titled Football Manager Classic 2014 was released on 11 April 2014.

Gameplay

FM14 features similar gameplay to that of the Football Manager series. Gameplay consists of taking charge of a professional[a] association football team, as the team manager. Players can sign football players to contracts, manage finances for the club, and give team talks to players. FM14 is a simulation of real world management, with the player being judged on various factors by the club's AI owners and board.[2]

FM14 features a revamped transfer module where opposing clubs and managers adopt a more realistic approach when making or responding to transfer offers. In addition, a number of new ‘real world’ transfer clauses have been added, such as the ability to loan a player back to the club he's just been bought from and the option to offer a combination of cash and loan players, as well as new contract clauses such as a sub bench appearance fee. The old ‘turn-based’ system of transfer negotiations can now be done two ways, the tried and tested system and a new ‘live’ system, similar to that used in Football Manager's contract negotiations.[citation needed]

Interaction between players, managers, their rivals and the media has been improved. For example, members of the coaching staff now offer feedback on how reserve and youth team players are performing. Managers can also ask key players to have a word with unhappy squad members, while the introduction of an end-of-season meeting allows the manager to let the squad know how they have performed and set targets for the coming season. Contract negotiations are more realistic in the game, as managers and boards can now make demands and lay down their visions for the club in both initial job interviews and contract renewal discussions.

Managers can attempt to renegotiate transfer and wage budgets as a reward for staying loyal if they've been offered a job by another club, with the outcome helping to aid their decision on whether to move or not.

The news system has been overhauled so managers can now deal with many club matters directly from their inbox. In addition, news is now colour-coded, based on category, and contains more detail – for example, scout reports now appear as a single news item with a top-line report on all players scouted and the facility to short-list or make an offer for each of these players.

For the first time in the series, star players will have a testimonial having been at the club for a certain period of time or when they announce their retirement.

The match engine features extensive improvements, including enhanced AI, improved lighting and player animation, individual player character and kit models, more realistic player reaction to on-field incidents and a range of optimisations. Creation of tactics, selection and implementation with player roles and team strategies, definable roles for players for multiple positions, new player roles and instructions and improvements to rival managers’ AI have been overhauled so that they adapt their tactics more readily over time.[3]

Development

The game was announced on 14 August 2013 on Football Manager's official website.[4] A beta version of the game was available for download 2 weeks prior to the game is released, exclusive to those who pre-order[5] The PlayStation Vita version is titled Football Manager Classic 2014 and unlike other handheld versions of the previous instalments in the series it will include the 3D match engine. This version is designed for quicker game progress than the PC version.

One of the new features of Football Manager 2014 is Football Manager 2014 Steam Workshop. You can search many free content from Football Manager Steam Workshop and download it and share your to the Football Manager Steam Workshop. For example, you can share your tactics, your favourite skins, league and data updates, kits, challenges, views, filters, shortlists, match plans, versus mode teams, facepacks, logos and custom database options. Football Manager 2014 Steam Workshop is like a social site of the people who play Football Manager 2014. In Football Manager 2014 Steam Workshop you can discuss Football Manager 2014 with anyone, subscribe items you like to your friends, see your friend's favourite items and follow your favourite authors. [6] [7]

Reception

Football Manager 2014 has received mostly positive reviews. The PC version of the game has received 85/100 on Metacritic.[8] GameZone's Jake Valentine gave it an 8.5/10, stating "It’s not always fun to look at spreadsheets for hours upon hours in a video game, even if it is your kind of thing. Yet Football Manager 14 finds a way to make it fun."[10]

On 12 February 2014, it was announced that the game was nominated for a BAFTA in the Best Sports Game category.

Sales

As of 31 March 2014, the game has sold 790,000 copies in Europe and North America.[11] In 2017, Miles Jackobson of Sports Interactive stated that Football Manager 2017 had sold one million copies, and the series had "5(th) game(s) in a row", selling that amount. The statement suggested that FM2014 had sold over one million copies since release.[12]

References

  1. ^ FM14 also includes semi-professional, amateur and international teams
  1. ^ Emily Gera (14 November 2013). "Football Manager Handheld 2014 available on iOS and Android". Polygon. Archived from the original on 14 November 2013. Retrieved 15 November 2013.
  2. ^ Boxer, Steve (28 August 2018). "A league of their own: six of the best football video games". the Guardian. Archived from the original on 5 September 2018. Retrieved 22 October 2018.
  3. ^ Football Manager 2014 Archived 23 September 2013 at the Wayback Machine
  4. ^ Keith Stuart (14 August 2013). "Football Manager 2014 announced: includes cloud saves and improved 3D". the Guardian. Archived from the original on 5 April 2017.
  5. ^ "News - Sports Interactive". sigames.com. Archived from the original on 5 April 2017.
  6. ^ "Football Manager 2014 Steam Workshop". Archived from the original on 24 April 2014. Retrieved 29 March 2014.
  7. ^ "FM14 Files that can be published on Steam Workshop". Archived from the original on 28 March 2014. Retrieved 1 April 2014.
  8. ^ a b "Football Manager 2014 for PC Reviews". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on 11 November 2013. Retrieved 3 January 2014.
  9. ^ "Football Manager Classic 2014 for PlayStation Vita Reviews". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on 19 April 2014.
  10. ^ Valentine, Jake (10 November 2013). "Football Manager 14 Review: King of the pitch". Archived from the original on 2 February 2014. Retrieved 29 January 2014.
  11. ^ Yin-Poole, Wesley (9 May 2014). "How are Sega's video games selling?". Eurogamer. Gamer Network. Archived from the original on 12 May 2014. Retrieved 9 May 2014.
  12. ^ "Football manager series hit one million sales for the fifth time in a row". MCV. Develop-Online. 21 August 2017. Archived from the original on 7 November 2017. Retrieved 30 October 2017.

External links