Football Manager 2013 has just been revealed by Sega and Sports Interactive, and with the reveal comes the first details of what’s in the new version. The big news: “classic mode” which SI say will offer “an alternative, less time consuming way to approach the game. The new mode simplifies the way players manage their club and allows them to focus on the nuts and bolts of taking their team to the top.”
But that’s not all…
Classic Mode has been built, says SI boss Miles Jacobson, for “a large group of people who would like to play Football Manager, but simply can’t devote the time required to get the most out of the game… We decide therefore to try to find a way to accommodate players with limited free time, without significantly diluting the experience.”
In Classic mode, a full season can be played out in eight to ten hours, and in two distinct modes: a challenge mode in which you take on a particular scenario (S.I.’s examples include “can you achieve success with a squad consisting entirely of kids, or can a team that’s bottom of the table on Christmas Day be saved from relegation by the end of the season”) or a full blown career.
For players looking for the full-fat FM13 experience, there are multiple improvements to FM’s nuts and bolts. An improved 3D match engine say SI, “gives matches a more realistic feel.” The in-game camera has been revamped, too, to make the game feel more “televisual”. And the 3D match AI has been boosted to make it play more realistically.
There’s new roles for your members of staff, including a Director of Football, who’ll find ways to dispose of unwanted players or work on contracts for you. Managers can now take different tones in their dealings with the press, and a new interface and skin. There are enhancements to training regimes, and, managers will now have to deal with paying tax.
But most exciting is the news that the network game in FM 2013 will make full use of Steam matchmaking, allowing players to set up cups, one of leagues, as well as run multiplayer careers. Most noticable: you can now take the team you manage offline, online. Access to Steam’s network functions also means SI will be introducing worldwide leaderboards – allowing you to compare how well you’re doing between clubs, cup and leagues, and every playable nation. Players are scored on their on-pitch and off-pitch success; taking into account the level your team competes and your financial performance.
Football Manager 2013’s release date has yet to be set: but it’ll be before Christmas 2013.
Here’s what the team at SI have to say for themselves.