14 DAY TRIAL // Electronic Arts has no plans to let its virtual football managers down (or refuse some extra income, or a bit of both) so they announced that their beloved simulation game FIFA Manager will return this autumn and it will be bigger, better and more real than ever.
We have the same "story": players get the chance to control and manage their favorite clubs, create and lead to glory a brand new one or become a national coach - it's up to you and how much time you have to invest in the game. And you'd better be prepared to spend some time with the new FM09 since, as always, you'll be able to take care of every aspect of your club, from the management to signing new players and extending your stadium.
Of course, we won't get exactly the same game in a new package - or so promise the developers. We'll get a bunch of new improvements when it comes to the match day itself - better graphics, sounds and an improved AI. Also, a brand new (and fully customizable) user interface in the 3D mode gives players access to substitutions, tactical changes and every manager's cherry on the top, statistics. Also, the text mode has been revamped and now FIFA Manager 09 will bring us a mix of traditional live commentary and an Internet live ticker.
Also, various new single player and team options will be brought to us by this autumn release and Electronic Arts promises endless possibilities for every type of coach (for example, we now have youth transfer markets and match prediction tools). And if you combine this with licensed league data from 33 countries, more than 1,500 clubs and 25,000 players, you can understand that Football Manager will have a tough new season. But let's just wait for the game to be released first!