Developer Beautiful Game Studios and publisher Eidos are saying that they aim to release a new version of Championship Manager sometime in April 2009. The title is reported to be a big improvement over the current version of the game.

The graphics engine and the game engine for the new title will be created from scratch, in an effort to make sure that Championship Manager offers a new experience, closer to the “total control” over club affair that fans of the series seem to want.

Roy Meredith, the general manager of Championship Manager, stated that “We have a whole host of new features which we’re incredibly proud of. This is a new beginning for the Championship Manager franchise and we are 100% focused on getting it right, that’s why we have had a longer development time than any previous version of the game”. Basically, the people behind the game are recognizing that Football Manager, their direct rival, has managed to deliver a better game for the recent two years and they are trying to get back some ground by re-creating the experience that Championship Manager offers in an effort to get more players.

The match engine will not be full 3D, with more that 500 motion captured animations per player and specific animations for certain players. Also, the management options have been revamped in order to allow players to control all aspects of their club, with every decision leading to potential pay offs but with many risks attached.

Eidos and Sports Interactive were initially partners on Championship Manager, which was considered to be the definitive football management title. The two entities split over “creative differences”. Sports Interactive is now partnering up with SEGA to publish Football Manager, which has many of the original gameplay mechanics of Championship Manager that Eidos is now developing internally.