STACK #121 Nov 2015

FEATURE

GAMES

Is PES back in the game? STACK talks with senior creative producer Naoya Hatsumi.

“W e are always our harshest critics, but we knew from the beginning of the project what our focus for 2015 would be,” declares Naoya Hatsumi, senior creative producer on Pro Evolution 2015 . “Having moved to a new engine last year, we wanted to build from the bottom up, hence the focus on the gameplay this year. The ‘Pitch Is Ours’ is a true statement from the heart. PES was famed for its responsiveness and playability, and for us to move forward, we knew we had to return to those core values.” For long-standing fans of the football sim, the need for PES to be strong is paramount. Genuine competition between Konami and EA Sports is good for us, the paying punters. With PES 2015 taking out the best sports title at Gamescom in August, it appears to be making all the right noises. The well-publicised opening of a new PES-dedicated studio in London in 2012 confirmed that Konami was taking all the necessary steps in the resurrection of its much-loved and once dominating franchise. And what better place to set that up than in football’s heartland. But how do they share development responsibilities? “Football is an international thing and we wanted to make sure we represented it perfectly for each territory,” says Hatsumi. “To this end we wanted to assemble a team that ‘got’ football and shared our vision. “The team features talent from all over the globe, each of whom is committed to making PES not only realistic in how it plays,

but also authentic in terms of how it is presented. “The majority of code is produced inTokyo, but members of both teams are constantly visiting the other. We ask the European team to contribute ideas and look into making key elements work differently. “They are an essential resource who have helped streamline the presentation of PES 2015 this year, and will be even more involved moving forward.”

Hatsumi has already cited the importance of the FOX Engine in giving the developers the tools to turn the drawing board concepts into reality. While it was used in PES 2014 , the game was developed only as a last-gen title; it’s only now opportunities – and challenges,” explains Hatsumi. “The graphical level has obviously gone up and the new game has also upped the ante in terms of animations. “We wanted to make sure that the players on field moved seamlessly into each new move, but not at the expense of total control.The new formats have allowed us to do this, and make key advances to the overall AI. “Kojima Productions has produced an incredible engine and it has made elements like lighting so much easier for us. It means that certain technical elements can be done in sync with one another, allowing us to focus on other parts instead,” explains Hatsumi. “Also, previously we would have to pull sections of code out to make amendments that its true potential is being realised. “Any new format invariably brings new

The team features talent from all over the globe.

which could have knock-on effects to other parts. FOX Engine allows the user to makes changes without compromising other parts.”

PES 2015 is out November 13

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