Pro Evolution Soccer 2008
Encyclopedia
Pro Evolution Soccer 2008 (officially abbreviated as PES 2008; Winning Eleven 2008 in Korea
and Japan
) is an association football video game in the Pro Evolution Soccer
series by Konami
. The game was officially announced on 18 June 2007. Its title is different than the other Pro Evolution Soccer games in that it's of a year and not a version; this was due to EA Sports
' FIFA series naming their titles with two digit numbers (i.e. 07, 08) and in conclusion would seem that PES was a year behind FIFA (to non-fans which had no knowledge of the previous games of the franchise).
It was released for Windows
, Wii
, Nintendo DS
, PlayStation 3
, PlayStation 2
, PlayStation Portable
, and Xbox 360
.
A PS3 demo is available for download from the PlayStation Store, an Xbox 360 demo has been released on the Xbox Live Marketplace
, and a PC demo has been released.
Wii
version of PES 2008 (named Winning Eleven Play Maker 2008 in Japan
) differs radically from the other versions. The basic gameplay is centered around pointing the Wii Remote
at the screen and directing players by dragging them with the on-screen cursor, and passing is done by simply pointing to the desired space or player and pressing a button. This allows for a more tactical approach to the game, as there is almost complete freedom in moving any player on the screen anywhere, and much more tactics and maneuvers can be used in the attacking game than ever before.
This version omits the Master League mode for the Champions Road, which lets the player tour a slew of different leagues around Europe, and when a games is won, it is possible to acquire players from the defeated teams. Also, it features an online mode that Konami called "the best online experience" when compared to the other versions.
The Wii version of PES 2008 received generally more positive reviews than the other versions.
Ligue 1
Serie A
Eredivisie
, and is usually made into the Bundesliga or another league of one's preference by patch
makers. However, most people use this to put their edited players into playable teams from the start instead of having to play through Master League to purchase them or alternatively edit the existing non-generic teams. This feature does not appear in the Wii version of the game.
is included on all PES 2008 covers, along with Michael Owen
in the UK and Lucas Neill
in Australia Didier Drogba
in France.
It was awarded Best Sports Game for the Wii by IGN in its 2008 video game awards. It was also nominated for Wii Game of the Year by IGN. In the fan community, however, game is labeled as one of the worst entries in the series.
Korea
Korea ) is an East Asian geographic region that is currently divided into two separate sovereign states — North Korea and South Korea. Located on the Korean Peninsula, Korea is bordered by the People's Republic of China to the northwest, Russia to the northeast, and is separated from Japan to the...
and Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
) is an association football video game in the Pro Evolution Soccer
Pro Evolution Soccer (series)
Pro Evolution Soccer is a series of football video game developed and published by Konami...
series by Konami
Konami
is a Japanese leading developer and publisher of numerous popular and strong-selling toys, trading cards, anime, tokusatsu, slot machines, arcade cabinets and video games...
. The game was officially announced on 18 June 2007. Its title is different than the other Pro Evolution Soccer games in that it's of a year and not a version; this was due to EA Sports
EA Sports
EA Sports is a brand of Electronic Arts that creates and develops sports video games. Formerly a marketing gimmick of Electronic Arts, in which they tried to mimic real-life sports networks by calling themselves "EA Sports Network" with pictures or endorsements of real commentators such as John...
' FIFA series naming their titles with two digit numbers (i.e. 07, 08) and in conclusion would seem that PES was a year behind FIFA (to non-fans which had no knowledge of the previous games of the franchise).
It was released for Windows
Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows is a series of operating systems produced by Microsoft.Microsoft introduced an operating environment named Windows on November 20, 1985 as an add-on to MS-DOS in response to the growing interest in graphical user interfaces . Microsoft Windows came to dominate the world's personal...
, Wii
Wii
The Wii is a home video game console released by Nintendo on November 19, 2006. As a seventh-generation console, the Wii primarily competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Sony's PlayStation 3. Nintendo states that its console targets a broader demographic than that of the two others...
, Nintendo DS
Nintendo DS
The is a portable game console produced by Nintendo, first released on November 21, 2004. A distinctive feature of the system is the presence of two separate LCD screens, the lower of which is a touchscreen, encompassed within a clamshell design, similar to the Game Boy Advance SP...
, PlayStation 3
PlayStation 3
The is the third home video game console produced by Sony Computer Entertainment and the successor to the PlayStation 2 as part of the PlayStation series. The PlayStation 3 competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
, PlayStation 2
PlayStation 2
The PlayStation 2 is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Sony as part of the PlayStation series. Its development was announced in March 1999 and it was first released on March 4, 2000, in Japan...
, PlayStation Portable
PlayStation Portable
The is a handheld game console manufactured and marketed by Sony Corporation Development of the console was announced during E3 2003, and it was unveiled on , 2004, at a Sony press conference before E3 2004...
, and Xbox 360
Xbox 360
The Xbox 360 is the second video game console produced by Microsoft and the successor to the Xbox. The Xbox 360 competes with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
.
A PS3 demo is available for download from the PlayStation Store, an Xbox 360 demo has been released on the Xbox Live Marketplace
Xbox Live Marketplace
The Xbox Live Marketplace is a virtual market designed for Microsoft's Xbox 360 console that allows Xbox Live members to download purchased or promotional content...
, and a PC demo has been released.
Wii version
The NintendoNintendo
is a multinational corporation located in Kyoto, Japan. Founded on September 23, 1889 by Fusajiro Yamauchi, it produced handmade hanafuda cards. By 1963, the company had tried several small niche businesses, such as a cab company and a love hotel....
Wii
Wii
The Wii is a home video game console released by Nintendo on November 19, 2006. As a seventh-generation console, the Wii primarily competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Sony's PlayStation 3. Nintendo states that its console targets a broader demographic than that of the two others...
version of PES 2008 (named Winning Eleven Play Maker 2008 in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
) differs radically from the other versions. The basic gameplay is centered around pointing the Wii Remote
Wii Remote
The , also known as the Wiimote, is the primary controller for Nintendo's Wii console. A main feature of the Wii Remote is its motion sensing capability, which allows the user to interact with and manipulate items on screen via gesture recognition and pointing through the use of accelerometer and...
at the screen and directing players by dragging them with the on-screen cursor, and passing is done by simply pointing to the desired space or player and pressing a button. This allows for a more tactical approach to the game, as there is almost complete freedom in moving any player on the screen anywhere, and much more tactics and maneuvers can be used in the attacking game than ever before.
This version omits the Master League mode for the Champions Road, which lets the player tour a slew of different leagues around Europe, and when a games is won, it is possible to acquire players from the defeated teams. Also, it features an online mode that Konami called "the best online experience" when compared to the other versions.
The Wii version of PES 2008 received generally more positive reviews than the other versions.
Unlicensed leagues
The leagues below are partially unlicensed, and some teams from these leagues are unlicensed: Premier LeagueLicensed leagues
The leagues below are fully licensed, and all teams from these leagues are licensed: Liga BBVALa Liga
The Primera División of the Liga Nacional de Fútbol Profesional , commonly known as La Liga or, for sponsorship reasons, Liga BBVA since 2008, is the top professional association football division of the Spanish football league system...
Ligue 1
Ligue 1
Ligue 1 , is the French professional league for association football clubs. It is the country's primary football competition and serves as the top division of the French football league system. Ligue 1 is one of two divisions making up the Ligue de Football Professionnel, the other being Ligue 2....
Serie A
Serie A
Serie A , now called Serie A TIM due to sponsorship by Telecom Italia, is a professional league competition for football clubs located at the top of the Italian football league system and has been operating for over eighty years since 1929. It had been organized by Lega Calcio until 2010, but a new...
Eredivisie
Eredivisie
The Eredivisie is the highest football league in the Netherlands. The league was founded in 1956 two years after the start of professional football in the Netherlands. It is currently ranked the ninth best league in Europe by UEFA....
Generic Teams
There is also a separate league with 18 generic teams (Team A, Team B etc.), which can be edited fully, like in the previous game. This is thought to be due to the fact that Konami failed to get the rights to the German BundesligaFußball-Bundesliga
The Fußball-Bundesliga is a professional association football league in Germany. At the top of Germany's football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. It is contested by 18 teams and operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the 2. Bundesliga...
, and is usually made into the Bundesliga or another league of one's preference by patch
Patch (computing)
A patch is a piece of software designed to fix problems with, or update a computer program or its supporting data. This includes fixing security vulnerabilities and other bugs, and improving the usability or performance...
makers. However, most people use this to put their edited players into playable teams from the start instead of having to play through Master League to purchase them or alternatively edit the existing non-generic teams. This feature does not appear in the Wii version of the game.
Covers
Cristiano RonaldoCristiano Ronaldo
Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro, OIH, , commonly known as Cristiano Ronaldo, is a Portuguese footballer who plays as a winger or striker for Spanish La Liga club Real Madrid and is the captain of the Portuguese national team...
is included on all PES 2008 covers, along with Michael Owen
Michael Owen
Michael James Owen is an English professional footballer who plays as a striker for Manchester United.The son of former footballer Terry Owen, Owen began his senior career at Liverpool in 1996. He progressed through the Liverpool youth team and scored on his debut in May 1997...
in the UK and Lucas Neill
Lucas Neill
Lucas Edward Neill is an Australian Soccer player who currently plays for UAE Pro-League club Al Jazira. He is a full back. Neill had spent almost 15 years of his career playing in England. He represented Australia at the 2006 FIFA World Cup, the 2007 AFC Asian Cup, the 2010 World Cup in South...
in Australia Didier Drogba
Didier Drogba
Didier Yves Drogba Tébily is an Ivorian footballer who plays in the centre forward position. He currently plays for Chelsea in the Premier League, where he is deputy vice-captain, and is the captain and all-time top scorer of the Côte d'Ivoire national football team...
in France.
Reception
| Publication | Rating | Link |
|---|---|---|
| IGN IGN IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment... |
9.2 | Link |
| Play | 70% | |
| OXM Official Xbox Magazine Official Xbox Magazine is a monthly video game magazine which started in November 2001 around the launch of the original Xbox. A preview issue was released for E3 2001, with another preview issue for November 2001. The magazine is bundled with a disc that includes game demos, preview videos and... |
8.8 | |
| Gamespot GameSpot GameSpot is a video gaming website that provides news, reviews, previews, downloads, and other information. The site was launched in May 1, 1996 by Pete Deemer, Vince Broady and Jon Epstein. It was purchased by ZDNet, a brand which was later purchased by CNET Networks. CBS Interactive, which... |
6.0 | Link |
It was awarded Best Sports Game for the Wii by IGN in its 2008 video game awards. It was also nominated for Wii Game of the Year by IGN. In the fan community, however, game is labeled as one of the worst entries in the series.