Football Managerâ„¢2008 Handheld Has Gone Gold

Are we to take it that there are no new leagues in the game? Not even any new divisions?

Didn't it go gold some time ago. It's the marketing men (and women) who've been holding things up!

Pocket Gamer has some new screenies.

Shame that there are no new leagues. There are a few lower tier European leagues that have been virtual mainstays of the CM series since CM3 that I enjoy for their added challenge - the Scandinavian leagues are great fun to manage in. I was also hoping that the remaining UK and Irish leagues would find their way into the game with this iteration.

Not just so I can manage my local side, but also because I love the two-tiered approach these leagues bring, as you can dominate the local league whilst trying to establish yourself in Europe - be good in England, and you're good in Europe virtually by default. As it is, we're largely left with Scotland or Belgium, which has always been an odd inclusion anyhow.

Has the radar chart been added from the PC version? If not, make that top of the list for FMH 2009, please (well, second after new leagues).

It perfectly suits the handheld game, I reckon.

I take it that it will be much harder to for low/ medium rep clubs to sign young superstars this time?

Can you tell us some of the new names on the database and whether some old favs have stayed and/or returned?

Has the bug to add your name in been fixed?

Will there be more job offers and transfer bid from other teams?

OK thanks for that Miles. I'll retract my slight against Sega!

can you please guarentee to me that it is defiantely coming out on the 30th november as it is my sons birthday on the 1st december i dont want to promise it to him if i cant guarentee it thanks for your time<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Miles Jacobson:

London (November 7th 2007) – Sports Interactive and SEGA Europe Ltd today announced that Football Manager™ 2008 Handheld, the latest incarnation of the most in depth, and best selling, handheld football management game in the world, has gone gold and will be released on the 30th of November.

Football Manager™ 2008 Handheld will contain a host of new features including a brand new skin, eagerly awaited customisable tactics, enhanced player interaction and the addition of reserve squads, which doubles the number of players at the manager’s disposal to retain it’s crown as the most accessible football management game on the market.

Fans of the series are able to take their favourite game out with them on the move, to the pub, and even to football matches. Players can use their well-thought tactics to take on other player’s teams using the PSP’s wireless function for a real test of who is the best manager, using any team available in the game, or their own team from their own saved game.

Football Managerâ„¢2008 Handheld will be released across Europe for Sony PSP on the 30th of November in English, Spanish, French and Italian.

For more information about Football Managerâ„¢ 2008 Handheld and all other Football Managerâ„¢ titles please visit www.sigames.com or www.footballmanager.net. For assets please visit www.sega-press.com. For more information on all SEGA titles please visit www.sega-europe.com. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

can anyone answer my questions?

hi just wanted to know if you can confirm that fm2008 handheld will 100 per cent be out on november 30th my sons birthday on 1st dec dont want to tell him he is getting game if date could change thanks.<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Miles Jacobson:

London (November 7th 2007) – Sports Interactive and SEGA Europe Ltd today announced that Football Manager™ 2008 Handheld, the latest incarnation of the most in depth, and best selling, handheld football management game in the world, has gone gold and will be released on the 30th of November.

Football Manager™ 2008 Handheld will contain a host of new features including a brand new skin, eagerly awaited customisable tactics, enhanced player interaction and the addition of reserve squads, which doubles the number of players at the manager’s disposal to retain it’s crown as the most accessible football management game on the market.

Fans of the series are able to take their favourite game out with them on the move, to the pub, and even to football matches. Players can use their well-thought tactics to take on other player’s teams using the PSP’s wireless function for a real test of who is the best manager, using any team available in the game, or their own team from their own saved game.

Football Managerâ„¢2008 Handheld will be released across Europe for Sony PSP on the 30th of November in English, Spanish, French and Italian.

For more information about Football Managerâ„¢ 2008 Handheld and all other Football Managerâ„¢ titles please visit www.sigames.com or www.footballmanager.net. For assets please visit www.sega-press.com. For more information on all SEGA titles please visit www.sega-europe.com. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Thanks Marc,

If i think of any other questions ill let you know

thanks a lot marc for the speedy response i told my son he cant wait looking forward to the game thanks again.<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Marc Vaughan:

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">hi just wanted to know if you can confirm that fm2008 handheld will 100 per cent be out on november 30th my sons birthday on 1st dec dont want to tell him he is getting game if date could change thanks. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

I'm 99% certain it'll be out on that date - I've never known a game to go into production and then have a late release put it that way. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

brilliant, cant wait. just come out of un-employment and this should co-incide with my 1st payday!

Now that it's gone gold, is there any chance we can actually find a list of new features?

More importantly, how is it different to FMH 2007 to justify a new purchase?

Admittedly I felt a bit burnt after getting both FMH and FMH2007. I didn't think it was worth the price of a new game for basically an expansion pack.

It sounds like two of the most important improvements have been made. Customisable tactics are a huge step forwards, and making it harder for small clubs to sign young superstars is a great step towards realism.

I hope/assume the new game works fine on old PSPs and isn't reliant on the faster processor (or whatever it is, I'm no techie) of the new PSP Lite.

The best thing about FMH is that on cold winter nights, you can curl up into a comfortable chair with the fire light and play it all night long. Sure, you can play FM on a laptop but it's just not the same Thats when I play FMH the most anyway...

Sorry, a combination of the poor weather conditions and boredom (which will be sorted out when I get FMH08) caused me to post that...

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by leeds for ever:

The best thing about FMH is that on cold winter nights, you can curl up into a comfortable chair with the fire light and play it all night long. Sure, you can play FM on a laptop but it's just not the same Thats when I play FMH the most anyway... </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Yep, in comfort on the sofa in front of the Telly. No sitting at a desk or balancing a burning hot laptop on your lap.

If I'm not playing FMH in bed, it's usually in front of the telly during Match of the Day or something, occasionally glancing up as a goal goes in and certainly back to the game when Lineker and co start talking rubbish.

On the weekend of release though I just lie on the sofa with Soccer Saturday on. It's the most blissful six hours of any given year.

I can never sleep until about 3 hours after going to bed. I normally play FMH for a few hours but I haven't been playing it recently so the new version will be a awesome

I was actually proud I was the first to unlock all of the unlockables. I wanna get that achivement again this year too! Any news on new unlockables in FMH08?

Does anyone know if its possible to jump countries during your career? By this i mean take a job in the UK to begin with and accept a job in spain for example?

Unfortunately, it is impossible to do this and many people have requested this. However, it is extremely unlikely it will happen in the next version but keep praying, you never know

Is the lowest league in England still the conference, or is there the north and south leagues included in this version ?

The screenshots on the GAME site show Blue Square Premier (conference) as the lowest English league.

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">The screenshots on the GAME site show Blue Square Premier (conference) as the lowest English league. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

I can confirm the above...

More transfer offers from other teams sounds good, I hope it really is changed. It's so annoying transfer-listing a useless/complaining player and getting zero offers for him.

And will the reserve squads actually have any players in it who are worth playing, and not just in irrelevant matches?

And Marc, just a reminder you said you might suggest to the team having the option of slower text commentary but less highlights in a match (so readable commentary with quick matches) for FMH 09, please can you make sure that isn't forgotten about because that would make my day, and lots of other peoples!

Does this mean that when the speed is on medium, you still have to read the highlights of every minute of the match (like in 07 )compared to the 06 version where it would skip a few minutes and give you text highlights of key events only ???

I think in 07 in the text speed is on fast then it has less highlights, but on slow there are more highlights. And the hope for 09 is that we will be able to have slow text speed so we can read everything during each highlight, but have less highlights overall so that match is still reasonably quick to complete.

Marc,

Can your arrange your own friendlies this time?

Also, do you still have to earn the right to manage a national side or is that option available straight away? And how many national sides can you choose from? I see 5 on one screenshot, with no home nations, but surely there has to be more than that

Out of interest, when you manage a national side, how do you choose players to call up to the England (for example) squad? Surely the PSP version wouldn't be capable of having the massive national pool that the PC and 360 versions have, so how does it work?

Another suggestion for FMH 2009:

Instead of having a screen listing all the players and their player instructions, how about showing one player name at the top, with all his stats in columns, with his matching (or nearest match) player instructions in columns next to them.

and maybe having just a crowd cheer when a goal is scored.

At least wait until 08 is out before suggesting ideas for 09!

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Posted 26 November 2007 20:32 Marc,

Can your arrange your own friendlies this time? </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Nope... (said Marc without moving his lips)

I suppose that's fair that you have to unlock it...now I just have to try and find out which nations come under which initial nation.

Would it be possible to have a sticky topic for possible features for future versions for the different platforms and versions of Football Manager & Football Manager Handheld? Personally I've got lots of ideas, many of which I'm sure would be very feasible and popular with FM and FMH fans.

Cool, I'll send you an email then. And if the sticky topic does happen, maybe people could vote for the best ones so you could easily see what the most popular ideas were.