Will SI ever make a Football Chairman style game?

Firstly I am not sure where to post this, I know in the past users have suggested introducing an aspect to FM where we could be a Chairman of a club rather than a manager, which is why I am posting this here.

Some time ago I was searching Google for a Football Chairman type game, before comming across this one; http://community.sigames.com/showthread.php/213872-Football-Chairman-v1.1, which then led to this one; http://community.sigames.com/showthread.php/216347-Ollie-s-Chairman-game-version2-the-story. I came across the following website: -

http://www.newstargames.com/newstarforum/showthread.php?t=5545

Basically someone had developed a Football Chairman type game, but had lost the source code, he provided a link to the game; http://www.stattosoftware.com/chairman/alphaChairman2.zip, so that people could take a look and probably develop it further. I know there have been many posts on the forums about whether SI would introduce an option to be a chairman in the Football Manager series, or develop a seperate game altogether, I would be very interested to hear what other people think of this also take a look at the game, with the right knowledge and a few minor tweaks it could be marketable, I would also be greatful if someone from SI could share their thoughts on the game.

I still don't understand the fascination with this Chairman thing. Chairmen do very little in football. It's not exciting. We use Football Manager because it's all about scoring goals, winning games, finding great players.

I can't see them ever making a seperate game for it because in a lot of ways it would be similiar to what we already have. I also can't see them putting in chairman features because the game is a simulation of being a manager, the chairman stuff doesn't really fit in with that.

I can understand people wanting to do the chairmans's job as it's been in most management games but obviously, you do both. As above, would it be that interesting to just be a chairman?

I can't see them ever making a seperate game for it because in a lot of ways it would be similiar to what we already have. I also can't see them putting in chairman features because the game is a simulation of being a manager, the chairman stuff doesn't really fit in with that.

I can understand people wanting to do the chairmans's job as it's been in most management games but obviously, you do both. As above, would it be that interesting to just be a chairman?

I think it would be interesting to just be a chairman. If it was developed well and that. You still have the manager features in if you decide to install yourself as manager.

I have seen a post asking this exact thing, and the official response was no, not in the foreseeable future as there are so many more important aspects of football manager to concentrate on

How much does a chairman do? He allocates budgets, hires and fires managers, and decides whether to improve facilities. Oh, and a lot of paperwork. I think with so little to do, the game would get very boring very quickly. Besides, where would our money come from? Why wouldn't we invest all our money in the club? We don't support a family or anything.

Whilst I can see why people would want to explore that option, you might as well call it "Business CEOr" - and include the potential to be a CEO at difference types of company, Blue Chip, Retail chain, Football Club. The job of the chairman is purely and simply a business role. It has non of the fascination of the "game" we love. It might look like they get involved, but the truth be told, if they do get involved, it's again only ever for the good of the bottom line.

It would just outdate football manager if it combines both duties.

I wonder if any kids dream of one day being a Chairman :/

I hope not

How much does a chairman do? He allocates budgets, hires and fires managers, and decides whether to improve facilities. Oh, and a lot of paperwork. I think with so little to do, the game would get very boring very quickly. Besides, where would our money come from? Why wouldn't we invest all our money in the club? We don't support a family or anything.

He would also need to find investors, find sponsors, board members I am sure they do more than what people think!

Come one anyone else have thoughts on this, lets be hearing from you....!

He would also need to find investors, find sponsors, board members I am sure they do more than what people think!

Come one anyone else have thoughts on this, lets be hearing from you....!

All of which are mind-numbingly boring.

I would not enjoy coming home from work to pop on "Football Chairman" and click through page-upon-page of financials and paperwork. DULL.

There is no pumping your fist in the air at gaining a new sponsor.

There is no despair and anger when one of your board members leaves the club.

All of which are mind-numbingly boring.

I would not enjoy coming home from work to pop on "Football Chairman" and click through page-upon-page of financials and paperwork. DULL.

There is no pumping your fist in the air at gaining a new sponsor.

There is no despair and anger when one of your board members leaves the club.

If they do implement, it'll be just a minor feature, if you dont like it just don't use it?

If they do implement, it'll be just a minor feature, if you dont like it just don't use it?

It's a gimmick. No need for any implementation.

If they do implement, it'll be just a minor feature, if you dont like it just don't use it?

If they ever DID implement it it could NEVER be just a minor feature. The Chairman underpins all that goes on

I wonder if any kids dream of one day being a Chairman :/

I have, but more for the prestige of owning the club and really seeing it improve. A game wouldn't do the same thing.

He would also need to find investors, find sponsors, board members I am sure they do more than what people think!

Come one anyone else have thoughts on this, lets be hearing from you....!

Find sponsors- just select the one who is offering the most. The same with "investors". Finding board members would be not only mind numbingly dull, but also pretty pointless. The board members in game are cosmetic unless the chairman leaves.

They may do more than we think, but all those things are mind numbingly dull.

. As above, would it be that interesting to just be a chairman?

To be fair, I know a ton of people who find management games incredibly boring, because they aren't 'hands on' enough in comparison to FIFA. I think there is a market for the chairman genre, but it would be fairly unprofitable.

Provide an outline of a complex game.

So far the only game I can imagine is a screen with some buttons saying "Find investor" "Find Manager" "Find Sponsors", etc, all of which the subscreens would be lists of companies, personel, and figures, with "research" buttons, "approach" buttons, and contract negotiations.

Could you tell me how any of this would be exciting?

The whole game would essentially run like a holiday game, however a Holiday Game in which you have selected the manager, and you sit back and watch his fortunes. If you are going to have a game, it has to have a price, and this price has to be justified, and when the game is marketed, the adverts have to show off the features of the game to justify its means...

...where is the marketable excitement in this? I'm sorry but you do have to think a tiny little bit more mainstream rather than the niche of the idea, because without a solid potential market.. this idea is going nowhere fast.

To be fair, I know a ton of people who find management games incredibly boring, because they aren't 'hands on' enough in comparison to FIFA. I think there is a market for the chairman genre, but it would be fairly unprofitable.

FIFA has management aswell as the chairman stuff though.

Provide an outline of a complex game.

So far the only game I can imagine is a screen with some buttons saying "Find investor" "Find Manager" "Find Sponsors", etc, all of which the subscreens would be lists of companies, personel, and figures, with "research" buttons, "approach" buttons, and contract negotiations.

Could you tell me how any of this would be exciting?

By putting Ally McCoist on the cover!

It's the closest there has been to a chairman game. Naturally, there never was a second edition.

By putting Ally McCoist on the cover!

It's the closest there has been to a chairman game. Naturally, there never was a second edition.

haha.. just searched for this online, one of the adverts for it comes out with this gem:

"Find a sponsor,expand your stadium and reduce your car parking"... Ohhhh reduce my car parking! Holy Crap! I must buy this game!!!!!!!!!!

FIFA has management aswell as the chairman stuff though.

It's also geared towards the "gamer" more than FM and it's CM predecessors are and hopefully always have been. FM has mostly been geared towards the "enthusiast" based on it's complex simulation methods.

Find Investors

Find Manager/ Sack Manager, agree compensation

Find Sponsors

Contract negotiations

Agree Transfer Budget for Manager

Agree Wage budget for Manager

Agree budgets for the verious areas of the club

Decisions on other areas like Ticket Pricing, advertising, merchandise

Lots of Paperwork

This is all very much looking like a buisness sim. All these decisions would be influenced by reports made by various heads of departments, and quite possibly you would be doing alot of presentations, report writing, contract negotiations, develop buisness plans. Not stuff that to me would make a good game, and judging by most of ther replies these threads get, it doesnt interest many on here.

I suspect those who want some of the powers of a Chairman in FM are probably meaning they want to be able to play around with more parts of the club such as more involvement in building of training/youth facilities, expansion/new stadium, adjusting the budgets, tinkering with ticket prices, etc, rather than just asking the Chairman and getting either a yes or no answer. I agree that these are not areas that a Football Manager really has much say in.

bugger, I didnt think about reducing the parking and providing better public transport access to reduce the carbon footprint of the club

does that Director of Football game actually exist?

All of which are mind-numbingly boring.

I would not enjoy coming home from work to pop on "Football Chairman" and click through page-upon-page of financials and paperwork. DULL.

There is no pumping your fist in the air at gaining a new sponsor.

There is no despair and anger when one of your board members leaves the club.

spot on mate you gave me a good laugh nice post:D:D:D

Correct me if I am wrong, but some managers do only the coaching role, and are not involved in transfers, which in that case remain to the owners... or the Chairman (sometimes with some advice, agreement or more or less cooperation from the coach). See for instance Mancini who wanted (I assume) Balotelli, but not sure he did ask for 6 star strikers overall.

Thus I could be wrong, but wishing a Chairman option IMO actually means willing the advantage of only taking care of transfers, and some other (indeed fairly negliigible) things such as those you said. And in other words, not caring with coaching each match. Purists will say FM would lose part of its fundamentals, or that the game would be boring. But sometimes, I wish this option too. When I have achieved some level in the game, the only part of the game where I can do some difference and still improve my team remains in the transfers only (and renewing staff when retiring). Coaching the games are getting repetitive, always doing the same thing depending on the event (home/away, injuries, moral, form and so on.. will affect how you will coach, but at the end of the day it is still mechanical, thus this part of the game could become -fully or not, and actually under this option or not- automatized).

Now, for those who managed to follow me, holidaying could (not sure as I have never holidayed in my life yet^, but I guess...) result in this exact same goal. So somehow, the option already exists.

Correct me if I am wrong, but some managers do only the coaching role, and are not involved in transfers, which in that case remain to the owners... or the Chairman (sometimes with some advice, agreement or more or less cooperation from the coach). See for instance Mancini who wanted (I assume) Balotelli, but not sure he did ask for 6 star strikers overall.

I know what you're getting at, but the previous players were Hughes' signings. A better example would be someone like Pellegrini last season.

The only danger with holidaying is sacking, but other than that, it does what you want.

I reckon someone like EA or possibly a small upcoming games developer might make one eventually for the DS or PSP or iPhone or something just to cash in on a niche market. I couldn't really imagine it being complex enough to need a PC.

I gotta admit, the cover looks quite exciting - I almost want to buy it just cause of that.

If I were ever to release a game of that nature today, I would put a smiling Ewan McGregor on the cover only due to the fact that no other person on the World could produce such an enthusiastic smile.

Actually come to think of it - if I win a title in FM, I am just going to open up a screen shot of both Ally and Ewan with a "Well Done Ezequiel" tag to it, that way I can be proud of my accomplishments.

Boring is the best way to sum up being a chairman game. I can see the forums now (If only we could buy and sell players or If only we could choose the team tactics), if people think press conferences are boring in FM just image the long drawn out meetings in a chairman game.

Let SI do what they do best and thats a great Football Management game and leave this ridiculous chairman game idea alone.

SI should make a Tycoon type of game, and link it to the FM, so you can be your own chairman or sugar daddy, but play separate games.

The more you successful in tycoon game, the more money you can give to your team, also a successful team will provide a good composure for the company etc.

...ok I'll shut up now...