Why new FM always release around November?

I mean, I understand about the transfer window issue so the games have to be behind September, but may be some database tweak wouldn't take that much time right? I was thinking September 5th should be the "annual" every-year-release for FM and February 5th should be the annual-every-year-update for FM.

Somehow it always fell on November?

You do realise as well as finalising the database (which I would imagine takes an awful lot more work then 5 days), you actually have to manufacture the product as well? That takes a lot longer then 5 days. If it was really possible to get the game pout that quickly, why do no other major football titles come out that early? The only reason Premier Manager does is no doubt down to the fact that it is so unbelievably bad that it's the only way it will sell any copies.

You've also got to consider transportation of the product to everywhere needed as well.

If I remember right CM3 was released in march, and the same with CM4. I dont have fond memories of the original CM3.

Plus marketing. A game released in November will be still on the "new games" list, and in the most accessible location in a store in December, for Christmas. Money, money and more money.

FM07 and FM08 were both released in the middle of october.

i would think the game goes into manufacturing about 1 month before it gets released. so middle of october release means they sent the game for production in mid september.

for a september release they'd have to send it in august. which isn't the end of the transfer window.

they like to wait for the end of the transfer window

well its better to have it in November than in September. because when 08 was released last year there were so many errors and they had to bring up new patch so its better to delay it and have a better game don't you think?

They bring out patches for every game. :confused: - Not just because it was released in October.

postal pretty much sums it up, mind.

If I remember right CM3 was released in march.

I remember that. I started asking about the game in November, and i was asking the poor guy in the computerstore every other day, for 3-4 months

This date is after the window and before xmas. So that when most games are sold (xmas) it is up to date and (hopefully) patched up to the nines. Also it allows for most advertising to be done at xmas, which makes it more cost affective than March or whatever.

Makes perfect sense to me.

They're gradually getting later and later, i remember cm97/98 being released in september, and its gradually worked its way through october and now into november.

It must be taking longer to finish the games

Maybe so they hope people will purchase FML first, they will understand people wont be able to wait for FM09 and as a result will end up buying both FML and FM09.

Just a theory though

gives us a few months after the season starts to begin aching for it

I beleive FM is later this year because the wanted a few more weeks to finish up the 3D match engine.

I beleive FM is later this year because the wanted a few more weeks to finish up the 3D match engine.

Any proof or is this just something in your head thats made up?

Any proof

I do have proof, actually. Why would I just 'make it up'?

IGN: The most noticeable improvement his time around is obviously the new 3D match engine – what made you decide to introduce it this time around?

Miles Jacobson: We've actually been working on it for a while. I originally thought it was going to be ready for last year – we toyed with the idea but we didn't think we would get ready in time. So this year we looked at the technology and thought: 'you know what? We've actually got this sorted now' and that's basically why it's in the game now. When we turned around to SEGA and said, 'We want to do this'. They said, 'Okay, you're going to need to push the release date back aren't you?', so we put it back a few weeks to be able to perfect it. But there was no conscious decision, like 'ooh we have to have to have in FM09' - we just did it when it was ready.

Why do we have to endure an influx of commercials for toys in the November/December period?

One word: Christmas.

Same thing for Football Manager. The Christmas period is when the vast majority of people purchase massive amounts of gifts for themselves and they family and friends whilst spending large amounts of money in the process.

Football manager comes out just in time for Christmas shopping, so its more sales .

Its simple if it was delayed till march we would skip a year cause in 2009 releases are called 2010 right? so we would miss 2009 completely or whatever year the game moved LOL. ;-)

I don't really understand why SI don't release the versions of FM at the start of the football season, makes more sense to me, everyone is buzzing about the place, game released when season begins etc etc

Is it so SI can update the game after the transfer window? Maybe it gives them a better indication of who is going to do well?

Can someone official answer that, always been curious!

Not a shot at FM (in fact quite the opposite, as FM actually has a legitimate reason to be released around this time of year), but it is of mild irritation that for 9/12 months of the year there are sod all worthwhile games to play then they all come along at once!

Not a shot at FM (in fact quite the opposite, as FM actually has a legitimate reason to be released around this time of year), but it is of mild irritation that for 9/12 months of the year there are sod all worthwhile games to play then they all come along at once!

Thats the money men for you.

I think November is a good release time because my Mrs can buy it me for Xmas so she doesn't need to spend any extra cash on unwanted overpriced junk and I'm over the moon with anticipation of santa.

If the game was released at the start of the football season (say, beginning of August) then it would have to be complete by the beginning of July to be manufactured in time for an August release. That gives very little time for all the competitions in the game to be updated for the new season and would mean research deadlines being in June sometime when a lot of leagues around the world are still going on and teams have nowhere near completed their transfer business.

Most of the teams would not have revealed their new kits for the coming season and teams would not have done their photoshoots for the coming season.

Cool, thanks for answering, although it is pretty obvious now after it has been pointed out to me