SI: Will FM09 2D-only users (or will graphics card remain a requirement?)

simple question really, and one that i would say is essential to a lot of people before they decide to buy FM09 or not. <Please don't fill this thread like many others have been by suggesting that i get an upgrade, because i have a laptop and a new computer is not an option at the moment>

Going from my experience and what seems to be a noticeable number of people on the technical issues forum, the FM09 demo - despite installing fine - will not initialize (and brings up the standard windows crash/error report screen) if the graphics card does not meet the requirements for the FM09 3D match engine. <First off, correct me if i'm wrong in this assumption and please let me know what the real cause is>

Now i'm willing to accept that i won't be able to play the game in the 3d engine (i don't think it will detract too much from the experience) and I am still willing to purchase FM09 if i can be assured that i can play it fine, with just the standard 2d match screen.

So will FM09 be like the demo and not start if i don't meet the 3d requirements, or will i be able to successfully load the game and then switch off the 3d engine from the preferences?

If this is not going to be an option (and FM09 fails to open just like the demo), will a future patch correct this issue, and enable users with sub-par computers to play without 3d? And if so, when can such a patch be expected?

I don't think that any of these are unreasonable questions. As it currently stands, I and all the other loyal FM customers who can't run the demo have no reason to expect that the full game will be any different, and thus have no reason to purchase a game they won't be able to play. If SI has not intention of addressing this group, then that's fine and i can move on from FM. But if i can expect to be accommodated, i would like to know some specifics before i put out some of my hard-earned money.

woops, thread title should read "Will FM09 be playable by 2D-only users (or will graphics card remain a requirement)?" but i can't work out how to change the title

I second this. My graphics card isn't new, but FM08 worked fine. I'm not getting a new card just for 1 game. My PC is used for the internet and e-mail, and Football Manager.

The demo won't load, i'm not fussed about the 3D match engine. I just want to play it.

I think the problem is, it was SUPPOSED to launch in 2D only mode if your GFX card was not up to spec, but for some (Like me on one PC) it is not and SI don't know why.

If the mass market cannot play this game due to the 3D engine, they should release the game just with the 2D engine, and then offer the 3D engline as a "add-on" for those people whos machine can run it

that way, everyone is happy

this is what is suspect as well toothless gibbon, but i would like to here it confirmed from SI (i can't seem to find any official answers to this complaint in the technical forum) and would also like to here if and when it will be resolved so i can decided whether to buy FM09 or not.

I can't understand why people are having trouble with the graphics. I've got a 2 year old laptop with an integrated chip below the min spec and it runs the 3D engine fine.

Miles in another thread:

"We're very much in a "damned if we do, and damned if we don't" situation, the same way as we are with the demo release where a really tiny proportion of people who have downloaded the demo are having issues getting it up and running, yet looking at these forums you'd think it was like the sky had fallen in.

That's not belittling, in any way, those who do have issues, which as I've said in other threads, we're looking at, and going to ridiculous lengths to find the relevant graphics cards that do have issues, including as many as possible that are below minimum spec to at least try and get those running in 2d."

I can't understand why people are having trouble with the graphics. I've got a 2 year old laptop with an integrated chip below the min spec and it runs the 3D engine fine.

The main problem I think AmazingSteve is that the demo wont even start, which everyone is assuming is down to graphics.

Must be something to do with the fact that the whole game is now "rendered in DirectX"

My Experience: Obviously the game runs well with a dual core processor and an Nvidia 8600GT in it.

Taking the card out and letting my onboard 128mb graphics solution handle it the 3d gets just a bit choppy but not troublesome.

Everything else works great. The processor is a 2.2ghz DC and 2gb ram.

If the mass market cannot play this game due to the 3D engine, they should release the game just with the 2D engine, and then offer the 3D engline as a "add-on" for those people whos machine can run it

that way, everyone is happy

now i don't think that this is reasonable. the 3d engine is a big investment by SI and it's fair that they market it as a big feature to appeal to a broader audience. Let's face it, the people like us who can't run the 3d engine are a minority of gamers, as FM09's system requirements are pretty slim compared to some of the big mainstream games at the moment (Fallout, FarCry, Crysis, even FIFA and Pro Evo). If SI continue to cater exclusively to lowest systems, then they're not going to evolve and not going to take full advantage of the power of new systems.

I have two systems, a new top of the range system, and my FM laptop. Playing FIFA 09 on my top PC, i'm extremely frustrated by how it is so sub-par and stagnant compared to the PS3/Xbox360 version, simply because it cater's to low system requirements. Thus i reasonably expect that i won't be able to run FM on my laptop eventually when things like 3d and multithreading become integral to how it runs, i just want to know explicitly from SI whether this will be the year.

i only have on board graphics card and can play the demo fine (just not in 3D)

It has been confirmed in various threads - we are currently sourcing a bunch of graphics cards that are below minimum spec where issues have been reported (from second hand shops and ebay) and will report back once we know why this is happening.

Without those cards, we're very much in the dark. The aim is certainly to have it so that those on the cards we've had issues reported with are able to run the game in 2d.

Thanks Miles, that's all i wanted to hear. So can i confirm, that as it stands, FM09 full will probably not initially be playable (like the demo) for systems with inadequate graphics cards, but that you hope to rectify this and provide a 2d only option in a near-future patch?

itchy trigger finger?

thanks Miles, i'm always impressed by SI's commitment to its fans. Will keep my eyes peeled for further info, but will probably be dressed in my best football manager impersonation suit (not quite as daring as a star wars or lotr fan) and queued at the front of my ebgames when it gets released down here in Oz.

Dont know if im looking in wrong place for the 2d pitch,but the 2d pitches ive found dont look anywhere near as good as the 2d pitch in fm08,they just look horrible.

3d is actually better than i thought it would be,still not great,but i was someone that was fine with the 2d pitch and was going to use 2d over 3d.

One of the biggest selling points of FM was that it was a great game that was playable on systems which could not support mainstream graphics. It was inevitable that in order to improve the game and accomodate a 3D element that a higher spec would be needed for players who wanted to use the new feature - that seems pretty reasonable to me.

However, surely it was OBVIOUS that many people would not be able to support 3D and that most would be happy to continue using the 2D version. The release of the demo has now revealed that this can't be done in most cases and has effectively frozen out a large portion of potential buyers........myself included.

SI has shot itself in the foot I feel.

It has been confirmed in various threads - we are currently sourcing a bunch of graphics cards that are below minimum spec where issues have been reported (from second hand shops and ebay) and will report back once we know why this is happening.

Without those cards, we're very much in the dark. The aim is certainly to have it so that those on the cards we've had issues reported with are able to run the game in 2d.

Then why Miles, did you say that 2D would be fine if we could run 08?

I am very disappointed and a large proportion of others are too. I've done research for this game, I've spent countless hours on this forum trying to help out. I find it very disappointing that you would turn your back on your gamers, who were happy with the personality (2D its depth and immersion), and not the fake plastic tits (3D). Why turn a game with relatively low requirements, and well known for this into a game for those with the money, or who are lucky enough to own a killer PC? Was it really worth all this trouble, to go against the SI ethos, to draw in new shallower gamers?

I wish you all the best, you have been fantastic in the past, but now, I'm not so sure. I am sure it will sell well, and be successful. I'm sure you will rake in the cash. But I cant help feel you have ripped the heart out of SI, and changed direction in a way in which SI never intended, based on your biggest rival revealing its new plans.

miles, look on the thread that talks about the probelm which comes up and says "fm.exe has encountered a problem ...we apologise for any inconvienience.." think it needs to be addressed with well voer a hundred people waiting on a response from SI .... and dont really feel this thread is directly related to my problem tbh!!

hey ca you look at this thread, pls there is a lot of ppl with the same problem

http://community.sigames.com/showthread.php?t=55460&page=2

Thanks for that miles! I hope once we approach release day we can ALL play the game

Does that include a Matrox Parhelia APVe Miles?

It feels a bit odd that I've thrown away cards better than some of these.

Miles i was told that my Graphics Card was perfect my a moderator but now its not

Not having a go im just saying

You need to sort this out or your going to lose alot of customers

miles, look on the thread that talks about the probelm which comes up and says "fm.exe has encountered a problem ...we apologise for any inconvienience.." think it needs to be addressed with well voer a hundred people waiting on a response from SI .... and dont really feel this thread is directly related to my problem tbh!!

i agree.

and btw, you've no idea how disappointed i am that i might not be able to play fm09 i am going to do everything i can and would appreciate all the help i could get to find out how i could get it working. problem is though, that i dont have a clue about graphics cards or anything like that. so looking at most of the messages posted here its just jibberish to me. if the problem is that my graphics card is too old or whatever, how could i fix this? would i have to buy a new one?

someone please help i have been looking forward to this game coming out for far too long just to be told i cant play it because my computer is too old!!!

PS. where do you find your computers info..like what processor you have and what graphics card etc. if i find this info mayb it could shed some light on the situation

PS. where do you find your computers info..like what processor you have and what graphics card etc. if i find this info mayb it could shed some light on the situation

Click Start, Run, "dxdiag". It'll all be there.

Here you'll find more help. I posted there this morning, got some advice and my game is running now.

It seems like an awful lot of people are suffering from the same issue, so there must be something amiss.

Because that was, and still is, the aim.

And it is the case on many graphics cards that are below minimum spec.

However, it's plain to see that some of them are having problems, and that is stopping the game from running. Until we can see this issue for ourselves (as I've said in another thread, we did not see it in our testlab, SEGA's testlab or in any of the multiple compatibility testing labs that the game went through), we don't know what the problem is. Once we know, we'll know whether it's fixable and will report back. Hence we're going to extremes to get these graphics cards in - some of which have been unavailable for more than 5 years!

At least you have the decency to reply. All the best miles, a big problem to fix.

Click Start, Run, "dxdiag". It'll all be there.

Here you'll find more help. I posted there this morning, got some advice and my game is running now.

It seems like an awful lot of people are suffering from the same issue, so there must be something amiss.

thanks dave. i searched through all the posts and seen your convo with the guy from SI, so now i am going through it and trying to do the same thing. it will take a while but hopefuly it works.

seems to be a massive mistake to have a requirement for a graphics card in even if your not intending to use it

Because that was, and still is, the aim.

And it is the case on many graphics cards that are below minimum spec.

However, it's plain to see that some of them are having problems, and that is stopping the game from running. Until we can see this issue for ourselves (as I've said in another thread, we did not see it in our testlab, SEGA's testlab or in any of the multiple compatibility testing labs that the game went through), we don't know what the problem is. Once we know, we'll know whether it's fixable and will report back. Hence we're going to extremes to get these graphics cards in - some of which have been unavailable for more than 5 years!

Actually, I reported the "FM09 will not run" problem back in September as a researcher, because all of the beta builds made the same exe error and had an e-mail conversation about it with Grant Appleyard, so there was at least some outside input I hope the thing will get sorted out.

I'm about to upgrade my PC anyway, but I think there are quite some board members who can't afford/do not want this, and as Alurny said, there are a lot of people, who probably would just run it in 2d only/commentary only. So far as others highlighted, FM was a series which could run well on older/weaker PCs as well, as it was not graphically demanding. Now it seems we have the option of upgrading or forget about 09, which is not so fine, especially as the new features look great.

Good luck in analysing the problems with the graphic cards anyway, I really hope to play sooner or later this year's version