Annual Release Dates

Does anyone else think that SI are missing out a bit release FM so late each year?

By November, when the game comes out, the start of season buzz has died down a bit in my eyes.

If they can't get the game out by August, perhaps they should wait 20 months for a release one year, and have it released at the start of August. I much prefer to play from the start of the season - and I like the start of my season to have happened before it has in real life.

Transfers etc can easily be corrected with updates etc, so that's no excuse.

It really frustrates me every year, that when the season starts, and I'm pumped up for football, I can't play from the start of the season which has just started...I have to wait 4 months, and by then I'm a little over it - and if a side is going really poorly in real life at that stage of the season, and start smashing it in Football Manager, it also loses my interest a little. If I'm always "in the future" in my game, I don't get that same feeling. But really the main point is being able to start the season in game that's being started in real life.

I kinda do

I feel that (for realism) they should release in July/August, with the squads as they are at the CL final

and then a small update in Oct/Nov, with the summer transfers made IRL (squads as at September 1) - normal release is here

and then an update in Feb, with the transfers made in the winter window

that way, you only get the one bite at the summer transfers cherry (rather than two as teams do ingame - the manager IRL and then your efforts ingame)

and then also capitalises on the hype that's surrounds the start of the season

as I posted previously, it's clearly too soon for FM16 (and possibly FM17) but could be an interesting idea moving forward for FM18

but there's probably some marketing reason as to why it's better to release in Nov over August, which I guess is a driving factor moving forward

I've always had a "It's ready when it's done" attitude - by the time the game comes out, the weather's getting colder and I'm ready to bunker-in with a half-dozen new saves. Since I play FM year-round now, release dates don't really concern me.

I kind of do agree, once the transfer window closes they should release the game a couple of weeks after that.

I really don't understand why the game is not released in early September.

Once the transfer window closes, moving the players is not such a time consuming exercise. If they begin working on the new release two months before they do now, it should be finished around about this time each year.

I agree that most of the excitement about the new season is over by the time FM comes out :/

I really don't understand why the game is not released in early September.

Once the transfer window closes, moving the players is not such a time consuming exercise. If they begin working on the new release two months before they do now, it should be finished around about this time each year.

I agree that most of the excitement about the new season is over by the time FM comes out :/

I agree. It'd be great to have the game release around the start of the new season, with one database update in September and another in February.

Updating the database is a very time-consuming & labour intensive task.

I'd be curious to know which takes longer: the data entry or the quality assurance.

With the volume of researchers that they have, if it is the data entry that is taking longer, I would say they aren't using optimized methods of getting everyone's inputs in.

I'd be curious to know which takes longer: the data entry or the quality assurance.

With the volume of researchers that they have, if it is the data entry that is taking longer, I would say they aren't using optimized methods of getting everyone's inputs in.

have you actually tried doing it?

it normally takes me around 2-3 hours each save to create a team, and it's pretty barebones at that (new club, sits about 5th in richest clubs list, new stadium, new city, updating EPL, creating 6 players [of 20s in key areas too] and 4 staff [scout, chairman, assman and physio])

for that to be done with EVERY person that moved clubs since the Jan update, it would take a while to do

Well, I guess if you don't want to wait for an accurate and all-encompassing sports simulation, you can always buy FIFA...if you don't mind "settling".

have you actually tried doing it?

it normally takes me around 2-3 hours each save to create a team, and it's pretty barebones at that (new club, sits about 5th in richest clubs list, new stadium, new city, updating EPL, creating 6 players [of 20s in key areas too] and 4 staff [scout, chairman, assman and physio])

for that to be done with EVERY person that moved clubs since the Jan update, it would take a while to do

And thats not accounting for the QA that follows it, both between researchers and then it being of testing.

Updating the database is a very time-consuming & labour intensive task.

Really? But the winter transfer window update comes out reletively soon after the transfer window closes. Less than a month for sure, right?

Really? But the winter transfer window update comes out reletively soon after the transfer window closes. Less than a month for sure, right?

around 2 weeks (the Valentines day patch was the most notable - think it was FM12), but the data-lock for attributes is around a month or two earlier from memory [not being a researcher, this is what I've been told]

it's literally just updating transfers to Feb 1

around 2 weeks (the Valentines day patch was the most notable - think it was FM12), but the data-lock for attributes is around a month or two earlier from memory [not being a researcher, this is what I've been told]

it's literally just updating transfers to Feb 1

Yeah, so what I'm saying it that the transfer window that we are in now should only push the release of Fm to at most the end of September. There is no reason for it to be released in early November or late October like it usually is.

What you have to remember is that the transfer window opens something around the 17th June and closes 31st of August. (1st this year as a Bank Holiday) 2 and a half month of changes, many lower league teams make significant changes. Swindon had 14 players turn around before the season even started!

It isn't just the big signings from the big clubs, the lower leagues and all the continental team add new players and remove new players. You have youth players joining too and research needs to be completed to get accurate stats.

It isn't a easy move players around the database and on we go.

I'm happy with the release date at the end of October and the beta starting 2 weeks before that.

I prefer an accurate game then a rushed one!

I'm happy with the release date at the end of October and the beta starting 2 weeks before that.

I prefer an accurate game then a rushed one!

Such a funny statement to add to a game that has 3 or more patches per edition (once it had 5 I counted) and that maintains the same bugs for several editions in a row.

Such a funny statement to add to a game that has 3 or more patches per edition (once it had 5 I counted) and that maintains the same bugs for several editions in a row.

No software is ever perfect. We always get 3 main updates, regardless.

If you have bugs to report, please do.

Such a funny statement to add to a game that has 3 or more patches per edition (once it had 5 I counted) and that maintains the same bugs for several editions in a row.

Go find a game - or any piece of software - that doesn't need updating, and I'll maybe take your point. All software has bugs, so would you rather they didn't update it, so you can say "well there's been no updates - good job SI!"? Or would you rather they kept working on the game to try and fix any errors in there?

Such a funny statement to add to a game that has 3 or more patches per edition (once it had 5 I counted) and that maintains the same bugs for several editions in a row.

I'm a software dev myself and I'm quite sure that everyone involved in Football manager is highly motivated and passionate to squash all possible bugs.

I don't think you will see the same dedication in government software for example. FM is not a casual pick-up and play game, every save is a huge time investment and I'm quite sure that SI is fully aware of that.

It´s not that I don´t find SI willing to improve the game, It´s just astonishing the type of things people write to cover up for faults we ALL know. And, of course, the chorus of consensus is ludicrous. Also, I always play the beta, so I am contributing to the bugs fixing, whether it be by comments, telemetrics or paying in advance more for a software that I can get for full and preferably better 3 or 4 weeks after.

It´s not that I don´t find SI willing to improve the game, It´s just astonishing the type of things people write to cover up for faults we ALL know. And, of course, the chorus of consensus is ludicrous. Also, I always play the beta, so I am contributing to the bugs fixing, whether it be by comments, telemetrics or paying in advance more for a software that I can get for full and preferably better 3 or 4 weeks after.

Here we go again. Anyone who disagrees with you MUST be at it, and involved in some kind of cover-up. Because if we disagree with you, it must follow that we find absolutely nothing wrong with the game whatsoever. There are many problems with the game, to the point where I haven't really managed to get into it since FM14 arrived. But that doesn't mean I'm just going to sit throwing my toys around because there's bugs. There will always be bugs. To say anything otherwise is unrealistic. They work to clear whatever ones they can, as soon as they can. Service wise, they're one of the better developers. Not the best, but a million miles from the worst. Try working in a software development environment, and it would open your eyes.

And to be pedantic, but still pertinent, you're not contributing to the bug fixing. You're contributing to the bug finding. Fixing is a completely different story, and just because you've done one doesn't mean you're going to be able to do the other. Something that slips by a lot of people.

Here we go again. Anyone who disagrees with you MUST be at it, and involved in some kind of cover-up. Because if we disagree with you, it must follow that we find absolutely nothing wrong with the game whatsoever. There are many problems with the game, to the point where I haven't really managed to get into it since FM14 arrived. But that doesn't mean I'm just going to sit throwing my toys around because there's bugs. There will always be bugs. To say anything otherwise is unrealistic. They work to clear whatever ones they can, as soon as they can. Service wise, they're one of the better developers. Not the best, but a million miles from the worst. Try working in a software development environment, and it would open your eyes.

And to be pedantic, but still pertinent, you're not contributing to the bug fixing. You're contributing to the bug finding. Fixing is a completely different story, and just because you've done one doesn't mean you're going to be able to do the other. Something that slips by a lot of people.

bless your heart

bless your heart

Nae bother pal. You could have just said you agreed rather than embarrass yourself like that.

Can we stop with the pettiness? If it continues, the thread will be closed.

You get what you give.

Anyway, bringing it back on topic, it would maybe be nicer if they brought it closer to the transfer window closing, but I think it works the way it is now. It gives them longer to bring the data together and get it as accurate as possible, given there's a lot more to enter than there is around the January window. If they brought it forward, I could see the data being out of data a lot quicker. Significant movement will slow around this time of year, then it's only a couple of months roughly until the usual window for release. They'd usually look to have the entire thing locked down a lot earlier than that, so things would get cut pretty tight. Doable, but I think it works fine the way it is.

Getting the new seasons data in is not the only consideration, given that the final update for the previous years releases is generally somewhere between mid February & late March if FM was to be released shortly after the start of the European season SI would have less than 6 months to code & test that release.

The fact that they can get a new version out to market within 8 months of finishing work on the previous version is a minor miracle.

There is also a matter of AI Squad balancing to ensure AI Managers are selecting Squads and first XI roughly in line with real life. This can be an issue where squads have changed between end of old and start of new season.

Additionally for every person wanting it early, there will be someone wanting it released late as they think there are too many issues. Personally I'd like it released in September with no issues.....I also want to win the lottery jackpot.

All good things come to those who wait

It´s not that I don´t find SI willing to improve the game, It´s just astonishing the type of things people write to cover up for faults we ALL know. And, of course, the chorus of consensus is ludicrous. Also, I always play the beta, so I am contributing to the bugs fixing, whether it be by comments, telemetrics or paying in advance more for a software that I can get for full and preferably better 3 or 4 weeks after.

Just because you think something is a fault/bug doesn't mean it is.

How much of what we see on the forums is just a matter of opinion or just basically not understanding how real life or FM works and thats before some people just refuse to listen when things are explained to them.

Everyone referencing realism as the reason for not having the game ready by August, but to me it feels less realistic starting a season 3 months after it has in real life. Injuries, form etc are all way different than real life. I like being able to start my games from the point I am in real life at the start. Chelsea could lose the first 6 games of the season in real life, and in November they could be in all sorts of trouble, yet I start my FM game, and they win their first 10 games.

This especially negates MrPompey's point about getting "realistic" First XIs compared to real life - as by November so much has potentially changed.

The other option - which I know will never happen due to the might dollar, is being able to start a game from a season later than the season start date in the system.

At the end of the day my point remains that I get really excited about starting a new game of Football Manager this time of year; but I don't want to start from August of the season prior, and by the time it's November, so much has happened in real life it's harder for me to get stuck right into a game.

Everyone referencing realism as the reason for not having the game ready by August, but to me it feels less realistic starting a season 3 months after it has in real life. Injuries, form etc are all way different than real life. I like being able to start my games from the point I am in real life at the start. Chelsea could lose the first 6 games of the season in real life, and in November they could be in all sorts of trouble, yet I start my FM game, and they win their first 10 games.

This especially negates MrPompey's point about getting "realistic" First XIs compared to real life - as by November so much has potentially changed.

The other option - which I know will never happen due to the might dollar, is being able to start a game from a season later than the season start date in the system.

At the end of the day my point remains that I get really excited about starting a new game of Football Manager this time of year; but I don't want to start from August of the season prior, and by the time it's November, so much has happened in real life it's harder for me to get stuck right into a game.

You'll just have to accept it. It's impossible to get the game out earlier.

End of October is fine its worked well in the past if its not broke why fix it.

It's impossible to get the game out earlier.

It's hilarious that you think that.

Had enough of this tbh, SI have their reasons for the release dates they use and no amount of second guessing by self proclaimed experts on here will change the policy.

Thread closed.

It's hilarious that you think that.

No, it's accurate. What a thoroughly silly response for you to give.