Major Changes for FM22 Touch and Beyond Blog

[Neil Brock]

A blog giving an update on the future of Football Manager Touch from Studio Director, Miles Jacobson.

As you can probably imagine, given what we do and how important data and research is to our games, here at Sports Interactive we use a lot of data to help us make business decisions.

We constantly monitor our roster of games using a process of ‘cost-benefit analysis’ which, simply put, means that we look at how much it costs us to develop, QA and release each separate version, then compare that against the revenue it will bring in (alongside any other benefits or costs it may offer to our business, outside of pure profit and loss).

Sometimes this leads to us having to make difficult business decisions that we know won’t be universally popular, but we have to look at the bigger picture and decide what’s the best for the majority of our players and for us as a studio.

So, today I want to talk about some changes to the formats that we will – and won’t – be releasing Football Manager Touch on this year.

But first, let’s take a quick look back on that game’s history.

Football Manager Classic, as Touch was originally named, was added as a game mode within Football Manager 2013, as a streamlined way for people to play. At the time, our research showed us that there was a growing audience who wanted something simpler than the ‘full fat’ FM, but more in-depth than our mobile game at that time, Football Manager Handheld (which has since been renamed as Football Manager Mobile).

Classic was first released as a standalone game in 2014 on PlayStation Vita and did much better there than we were expecting, so we looked to expand it onto other platforms. We first made it available for iOS and Android tablets in April 2015, although it would only work on the most powerful versions of that early hardware.

In 2015 we changed the name from ‘Classic’ to ‘Touch’ as the control system was very much geared towards touch screens – and also because research showed there was confusion over the use of ‘Classic’, with many of our fans thinking it was a historical version of FM.

In 2017 Touch was removed as a ‘mode’ from FM, and became a standalone release, following an initial experiment with selling it separate from FM in 2016.

Initially this was very successful, but with the release of the game on other platforms – such as the Switch version in 2018 and then last year’s Xbox Edition, both of which are closely modelled on Touch – and changes to the way people play games, sales on the PC, Mac and tablet versions of the game have fallen significantly. Developing for the tablet market, particularly on Android, is also very challenging, due to the huge range of different hardware versions available.

With the pandemic and changing working practices thrown into the mix, we also have to weigh up internal resources, both short term and long term, when making format decisions. And yes, I am setting a small group of you here up for some bad news. As Roxette once said in the best greatest hits album title of all time, ‘Don’t bore us, get to the chorus’, so…

Football Manager Touch 2022 will only be available on Nintendo Switch. There will be no version of the game available on Steam, the Epic Store, the App Store or Google Play. Anyone who wants to play a streamlined version of FM anywhere other than Switch will still be able to do so, but the game won’t be called ‘Touch’.

For PC players, the Xbox Edition will be available to purchase via the Microsoft Store or via Game Pass, while tablet players will be able to stream that game to their devices via Microsoft’s xCloud streaming service (which is available to anyone with a Game Pass Ultimate subscription). The full range of options is set out in the platform matrix below.

One positive about Football Manager Touch which was revealed by the data was that many of our fans ‘dipped in’ to Touch to take advantage of Versus Mode (which allows players to test their FM squad in head-to-head online matches against other managers). As a result of this, we are working to implement Versus Mode in Football Manager 2022, although this won’t be introduced until early next year (as there’s quite a bit of development work required and we didn’t want to delay the game’s release).

Removing games from the FM line-up is not something we do lightly (or often) and when we do it’s only ever to improve the things for the majority of our players. I know that the decision to limit the availability of Touch will not be popular with a section of FM fans, but I also know that it’s best for both the studio and the wider FM community.

Cheers,

Miles

[Malicious Penguin]

I get the logistics, but personally this is short sighted. 

 

FM has so much background noise, and Touch is faster, more enjoyable, and what I've spent 95% of my FM time playing since it came out. Sure, the lack of database/league add-ons has been unfortunate, but I've stuck with it. 

Having played FM/CM since 1994, I'll struggle to maintain any level of excitement for the game going forward. At the very least, in the future, please let us opt out of having certain elements in the game. 

This is a bad day for Football Manager - and "knowing what's best for the wider FM community" doesn't sit well with me at all.

[zakbrown96]

Feel this is going to make a significant amount of people very upset. Touch was designed for people who didn’t want all the boring stuff of full FM, To lose that is very disappointing, on iPad it was a huge release for me personally as I fought depression among other things, genuinely gutted . Could we not have a squad update, even if stats etc are all the same?

[Neil Brock]

As stated within the blog

Quote

Anyone who wants to play a streamlined version of FM anywhere other than Switch will still be able to do so, but the game won’t be called ‘Touch’.

For PC players, the Xbox Edition will be available to purchase via the Microsoft Store or via Game Pass, while tablet players will be able to stream that game to their devices via Microsoft’s xCloud streaming service (which is available to anyone with a Game Pass Ultimate subscription). 

[zakbrown96]

4 minutes ago, Neil Brock said:

As stated within the blog

I get that but, on a tablet the flow of Touch was so much more user friendly, than on a console. Or on a small switch screen.

[Wayne wonder]

Streaming the game onto the tablet what happens when you’re out and about and don’t have internet ? Awful decision but it’s to be expected these days 

[PAFC_Dugout]

Pretty gutted by this. Have played Classic/Touch since 2014 and loved it. Have also tried dipping into full mode each year but just find it too slow and too much bloat. Don’t have the time in my life to play full mode so looks like I’ll be moving to the mobile version from November. Gutted 😔

[CleverLime]

12 minutes ago, Neil Brock said:

As stated within the blog

How do you play on the plane? How about countries that do not have access to xbox game pass? iPad FMT was the only version I was playing since I like the confort that comes with it.

[Raul10]

So Xbox edition is available for PC going forward.

Before I meltdown completely can someone tell me the key differences going between touch as we know it  and Xbox versions?

[Malicious Penguin]

14 minutes ago, Neil Brock said:

As stated within the blog

What's the difference between Touch and Xbox edition as was/is? Because I've read a few people say Touch was better.

[rafaelbenitez]

Just now, Raul10 said:

So Xbox edition is available for PC going forward.

Before I meltdown completely can someone tell me the key differences going between touch as we know it  and Xbox versions?

I think the interface is different and you'll have limitations on the leagues you can load and the number of seasons you can play. Otherwise, fairly similar.

[truereddevil92]

Very annoyed and particularly quite angry with this news. I've purposely saved up this year to purchase a high end tablet for everyone in my family for Christmas so we can enjoy playing Football Manager Touch 2022 . Only to hear that you're not releasing a game on this platform. I've heard so much positive comments about the touch version over the last couple of years how it's more complex than the mobile version but not as in depth as the full fat version of FM on PC which made me deicide to save up for Christmas.

I don't have the time to play the full version so the Touch version would have been the next step up from the mobile version (which is too easy). 

You've just ruined the rest of my year.

[Wayne wonder]

5 minutes ago, Raul10 said:

So Xbox edition is available for PC going forward.

Before I meltdown completely can someone tell me the key differences going between touch as we know it  and Xbox versions?

You could only choose 10 leagues  unlike touch on pc where you can choose as many as you like. on  the current version apart from that everything was the same. If you play it on pc you can have the badges, facepacks etc. but if you play it on console you can’t have the the logos or anything like that plus it’s clunky without a mouse on console

[Malicious Penguin]

6 minutes ago, rafaelbenitez said:

I think the interface is different and you'll have limitations on the leagues you can load.

That was the joy of Touch. Load 6-10 nations and still fly. Having a choice of 3 nations or full fat...

Meh. Really disappointed with SI.

[RCCook]

Pretty bummed to hear this, as I'm one of those who plays Touch on PC. So my only option if I want to play more than 10 leagues is to go back to full FM. Not my preferred option, as I really like the scaled-down training and player interactions in Touch, but it's either that or play the Xbox version which seems to be an inferior version of Touch to the PC version. 

[shirajzl]

A sad day, although not surprising at all, given the fact this subforum has been a ghost town for a few years now.

 

3 minutes ago, Wayne wonder said:

You could only choose 10 leagues  unlike touch on pc where you can choose as many as you like. on  the current version apart from that everything was the same. If you play it on pc you can have the badges, facepacks etc. but if you play it on console you can’t have the the logos or anything like that plus it’s clunky without a mouse on console

Being a PC player, this gives me a slight comfort, however.

[Raul10]

8 minutes ago, rafaelbenitez said:

I think the interface is different and you'll have limitations on the leagues you can load and the number of seasons you can play. Otherwise, fairly similar.

Thanks. Shouldn't make too much difference to me then thankfully.

Will wait until the game is out before deciding on a purchase. Wasn't happy with the lack of touch beta with pre orders last year so not happening again.

[Malicious Penguin]

@Neil Brockit mentions long-term in the intro, but there's no mention of touch's long-term future.

[tyro]

Well, i have to say, one of the worst news for me on this. Was looking forward to FM22. I do play the full version a bit but always end up going to FMT. And yes i also try it on switch but many times i like the additional things you can do on PC. 

Very sad news. 

I'm sure you know your statistics but if there are any people like me who play touch and then switch then this move makes little sense from a financial stand point. 

For me I just don't have enough time anymore for the full game in the long run. So i either play that or the switch version with nothing in between. 

Sad. 

Did I mention sad?

I forgot to mention, i already prepurchase the game because of the changes to the match engine etc which would usually translate to FMT. With this info i would have probably slept another night to think about it

Edited October 6, 2021 by tyro

[celticfan]

29 minutes ago, Neil Brock said:

As stated within the blog

 

51 minutes ago, Neil Brock said:

Anyone who wants to play a streamlined version of FM anywhere other than Switch will still be able to do so, but the game won’t be called ‘Touch’.

For PC players, the Xbox Edition will be available to purchase via the Microsoft Store or via Game Pass, while tablet players will be able to stream that game to their devices via Microsoft’s xCloud streaming service (which is available to anyone with a Game Pass Ultimate subscription). The full range of options is set out in the platform matrix below.

 

• Will there be a more up-to-date feature comparison between XBox Edition, Touch, and "Full" FM?
• If a player makes use of "Full" FM, can preferences be set to streamline the gameplay much like Touch is on PC?
• Is the XBox Edition, on PC, playable with a mouse, as Touch is now?
• Are there any differences using XBox Edition on PC, that would make it differ from FM Touch on PC today?

 

I guess there's a clear message that XBox Edition is the PC FM Touch players immediate replacement.  I guess what I'd like to know to make an informed decision is what the differences may be, and what to look out for. 

I could, for example, decide to play "Full FM" - but imagine I'll need to set my preferences to reduce the extraneous interactions which are not present in FM Touch.

Or I could, play XBox Edition, but would want to understand how, if at all, it will differ from the the PC Touch version. 

[HUNT3R]

1 minute ago, tyro said:

So i either play that or the switch version with nothing in between. 

As the blog states, there's another option too:

Quote

 

Anyone who wants to play a streamlined version of FM anywhere other than Switch will still be able to do so, but the game won’t be called ‘Touch’.

For PC players, the Xbox Edition will be available to purchase via the Microsoft Store or via Game Pass, while tablet players will be able to stream that game to their devices via Microsoft’s xCloud streaming service (which is available to anyone with a Game Pass Ultimate subscription). 

 

 

[tyro]

3 minutes ago, HUNT3R said:

As the blog states, there's another option too:

 

Ok. Not sure how this works. I guess that's an additional charge to the steam version though?

 

 

[santy001]

6 minutes ago, tyro said:

Ok. Not sure how this works. I guess that's an additional charge to the steam version though?

 

 

Gamepass is a monthly fee so it could be worth looking into it a bit more before deciding which way you want to go about it. You get quite a lot of games outside of FM even with the PC version of game pass though.

[santy001]

22 minutes ago, Malicious Penguin said:

@Neil Brockit mentions long-term in the intro, but there's no mention of touch's long-term future.

From what I can see the original post isn't mentioning anything about its longer term future. If there's a part about that quote it and there might be something specific that can be addressed with a bit more clarity for you.

[9craiggibson]

22 minutes ago, HUNT3R said:

As the blog states, there's another option too:

 

What about on a macbook?

As others are saying hopefully the ability to deactivate certain features of full FM is available. That would help accomodate users who prefer a more streamlined approach for different reasons.

[João14]

Thanks for the options you left out to Tablet users. It's always a pleasure!

[Neil Brock]

28 minutes ago, celticfan said:

 

 

• Will there be a more up-to-date feature comparison between XBox Edition, Touch, and "Full" FM?
• If a player makes use of "Full" FM, can preferences be set to streamline the gameplay much like Touch is on PC?
• Is the XBox Edition, on PC, playable with a mouse, as Touch is now?
• Are there any differences using XBox Edition on PC, that would make it differ from FM Touch on PC today?

 

I guess there's a clear message that XBox Edition is the PC FM Touch players immediate replacement.  I guess what I'd like to know to make an informed decision is what the differences may be, and what to look out for. 

I could, for example, decide to play "Full FM" - but imagine I'll need to set my preferences to reduce the extraneous interactions which are not present in FM Touch.

Or I could, play XBox Edition, but would want to understand how, if at all, it will differ from the the PC Touch version. 

We try and do a matrix of sorts (you can see the FM21 here - https://www.footballmanager.com/compare-games) that allows people to see the differences.

Definitely certain aspects within 'full' FM can be set to be handled by your assistant and staff through staff responsibilities. Don't like doing say press conferences? Fine, you'll never have to do one again. Our staff responsibilities make aspect very flexible. 

Xbox Edition can be played with a mouse and keyboard.

Main difference is you are limited to 10 playable nations on an Xbox Edition game. 

[João14]

Can't you even tho something for Apple Users with M1 iPad's? It's literally the same chip that can run Full FM.

[RacingAKD]

This is the end of FM for me, I dont have time to play the full version, Touch was just what i needed. Also dont want to limit my saves to a number of leagues. So sad.-

[tyro]

9 minutes ago, Neil Brock said:

We try and do a matrix of sorts (you can see the FM21 here - https://www.footballmanager.com/compare-games) that allows people to see the differences.

Definitely certain aspects within 'full' FM can be set to be handled by your assistant and staff through staff responsibilities. Don't like doing say press conferences? Fine, you'll never have to do one again. Our staff responsibilities make aspect very flexible. 

Xbox Edition can be played with a mouse and keyboard.

Main difference is you are limited to 10 playable nations on an Xbox Edition game. 

Unfortunately, this is not the same experience. For anyone who has played FMT it is about the loading speed as well.

Anyways. It is what it is. 

[bluman]

I'm not believing this!! FM Touch for Android was my biggest distraction from the pandemic. I got so attached to the game and was already hoping for something better in version 22. I don't believe this will be the end. 😔

[9craiggibson]

19 minutes ago, Neil Brock said:

We try and do a matrix of sorts (you can see the FM21 here - https://www.footballmanager.com/compare-games) that allows people to see the differences.

Definitely certain aspects within 'full' FM can be set to be handled by your assistant and staff through staff responsibilities. Don't like doing say press conferences? Fine, you'll never have to do one again. Our staff responsibilities make aspect very flexible. 

Xbox Edition can be played with a mouse and keyboard.

Main difference is you are limited to 10 playable nations on an Xbox Edition game. 

My only concern with this would be, does this not effect your rating as a manager in game?

I've actually sold my ipad, bought a macbook and preordered the full game for the first time in a few years coincidentally, liked the idea of having touch to fall back on however

Edited October 6, 2021 by 9craiggibson

[ss03]

Very disappointing news but completely understand the decision from a business point of view. 

In terms of streaming the Xbox version to tablet, I assume you'd need to navigate using a controller rather than the touchscreen? If so then it kind of defeats the object of playing on tablet

[Neil Brock]

Just now, 9craiggibson said:

My only concern with this would be, does this not effect your rating as a manager in game?

Not to a degree that would cause you problems. It can influence some of your characteristics absolutely, bit they won't make you a better or worse manager. Aspects of your mental attributes like Man Management and Level of Discipline may change if you leave say player unhappiness it to the assistant, but it won't matter as you won't be handling those situations - just make sure you have staff who are strong in those key areas you won't be handling.

In terms of manager reputation (so how you're viewed within the gameworld and for other jobs) it wouldn't have a detrimental effect. 

[bluman]

2 minutos atrás, Neil Brock disse:

Não a um grau que lhe causasse problemas. Pode influenciar de forma absoluta algumas de suas características, mas não o tornará um gerente melhor ou pior. Aspectos de seus atributos mentais como Gestão de Homem e Nível de Disciplina podem mudar se você deixar, digamos, a infelicidade do jogador para o assistente, mas não importa, pois você não lidará com essas situações - apenas certifique-se de ter uma equipe forte nessas áreas-chave com as quais você não estará lidando.

Em termos de reputação do gerente (então, como você é visto no mundo do jogo e para outros empregos), isso não teria um efeito prejudicial. 

🙍‍♂️😔

[FMTouched]

Ok so some questions for the Switch game: Are there any changes or is it like FMT21 on the Switch. 

[bluman]

I was supposed to release Touch for mobile, as we have good enough hardware for the game. There are people who bought a tablet to play the FMT, others stop playing the FMT because they don't have a tablet. It would be much better to invest in Touch for mobile, the mobile version is very simple and I can't play anymore. I don't know when I will play FM again.

[Raul10]

For those who are considering the Xbox version on PC. I think you can get a free/cheap game pass 1/3 months sub if you are a new subscriber. Might be worth doing before committing.

Edited October 6, 2021 by Raul10
Detail

[Keyzer Soze]

Really a sad day for me.

I've been playing FMT on IPAD/Android since 2015 and was, untill now, my number one game choice.

So sad that, from this day on, my only option on tablets will be FM Mobile that as nothing to do with the realism that FMT gave us.

 

At least is there any way to make available some sort of data uptade (transfers uptade) for the android/IOS version of FMT21? Or make a app that allow us to make some sort of data changes? @Neil Brock

 

Anyway, apreciate the honesty by @Miles Jacobson. It's a purely comercial decision, and the it's probably the wise one. Also apreciate that they decided to make the announcement so early.

 

[BuryBlade]

5 minutes ago, Keyzer Soze said:

Really a sad day for me.

I've been playing FMT on IPAD/Android since 2015 and was, untill now, my number one game choice.

So sad that, from this day on, my only option on tablets will be FM Mobile that as nothing to do with the realism that FMT gave us.

 

At least is there any way to make available some sort of data uptade (transfers uptade) for the android/IOS version of FMT21? Or make a app that allow us to make some sort of data changes? @Neil Brock

 

Anyway, apreciate the honesty by @Miles Jacobson. It's a purely comercial decision, and the it's probably the wise one. Also apreciate that they decided to make the announcement so early.

 

Same situation for me. Don’t own a computer, only play on iPad (life is too busy for full FM and iPad was easier than laptop for me) To hear that I am effectively cut off from a game I’ve  been playing for 23 years is really disappointing. And no, I don’t want to play FM Mobile. 

[rafaelbenitez]

Xbox version doesn't interest me really given the league limitations and the inability to use 3rd party add-ons and the fact you have to purchase it separately. May pick up the full version on sale if it's decent but it's going to be some adjustment from breezing through seasons to maybe getting through 1 or 2 in a month.

[Neil Brock]

24 minutes ago, BuryBlade said:

Same situation for me. Don’t own a computer, only play on iPad (life is too busy for full FM and iPad was easier than laptop for me) To hear that I am effectively cut off from a game I’ve  been playing for 23 years is really disappointing. And no, I don’t want to play FM Mobile. 

You'll be able to access and play the Xbox Edition on your tablet via Game Pass xCloud as said within the blog. 

[Neil Brock]

33 minutes ago, Keyzer Soze said:

Really a sad day for me.

I've been playing FMT on IPAD/Android since 2015 and was, untill now, my number one game choice.

So sad that, from this day on, my only option on tablets will be FM Mobile that as nothing to do with the realism that FMT gave us.

At least is there any way to make available some sort of data uptade (transfers uptade) for the android/IOS version of FMT21? Or make a app that allow us to make some sort of data changes? @Neil Brock

Anyway, apreciate the honesty by @Miles Jacobson. It's a purely comercial decision, and the it's probably the wise one. Also apreciate that they decided to make the announcement so early.

 

I'm afraid that isn't something that would be possible. 

[bluman]

2 minutos atrás, Neil Brock disse:

Você poderá acessar e jogar o Xbox Edition em seu tablet através do Game Pass xCloud conforme dito no blog. 

Will we have to buy the game, make a monthly subscription to play Touch on the tablet? Thank you for that.

[BuryBlade]

8 minutes ago, Neil Brock said:

You'll be able to access and play the Xbox Edition on your tablet via Game Pass xCloud as said within the blog. 

Without a PC or XBox, how? And having to pay a monthly fee to play via an internet link (Steam Link doesn’t work very well, I guess this is similar idea) Not great. 

[Neil Brock]

17 minutes ago, bluman said:

Will we have to buy the game, make a monthly subscription to play Touch on the tablet? Thank you for that.

Yes you would need an active Game Pass subscription. 

[Neil Brock]

11 minutes ago, BuryBlade said:

Without a PC or XBox, how? And having to pay a monthly fee to play via an internet link (Steam Link doesn’t work very well, I guess this is similar idea) Not great. 

Details here - https://support.xbox.com/en-GB/help/games-apps/cloud-gaming/about-cloud-gaming

[BuryBlade]

6 minutes ago, Neil Brock said:

Details here - https://support.xbox.com/en-GB/help/games-apps/cloud-gaming/about-cloud-gaming

Thanks Neil. I appreciate a) it’s not your fault and b) underlying business decisions/needs dictate strategy. Just feels like the end of new FM releases for me. I’ll stick to playing FM21. 

[bluman]

21 minutos atrás, Neil Brock disse:

Yes you would need an active Game Pass subscription. 

This is frustrating. I eagerly awaited news, I never imagined it would be the end. It was almost 10 years playing the FM Touch, tablet and PC. Now I have nothing else.

[alfonso8183]

Very disappointed and sad about this news considering I've spent thousands hour on FMT in the last years/seasons and i've already pre-purchased new FM2022. Obviously the solution can't be the Xbox Edition, or play on Tablet or Mobile.

I understand that it could be a commercial decision but i think you also know that FMT is the best User Friendly Version, it is not boring, fast, simply the best solution for who do not have an incredible PC with a perfect gfx (and honestly i'd also appreciate the old 2D motor engine) and can't spent hundred hours per only one season with a (not complete) DB Setup with 1 star CPU power.