October 27th 2023.
Miles Jacobson is the studio director of Sports Interactive and the director of the beloved Football Manager franchise. After a hands-on preview of Football Manager 2024, GameCentral sat down to talk to him about the new game and the future of the franchise.
Jacobson was passionate as he explained why last year's was one of the less popular entries of recent years and how he approached this year's game differently as a result.
"We had more developers working on the game this year, essentially, because we've hired a lot of people in the last few years," Jacobson said. "And when we were designing every feature, we were talking about exactly what kind of player that feature was designed for, to make sure that we had something for every type of player."
Jacobson also emphasized the importance of the team always striving to make the best game possible. "We will never dial it in," he said. "If I saw people not giving full effort then they shouldn't be here, because you have to think about the reason why we make games. We make games for ourselves, but also for the people spending their hard-earned money on our game. We have to ensure as a studio that it’s the best value for money game on the planet."
When asked about how the team ensures the game is continuously improving, Jacobson replied that the ideas come from everywhere. It could be something the design team suggests, feedback from quality assurance, or something a footballer or agent says to him.
Finally, when asked about keeping the game accessible for casual players, Jacobson noted that it's a balance between keeping the game detailed and making sure it's not too complicated. He also said that they are always looking for new ways to make the game more accessible for new players.
Miles Jacobson, the director of the Sports Interactive studio and the Football Manager franchise, is passionate about the game. We recently had the opportunity to speak with him and learn more about Football Manager 2024 and what sets it apart from the previous versions of the game.
Jacobson explains the development process for the game, which starts with a feature pod. This pod consists of a team of programmers, designers, artists, animators, and user interface specialists that all come together to create the feature.
Jacobson also acknowledges that the previous version of the game, Football Manager 23, wasn't as well-received as the others and how this year's game was approached differently as a result. To ensure that there is something for every type of player, the team made sure to talk about the kind of player each feature was designed for.
GameCentral also asked Jacobson how the team is able to make sure that their game is of the highest quality, even when there is no competition in the market. Jacobson stresses the importance of giving full effort and making sure that the team is creating the best value for money for the players.
Finally, Jacobson explains that the ideas for new features come from anywhere - from the design team to the player forums. He also notes that it is important for the game to have surprises every year, like the addition of player incentives and Transfer Room, while also including features that the players have been requesting for years, like set pieces.
Jacobson also emphasizes the importance of keeping the game simple for casual players, who may be overwhelmed by the amount of features. He acknowledges the need for the game to be a simulation of the real world, and to be able to adapt when football managers, like Pep Guardiola, introduce new tactics.
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