Steroyd's Spreadsheet of GAF PES Players.
Please post online ID and region you are playing from (e.g., US, UK, JP) if you are getting the EU version. Also which version you are getting, and if you'd like whom you support.
Game Impressions I.
Game Impressions II.
Thanks to Capo for linking these.
Licensed Teams, courtesy pesgaming.com:
The following are the national teams present in PES 2008. ** Represents that the team is licensed with official kits.
NATIONAL TEAMS
Austria
Belgium
Bulgaria
Croatia **
Czech Rep. **
Denmark
England **
Finland
France **
Germany
Greece **
Hungary
Ireland
Israel
Italy **
Latvia
Holland **
Northern Ireland
Norway
Poland
Portugal **
Romania
Russia
Scotland **
Serbia
Slovakia
Slovenia
Spain **
Sweden **
Switzerland
Turkey **
Ukraine
Wales
Angola
Cameroon
Ivory Coast **
Ghana **
Nigeria
South Africa
Togo
Tunisia
Costa Rica
Mexico
Trinidad & Tobago
USA
Argentina **
Brazil **
Chile
Colombia
Ecuador
Paraguay
Peru
Uruguay
Iran
Japan **
Saudi Arabia
South Korea **
Australia **
CLUB TEAMS
All club leagues have been updated to include the newly promoted sides for the 2007/08 season. All clubs are licensed with the exception of the Premier League.
Entire English Premier League (NOT LICENSED)
Newcastle United and Tottenham Hotspur are licensed.
Entire French Ligue 1
Entire Italian Serie A
Entire Dutch Eredivisie
Entire Spanish La Liga
Bayern Munchen
Anderlecht
FC Brugge
Dinamo Zagreb
FC Copenhagen
FC Honka
Olympiacos Piraeus
Panathinaikos
AEK Athens
Rosenborg BK
Wisla Krakow
Benfica
FC Porto
Sporting Lisbon
Spartak Moskva
Lokomotiv Moskva
Celtic
Glasgow Rangers
Red Star
AIK
Hammarby IF
Helsingborgs IF
IFK Göteborg
FC Basel
Besiktas
Fenerbahce
Galatasaray
Dynamo Kiev
River Plate
Internacional
In the past, you were also able to use option files to update everything (including kits), and I hope this will be available again on PS3. FWIW, all real players are represented, on rare occasion their names are changed.
The Euro release was announced on Friday.
I know that, like me, several people were planning on importing it from JP or EU to (a) get the game before February and (b) participate in some sort of worldwide league. It appears that game.co.uk ships to the US and that's where I'll be picking it up from.
Here is importing information from winningelevenblog, courtesy FF_VIII:
Importing PES 2008 & WE 2008 FAQ's
Since today's announcement that North America would not see the release of our beloved game until Spring '08 most gamers based in North America are obviously looking to import the game. I will start off by clearing up some confusion following the announcement of the Japanese release before going into details.
Pro Evolution Soccer 2008 (PS3 & Xbox 360)
Released Europe 25th October 2007
Winning Eleven 2008 (PS3 & Xbox 360)
Released Japan 22nd November 2007
Both games will pretty much be the same, except for regional differences such as Languages (PES 2008 - Multilingual, WE 2008 - Japanese only), Commentary etc. Now the big question, can I import this game and play it on my console? Well it depends on what console you own. It does get very complicated so read carefully and if you have any problems then contact a member of the team for advice.
Xbox 360 Owners - FORGET ABOUT IT:
Due to the strict regional coding enforced by Microsoft you won't be able to play a game from outside your region e.g. North American fans can't import the European or Japanese version to play on their US Xbox 360.
Playstation 3 Owners:
Playstation 3 owners on the other hand are a much luckier. If you are a PS3 owner running your PS3 on an HDTV (High Definition - 720p, 1080i or 1080p) then you can import both European and/or Japanese versions to play on your console regardless of what region your console is from as HDTV signal worldwide follow a single standard known as ATSC.
If you are running your PS3 on an SDTV (Standard Definition - 480i or 480p) then it gets more complicated due to the whole NTSC vs. PAL issue. If your SDTV is Multisystem i.e. able to show both NTSC and PAL signals then you are ok to import the game and play it. There are some instances though where the game still won't run even though you are using a Multiregion TV. However, if your TV only works on one standard i.e. NTSC (for North American fans) then you won't be able to import and play the game as your SDTV won't be able to display the signal coming from your PS3.
My advice for PS3 owners; make sure you are playing your PS3 on an HDTV to avoid all small issues that can arise from regional differences.
UPDATE: You don't have to have an HDTV to play this game unless you are playing it on a console from a different region e.g. PES 2008 (European Import) on a US PS3 in the USA.
So now you ask, how do I get a hold of a European or Japanese version of the game? Simple! We have compiled a list of Importers where you can Preorder/Order the game online for delivery to your doorstep. Most of these deliver worldwide, but all of them deliver to North America.
To Preorder/Order PES 2008 (European Version):
ShopTo.net - http://www.shopto.net/
It's A Game Thing - http://www.itsagamething.co.uk/
ChoicesUK - http://www.choicesuk.com/
SendIT - http://www.sendit.com/
To Preorder/Order WE 2008 (Japanese Version):
Play-Asia - http://www.play-asia.com/
Yes Asia - http://global.yesasia.com/
Renchi - http://www.renchi.com/
http://www.winningelevenblog.com/2007/09/importing-pes-2008-we-2008-faqs.html
Worldwide online play is obviously not something Konami have discussed on the record, but I play HSG5 JP all the time with my US account. My guess is that, at worst, we'll be able to play using EU accounts, hopefully not even that. If that's true, it would be great to put together a mini-league composed of Euro PESers and the US/Asia superfans.
Konami said:October 26th kick off for PES 2008
Konami confirms release date for its latest Pro Evolution Soccer title
Konami Digital Entertainment GmbH has announced an October 26th release date for its eagerly awaited PES 2008 title. The 26th will see the launch of the PLAYSTATION 3, Xbox 360, PC-DVD, PlayStation 2, and mobile versions of the game, with the PSP and Nintendo DS versions to follow in November.
Already regarded as one of the most anticipated titles of the year, PES 2008 is a landmark in football. Built around a proprietary adaptive AI system entitled Teamvision, the game monitors the movement and passing of the player, and learns to counter them. By constantly analysing matches against the player, Teamvision picks up on particular patterns to each users play, and will adapt its strategies accordingly. This results in more open, fluid matches, the perfectly suit the realism the Pro Evolution Soccer series is renowned for.
PES 2008 also marks the series first release for PLAYSTATION 3. Alongside the Xbox 360 and PC-DVD versions, the next generation PES 2008 boasts a remarkable level of detail, with stunning physical recreations of players married to bespoke animations that mirror their idiosyncracies, individual running styles and playing styles. Players also boast facial animation, while the added definition offered by the new formats is shown in the rippling of player kits during the course of a match.
All versions of PES 2008 will also benefit from the series intuitive and realistic control system. As with previous releases, the ball is treated as a separate entity, with the timing of shots entirely down to the player. The movement of the ball, the proximity of the player and their varying abilities are just three factors that are considered when a shot is made, while the new AI ensures that defenders work to close down space and block efforts on goal. Similarly, distribution of passes works along the same lines, with players using the space available to them to switch the ball. Close control has also been enhanced with more control when dribbling the ball, and a number of subtle moves added to bypass defenders and move the ball into space.
Working in conjunction with the Teamvision system, every aspect of PES 2008s on-field play has been reworked and fine-tuned to create the balanced and strategic play of a high-level match. Set-pieces have been improved, with users now capable of nominating taller players to come up for free kicks or corners, while full control is given over the number of players and the position of the defensive wall. A wider range of set piece options are also available to make use of specific talents within the team, and an extensive list of options is also present, from hugely detailed Edit modes through to online play.
Such is the clamour for PES 2008, that Konami is anticipating its biggest sales in the series, with several million copies being shipped to European territories to meet demand. We are extremely confident that PES 2008 will be welcomed as the greatest football game of all time, commented Kunio Neo, President for Konami Digital Entertainment GmbH. Demand is massive for what is easily the best Pro Evolution Soccer title to date, and we anticipate record sales as we bring the series to PLAYSTATION 3 for the first time, and unleash stunning versions for all leading formats.
http://uk.games.konami-europe.com/n...C9AE9A5C204361BC8F9D52623507.srv01?idNews=272