Pro Evolution Soccer 6’s Takatsuka: Multiplay Ideas, Controllers, and Handhelds

The last time we featured a “Seabass” Takatsuka interview, it was in the wake of that “PES6-is-console-exclusive-no-it-isn’t” debate between Konami and Microsoft. He’s still saying that PES6 is out only on the Xbox for the remainder of this year, after which the team will be working on and releasing the game for the other platforms.

Other than that old story, this interview with CVG touches on some online multiplayer ideas Takatsuka and his people are tossing around, the virtues and vices of the PS-style controller and the Xbox 360-style controller, and the game’s appearance on the PSP.

Short version of online: the Winning Eleven/PES team aren’t satisfied with the current online build. They want to go back to square one. Their ideas are still formless, however; Takatsuka promises that he can talk about them in greater detail “next year.” But he does have a few idea nuggets to reveal. They’re thinking about online leagues and tournaments, and even what looks like a multiplayer game wherein there’s more than two players in the same field. “I think we can go into multiplayer and maybe not 11 versus 11 next year, but something close to that.“

Read the rest of Takatsuka’s interview after the jump.

The last time we featured a “Seabass” Takatsuka interview, it was in the wake of that “PES6-is-console-exclusive-no-it-isn’t” debate between Konami and Microsoft. He’s still saying that PES6 is out only on the Xbox for the remainder of this year, after which the team will be working on and releasing the game for the other platforms.

Other than that old story, this interview with CVG touches on some online multiplayer ideas Takatsuka and his people are tossing around, the virtues and vices of the PS-style controller and the Xbox 360-style controller, and the game’s appearance on the PSP.

Short version of online: the Winning Eleven/PES team aren’t satisfied with the current online build. They want to go back to square one. Their ideas are still formless, however; Takatsuka promises that he can talk about them in greater detail “next year.” But he does have a few idea nuggets to reveal. They’re thinking about online leagues and tournaments, and even what looks like a multiplayer game wherein there’s more than two players in the same field. “I think we can go into multiplayer and maybe not 11 versus 11 next year, but something close to that.“

There’s an obvious difference between the PS2-style controller and the Xbox 360 controller, and it worries Takatsuka. “Well… our feeling is when you play the 360 version you don’t get the same play feeling as you do with the PS2 controller. We think this is a very big issue and we think this is very important when the users play the game.” The PES team’s working very hard in R&D to improve on this control difference issue.

The PSP PES6 will be based on the console PES6 engine, but based on Seabass’ responses, it will feature controls specific to the handheld (rather than adapted from the PS2). Just as with the 360 controller, the aim is to deliver the same PES feel as the PS2 version does.

“We took this back to the drawing board then redesigned the control feel and the play feel and that’s the biggest point I’d say from what we learned from the PES 5 version… So we think we shouldn’t stop developing or trying to adjust, so that you get a good or the same play feeling when you play the PSP version.”