Konami: ‘Rebuilding PES is a long process’

Konami has told MCV that while Pro Evolution Soccer may never beat EA’s FIFA in terms of sales, it can still be a success on its own terms.

It also claimed that after losing its status as the critics’ favourite, PES is closing the gap on its great rival in terms of quality.

UK general manager Pete Stone said: I don’t think there’s a massive gap in terms of the playability. There are certain areas we need to improve, but it’s not a huge gap – and we’re gradually closing it.

We may not outsell FIFA, but we can sell enough so that it’s good from our point of view. Don’t think of it as a battle where we’re trying to ‘win’, or outsell them, because that’s not necessarily the case.

We’ve made progress and that’s beginning to be noticed, but we’re also going to spend a few years rebuilding PES and sales. It’s a long process.”

After a period of commercial decline, Stone said that the current version of PES saw sales stabilise and expects the next iteration, due this autumn, to remain flat.

According to GfK Chart-Track & MediaControl GfK, figures encompassing sales in 12 major European territories, FIFA outsold PES last year by a ratio of 3.3:1. In 2009 the ratio was 2.1:1 – and in 2006 it was as close as 1.1:1.