[samIamsad]

This thing is driving me mad. First, it's addictive. Second, and that's just the demo... I've just never seen football simulated so convincing on a PC before, even though it's really just dotts kicking a ball. And Maths a plenty. Yet, it's just so convincing. And it proves an entire bloody industry dead wrong: It doesn't come with super fancy graphics, it sports zero explosions to speak of and it's still selling like hotcakes.

I only wish I wouldn't need to go through all the hassle aquiring a copy myself, as the game won't be released over here. And trying to find import shops that don't want to see a credits card number you don't have is awful. I can't believe it! A football game that doesn't come to Germany? Obviously Sega had some issues to face which never quite got sorted out. Madness!

Did anybody aquire the digital version? The website makes it sound as if it's for NA territories only.

[MdaG]

It's interesting that you don't use credit cards. I haven't used cash for anything above €20 in a long time myself.

[samIamsad]

Well, for some reason I never had one. Now I wish I had.. btw, I found a pretty slick skin that changes the entire look of the game. The fonts are a bit harder to read, but I think it looks pretty nice.

[samIamsad]

As Swindon I'm totally getting my butt kicked to hell and back. From Leeds, amongst others, hell, I didn't even know they had to face relegation and got a 15 points penalty on top of that!

Does anybody know a shop that might accept regular EC cards from abroad? Maybe Amazon.uk would do it? This deal looks absolutely fantastic, they don't even charge extra for shipping, but.. but they don't take it. I'm about to cry. This is hell.

[samIamsad]

For all the fun I have, I also developed my first qualm with the game. There is something that I only realized recently when trying to sell players to fill the bank account that has gone from almost zero to minus a million (Euros, mind you) in less than half a year of playing in Germany's third division:

The main advantage of getting rid of my players is that I'm saving wages.. and that's it. Really, the average value of a player in my squad is less than ten thousand Euros, while in reality it looks like this: http://www.transfermarkt.de/de/verei...tartseite.html

The higher you go, the more accurate the market values of players seem to get though. There's this tendency that lower league players are worth shit, while every player with a few skills developed above average level is immediatedly worth a few millions just like that. Maybe this has its roots in English football, the game IS English after all. Just like that I was being offered quite a few quality players for loan at the beginning of the season just like that, all sure starters in my squad. Then again, while the market value is linked to a player's skills, it's not the only factor that plays into it all. Still..

For a game that's been praised for it's realistic depiction of football, this is something that sticks a little out. I'm in trouble with my bank account now though, although I've heard that isn't so much an issue in the FM series anyway.

[samIamsad]

Financial issues are long since fixed via a patch. On top of the most realistic sports sim - it really makes Pro Evo look like Nintendo World Cup - this is the most addicting game I've ever had on my hard disc.

As with any addiction, there are side-effects. It is not unknown for those who play to give press conferences in the shower in the morning, or experience guilt at omitting players from the big matches, but more seriously, fixation with the game has apparently been cited in 35 cases divorces

The Telegraph: Ask anyone: Football Manager is more than a computer game.

Anybody else playing?

[NoirYork]

The amount of time I've put into that game is scary. In my current game I've put in over a week of time! Wayne Rooney is 32 years old on it!