Andy Alderson of Strategy Informer writes: "It's time to don the Afghan coat, invest in some beta blockers and brush up on your swearing as Football Manager 2008 opens its gates to the 360 stat-perverts. With a tuned-up game engine and a few new features, it's a decent (if badly-timed) annual update and Football Manager still offers the most in-depth management experience on the 360. But a few old problems remain and Sports Interactive has done little to expand the series' selective appeal.
Newcomers are likely to be intimidated by the text-heavy menu system, but Football Manager has always been about realism. The amount of options on offer is undeniably impressive and loyal fans will not be disappointed by the tactical depth of FM2008. Almost every aspect of the football team is adjustable, from the club budget all the way down to individual player movements on-pitch. In order to win games, you'll need to keep an eye on your defensive line, tell your midfielders how to get the ball to your strikers and play to the strengths of your forwards. It's not an easy balance to strike and if you choose to play as a more modest team, you may well have to suffer some soul-crushing defeats before you experience a run of form. This writer's brave Sunderland squad discovered a late burst of Dunkirk fighting spirit to avoid relegation by a single point. It's by no means an easy game, but SI has tried to make some concessions to the data-dazzled newbie."
Eurogamer: "It's a shame when relationships end but it's often for the best. Football Manager and me had it all – long intimate evenings, weekends away, the occasional holiday. I'd thought we never split up. But eventually cracks began to appear, the physical side deteriorated, and we became strangers.
As an early adopter of pretending to manage a football team on a computer (i.e. a semi-autistic weirdo), a chronic addiction to Football Manager seemed my inevitable destiny. My first taste was the original Football Manager on the ZX Spectrum, whose bearded creator, Kevin Toms, appeared beaming on the cassette case cover."
Chris Evans reveals the truth of his younger days playing Football Manager and Championship Manager. His evil underhand tactics to win matches are unveiled for all to see.
The UK's loss of talented developers in the sports genre has been 'utterly huge' according to Miles Jacobson, the studio head of London-based Football Manager developer Sports Interactive.
In an exclusive interview with Develop, Jacobson explained that Canada's exemplary tax break rates – which peak at 40% of dev costs – was the reason why a number of British-born developers now work in cities such as Vancouver and Toronto.
