Xbox Addict

Konami: PES 2014 will be current-gen only

The next iteration of the Pro Evolution Soccer series, PES 2014, will not be appearing on Microsoft’s Xbox One or Sony’s PlayStation 4, with its developers eager to produce something entirely new rather than just a higher-resolution version of its existing engine.

Adam Bhatti, a developer working on the game, confirmed that PES 2014 will be a current-generation exclusive, launching on the Xbox 360 and the PlayStation 3 but not on their next-generation counterparts.

"The fact we’re not on PS4/Xbone with PES 2014 is simple," Bhatti explained onTwitter. "We can’t and shouldn’t be just using higher quality textures etc. [Next-generation PES] should be new. In the past, people accused us of being lazy. We’re adamant of not making the same mistakes, and making sure we create amazing football games. It’s hardly amazing making the next-gen version prettier. We shouldn’t have that mentality, and you shouldn’t expect that. Aim higher."

Bhatti went on to claim that revisions to the underlying game engine made for PES 2014 would make it seem like a next-generation game even on current-generation console, but was hit with a wave of complaints from gamers eager to upgrade when the next-generation devices hit the market later this year.

Pro Evolution Soccer receives annual updates in competition with Electronic Arts’ FIFA series. While EA’s version has licensed team and player names missing from the PES series, fans of the latter have often considered it to have superior gameplay.

Unlike Konami (the publishers of PES), EA is believed to be fully supporting the next-generation console launches, with its 2014 iteration of FIFA due to launch on both Xbox One and PlayStation 4. As a result, football fans eager to play with their new consoles will be left with only one choice.