Konami has announced that its PES Manager mobile gaming app- the mobile gaming counterpart to its popular PES football sim series on consoles- has now been updated with new player data, reflecting the new season rosters and rankings, as well as data on all new players- over 1,500 of them, in fact.

The new players also bring with them brand-new uniforms and skill sets to keep users at the top of their game. To further sweeten the deal, players will, for a limited time, receive a special item upon logging into the game, for free.

In addition to new player data, the updates to the game include the availability of a group of national player badges called “National Dream Greats” (NDG) and the even stronger “National Dream STARS” (NDS), which are available in the game from teams such as Germany, Spain, Brazil and more. In addition, Konami promises to keep the app updated as the European football season progresses, so that in addition to enjoying the game, players can also make it their hub for football news and trends.

There are two football franchises in the videogame world- back in the PlayStation 2 days, Konami’s Pro Evolution Soccer (known as Winning Eleven in some parts of the world) used to rule the roost, until EA Sports struck out and stuck hard with its FIFA series of games, and all the myriad of licenses and accompanying game modes that accompany it. FIFA’s domination in the HD era was absolute- PES was more or less a non-factor.

However, since last year, Konami has been hard at work trying to get back into the game, with a resurgent PES 2014 being notably better than FIFA 14. Now, their next game in the series, which can either build on the successes of last year’s installment, or completely undermine them, is being teased, with a first look at the game being promised for this Wednesday.

Stay tuned to GamingBolt for all the coverage on this game- especially since this might be the year that, in a new generation of consoles, PES strikes back.

After reporting on the PlayStation Plus titles that European subscribers would be receiving for free, it was recently revealed what North America subscribers would be receiving.

PS4 users will also be getting Stick it to the Man! on PS4 and Puppeteer on the PlayStation 3 so you can rest assured of some awesome content. Sports fans will have the option of PES 2014 while beat ’em up enthusiasts will have Skullgirls Encore to indulge in. Both games will be on PlayStation 3.

Meanwhile, PS Vita fans will receive two free titles in the form of Limbo and Surge Deluxe, the former being one of the best and most visually appealing platformers of all time.

These games will be available for download on April 30th as part of the Instant Game Collection. Do you see anything you like? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below as well as what you look forward to for next month.

Konami has announced new DLC for its Fox Engine powered, actually surprisingly good, Pro Evolution Soccer 14. The new DLC will come with an all-new World Challenge mode featuring a new International Cup.

The World Challenge mode can be played one of two ways, both providing for compelling gameplay experiences- in team mode, the player governs every aspect of his team as he tries to take the team to victory in the cup, including squad selection, formation, and so on. The player mode sees the player take control of one individual, who has to then perform well throughout the tournament and strive to retain his place in the team.

The DLC will also feature entirely new presentation and front-end elements, with options to view squad details down to the finest detail, while new AI elements will see players responding to strong performances and raising their game, or suffering a crisis of confidence which can affect their playing levels.

The DLC is available March 27 for Xbox 360 and PS3.

A new data pack is now available to download for Konami’s Pro Evolution Soccer 2014.

For those who don’t know, the game launched last year and became one of the first titles to act as a showcase for Kojima’s Fox Engine. The game was mostly a successful reboot of the aging franchise, and revitalized the series, even as FIFA began to show signs of stagnancy.

The data pack updates the game thoroughly, reflecting the current rosters of teams in the real world, after the transfers that took place in January 2014; a whole range of new kits, balls, and boot styles have also been added to the game.

The new kits include tribute kits to a selection of winning sides from the past, such as the AC Milan side of 1899, the 1982/83 Roma side, Benfica’s all-conquering 1961/62 XI and Manchester United’s treble-winning 1998/99 strip. Contemporary teams have also been updated, with the new French, German and Spanish nationals strip updated, alongside those of AS Roma, FC Porto, Olympiakos and Club Atlético All Boys.

Do you own PES 2014? What do you think of the game?

Konami’s rather excellent Pro Evolution Soccer 14 will be getting a major content update via its Free Data pack that will be added for all three versions of the game later this month, and which will add a wealth of content to the game.

The new update adds a host of new kits, balls, and boot styles, all in the name of furthering and cementing its reputation as the go to authentic soccer simulation on the market. The new kits that it adds pay tribute to several historic and winning kits that teams wore at landmark moments in their histories, including replica kits of the AC Milan side of 1899.

In addition to all the content updates, the game will also be getting a patch that goes live at the same time as this update, which will weak AI and gameplay elements and add a new camera to the 11 vs 11 mode, all in response to player feedback for the game.

The data pack also the long-awaited 11 vs. 11 multplayer mode with a new Team Play lobby for online competitions and Master League Online. As for the likenesses that have been added, you can count on Manchester United’s Da Silva twins, Boca Juniors’ Riquelme, Real Madrid’s Isco and England midfielder Jack Wilshere all being included. New strips include teams like Santos, Palmeiras and Flamengo with new boots from Adidas, Nike, Puma and Mizuno present in the Edit mode.

As for myPES, it’s back and can now work as a dedicated app for ranking users. It also displays stats from each match, with more details to be released soon.

The publisher also revealed that its 11 versus 11 online mode is still in the beta stage and should be available within the next few weeks, along with a new update that will add 800 player face updates, roster updates, and general improvements across the board.

PES 2014 is available for multiple platforms including PC and PlayStation 3 but has continuously faced multiplayer issues on the Xbox 360 since release. The new patch should correct things but is it already too late? Regardless, you can check out our review of the game here to decide if it’s still worth the trouble. Stay tuned for more details on updates for the game once they arrive in the coming weeks.

Back in the PlayStation 2 era, Pro Evolution Soccer was king of the hill- as far as soccer (or fine, football) games were concerned, there was nothing else on the market that matched up. Sure, EA Sports made FIFA, but it was clear that it was just a cursory effort every year, while they focused on Madden, their true money spinner. But when we entered the HD era, Pro Evolution Soccer, like so many series (and particularly those made by Japanese developers) struggled to find its footing. Meanwhile, EA Sports swooped in and made quality sports games synonymous with their FIFA brand, which fast overtook Madden as their most lucrative property.

Konami have spent quite a while trying to get PES back on track. This newest installment, PES 2014, represents their most concerted effort yet, with a complete overhaul of the franchise, now built on Kojima’s new Fox Engine, and featuring a spate of improvements, both big and small. The result? It’s the best PES title in years. It’s not the greatest soccer game on the market, not just yet. But what PES 2014 does is lay a solid foundation for the series for the years to come, and hopefully, guide it gently to consistency and better quality on the upcoming generation of consoles.

"For all that authenticity and realism that it aims for, PES 2014 never feels dry or drab, which are often synonymous with 'authentic' as far as video games go. Indeed, it exhibits the life and spirit of the sport, and the enthusiasm that accompanies a football game, extraordinarily well."

Konami’s Pro Evolution Soccer 2014 feels like the most distinct, pronounced and different game from its FIFA competition yet- it feels a bit like Gran Turismo to FIFA’s Need for Speed, like the Arma to FIFA’s Battlefield, like the Rocksmith to FIFA’s Guitar Hero. All of this to say, while FIFA does make concessions to the mass market, to keep itself exciting and thrilling for its audience, PES 2014 aims instead to deliver a more underplayed, authentic football experience. The best part is, it largely succeeds at what it is doing.

And yet, for all that authenticity and realism that it aims for, PES 2014 never feels dry or drab, which are often synonymous with ‘authentic’ as far as video games go. Indeed, it exhibits the life and spirit of the sport, and the enthusiasm that accompanies a football game, extraordinarily well. The stadiums are bustling with life, the crowds and their reactions make you feel like you really are there, on the field, playing with the eyes of tens of thousands of fans on you, as they cheer and jeer, as they gasp and boo. More than anything else, perhaps, this is what really gets you in the game this time around- where in past PES games, the stadiums felt silent, almost lifeless, completely flying in the face of the atmosphere during a typical football match, here, they are alive, electric, bristling with energy.

The stadium and the crowds aren’t the only things that look ‘alive’ in this new iteration. Whereas PES has always prided itself on how it presents the players, this new game is actually breathtaking in how uncannily true to life its players look sometimes. Not just the players and their likelinesses, either- the way they move, their kits, their facial expressions, everything feels like a step up from last year’s game, which now feels almost stilted in comparison.

"On the gameplay side, the game seems to build on last year's entry. This is by no means a bad thing, considering that last year was when PES finally found its groove after a long decline, at least in terms of its core gameplay."

Of course, powering all these great changes is the Fox Engine. It’s clear that it has benefitted the series quite a bit, although its improvements seem to be more on the presentation side rather than the gameplay side.

On the gameplay side, the game seems to build on last year’s entry. This is by no means a bad thing, considering that last year was when PES finally found its groove after a long decline, at least in terms of its core gameplay. PES 2014, building off of last year’s core mechanics, features the same passing centric gameplay; like last year, shooting is a bit trickier, and more frustrating. But unlike last year, this year’s core mechanics benefit from a slew of under the hood improvements. This includes the TrueBall Tech, which offers fully realistic ball physics; this undoubtedly makes the game more difficult and sometimes more unmanageable, but the satisfaction that you can get by executing a proper pass or shot is almost unparalleled.

The other improvement is much more subtle, but its impact is indelible once you realize it’s there- the ‘Heart’ system, which basically is a metagame of player emotions and reactions. Your team basically remembers its performance over a few games, and it will, for instance, react to losing a game it was winning 2-0 until the last five minutes, its morale lowered after that. On the other hand, make a stunning comeback, or just score a breathtaking corner shot, and that will boost their overall morale.

This is a more subtle side of the game, and it has definitely been captured pretty well in PES 2014. It makes the experience feel that much deeper, that much realer. It makes it feel that much more authentic.

"PES 2014 ends up being an authentic portrayal of the heart and soul of the world's favorite sport. It's not the best soccer game on the market, not just yet. But it's close. It's very close, and another year or two of building on the very solid base this year's game provides should get the series there."

The rest of the gameplay, while benefiting from all these changes and improvements, remains the same as ever- it’s still highly technical and demands timing and precision, rather than mindless spamming. But that’s why PES 2014 works. That’s why it still has a place on the market- because it offers something completely different from FIFA’s more video gamey approach to the sport.

There are, of course, natural drawbacks to this game, a lot of which have their roots in the fact that this is the first game built on a new engine: for example, TrueBall can often not work properly, and that can be infuriating. For example, the controls are still demanding, and might not necessarily lend themselves to the more casual style of play that FIFA games do. For example, the framerate stutters and drops. For example, the game does not feature a lot of things that were in previous installments- little things like rain, or a stadium editor. For example, Konami still does not have licenses to some of the biggest teams in the world, and this definitely hurts the game.

Those are all issues, and they are all real knocks against the game when you’re deciding whether you want to buy it. But when it comes right down to it, the real decision should be made on the basis of the core gameplay, and PES 2014 has that nailed completely. In trying to faithfully capture the mechanics of football, PES 2014 ends up being an authentic portrayal of the heart and soul of the world’s favorite sport. It’s not the best soccer game on the market, not just yet. But it’s close. It’s very close, and another year or two of building on the very solid base this year’s game provides should get the series there.

This game was reviewed on PlayStation 3.

Fortunately, Konami is aware of the situation and community spokesperson Adam Bhatti has recommended a temporary fix (which you can read more about here) in order to alleviate the issue. If you’ve been facing problems with PES 2014, don’t worry: Konami is very much on the job handling things.

Sure, you’ll be offline for the time being but what better time to explore all those new systems and modes in the single-player campaign? Let us know below what you think of the current issues.