We’re talking about the Fox engine, made with the ambition of being the best engine in the world, and coming pretty close to that goal. But things have been quiet for this fine addition to modern gaming in the years since. With Konami choosing Unreal for development on its current projects, what has happened to the Fox Engine?

Was it a bad move for Konami to abandon one of its best performers? Did the Fox Engine really fall out of favor, or were there more practical concerns at play? Join us as we take a look at a story whose ending could have, and perhaps should have, been a lot happier.

Built With Ambition

The Fox Engine’s lifespan is a showcase of how ambitious Konami was in the years after Metal Gear Solid IV. In an effort to make development across platforms faster and more seamless, Kojima and his team began working on it, intending to use it to reduce the studio’s single-platform dependence while also achieving better visual fidelity and performance in the bargain.

The Fox Engine always had its work cut out for it. But its early previews, where Kojima was clever enough to divest it from the then-upcoming MGSV, showed that it was achieving a favorable response, a sort of affirmation of its capabilities. Even the demo of the engine showcased at E3 2011 was noteworthy for its effectiveness at presenting an immersive take on Metal Gear’s jungle environments.

Of course, an engine built with the vision to be the best one in the world was not going to restrict itself to a single title of franchise. The Fox Engine, despite being named after a significant presence in Metal Gear Solid, would first make an appearance in the 2014 iteration of Pro Evo Soccer.

It also came at a time when proprietary engines seemed to be quite popular with studios, with MT Framework and Luminous engines putting up quite a good fight. The Fox engine was Konami’s way of levelling the playing field, a tool that would allow it to compete with the industry’s best, and perhaps even inch ahead of them in the process. It wasn’t just about MGSV. It was about a whole other bunch of projects that would follow it.

As expected, it did perform as it was intended to. It not only ran well on the PS4, Xbox One, and PC with performance at 60fps and excellent visual parity, but it also delivered excellent results on the awfully underpowered PS3 and Xbox 360. It brought almost photorealistic graphics to the table, with gamers even challenged to identify between two images of a staff room at Konami, one of them having been rendered by the engine.

It could also render huge outdoor spaces with aplomb, and bring excellent lighting options to the table in addition to facilitating dynamic weather and day/night systems. Stealth mechanics were also handled quite well, making it a very versatile presence in the gaming industry at the time. It also made things easy for developers, showcasing its utility across the supply chain of a video game’s life. It proved itself quite well, earning its reputation after stellar showings with the PES and Metal Gear franchises.

Heck, there were even plans to make the engine accessible to a wide range of individuals, something that MGS5 modders would have deeply appreciated. But of course, things never really went according to plan, and it’s now time to sail into melancholy waters as the Fox Engine’s descent into obscurity begins here.

The Price of Dreams

The Fox engine was built as the result of a dream to create the world’s best gaming engine. But dreams like that come with a hefty price tag. An engine that performed as well as it did required huge initial investments into R&D, while maintaining the engine and sustaining its utility in an ever-changing landscape of gaming hardware would require constant upkeep, along with the manpower required for the job.

Add in new consoles and the possibility of other studios working with the engine and potentially requiring support on it, and you begin to see just how staggeringly expensive it could be to maintain a proprietary engine and keep it relevant enough to be profitable in modern gaming. However, with Kojima Productions at its side, Konami might have been able to stand by its own creation and perhaps even see it achieve true greatness over the years.

But the studio’s well-documented differences with Kojima would see the director and a lot of his former team at Kojima Productions make an exit from the company. It’s here that the Fox engine hit its first hurdle, as a lot of the staff who had now left the company were the ones with the expertise for its upkeep. In their absence, ensuring it remained viable would have been quite an expensive affair for Konami.

While things weren’t as bad in the short term, as the exit of folks who understand an engine doesn’t necessarily mean it immediately loses ground, the dissolution of the Kojima Productions team was the first domino to fall for the Fox engine. Its role in the immediate aftermath of Kojima’s exit is a showcase of that drop in momentum, as it would go on to power almost seven years of Pro Evolution Soccer titles with little to nothing else on its plate.

While that does not diminish the prestige that comes with being the life force behind a franchise like PES, it does show how the focus of an engine that was once meant to power a multitude of projects has now been narrowed down, signalled for the tech. But shouldn’t the results it managed from that franchise have been a catalyst for its update to work with current-gen machines? It did give PES some excellent lookers over the years, along with facilitating derivative tech like Fluidity, which was a great indicator that it could handle animation-heavy sport titles alongside stealth-action ones. The engine was certainly versatile and would have been a valuable tool in Konami’s arsenal had the studio chosen to stick with it.

Alas, that wasn’t where this story goes. But why would a studio choose to leave something it invested so much into behind? Did the fallout with Kojima Productions leave a bad taste in Konami’s mouth? Or was it perhaps something more banal?

Unreal Numbers

There are two important titles that answer this question, both of which use Unreal instead of Fox to power the experiences they offer. The first one is eFootball 2022, which not only swapped out Fox in favor of Unreal during its development, but was a reboot of the PES franchise. That was always going to be a scary bet, and it’s a significant one because it showcased how the Fox engine had certainly fallen out of favor at this point.

But is that the engine’s fault? It was solid tech that churned out reliable results. So why would Konami make such a big bet on Unreal? That’s easy. It was just easier to build out a new experience on the Unreal engine instead of attempting to usher Fox into the current-gen era. The latter would require hiring new experts to work on ageing internal tech, while the former would likely bring talent already familiar with it to the table.

And yet, Konami’s teams were made to work with new tech and a new live-service model on top of a new animation system. The burden of high expectations and the need to craft for the current generation of consoles drove Konami to switch away from an engine that had delivered consistent, reliable results. The results were a title with sloppy animations, horrendous facial models, and bugs, which resulted in the reboot getting a lot of backlash.

It’s rather ironic that the switch to a “modern” engine brought those problems along. But it was a fall Konami had to take, and the studio has since lived and learned from the experience. The second title that’s important is Konami’s Unreal-powered remake of Snake Eater, an experience that brings a second irony to light.

The franchise that birthed the Fox engine has now moved to Unreal and even managed to be a great experience overall. The visual polish was welcome, but the quality of life changes that Konami implemented ushered the game into a modern avatar that’s going to see it continue to be one of modern gaming’s finest titles and a feather in Kojima and his team’s cap, even as his journey has taken him in another direction.

The Fox engine was the last ember of a once-flourishing relationship, and might have been behind some great next-gen experiences like a spiritual successor to Metal Gear Solid, more crisp sports titles, and perhaps even a Silent Hill title fully realized with its extensive skill set. It’s a great example of incredible tech simply pushed into obscurity by more cost-effective and convenient options.

The Fox engine didn’t lose to spite or negative emotions stemming from the circumstances of its creator’s departure from Konami. It simply fell victim to entropy, unable to withstand the test of time in an ever-evolving industry. Unfortunately, it’s now collecting dust, and with its use case more or less finished, Konami can make it open source. Perhaps I am dreaming?

But it does live on in its own way, with Kojima Productions moving on, and with Guerrilla Games, the Decima engine is now carrying the torch for what a very talented team of individuals can achieve when they work towards a daring dream. The engine that started it all will remain a fond memory and a testament to true talent.

Note: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of, and should not be attributed to, GamingBolt as an organization.

Konami has announced its financial results for the quarter of the fiscal year which ended on September 30^th. Overall there has been a significant increase in revenue and profit over the year. Video games continue to be the most profitable source of income for the company.

Konami has stated that they have “high hopes for the game industry to offer new experiences through game content in various ways.” In light of this, the company is hopeful that people will spend money to “enrich daily life” and video games can offer such new experiences that people desire.

Mobile games such as Yu-Gi-Oh! and Duel Links continue to sell well on mobile devices. The latest iteration of Pro Evolution Soccer has also been doing well and has received favorable reviews.

As ways of reaching audiences have diversified, Konami believes in making video game experiences unique to t capabilities of each platform. Konami will continue to work in the realm of eSports and with reference to card games ,will continue “aggressive promotions within the area of eSports.”

Konami also made a mention of upcoming games such as Metal Gear Survive which will be out in February, 2018 and ANUBIS ZONE OF THE ENDERS : Ｍ∀ＲＳ which is set to be released sometime in 2018.

Konami isn’t done making AAA titles just yet.

Following a report several days ago that stated Konami was halting development on all major AAA titles aside from Pro Evolution Soccer, which presumably led to the departure of FOX Engine overseer Julien Merceron, the publisher’s customer support spoke to Nintendo Life and clarified things.

“I can promise you that we’re definitely not leaving Metal Gear behind or anything like that. I know some blogs were claiming that online this morning, but I’m not really sure where they’d be getting that from.

“We’re still definitely working on console games and franchises such as Metal Gear, Silent Hill, Castlevania, PES and all the rest.”

The question at this point remains though – what’s next for Konami, especially given all the controversies it’s endured this year including the departure of Hideo Kojima? Time will tell so stay tuned for more information and let us know what you think in the comments.

Some of those new systems include PES ID for realistically identifying players (with twice as many real-world animations and mannerisms for players as PES 2013); Team Play for tactics among members; the Motion Animation Stability System or M.A.S.S.; True Ball Tech; and new mental attributes for each player that can be affected, also known as Heart.

For real.

Creative Producer Kei Masuda stated that, “Thinking outside the box on an annual series such as PES is not easy, but the Fox Engine has allowed us to develop such a level of freedom that we are constantly realising ways of making PES 2014 a true representation of football.

“From the moment football fans pick up the controller and experiment with the close control, player movement and get to know how teams work and move, we are confident that they will see a game no longer limited by technology, but capable of growing with them and constantly surprising with the breath-taking quality they have to come to expect from the real thing.”

Konami has a ton of announcements for this year’s show, including Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain, the next Pro Evolution Soccer, and a new trailer for Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2 among other things.

President of Konami Digital Entertainment Tomoyuki Tsuboi stated that, “Konami is bringing back the Pre-E3 show once again this year, with the biggest and best content the company has to offer. We have partnered with the best in the industry, CBS Interactive and Gamespot, to provide our fans updates on some of their favorite franchises, all in advance of the world’s marquee video game conference.”

E3 2013 will be taking place at Los Angeles Convention Centre from June 11th to June 13th.

The first hurdle PES has had to overcome is its control scheme; to the newcomer and FIFA convert, the native controls controls can appear somewhat daunting, with crosses and shots reversed and many other intricacies altered in such a way that PES has an almost entirely different feel. This is no fault of the game, by and large, merely a different style of play and game. Some buttons feel far more intuitive than FIFA, with others comparatively nonsensical. Mapping shoot to X/Square might initially pose some problems, but for most gamers it’s where the right thumb most frequently lies, making it both readily available and at the same time significantly more comfortable. Conversely sprint on the right shoulder harks of the ‘tap to sprint’ era of the turn of the century and whilst mapping it to the same button as soft tackle upon defence, not opting for the right trigger causes discomfort, never designed to be held down for long periods of time, typically the least frequently used and most fleeting, legacy might be important but so are ergonomics.

PES may be devoid of big-budget licensing deals, Cristiano Ronaldo aside, but snapping up two major continental competitions has been a masterstroke. But a few years ago these competitions formed games in their own right, now relegated to mere building blocks for a more comprehensive footballing experience. Full licensed, with the intro and humorously self-indulgent anthem, PES recreates the fervour and spectacle of the Champions League rather well, allowing for both offline and online play with any of 32 fully-licensed European sides, even if only Manchester United of feature from the Premier League and reigning champions Chelsea do not. Accompanying the Champions League is the Copa Libertadores, whilst not the most publicised competition in Europe, in South America the sensation caused is other-worldly; a smart move to capitalise on such a grossly neglected market.

The overall feel of Pro Evo 2013 is a much greater fluidity and looseness when set up against FIFA, the ball more liable to spin and bounce with a hitherto unknown degree of authenticity, never more present than during goalkeeper saves and deflections. The ball physics are absolutely sublime, spin and deflecting kills speed and flummox everybody, with saves and parries with both more direction but an added degree of uncertainty through the Dynamic First Touch system. ‘Regular’ player control feels like FIFA’s close control system, players naturally duck and dodge to a greater degree, and FullControl taking this to an entirely new level. Initially feeling clunky and unresponsive, taming this beast will reap the most prestigious of rewards.

An equal amount of complexity is also apparent in off-the-ball player movement, automatically players make far more ferocious attacking runs, with multiple means of manually controlling two players at a time. Using the right stick, secondary players can be fully controlled, mind-bogglingly complex at the outset but has the potential to be absolutely lethal. More user-friendly are the manual set piece controls, again RS manually moving a second player allowing for fantastic set piece control with, making flick-ons, indirect free kicks and corners far more fluid and believable, blowing FIFA’s relatively static and lifeless system completely out of the water.

Gone is the incessant drone of Andy Townsend and even if the array of commentary is vastly slimmer, at least his replacements provide comparatively dulcet, warming tones in John Champion and Jim Beglin, a selling point in its own right.

One of the most impressive things about PES is it’s unique visual style, heavy on neck varicose veins and an impressive attention to visual detail in its craft of even the little known players. Even in an unlicensed team like West Midlands Stripes -West Bromwich Albion to you and I- player likenesses are rather astounding, each player manually designed to look uncannily like their real life counterparts, players rarely have the eerie Goldeneye look that some of the mid-level FIFA players do.

With the Player ID system, fast players have a Usain Bolt quality, world class in PES 2013 really does mean that. Ronaldo does his quirky little shuffle, Lionel Messi will skip around you like a ghost in the wind and The Potteries, or Stoke, feel like the lumbering Ents they are. Players improvisation on the fly and if a ball is played in too close, players adjust their feet to try and get a shot or a pass away, even if at the expense of accuracy

One of the major selling points of for FIFA-converts seems to be the training system, a nice idea which in reality will cause many a broken controller and fantasy fist shaking. It’s a great idea, but executed like a Peter Crouch scissor-kick, cumbersome, unwieldy and very rarely accurate. The simple issue is that it doesn’t inform the new player as to where they are going wrong, leaving the played frustrated and unwilling to continue.

PES 2013 has a slather of game modes, be it the online or offline licensed competitions, quickplay or the intriguingly named Football Life. First is Master League, designed as a fictional management mode where you start with a team of nobodies, excellent for Football Manager regen enthusiasts, building them into a force to be reckoned with, even if it does mean putting up with some mindless mute cutscenes. Teams can be formed using real players, but is a little dull and not what this mode was designed for at all. Master League can also be played online, pitting your fictional teams against others. Also making a return is the Become a Legend mode -read: Be a Pro for FIFA heads- in which you control a real-life, or fictional player in your quest to become a, you guessed it, legend.

Fundamentally goals in PES feel immeasurably rewarding, especially when well-worked and tiki-taka feels sublime, especially when using fully manual passing and shooting. The control scheme can seem a little bewildering at first, but by and large it suits the job just fine and with the off-the-ball control, far excel’s FIFA’s current ability. 2012 isn’t exactly going to be the year of the FIFA slaying, but PES 2013 is a brilliant game, a perfectly viable alternative to FIFA 13 and if Konami continue to approach their game in this way, we could have a very tasty showdown next season.

This game was reviewed on the Xbox 360.

In what represents a significant restructuring for Konami, leaving its base in Germany, this move will see Konami Digital Entertainment GmbH merge with Konami Digital Entertainment B.V.

This move is part of Konami’s aim “to ensure each territory can provide a more localised service”. Recently Konami also announced the opening of a dedicated Pro Evolution Soccer studio in the UK.

Regional offices in France, Germany and Spain will retain their roles and whilst the HQ will no longer be German-based, Konami insist that it will still have a large presence in the country.

Konami’s Digital Entertainment GmbH President Shinji Hirano said, “These are changes to match a very exciting and challenging time for video game publishers.We want to show our commitment to the consumers in each territory by establishing close relationships that deliver what they particularly want and need, and to create rapport between us that benefits both sides.”

Source: MCV

Fox Engine is Konami’s next generation multiplatform engine intended for making it easy to develop games and pushing the visual bar.

It has been revealed that the Pro Evolution Soccer series will utilize this engine next gen to gain back their market share lost to FIFA.

This information was revealed at a Pro Evolution Soccer 2013 event in Brazil by senior producer Naoya Hatsumi, Eurogamer reports.

“What we are trying to do is we are going to win back the crown when it comes to the next generation. That’s what we want to do, and to do this we need to have a new engine. That’s what we think,” Hatsumi said.

“We have to use a new engine. Have you heard of the Fox Engine? We are working very closely with them.”

So there you go, it remains to be seen as how EA counters this next gen, and whether they will use their spectacular Frostbite 2 engine.

Tell us what you think in the comments section below.

]]> https://gamingbolt.com/pro-evolution-soccer-to-use-kojimas-fox-engine-next-gen/feed 1 91307 https://gamingbolt.com/pro-evolution-soccer-2013-unveiled-screenshots-and-trailer-inside https://gamingbolt.com/pro-evolution-soccer-2013-unveiled-screenshots-and-trailer-inside#respond Tue, 24 Apr 2012 10:33:51 +0000 http://gamingbolt.com/?p=83093

Konami has announced PES 2013 and has also revealed some new information on the game. The game will be released this autumn for the PS3, Xbox 360, PC and a plethora of other platforms.

You can check out more info at their official site here.

The term PES Full Control describes several new and improved features that give you even more control about the players and the ball in PES 2013.

• Total Freedom of Control:
  Pro Evolution Soccer introduced the concept of freedom of movement, the new ‘PES FC’ in PES 2013 goes further with total freedom over ball control.

• Dynamic First Touch: PES 2013 introduces subtle ways to receive the ball, from traps, gently lifting it past an attacker to run on to or a variety of other moves. First touch is everything and players can trap the ball using the R2 button, killing the speed of a well-hit pass and bringing it instantly under control, or using the momentum of the pass to turn a defender.

• Full Manual Shooting and Full Manual Passing:
  PES 2013 offers fully manual passing and for the first time ever manual shooting, allowing users to determine the height and power of each. Long low passes can be sent skimming across the pitch, while shooting the user has total control over where the shot is placed. Skill and precision are needed to master these, but passes can be made into open areas, allowing lone strikers to thrive, while offering an unrivalled variety in ways to score.

Full Manual Shooting and Full Manual Passing: PES 2013 offers fully manual passing and for the first time ever manual shooting.

• Dribbling:
  The speed with which a player moves with the ball has been slowed in line with real matches, but using R2 allows players to add various styles to their close control. Players can vary the speed of their dribbling, and cushion the ball as they move freely within a 360-degree circle. The new system allows players to knock a ball past a player and collect it, nutmeg them, or hold up play by shielding the ball as team mates find space and make runs.

• Full Manual One-Two:
  Active one-two passes can be made, with the second player being moved in any direction), facilitating various tactical movements.

• Response Defending:
  Countering the attacking options the new dribbling system offers, is a beautifully-balanced defence system. Players can use R2 and X to slow an attack, with a double-tap of the X button prompting a perfectly-timed challenge. Full 360-degree control means that players can check runs and steal the ball from a parallel position, while the individuality element will see world renowned defenders using aerial dominance of physicality to win the ball.

• Goalkeepers:
  Even the game’s ‘keepers benefit from more control, while their distribution is more precise thanks to the addition of a power gauge when they throw the ball, creating opportunities for new, quicker counter attacks.

Our UK correspondent George Reith recently had the opportunity to conduct a telephonic interview with EA Sports. We were able to ask them several questions about FIFA 12. Gameplay director Aaron McHardy said, when asked what they felt about Konami’s competing series Pro Evolution Soccer, that “it’s good to have the Konami guys around” and that they both push each other to make better football games.

“I think it’s a good think to have big competitors like ourselves and Konami in the same space,” he said. “We’re always pushing each other, and we’ve always got one eye on what they do. They’ve been making fantastic games for years.”

“And, you know, we’re watching what they do and they like to watch what we do,” he continued. “I guess the two big games in the same market really push each other to really not relax and keep pushing the boundaries of what can be done in a football game.

“So it’s good to have the Konami guys around. And I’m sure, like I said, they’re watching us and we’re watching them and we’re pretty conscious of each other.”

Stay tuned to GamingBolt for the massive full interview. Till then, we’ll keep you hitting with more updates.