Its only a game! (part I)

"Football Manager isn't a matter of life or death. Its much more important than that" - a random FM2007 user.


So, SI Games genius uber-spreadsheet (probably the number one reason for girlfriends ditching their boyfriends) once more engulfs the British gaming public. Why bother with first person shoot'em ups and online troll killing when you can build an empire to rival Bill Shankly's?

Yes, its a game. No, it doesn't have 3D graphics. Yes, it consists of clicking and selecting and watching lickle blobs run around on the screen.

Is it addictive? Oh hell yeah. Like electronic pixel crack, it takes away the need for sleep and social activities such as going out side and talking to other Earthmen or petting creatures. Girlfriends become redundant and beard growth acceptable.

Nobody else has really ever got it right when its come to creating a football management simulation that truly captures the spirit of the real game (remember, thats the one you need to go outside to watch).

Hands up if you've ever punched the air like a nutter when your star playmaker bursts through midfield, floating past oncoming defenders, to slot home a last minute wonder goal in an FA Cup semi-final against your most hated rivals?

As far as pretend goes, Football Manager does it better than anything else on the market.

So, you'll probably wondering what I'm leading up to. Am I about to review the game? Or reveal the secrets behind my wonderful 4-2-3 1 formation? Nope. Neither.

I'd much prefer to discuss something else. The SI 'community'. But that will have to wait for Part II. I have Barcelona away in the Champs League (group stage) to contend with first....


~Spooky