Xbox Gaming in South Africa

It's that time of the year again, where the two leading names in football gaming head out onto the field to prove their dominance. PES 2012 will be with us in the second week of October, so to get gamers ready to hit the pitch once more, Konami has given a detailed look at the changes and additions to be expected from the footie sim's multiplayer component.

Firstly, the popular Master League Online has been tweaked to allow players to customize their team styles - choosing from balanced play, physical, speed, technique, set-pieces and teamwork - to best fit their style of play. Player contracts will now also play a role, meaning that if you don't secure that star striker's signature come season end he could be on his way. According to Konami there has also been work done to make the fitness elements of the game more realistic.

A new Community Mode has been added too, making it even easier to find opponents and communicate with like-minded gamers via the new community Bulletin Board system. Inter-community matches crank up the rivalries, and the ability to have up to eight people playing at once should lead to some fierce competition. Match-making is said to have been improved too, doing a better job of setting opponents up with those "whose manner resembles their own." Gamers who pull the plug to avoid losing a match will also find themselves locked out of competition, and are more likely to only go up against other gamers with similarly dodgy reputations.

"Online is a key element to PES 2012 and we have worked hard to deliver options that enhance both the competitive edge of the game, and that bolster the solo modes in Master League Online," commented Jon Murphy, European PES Team Leader for Konami. "Those that have previously exploited online loop holes will be punished, while the stunning Active AI will bring a real edge to online games – with the results logged into leagues of your friends and peers. PES 2012 is all about skill, playing a team’s strengths and flowing football – who wouldn’t want to share that with their mates!"

Finally, Konami has also thrown in the now obligatory Facebook integration with the new myPES element, which will give gamers a new way to invite others to join their leagues, track their progress, keep league tables updated and more.

Pro Evolution Soccer 2012 will be out locally on 14 October.