Even More FIFA 06

I played around with career mode today, and it's pretty cool. You have three variables that are impacted by your performance and your actions (more on that in a minute): job security, team chemistry, and fan support. How much you win, and how you respond to media inquiries and other requests, as well as your financial performance, affect your job security (on a scale of 0-100). Don't let it dip too low, or you'll get fired (which happened to me)! In addition to your wins and reputation, how much you charge for tickets (low, medium, or high) affects fan support. Lastly, where you play players, who you play, and how you juggle the roster through transfers and signings impact team chemistry, which (supposedly) impacts player performance.

Periodically throughout the season, you will receive e-mails from management, questions from the media, and special requests (like visiting the sick child in the hospital). You're given a list of choices to respond to the inquiry, and what you choose can positively or negatively impact the three aforementioned variables. Football Manager fans are yawning right now, but I believe this is uncharted waters for console "football." EA has really made strides to add some of those extemporaneous features that mainly only text sims offer. They're not nearly as fleshed-out, but I appreciate the effort, and it adds to the immersion.

Other niceties include the ability to upgrade your coaching staff, which (supposedly) has in impact on the dynamic player ratings (they change game-to-game), and the ability to send a scout to different regions in the world to locate and sign players (outside of the transfer window, to boot). This all costs money, and your only sources of revenue are the sponsor contract you sign and ticket sales, so solid fiscal strategy and planning plays a role, especially considering that you'll want adequate funds for when the transfer market opens up. The one thing I don't like is that when you upgrade a coach (on a scale from 1 to 10), it actually gets rid of the old coach and gives you a new one. Realistically, during the season, there would never be that many coaching changes. I'd prefer to see some type of licensing system (like the real FIFA uses) instead, but it's a minor detail for me.

As I mentioned, while simulating my first year, I actually got sacked after a fairly long losing streak. The game simply simulates to the end of the season, and then you're back to where you started - taking a job, signing a sponsorship contract, and so forth. My friend Adam will be delighted to hear that his beloved Hartlepool welcomed me with open arms after I failed miserably with my less-than-adequate Columbus Crew! It is a game, though, and it wouldn't be fun if it were TOO realistic!