Article

The Beautiful Game

Watching Romania versus France, one of the commentators made a fantastic remark. After one of the severely scarce chances he commented, "This could turn into a decent game if they're not careful!" I've watched every minute of Euro 2008 and so far I've been underwhelmed by the majority of them. This got me thinking; what are these games lacking? What could turn this dross into the beautiful game? h3. The involvement of your club: p. This is obviously the first thing that comes to mind as an Englishman watching Euro 2008. Of course there is nothing like having your team on the pitch to make a game exciting. We share their victories and their defeats as if they are our own. h3. Great players: p. Sometimes even opposing players earn our respect and admiration. The prodigious skill, good sportsmanship, and charisma of some players makes them fascinating to watch, even if they're attacking our net! h3. The efforts of the underdog: p. This is probably the most disappointing aspect of the five matches of Euro 2008 that have taken place at the time of writing; the weaker sides are showing little to upset the odds (Romania arguably the exception but I reckon they're a decent side in their own right). As exciting as any four goal thriller is the underdog's hard-earned 1-0 against the tournament favourites. h3. The big prize: p. There's nothing like a cup tie atmosphere or those last nail-biting weeks of the league season when we will our teams to be in contention when it comes to the crunch. A piece of silverware in the cabinet for the club and a year's bragging rights for the fans are the rewards of dedicating ourselves to the club. h3. Rivalry: p. A good local derby or national rivalry can do wonders for a game of football. The best players seem to find that extra 10% and give their all to get one up on their arch-enemies. Stealing six points from your neighbours can feel as good as lifting the cup! p. You might be thinking to yourself that I should be spending less time thinking about things like this and more time thinking about Football Superstars, but I've already prepared a comeback! Ha! h2. Football Superstars p. From one beautiful game to another my thoughts flipped from Euro 2008 to the virtual but no less real Football Superstars. FS bears all five of these hallmarks of a top notch game of football. h3. The involvement of your club: p. As you've probably read, when you first create your character you'll be drafted in to one of 14 FS Clubs, each with its own history and values. You'll soon find one that suits you and in no time it'll be as close to your heart as any team you've supported before. Of course sooner or later we'll see players transcending to management and starting their own clubs and more than ever we'll have teams that we can truly call ours. h3. Great players: p. As players gain experience they will become able to exhibit phenomenal skill on the pitch and through community-created news articles and of course the banter in the bars and clubs we'll all be hearing about the top players. As their fame grows, players will be able to talk to newspaper, radio, and television journalists in the lifestyle world and reap the rewards for making the headlines. h3. The efforts of the underdog: p. While in many games a level one player can do nothing but shiver in fear at the prospect of an encounter with a level 50 player, Football Superstars has been designed to always give the underdog a chance. p. Players who've put in the time and effort to train their character's skills and abilities will always have a significant advantage over a newcomer to the game, but giant-killings will certainly be possible if the newcomer has enough natural talent and will to win. h3. The big prize: p. Competition will be fierce in Football Superstars and with shorter seasons the chance to fight for silverware will come around a lot more often - and there's never an off-season! h3. Rivalry: p. With the 14 FS Clubs deliberately situated in particular areas of the game's world, local rivalries will be apparent from day one. If these aren't enough to get your blood boiling before a kick-off, competition will undoubtedly spark rivalries between clubs. Did your arch-enemy beat you to the title on the last day of the season? Don't let 'em get away with it next time! With FS moving a step closer to completion every day, the stage is set for Football Superstars to produce beautiful games every day. We've built the world and soon it will be time for you to make it your own. It's you who will be making history every day and giving the clubs their stories. FS gives football back to the fans, and ultimately it is the way you play that will decide if Football Superstars is the beautiful game.