Football Manager 2018: 10 Essential Fan Demands It Must Include
7. Comprehensive Licensing
Sports Interactive have always been incredibly resourceful when it comes to licensing. The game’s realistic database is a huge part of its appeal, and most of the world’s major clubs and competitions are present in their true form. Some blind spots remain, however, and while it’s unlikely SI will ever purchase a fell set of licenses, it remains a minor complaint every year.
To be fair, they usually do a better job of covering for unlicensed teams than Konami do with PES. There’s no East Dorsetshire or West Midlands Village here: instead, we get Schalke labelled as Gelsenkirchen (the club’s home city), Borussia Monchengladbach as BMG, and a host of Brazilian and Portuguese clubs labelled with similar three-letter initials.
These problems can be neutered by downloading a small third-party patch, but it’s an inconvenience that many fans just can’t be bothered with. These fake club names remove your immersion, and reduce the game’s realism. The same goes for substitute league games and generic club logos, and while EA Sports’ ownership of such licenses makes things difficult, it’d be great to see them included in FM someday.