The Rise and Fall of PES The Full Story of a Football Great
If you are from the group that grew up hitting crazy goals with Adriano from mid-field in PES 6, you saw something big. You saw Pro Evolution Soccer reach the top, only to see it fall into a game that is free and not true to what it once was. But how did this happen. Let's go back in time and track the whole story of PES, from its small start to now.
When It All Began Konami's Surprising Start
Our tale starts not in a game, but in 1969, when Kagemasa Kozuki made Konami. At first, the firm did not make games. It rented and fixed music boxes. In 1978, Konami moved to the hot video game market, beginning with arcade games.
The big wins came in 1981 with hits like Scramble and the huge Frogger. Frogger's win was giant, a key part of life for anyone young in the 90s. This win led Konami to make big games in many types, like Castlevania, Silent Hill, and Metal Gear. The firm's money jumped from $10 million to $300 million from 1987 to 1991.
First Try at Football Early Football Games
While Konami did well in many game types, football games were just starting. Before 1994, there were just two big football games: the dull Pelé's Soccer (1981) and FIFA International Soccer (1993). FIFA was better but still a basic 2D game.
Yet, this opened a door. On December 22, 1994, Konami put out its first football game: Goal Storm (also Winning Eleven in Japan). It changed the game as the first real 3D football game. It got high marks for its new ways, tactical choices, and nine setups a huge step for the type.
The "Japanese" Era Winning Eleven Takes the World
While Goal Storm 2 (1997) was just a small change, Konami's big break was in 1998. For the first and only time, they got the rights to the FIFA World Cup and made Winning Eleven 3: Final Ver.
This game, known as "the Japanese version" in many places, took over. Even with World Cup rights only in Japan, its reach grew wide. In world, you could hear this game everywhere. It made the PlayStation big for many. It kept its fans for a long time after its launch.
The Best Times Pro Evolution Soccer Starts
With PlayStation 2 out, Konami aimed at Europe. They knew "Winning Eleven" wouldn't work there, so they picked a new name: Pro Evolution Soccer. The first game came out on October 25, 2001, starting a big fight between PES and FIFA.
Early on, PES was better. Its play was easy, smart, and fun. It liked fun, fast play over the stiff real feel FIFA went for. The best part was PES 6, a game many call the top football game ever. It was all about fun playing with Ronaldinho, scoring big with Adriano. It wasn't about being super real; it was about having a good time.
A Big Change and A Quick Comeback
Moving to PlayStation 3 was hard for PES. They missed a 2007 game to work on a new setup, and PES 2008 came with big hopes. But, it was a letdown. The game was full of issues and hard to play, pushing fans back to PES 6 or to FIFA, which was doing well with FIFA 07.
Yet, PES came back. PES 2009 was much better, adding the UEFA Champions League and the liked "Become a Legend" mode. For a bit, it felt like the king was back. The game got even better with PES 2013. Cristiano Ronaldo was on the cover, and the play was smooth, fun, and maybe even better than FIFA's. Fans thought PES might be back on top.
The Crash of Fox Engine The End of a Big One
Hope was there but not for long. Konami said that PES 2014 would use the new, much-waited Fox Engine. Everyone was so ready. What they got was, really, one of the worst soccer games ever.
The game was slow, the looks of the players were off, and all the easy fun from PES 13 was gone. This one game hit hard, making lots of players leave for FIFA forever. Even though games like PES 17 and PES 18 got better, the harm was too big. That same year, FIFA 17 came out with the Frostbite engine, getting way ahead in how it looked and felt real.
The last hard hit was when Konami lost the UEFA Champions League rights to FIFA. This was the last big thing that kept many true fans. Without rights, with fewer players, and facing a better game, the end was close.
The Last Game The Start of eFootball
Seeing they couldn't fight FIFA straight on, Konami made a big change. In 2021, they ended the old "Pro Evolution Soccer" name and changed the series to eFootball. The game turned free, aiming at phones and online play.
And with that, the story of PES ended. While the new game tries to make its own way, it's far from the game that once led the soccer gaming world. The path of PES is a tale of high highs and low lows, but for a lot of gamers, it will always be seen as the top of the digital soccer world.
