Football Manager 2015: Release Date, New Features and More for Soccer Sim

Fans of the wildly popular Football Manager series will be delighted to learn that the newest version, Football Manager 2015 is set to release on Nov. 7.

Developer Sports Interactive has grown the popularity of this title since its inception. FM 2014 received a sparkling Metacritic score of 85, thus the upcoming version is one of the more highly anticipated of the genre.

The incredibly detailed sports simulation title has thrust virtual football managers into the role of running a club since 2005. The game has appeared on Xbox 360 and PlayStation Portable, but it has really found its niche on PC/Steam.

Per Kyle Orland of Ars Technica, FM is one of the 20 most-played titles on Steam since 2009. Offering unparalleled customization for leagues and represented countries, FM has become the go-to game for those looking to have complete control of the daily operations of their real-life and created soccer clubs and players.

Some of the new features in FM 2015 are as followed:

• Financial management
• Job interviews
• Manager history and profile
• Media interaction
• Player Roles
• Player search and scouting
• Preferred Player Movements (PPMs)
• Training

In addition to the details listed above, the game also features an interface designed to be cleaner and more efficient for navigation. Because FM isn't an action sports gaming experience, a practical interface is paramount.

Another of the primary new features is the ability to chose whether you'll be a "track-suit" manager or one who spends most of their time off the practice field, and in the front office devising strategies and recruiting players.

There's a new match engine that will hopefully make the in-game action even more appealing than it has been in previous versions.

The preview below breaks down many of the new features in detail, but as mentioned in the opening moments of the presentation, there are more features added than can be discussed in the confines of one video. That said, the presentation is still over 27 minutes long. 

If you need a table of contents for the lengthy, but informative production, here's a guide.

1. Intro [0:00]
2. New User Interface [0:24]
3. Tracksuit Manager [2:01]
4. Match Engine [3:35]
5. Player Roles [8:37]
6. Player Preferred Moves [10:00]
7. Scouting [10:31]
8. Player Search [13:17]
9. Player Interaction [14:06]
10. Press Conferences [16:52]
11. Finance [20:09]
12. Manager Profile [21:45]
13. Job Interviews [23:18]
14. Training [24:21]
15. Movember [25:50]
16. Twitch.TV [26:14]

The detail provided in the game has always been impressive. FM 2015 looks set to build upon its strong base.

Follow Brian Mazique aka FranchisePlay, the Sports Video Game Journalist