Great picture!

One of the Sony Soccer (or football in the UK) games had diving in it. It worked the same way that it's being described in Pro Evo 8. I think it's a stupid feature to have too. However, it IS a simulation of real life and if there is one thing Winning Eleven/Pro Evo is good at it's simulation. Compared to FIFA's arcadey style. I will of course be picking up both this year.

I just hope you can turn this feature off in the options menu. Although, it could be quite a fun gimmick for a few matches.

I think the game was Fifa 95 were you could hold all shoulder buttons and dive. I think its a good idea, especially when your playing with your friends and it enrages them ahaha....

Oh, this is great.
Fifa 98 also had this 'feature' if I'm not mistaken.

They probably added the feature so that the game will appeal more to Italian football fans.

The game was Fever Pitch Soccer (aka Head-On Soccer). It was released on the SNES and Jaguar if I remember correctly. I loved that game and thought the diving was a fun touch. I think this will be a good edition to the PES series.

@Prophane33: This is Soccer. Yeh i remember that.

What a horrible idea. Diving/embellishing should never be a feature in any sports game.

thats why you should get fifa.. plus PES reminds me of some cheaply made pirated soccer game i used to play when i visited mexico.

Diving is part of the game, if you want an accurate simulation you've gotta have that, I suppose. I'm interested in seeing how touchy it is and how easy it is to pull off successfully in gameplay.

ISS 98 on the N64 had diving as well.

Can't shake the fact that they made a deal with the guys who manufacture gamepads. I've broken about 3 of those playing the current version, 2 alone in frustration over Adriano's insane uberpowered abilities.

With this thing, I'm not sure I should be allowed to play unsupervised, or my TV might suffer.

That's so awsome. Sure to get some of that "emotional response" developers are lusting for.

Kotaku are a bit late on this one, its been known for about 2 months ;-). But there's no need to worry Luke, it's very hard to dive successfully (ie. get decisions to go your way after pulling one off). You have to make sure the ref has a constricted view to have any chance (other players in the way of his eyeline).

I personally cannot wait to try this out (in This is Football I'll never forget getting a mates players sent off in the box - straight red), good times.

i think there was one Fifa that had a diving movement too...
( 97, 98...i dont remember right now)

btw, for me this was one of the few things that PES was lacking, now im happy :)

I used to play a footy game that featured diving, I forget the name but it was always funny to dive when there was absolutely nobody anywhere near you as the ref would quite often give a foul anyway =)

As for Pro Evo 8, I think it will be fun to have diving. I would also like spitting, swearing and a selection of hand gestures.

Diving WILL suck online, but Pro Evo and FIFA have never been much cop online - they are best played with mates that are located within punching distance.

no problem as long as you can turn it off.

also if you want realism. make sure the ref makes bad decisions ALL THE TIME. also have the "fans" demolish whatever city the game is being played in.

ISS '98 and 2000 on the N64 both had diving and it was implemented in a way that was realistic.

For example, if a player with the ball was running past an opponent player and the defender did a standing tackle and tapped me, your player stumbled and you could press all the 'c-buttons' and the player continued the stumble motion into a fall. Which is realistic and not really a dive.. Why should one struggle to continue going forwards in an awkward way when you can have a free-kick or penalty?

Aslong as it is implemented in a way that is realistic like this, rather than just random falling over seen in Fifa '98 RTWC and others, then you have a realistic new component to an already successful game.

Its alot better than the 'punch button' in Viva Football on PSone.

how appropriate choosing thierry henry as the posterboy for diving- hehe

someone must be a spurs or england fan on your staff...

I wonder if the national teams of Italy and England will reflect their different attitude towards this when the computer is playing against you.

@4thVariety:
I assume it'll be factored in the AI if that's the case.

Thats nothing, until they put the Zidane head attack, I wont be impressed. ;D

Even Pele's Soccer for the 2600 had diving.

...at least I think that's what those three squares were doing. :)

My former flatmate accuses me of diving in every game as it is, so god knows what it'll be like now!

*sigh*

@thesillyone: You serious. Fifa sucks balls. PES is a real football game, diving is a part of football so should be included to make the games better. Still this feature was annouced months ago

@Witzbold: YEAH! They should add "Yo sista is a ****" insults and headbutting for the complete SIM experience!

Pretending to be fouled in a football videogame? That's taking simulation too far. Here's a tipp to the devs: You don't have to simulate the crappy parts of the sport, you know?

This doesn't make the game better, it just makes it more realistic. Not the same thing.

I don't want to die in an FPS after taking one shot. I don't want to fly out of the course and be out of the race just because I break a bit too late. I don't want a game of Baseball to actually last hours. There is such a thing as too realistic.

There was diving in Fifa 98:Road to the World Cup and Fifa:World Cup 98 as well. Sucked then but was always funny to run straight at the keeper and take a dive! Usually nothing was given but now and then the keeper got a straight red.
Hopefully it'll be better in PES than FIFA's attempt at it.

@adamcole: Yeah, and the graphics of Pelé's Soccer were so good, you could literally see what brand of shoes the players were wearing. To this day, I think it's the most advanced simulation of the sport. True story.

This brings back a certain USA cup match that ended badly.

Can't wait til the simulation soccer games pick this up and have 'frequency of dives' slider.

To you nya sayers, it is as much of soccer as Drugs (steroids) are to baseball.

Welcomed? No, but does it happen and everyone knows about it? Saddly yah

ITS FOOTBALL NOT SOCCER.
as long as the diving is handled well (i.e. Depends on the position of the ref, if you dont get the penalty you get a card etc.)

Americans shouldn't comment on football until you get any good at it.

its bad enough it happens in real life. i dont like this one bit.

What next, you get to duke it out controlling RTS style your whole team if you disagree with the call?

I like how they're bringing
in this kind of Splinter Cell/
Thiefish element where instead
of the enemy guards spotting
you it's the refs. I say cheat
away as long as the refs
aren't looking.

I think its just being included to create talking points in multiplayer - I personally cant wait to piss my mates off with an 89th minute dodgy decision.

.

@FOFFITY
at ease, tiger. usa v portugal ring any bells? how about CONCACAF Gold Cup 2007 Champions? how does that make you feel?

SHAKE... and bake!

.

love it or hate it, this means Argentina will now be unstoppable!

Now this is a soccer sim!!!

@Foffity:
"Americans shouldn't comment on football until you get any good at it."

It's been 38 years since England has been "good at it", mate.

@rainofwalrus:
The Gold Cup?!? That's damning with faint praise.

What they should do is get rid of it in real life! All it takes is a video referee or 2 and about 10 seconds of game time. That would certainly put a stop to it. Then they can get rid of it in future versions of PES.

CONCACAF?? lol. the only other half decent team in the competition is Mexico. When you're at the level of teams like Brazil, the Argies and anyone in Europe, then you can start to be taken seriously. Is it any surprise that most of your best players play in the EPL (the best league in the world) when your domestic teams are such a joke.
Even David 'I'm completely over-paid and over-rated' Beckham can't stop LA Galaxy losing 'cos all the rest of the team is terrible.

@rainofwalrus:
Yeah, I really hope there's a "diving stat" for each player and some are better at it than others, like the italians or argentinians (let the flame war begin).
All in all, as it was said, if it's done properly, I guess it could be a fun feature. (If I was Konami, I would put the option to turn it off, especially in Online modes, just in case people abuse it).

What it needs too is a proper replay to show your opponent how you fooled the ref.

world tour soccer has this feature to dive too...but i dint find it too useful....but it might be fun to use i guess.

You could always buy a real football game like Madden. ;-)

@gils0n: In that case, why does your 'real' football primarily involve throwing the ball??

.

@MOKONA, no doubt. HOLD LT + RB + X for Catsup Packet Dive! I can't wait to play English blokes, you think they hate Argentina now? oh man, this is gonna be World Cup 1998 all over again!

I'm gonna learn actual Argentina goal-celebrations and dance around my living room after any/all unfair, lategame, PK-cheese!

Aha! I finally understand why RONALDO is on the cover of Pro Evo 2008!

@JOHNZIM

One thinks Drogba should be on there too.

Now if only they could make it so Lampard can only score using a deflection and sky the rest... it will be perfect!

Yep, looking at the back of my EA World Cup 98 CD - Q for Dive (also when on defense, Q for intentional foul)

@scndmg: I'm with you on that. Gotta be optional!