Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #3517 in Computer & Video Games
• Brand: Eidos
• Released on: 2006-10-12
• Platform: Windows XP

Amazon.co.uk Review:
In a nutshell:
The biggest name in football management returns for a new season in which it’s suddenly the underdog. Despite giving 110% though it doesn’t quite walk away with the silverware this time.

The lowdown:
Since 1993, the Championship Manager series has been the most popular football management game in the world - for a while it was the best selling PC game of all time in the UK! Ever since original developer Sports Interactive left to work on Football Manager for Sega though it’s never quite been the same. This new version is a definite improvement on last year’s game though, with a brand new interface that’s arguably better than any of its rivals. As well as the new Match Analysis Tool there’s also a new team talk feature and the chance to give individual instructions to specific players. The accuracy of the database of players still doesn’t come close to that of Sports Interactive, but it’s still far from second division.

Most exciting moment:
The new Match Analysis Tool is probably the game’s biggest new feature, with a truck load of statistics to examine at the end of every match, for not just the game itself but every individual player involved. Not all of it is always useful but it certainly does help when deciding what changes to make to your side.

Since you ask:
After Sports Interactive left the series, publisher Eidos set-up their own brand new development studio just to work on the Championship Manager series. Named Beautiful Game Studios, the team is based in Wimbledon with their own in-house research team for player statistics.

The bottom line:
Second best is still good enough.-HARRISON DENT

Manufacturer's Description:
Developed by London-based Beautiful Game Studios (BGS), Championship Manager 2007 is a totally new iteration of the best-selling football management simulation. Championship Manager 2007 has a completely new look with new skins, menu shortcuts and a dynamic side bar, all ensuring that every gaming taste is catered for. The introduction of an International Management option enables players to manage their country and be a part of the biggest football tournament in the world.

An innovative new Match Analysis Tool is an ‘under the bonnet’ reveal of statistical information relevant to every player and every game including; goals scored, runs made and shots/passes/tackles made or failed. This offers each manager a true representation of the information on offer to top flight football managers.

Managers will now be able to praise and criticise players in a brand new team talks feature and give individual instructions to players either pre-match or at half time and receive staff feedback on performances. Plus behind the scenes there is also a huge backroom staff of improvements including transfers, negotiations, news, media and pre-match build up along with player and club data accurate up to the closing of the August transfer window, a refined AI system and the introduction of two new leagues: Conference North and South.

Championship Manager 2007 allows you to manage your club to glory, dealing with everything from tactics and training to transfers - everything you would expect a real-life football manager to do without owning a sheepskin coat.

New Features:
ProZone - For the first time, exclusive to Championship Manager, use ProZone for full match analysis – as used by top football managers. This new feature provides you with stats for every player and every game including: goals scored, runs made and shots/passes/tackles made or failed.

Comprehensive data update to player, staff, club and league data - including Conference North and South. Contains all transfers up to the end of August Transfer Window.

International management - Live the ultimate fans dream and manage your country to glory in the biggest tournaments in the world

Overhauled front end interface - All new skins, with ‘Dynamic Side Bar’ and ‘Menu Shortcut’ system.

Team talks - Pre-match, half-time and post match talks. Praise/criticise players and give individual instructions e.g. intimidate/go in hard – but be careful not to start a mass brawl.

Speed navigation (SpeedNav) - The new speed navigation feature allows you to quickly cycle through players, clubs and competitions. Simply use the arrow on the top bar and you will find the game easily cycles to the next option on the quick select menu.

Overhauled player interactions - The player interactions have been totally overhauled for CM2007. You will find that players will respond directly to your promises, so don’t make promises you don’t intend to keep.

Improved contract negotiations - Players will now demand more than just money. You’ll find personalities come into play like never before. In the modern day era players are not happy to sit on the bench, so be sure to offer the correct terms or risk losing out on your star signing.

Overhauled news and media text - The news and media has been given a total re-write, You’ll find that every story you read is more compelling than ever before, making the overall experience of CM a great one.

Improved match engine AI - CM2007 again continues to revamp and improve the football on show. Put your team out and watch them play to your tactics and style of play like never before, offering you the most realistic match action to date.

In-game help - CM2007 comes complete with in-game help so if you’re ever stuck you should find a solution to your problem quickly.

Customer Reviews

CM2007 - a remarkable return to form
What a way to start a new season. Championship Manager 2007 defies all expectations, and delivers exactly where it counts.
The game has given us a more than viable alternative to Football Manager.

First things first. The match engine, at last, plays a decent game of football. You'll see long range goals, scuffed shots perplexing keeper and defence to bobble in off the post, crisp one twos and vicious finishes; or that shot spiralling off the strikers boot and ending up in Row Z.
If only you could really analyze that forwards performance; despite that hi-profile miss, does the rest of his game justify future selection?

This is where Championship Manager 2007 brings out the big guns; with the Match Analysis Tool. It's much like watching Richard Keys analyze each teams post match stats, commenting on their shots, passes, and general areas of play.
But the CM2007 version is far more flexible - and powerful. So it allows you to see what your teams got up to, but also allows micro-analysis of each player's performance.
Want to see all the runs your winger made? All the crosses he managed to successfully deliver; or those that he over-hit to sail over the strikers' heads? Beautiful Game Studios have given the gamer the power to really see what's been going on for the full 90.
There's no hiding behind a "good enough" average rating for your players now. At last you can see who's been misplacing those passes, or not denying the opposition wide men the opportunity to cross. Why rely on a number when you can look at the real evidence?

The Tool also includes a Goals option. It does exactly what it says on the tin - you can see exactly how goals were scored (and where, and when). Was it headed in direct from a corner? Was there an intricate passing build up? Or did your midfielder pick up the ball from his own half, run unchallenged through the midfield, and then unleashed a thunderbolt from 30 yards?
You can quickly and easily see all this (and more) - and importantly see it for your opponents too. Identifying where you've gone wrong is just as important at looking at what you've done right, and the Match Analysis tool let's you do just that.

Truly revolutionary.

While games like Football Manager seem to sit on their laurels and only add incremental features that entirely fail to really bring anything new to the table in terms of gameplay AND realise, Championship Manager is now pushing the boundaries.
According to SI themselves, FM 2007 is indeed "Evolutionary not Revolutionary". You'd wonder why they'd do this, when the previously maligned Championship Manager team are will and eager to try new things and take a chance?
It's no doubt a worry for SI when it takes them a year to come up with less appealing features than CM2007 has managed in just a few short months.

CM2007 is certainly the CM03/04 to the CM4 of Champ Man 2006. The same time between releases, and the same remarkable improvements. Are Beautiful Game Studios at last delivering on some promises? The evidence is there to suggest they most certainly are.

CM2007 also lets you get into the minds of your players more. Is one of your players unhappy? Talk to him DIRECTLY about the issue. A face to face chat. This is REAL man-management...not some media-based excuse for player interaction!
That's right - Championship Manager 2007 has realism right there. The ability to talk with your players and put their minds at rest...or if you so choose upset them, alienate them, drive them from the club. You are the manager, they'd best do what you say!
While other games are happy NOT to let you talk to players face to face, Beautiful Game Studios has breached something that has long been called for and long been needed; and in the 2007 version it's been tweaked and honed and toned to perfection.

For the first Championship Manager in a while International Management is right back in the mix. Much missed, much called for, Beautiful Game Studios have now delivered on this front. Take your side to the Euros in 2 years, and beyond that the World Cup itself - if you are good enough to do so.
Plus, as a manager of a National side, you can ask for manager's opinions on the players you are interested in bringing into the International fold. So what does Aidy Boothroyd think of Ashley Young's chances of playing for England? Does Sir Alex think that Wes Brown can do a job for the side? In CM2007 you can find out.

A final note must go to the much improved transfer system. Things have really opened up here. The restrictive board interference has toned down - no longer will they quibble over a few quid here and there for a transfer fee, or an extra £200 a week wages. Go over the top though, and they'll still raise an eyebrow - no paying £5million for a conference player I'm afraid!

Championship Manager 2007 is a well-rounded, well-designed, and above all a well-intentioned return to form for the CM brand. While Beautiful Game Studios have been listening to the fans, they've also gone out on a limb to try new things. And those things have worked.
This could be the start of a very interesting year or so, and we can only hope that next year's version improves again on this impressive package. I think we are starting to expect it, to be honest.

FM - what's that coming over the hill?

An Own Goal
There is much argument amongst reviewers, and the legions off Champ fans over which side the masses should remain loyal to since the eidos-sports interactive split a few years back.

I've sampled each and every offering from both parties since the split and I must say that the Football Manager series wins hands down. CM 2006 was a decent game with some promise but this latest incarnation is frankly one of the worst games I've ever played. The match engine is an abomination, nobody can pass or control the ball (and I mean nobody, I played as Barca and Ronnie couldn't control a 5 yard pass without knocking it an extra 10 yards ahead of himself), the tackling is none existent, players just run through each other completely disregarding the laws of physics and it seems that every goal scored comes from a cross. The interface is ok but the game still lacks some of the basic features, which has elevated the FM series to new heights. The new team talk interface is good but it is sill fairly limited.

At the end of the day there is only one side to choose, FM is the GAME we all know and love, all eidos have is a brand and they're ruining it, it's not good enough to rush games out and then just bombarding us with patches to fix its glaring deficiencies.

If you are considering buying a football management sim please choose FM the new one is out on Oct 20th and the demo looks great.

It's a funny old game
I was a fan of the CM series from the very first one. But then drifted away from it after I felt they made it too over complicated. Now after a few seasons away I decided to buy the new one and I love it. Granted there are a few bugs such as frequent high scoring games and a few other things but expect patches to be released for these in the near future.

Much has been made of the in-match engine. How players seem to be utterly useless and do stupid things, I can understand the frustration of most but if you are an Ipswich fan like me then you'll think it is ultra realistic!!

What I really like is the introduction of a club benefactor which means you don't have to be Chelsea or such like to have a hope of winning anything.