Learn how the developers of Football Manager stay up-to-date with the latest trends and developments in the football world through #Foottalk.
A Look at Sports Interactive's Unique Approach to Improving Football
Manager and Staying Ahead of the Game.
Football Manager (FM) is a popular football management simulation game developed by Sports Interactive. The game has been around since 1992, and it has evolved significantly over the years. One of the reasons for its success is the continuous improvement and innovation that the developers bring to the game. To achieve this, the developers have a unique way of gathering information to improve the game – they host internal-only sessions called #foottalk.
Really interesting #foottalk today with Kevin Thelwell, Director of Football @Everton learning lots about the DoF role, and how it interacts with other roles at the club to try & improve the way it works in future FM games.
— Miles Jacobson 💙 (@milesSI) March 9, 2023
Huge thanks to Kevin for his time! pic.twitter.com/drSqXxXJn4
In a recent tweet, Miles Jacobson, the Studio Director at Sports Interactive, shared his experience with the #foottalk. According to him, they had an interesting session with Kevin Thelwell, the Director of Football at Everton, to learn more about the Director of Football (DoF) role and how it interacts with other roles at the club. The aim was to improve the way the DoF role works in future FM games.
Exploring Football Manager's #foottalks
The #foottalk is not new to Sports Interactive. As
Miles Jacobson explained in another tweet, the #foottalk is an internal-only
session where they quiz people from the football world on their roles and
experiences. The insights gathered from the sessions help the developers steer
the game's development in the future.
It's interesting to note that the #foottalks are not released externally. According to Miles Jacobson, people wouldn't be as open with their answers if the sessions were made public. The confidentiality of the #foottalks allows for an open and honest discussion, which ultimately leads to more significant improvements in the game.
Miles Jacobson has shared several other instances of #foottalks on his Twitter account. For example, in April 2022, he had a session with the England U21 head coach, Lee Carsley, where they discussed player pathways, individual coaching, and youth coaching in general.
It's interesting to note that the #foottalks are not released externally. According to Miles Jacobson, people wouldn't be as open with their answers if the sessions were made public. The confidentiality of the #foottalks allows for an open and honest discussion, which ultimately leads to more significant improvements in the game.
Learning from Industry Experts
Miles Jacobson has shared several other instances of #foottalks on his Twitter account. For example, in April 2022, he had a session with the England U21 head coach, Lee Carsley, where they discussed player pathways, individual coaching, and youth coaching in general.
In December 2021, he spoke with Ian Holloway, the former footballer and manager, in a session organized in collaboration with the League Managers Association. And in November 2022, he had a tactics masterclass with Brian Sørensen, the manager of Everton Women. These sessions, like the others, help the developers of Football Manager stay up-to-date with the latest trends and developments in the football world.
In response to a question on Twitter, Miles Jacobson stated that there has only been one #foottalk session that did not lead to any change in the game. This is a testament to the effectiveness of the #foottalks in guiding the development of FM.
Overall, the #foottalks are an innovative and effective way of gathering information to improve Football Manager. The developers' commitment to continuously improving the game has helped FM remain a popular choice among football fans. The insights gathered from the #foottalks help to ensure that the game stays relevant and up-to-date with the latest trends and developments in the football world.
In response to a question on Twitter, Miles Jacobson stated that there has only been one #foottalk session that did not lead to any change in the game. This is a testament to the effectiveness of the #foottalks in guiding the development of FM.
Overall, the #foottalks are an innovative and effective way of gathering information to improve Football Manager. The developers' commitment to continuously improving the game has helped FM remain a popular choice among football fans. The insights gathered from the #foottalks help to ensure that the game stays relevant and up-to-date with the latest trends and developments in the football world.
