Winning Eleven

"Winning Eleven" is a soccer/football video game series made by Konami Tokyo. It is the original Japanese version of "Pro Evolution Soccer".

History and Features

Every year, the new version of the game is released first as "Winning Eleven" in Japan, and after a few months a slightly modified version is released worldwide, in two different packages: "World Soccer Winning Eleven" for the Americans, and "Pro Evolution Soccer" for the rest of the world. Additionally, in some countries a localized version is released, featuring local leagues and teams, instead of European ones. In 2007, the franchise used the name "Winning Eleven: Pro Evolution Soccer" for the American market, which transitioned to Pro Evolution Soccer in 2008, dropping the Winning Eleven moniker entirely for that region.This game is the number one game in the Middle East.

Eleven's" popularity has grown over the yea"Winningrs, one and is currently of the most popular football games world-wide, fiercely rivaling EA's FIFA Series. "World Soccer Winning Eleven 2008" is the latest version of the game and was released in Japan on November 22 2007.

The "Winning Eleven" series has been produced under the guidance of Shingo "Seabass" Takatsuka at KCEJ.

The main single-player mode is the Master League mode, where the player is given control of a team of his/her selection. However, the players are all generic, fictional players with relatively poor statistics. These players have become cult figures to many people playing the Master League. The aim is to use these players and gain points by winning matches, using acquired points to purchase real players to join the team. Ultimately, one should end up with a team of skilled players. In "Winning Eleven 8", players' growth and decline curves were added, where a player's statistics may improve or decline, depending on training and age. This added a new depth to purchasing players, as one is less likely to purchase an aging star whose statistics are declining over an up-and-coming youngster whose statistics rise dramatically.

Versions

PlayStation

*"World Soccer Winning Eleven" (jul/1995)
*"J-League Winning Eleven" (jul/1995)
*"Winning Eleven '97" (nov/1996) (International Superstar Soccer Pro)
*"J-League Winning Eleven 3" (1997)
*"Winning Eleven 3" (may/1998) (International Superstar Soccer Pro '98)
*"Winning Eleven 3 Final ver. " (dec/1998)
*"Winning Eleven 4" (aug/1999) (ISS Pro Evolution)
*"J-League Winning Eleven '98-99" (1999)
*"J-League Winning Eleven 2000" (2000)
*"Winning Eleven 2000 U-23" (feb/2000)
*"J-League Winning Eleven 2001" (2001)
*"Winning Eleven 2002" (may/2002)

PlayStation 2

*"Winning Eleven 5" (mar/2001) (Pro Evolution Soccer)
*"J-League Winning Eleven 5" (nov/2001)
*"Winning Eleven 5 Final Evolution" (dec/2001)
*"Winning Eleven 6" (apr/2002) (Pro Evolution Soccer 2)
*"J-League Winning Eleven 6" (sep/2002)
*"Winning Eleven 6 Final Evolution" (jan/2003)
*"World Soccer Winning Eleven 6 International" (mar/2003)
*"Winning Eleven 7" (oct/2003) (Pro Evolution Soccer 3)
*"J-League Winning Eleven Tactics" (dec/2003)
*"World Soccer Winning Eleven 7 International" (also available as an Adidas Premium Package in Japan) (feb/2004)
*"Winning Eleven 8" (aug/2004) (Pro Evolution Soccer 4)
*"J-League Winning Eleven 8 Asia Championship" (nov/2004)
*"K-League Winning Eleven 8 Asia Championship" (nov/2004)
*"World Soccer Winning Eleven 8 International" (feb/2005)
*"Winning Eleven 8 Tactics European Club Soccer" (dec/2005)
*"Winning Eleven 8 LiveWare Evolution" (mar/2005)
*"Winning Eleven 9" (oct/2005) (Pro Evolution Soccer 5)
*"Winning Eleven 9 LiveWare Evolution" (only for Korea) (feb/2006)
*"World Soccer Winning Eleven 9" (feb/2006)
*"J-League Winning Eleven 9 Asia Championship" (nov/2005)
*"K-League Winning Eleven 9 Asia Championship" (dec/2005)
*"Winning Eleven 9 Bonus Pack" (jan/2006)
*"Winning Eleven 10" (also available as a Konamistyle Special Edition in Japan) (apr/2006) (Pro Evolution Soccer 6)
*"J-League Winning Eleven 10 + Europe League '06-'07" (nov/2006)
*"Winning Eleven: Pro Evolution Soccer 2007" (feb/2007)
*"Winning Eleven 10 LiveWare Evolution" (only for Korea) (feb/2007)
*"Winning Eleven: Pro Evolution Soccer 2007"
*"Winning Eleven: Pro Evolution Soccer 2008" (Pro Evolution Soccer 2008)
*"J-League Winning Eleven 2007 Club Championship (aug/2007)
*"J-League Winning Eleven 2008 Club Championship (aug/2008)
*"Winning Eleven 2009 (Pro Evolution Soccer 2009 in North America and Europe) (2009)

PlayStation 3

*"World Soccer Winning Eleven 2008" (nov 22, 2007 in Japan)
*"Winning Eleven 2009 (Pro Evolution Soccer 2009 in North America and Europe) (nov 2008)

GameCube

*"Winning Eleven 6 Final Version" (jan/2003)

Wii

*"Winning Eleven Play Maker 2008 (Japan)
*"Pro Evolution Soccer 2008 (ROTW) (Feb/2008)
*"Winning Eleven 2009 (Pro Evolution Soccer 2009 in North America and Europe) (2009)

Xbox

*"World Soccer Winning Eleven 8 International" (feb/2005)
*"World Soccer Winning Eleven 9" (feb 8) is out.

Xbox 360

* " Winning Eleven X" (dec/2006)
* " " (feb/2007)
* " " (spring 2007)
*"Winning Eleven 2009 (Pro Evolution Soccer 2009 in North America and Europe) (nov 2008)

PC

* "World Soccer Winning Eleven 7 International" (apr/2004)
* "World Soccer Winning Eleven 8 International" (feb/2005)
* "Winning Eleven 9 LiveWare Evolution" (only for Korea) (mar/2006)
* "World Soccer Winning Eleven 9" (apr/2006)
* "Winning Eleven: Pro Evolution Soccer 2007" (jun/2007)
* "" (oct/2007)

Arcade

*"Winning Eleven Arcade Game Style" (2002)
*"Winning Eleven Arcade Game Style 2003" (nov/2003)
*"Winning Eleven 2006 Arcade Championship" (dec/2006)

Game Boy Advance

*"Winning Eleven" (apr/2002)
*"J-League Winning Eleven Advance 2002" (oct/2002)

Nintendo DS

* "Winning Eleven DS" (also available with limited edition Winning Eleven Jet Black DS Lite in Japan) (nov/2006)
* "Winning Eleven: Pro Evolution Soccer 2007 (feb/2007)"

PSP

*"Winning Eleven 9 Ubiquitous Evolution" (sep/2005)
*"World Soccer Winning Eleven 9" (feb/2006)
*"Winning Eleven 10 Ubiquitous Evolution" (dec/2006)
*"Winning Eleven: Pro Evolution Soccer 2007" (feb/2007)
*"Winning Eleven Ubiquitous Evolution 2008" (jan/2008)
*"Winning Eleven 2009 (Pro Evolution Soccer 2009 in North America and Europe) (2009)

Licenses

Over the years, Winning Eleven has tried to get licenses from international teams and clubs.This helps create realism by allowing the game to include real clubs, their players and kits. The following licenses were obtained for "Winning Eleven: Pro Evolution Soccer 2009".

Leagues

*flagicon|Italy Serie A
*flagicon|Japan J.League Division 1 and 2
*flagicon|South Korea K.League
*flagicon|Spain La Liga
*flagicon|Netherlands Eredivisie
*flagicon|France Ligue 1

National Teams

*flagicon|Australia Australia
*flagicon|Brazil Brazil
*flagicon|Northern Ireland Northern Ireland
*flagicon|England England
*flagicon|Netherlands Netherlands
*flagicon|Japan Japan
*flagicon|South Korea South Korea
*flagicon|Italy Italy
*flagicon|Spain Spain
*flagicon|Sweden Sweden
*flagicon|Portugal Portugal
*flagicon|Argentina Argentina
*flagicon|Turkey Turkey
*flagicon|Czech Republic Czech Republic
*flagicon|France France
*flagicon|Peru Peru
*flagicon|Mexico Mexico
*flagicon|Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia
*flagicon|Ecuador Ecuador

Patches & Option Files

Fans of the series often make "option files" which modify all player names into those of their real life counterparts, as well as including transfers from the latest transfer window and, occasionally, altered stats of more obscure players whose in-game attributes do not precisely replicate their real life skills. These are distributed via the internet in digital format, then transferred to the Playstation 2 memory card using hardware such as the Max Drive. More experienced gamers often use "patches", editing the actual game code and modifying the graphical content to include accurate kits for unlicensed teams, new stadiums, and footballs from Nike, Inc., Puma, Umbro and Mitre, as well as more Adidas balls. Most patches also contain licensed referee kits from FIFA and the official logos of the various European leagues. Since these patches are technically a breach of copyright, and are often sold illegally in territories in the Middle East and Asia, Konami have become less tolerant of this kind of fan editing in recent years, and now encrypt the data pertaining to kits and player statistics in each new release. However, fan communities invariably find ways to crack this encryption, and patches still appear once this has been achieved.

Konami have not taken steps to prevent translation patches, which convert the game text from Japanese to English (or any other language). Thus, it is still easy for gamers outside Japan to purchase the game and patch it into their own language, provided they have a modified PS2 capable of playing backup copies.

* [http://www.pasionwe.tk Modify Winning Eleven]
* [http://www.issonline.pl Polish Patches for WE2002 and PES]
* [http://www.purplehaze.eclipse.co.uk/index.html "Option File" editor] , applicable to both Pro Evolution Soccer and Winning Eleven.
* [http://www.feex.net Pro Evolution Soccer option file]

Pro Evolution Soccer

Pro Evolution Soccer is the European counterpart to Winning Eleven. It is slightly updated and focuses on European clubs, rather than Winning Eleven, which focuses on the Japan national football team.

Arcade Versions

There have been a couple of arcade games based on Winning Eleven. The very first one was Winning Eleven Arcade Game Style, released in 2002, and the most recent was Winning Eleven 2006 Arcade Championship, released in 2006.Winning Eleven Arcade Game Style was simple, with three buttons for shooting, passing, lobbing and tackling. It had quite crude graphics and unlicensed players, not like Winning Eleven 2002, which was released around the same time. Only national teams are in the game and it featured a card system to save data.Winning Eleven 2006 Arcade Championship's arcade cabinet was similar to Sangokushi Taisen, with a big screen showcasing highlights and some playing cabinets. It had six buttons - shoot, pass, through ball, sliding tackle, conversative tackle and lob. Each playing cabinet also had a jack to plug in PlayStation 2 controllers, and play the game using them instead. Winning Eleven 2006 Arcade Championship had a direct approach to playing the game, rather than the Winning Eleven games on the PlayStation 2 which are more passing-based. It also had licensed players and teams, but still no clubs. It also used a card system to save data.The latest version, Winning Eleven Arcade Championship 2008, features 07-08 clubs and teams, and includes Konami's e-Amusement functionality.

External links

* [http://www.weitalia.net "Winning Eleven" italian resource website]
* [http://www.konami.jp/we/ "Winning Eleven" official website] jp icon
*dmoz|Games/Video_Games/Sports/Soccer/Winning_Eleven_Series|"Winning Eleven" series