(i) Gamespeed: It is certainly slower than before. With every patch, the game speed has been coming down, which is very good. Overall, the pace of the game is very very realistic. It feels more like football than a video game now.

(ii) Dribbling: Now the dribbling animations are smoother. The jerky movements are very very less now. The dribbling speed has also been reduced. Only yesterday, I could sprint from the right defending corner to right attacking corner with someone like Bosingwa in a flash. After the update, even with Lennon, though I could see he is one of the paciest players, I take more time to cover the pitch. The dribbling animations and speed are just about perfect now.

(iii) Passing: The short passing speed has been lowered. Earlier, the so-called ‘ping-pong’ existed for any player with a passing ability of more than 75 points. Now, only players with above 90 points short passing speed ability pass the ball at these speeds. The short passing speed of anyone (most of the players) who have a short passing speed of less than 90, is now very realistic. Only now, even in top matches like Chelsea vs Man Utd, you can see the ball receiver waiting for the ball to reach him before he makes his move. Earlier the ball used to zip across the pitch. Now it’s very realistic. I also feel that the passing is lot more freer than it was before. The variety of attacking moves I’m able to make now are a testimony to this.

(iv) Goalkeepers: Improvement in goalkeepers. No more silly parries. They keep very well. They parry it when they have to. Basically, I think they now play true to their goalkeeping player abilities.

(v) Referees: They are certainly stricter. More fouls are being called. More penalties are given. They can still go wrong either ways but they can be error-prone but not scandalous as they were before.

What still needs to happen? The defenders, especially the side backs have to be lot more sharper and ruthless. They need to read the game better and anticipate attacking moves. They need to tackle more frequently and throw their bodies when it matters. Also, some of the stadiums I find unplayable due to the pitch graphics or lighting. Rest are fine with me.

For me, Winning Eleven 2010 was already a revelation and it is way better than PES 2010. With this patch, this game has got so much better. I’m loving it. This is not out of imagination, exaggeration or placebo effect. I have experienced all those things mentioned above. And, I’m writing this after playing several offline games. Having spent more than 20-30 hours in editing and testing alone, I can certainly see the difference when it’s there.

We have got closer to a very perfect football game.

Q: Is WE 2010 better than PES 2010?
A: Yes, it certainly is. Not by a great deal, but it is certainly better.

Q: Does it have menus in English or Japanese?
A: There is an option. For both menus and commentary language, you can choose either English or Japanese.

Q: Does WE 2010 plays faster than PES 2010?
A: No, it doesn’t. It feels a bit more liberated which can make you think the game runs faster.

Q: Are the referees better?
A: No. Exactly the same referees.

Q: Are the keepers better?
A: YES! They are not just better, they’re just brilliant. In 8 hours of WE 2010, so many diving saves and no fumbles so far.

Q: Does the AI play better?
A: Definitely yes. AI in WE 2010 is smarter and sharper. It plays well in attack as well as defence. Yes, I’m referring to the professional difficulty.

Q: Does it have new animations?
A: WE 2010 doesn’t have new animations. But the animations have been touched up a bit. That’s evident. The PES 2010 jerkiness is very less here.

Q: Is it the same graphics?
A: No. The graphics has been touched up as well. The lighting looks better. The bright sunshine near the goal area in day/afternoon matches is not there.

Q: Do you get option files for WE 2010?
A: I got a fantastic one from www.winningeleven.sg. It’s based on the kit and emblem files of PES 2010 (Jackwhobra) option file and it’s brilliant.

Q: What about chants?
A: Just create a new playlist called KONAMI_WE and copy and paste all the chants that you had in KONAMI_PES. The load from the game.

Q: Is WE 2010’s superstar more difficult than PES 2010’s top player?
A: Yes, of course it is more difficult. But for now, I’m sticking with professional. That’s good enough challenge for me.

Q: Is it worth buying WE 2010 when you already have PES 2010?
A: if you’re a pro evo freak, go get it. Others, don’t, only because you may not appreciate the difference.

As we get more questions being answered, I’d add to the above list.

The biggest difference is the PACE of the game. Winning Eleven is beautifully paced. The game simulates football like no other football titles have (including PES5 and PES6). Without giving the game a good go, I started tweaking the top speed, dribble speed and passing speed stats to slow the game down. I did that for quite a few teams. Then I realised that the tweaking wasn’t helping. I went back to the original stats. I reset to original stats for all teams. Then started playing match after match using different teams. If anything, some of the stats need increases and not decreases.

I have upped the agility, balance and response values so the game can run smoothly. I then upped the aggression, teamwork and tenacity so that the AI can be more attacking. As far as the game speed is concerned I have not made any changes to stats.

Now the WE 2010 graphics are really eye-candy, the animations are so organic and lovely and now the AI beats me more often than not. I must say, this is the best football gaming experience I’ve had.