PES 2013: Introducing the development team

Who are the people creating PES 2013?

We are introducing some of the developers and people at Konami who are producing the latest part of the football game.

Learn more about the people, their tasks in developing PES 2013 and their love for football.

Name: Jon Murphy
DoB: 30/12/69
Position at Konami: European PES Team Leader
Years at Konami: 13
Favourite Club: Chelsea

I love football because: It grabs you and does not let go. In my time as a Chelsea fan I have seen them nearly go out of business, and then be saved and go on to become European Champions. But it is a game that also creates heroes who entertain as much as any actor, and do it week in week out. To be part of a crowd on such occasions is what football is all about.

Name: Naoya Hatsumi
DoB:7/4/1969
Position at Konami: Senior Producer
Years at Konami:18
Favourite Club: Santos

I love football because: No two matches are the same. It is a game where anything can happen. Minnows can beat giants. Heroes can be made overnight, and entire countries can be united by 11 players out on the field. It can supply huge highs and devastating lows, and demands a level of commitment that can dominate your every thought.

Name: Toru Kato
DoB: 11/3/1966
Position at Konami: Manager
Years at Konami: 7
Favourite Club: Tottenham Hotspur

I love football because: It is a stunning mix of tactics and ability. A good player can beat anyone, but can only win games as part of a well regimented team. Football at its best is flashes of genius within a well-oiled and drilled machine. To watch a team spread play, create chances and round them off with unstoppable shots never fails to amaze me.

Name: Manorito Hosoda
DoB: 6/8/1972
Position at Konami: Marketing Producer
Years at Konami:17
Favourite Club: Barcelona

I love football because: No other sport showcases skill so much. Not just ability with a ball, but the awareness of a good player – one who knows where his teammates will be running to, and how to play them in. There is nothing as exhilarating as a well-contested game of football, and there always is a win and a lose, may their cycle come at different times. Football is life itself and that’s what drives us on in PES. To match that entertainment.

Tomorrow is the day when all the impressions from Brazil break, and I am very much looking forward to reading them. For me, I am keen to see how the individuality of the players – both in movement and ability – via the Player ID is received, and the reaction to the more realistic pace of the game are received.
There’s a lot of layers to PES 2013, and we have created a game that is accessible to pick up but has a depth of control that can grow with the user. Even in the few hours the press had with the game, it was obvious they were adding new skills to their play. The early release of a couple of exclusive shots will tease fans ahead of the full reveal of the game’s content the next day.

The early release of a couple of exclusive shots will tease fans ahead of the full reveal of the game’s content the next day.

Name: Kei Masuda
DoB: 20/11/1976
Years at Konami:14
Position at Konami: Lead Developer
Favourite Club: Inter Milano

I love football because: It can change your day like nothing else. The build-up to a big match is a mixture of nerves and excitement, while the euphoria of seeing your team score a last-minute equaliser or winner, or the sinking feeling as your team hack away ball after ball as the opposition try and win it at the death are like nothing else.

There’s something about the loyalty your team demands, too. If you partner treated you as badly as a club does at times, you’d walk away. But we stick with teams through thick and thin – and it is purely for those moments of utter joy.