Konami, not wanting to be outdone by EA's recent announcement of FIFA '08, has just unveiled Pro Evolution Soccer 2008.

Konami tells us:



If that read as something akin to 'blah blah blah bleurgh', you're just not a soccer-kicking, videogame player - allow SPOnG to translate: the AI's clever. Konami also says that the whole game has been “reworked and fine-tuned”.

PS3 and 360 owners will benefit from a substantial edit mode, with “full facial animation and... high-definition detail”.

The game will be released this Autumn for the PS3, 360, PC, PS2, PSP and DS. Eagle-eyed footy fans will spot that the Wii is noticeably absent from that list. SPOnG got to wondering whether Konami's doing an EA and holding back a Wii announcement that's chock-full of exciting motion-sensory goodness. Alas, it seems not. “Pro Evo is announced for those formats and that's it,” a representative told us.

If you can think of a single good reason for PES 2008 not getting ported from the other platforms, as has been done with just about every other big multi-platform game since the Wii's launch, please let us know in the Forum.

Shingo ‘Seabass’ Takatsuka, creator of the series and Producer of PES 2008, doesn't seem too worried about the game's lack of a Wii version. “We have taken a long hard look at what has made the Pro Evolution Soccer series so popular, and where we want to take it next,” he said. “With the new Teamvision AI system, we truly believe that we have elevated the game to a new level. The movement of players off the ball, coupled with the total control given to the player, creates the closest simulation of real football to date. We really hope everyone enjoys our evolution. I promise it will be worth the wait.”

We'll see this Autumn. In the meantime take a look at the screens below to whet you're appetite.