Football Manager, the traditional time sink for footy fans everywhere, might just gobble up less of your life than usual this year. Football Manager 2013 is introducing Football Manager Classic or FMC, a mode which strips the game back to the bare essentials, enabling players with a little less time on their hands to get through a season is just eight to ten hours.
"The introduction of FMC is a major step forward in Football Manager's evolution," explains Sports Interactive boss Miles Jacobson. "In recent years it's become clear that there's a large group of people who would like to play Football Manager, but simply can't devote the time required to get the most out of the game - in fact, now that they have families and other commitments, even some members of the SI team have found themselves in this position. We decided, therefore, to try to find a way to accommodate players with limited free time, without significantly diluting the experience. We believe that FMC achieves this beautifully."
If you've got the hours to spare, however, don't worry that the game has been dumbed down for the masses. Classic Mode is entirely optional and the deep, intricate, all-consuming Football Manager experience is still there. "The introduction of FMC will not impact in any way on the game that they've come to know and love," adds Jacobson, reassuringly. "For those who still want the full, 'hands-on' experience, FM 13 offers exactly what they're looking for."