For fans that have followed the Football Manager 14 series, which will be available for download on December 1, it’s time to start getting excited about the new release. As always at this time of the year, Sports Interactive has given us plenty to ponder, so without delay, here are some of the new features of the upcoming football management game:

Play Anywhere
In Football Manager 14, you’ll be able to save your games in the cloud. This way, you can play your matches anywhere on any compatible system and not miss a single moment. If this feature works well, I can envision putting in playing time to and from work, and then play the game later on my computer at home. Also for Linux users, you can now play this on your operating system. No word yet if the Play Anywhere feature will be available on iOS or Android devices.

Realistic Transfers and Contracts
Clubs and managers will adopt a more realistic approach to transfers as well as new options to buy, sell and loan players. Managers will now have the ability to loan players back to clubs they were bought from, as well as to select cash/player options. This sounds promising as you can take a more realistic approach to getting the players you want without breaking the bank. This is something that is already being done on the online game Soccer Manager, and sounds like a feature that should have been added a long time ago.

MLS Managers
In Football Manager 14, you have a waiver draft as well as a revamp of the transfer system so it’s more in line with Major League Soccer. Plus, the game features a Senior contract or SEL contract with first round draft picks.

Improved Training reports
I always disliked looking at the training reports. To me, it was just too much information, which was sometimes overwhelming. But the new reporting system in Football Manager 14 appears to give managers a more precise idea of what’s going on and what to expect from their players.

You can get details from your news screen with fewer clicks. This may seem like a minor update, but you can now get all the information you need from your newsfeed without having to click through extra screens. So if you get offered a rare footballer, you have more information readily available at your fingertips without wasting time.

There are many minor features that Football Manager 14 (FM 14) will feature, including:

– an overhaul to the shouts system to keep from giving conflicting advice,
– the ability to ‘bribe’ fringe players,
– use other players to help homesick players settle down,
– suggest to players that they sack their agent
– testimonials for star veterans and retiring players
– realistic TV Money distribution
– news leaks
– separate menus for club and country, and
– referees can now retire as well.

Regarding the design and interface of FM 14, the look-and-feel (based on the screenshots I’ve seen) makes FM 14 look similar to last year’s edition. For those wondering whether it’s worth buying Football Manager 14, it depends on whether all the new tiny features are worth it, or not. Personally, I think it depends on how those small features stack up versus how it’s presented on screen. I think hardcore Football Manager gamers will see some of those small features as really opening the game up and making it a greater challenge than before. In that case, the upgrade would be worth the investment.

Football Manager has always been a wonderful game, and it looks like this year’s edition from Sports Interactive will be no different. Plus with Football Manager 14 coming to the PS Vita, I’m certainly looking forward to buying the game this year.

Pre-order Football Manager 14 today.