England and Germany are the two ‘primary’ communities for football management sims, and rival Football Manager from SEGA has ”practically dominated the market” for some time.
EA Sports is therefore calling it quits as there is little they can do to erode Sports Interactive’s lead. The only way forward would have taken too much investment.
Below is the open letter from Bright Light’s Gerald Kohler.
I’m writing to tell you that FIFA Manager 14 will be the last instalment of the football simulation series marketed by EA Sports. This probably comes as a big disappointment to many of you, and it is understandable that you would ask why.
The football manager genre at this level of sophistication is highly specialised and primarily played in two countries (England and Germany), in which - on top of everything - one game has practically dominated the market in recent years. The niche market and general trend toward online and mobile games were also contributing factors.
Moreover, FM had reached a crossroads at which a new engine and/or corresponding online technology would be the only way to give the series a boost. When all these factors were evaluated, it led us to the decision to blow the final whistle.
All of us, the team at Bright Future and our colleagues at EA Sports, loved and still love FIFA Manager. It’s a game that has captivated many fans over the years, and been our pride and joy since its first instalment FIFA Manager 2002.
We were also lucky to have a very dedicated community. Your passion and commitment to FIFA Manager is unrivalled, and made the series a great joy to work on.
You have our heartfelt gratitude. We hope you’ll keep playing FM as long as possible, and that the fan sites will go all out to expand and improve the game wherever they can. For all your years of support and all your passion for our game, we thank you.
FIFA Manager 14 released late last month, one week before rival Football Manager 2014.
