Who plays Football Manager?

[BeardyMcFace]

Hi everyone, 

I'm currently completing a Masters in e-Learning, and I'm using Football Manager as my assignment topic; creating an e-learning course for new players to the series. For the 'needs assessment',  I need to try and source what the audience is for FM games, and how many players are new to the series. Would you mind submitting your answers for the questions below? 

Thanks!

[BeardyMcFace]

Thanks for all the responses so far! Very interested in the fact that nobody was a first-time-player with FM20, and nobody is under 20. I started playing in 97/98, I cant imagine what it feels like to be a new player to FM... all those stats...

[kevhamster]

I started back on CM1.  Admittedly, not when it was new out, but I've seen a good number of changes over the years!

I'd been out of the loop for while and bought CM5, not realising it was a different game which had taken the old name, when SI and Eidos went their separate ways.  That was a disappointment lol.

[Arab]

Perhaps you should have an over 60's option too

[Icy]

I guess this poll reflects more that userbase in this forum than the FM user base, most of us here are old timers and old farts that have been playing FM for many years, what we don't have here probably is most of the young kids that are more in the social networks than in SI forums. 

[Tony Wright 747]

33 minutes ago, Arab said:

Perhaps you should have an over 60's option too

Yeah and over 70's I am 71

[gunner86]

7 minutes ago, Tony Wright 747 said:

Yeah and over 70's I am 71

Splitting hairs, but 71 is higher than 50 

[Neil Brock]

Yeah think we'll see this forum userbase is definitely more 'experienced' shall we say?  

[Tony Wright 747]

34 minutes ago, gunner86 said:

Splitting hairs, but 71 is higher than 50 

Yes that is where I voted, but Arab was asking for more options

[Dagenham_Dave]

Gutted this is the first poll of this type where I now have to choose 50+ for the age category 

[Johnny Ace]

I always thought I was one of the older ones, I always assume people are younger than me for some reason 

I think I started on one of the early Champs, 93/94 I think when I was about 13, I'm 38 now  

[Tony Wright 747]

18 minutes ago, Dagenham_Dave said:

Gutted this is the first poll of this type where I now have to choose 50+ for the age category 

It comes to us all mate

[Tony Wright 747]

15 minutes ago, Johnny Ace said:

I always thought I was one of the older ones, I always assume people are younger than me for some reason 

I think I started on one of the early Champs, 93/94 I think when I was about 13, I'm 38 now  

Still a spring chicken

[davehanson]

I wasted so much of my late teens/early 20's on CM/FM. Messed up at least one relationship because of it! Again, like others I have always assumed I was one of the older ones, 43 now.

Started when CM/FM first came out. There used to be a cobblers in my home town that sold games. I went in there to buy Birds of Prey for the Amiga and walked out with CM instead. Just something about that picture on the front of the box, it reminded me of the old war poster 'Your Country Needs You'. Not sure why, but it worked.

Edited October 29, 2020 by davehanson

[Footix]

Started with CM2 (95/96). Or, actually one of my mates used to play an even older version on Amiga, but I only got to watch.  FM15 was my first FM. 

[kevhamster]

1 hour ago, Tony Wright 747 said:

Yes that is where I voted, but Arab was asking for more options

Perhaps those are the only options he needs for his study? 

Over 60 etc still comes under 50+.

[MT55]

I've just turned 26 and started playing FM back in 2007. Never played Championship Manager but I did play LMA Manager.

[starbugg]

I started on the original Football Manager (where the name was taken from I believe) in the 80's, cant remember if it was on my Acorn Electron or my STe, still got both in the basement somewhere. I have brought every version of CM/FM except the Italia 90 version.

[Tony Wright 747]

1 hour ago, kevhamster said:

Perhaps those are the only options he needs for his study? 

Over 60 etc still comes under 50+.

 

2 hours ago, kevhamster said:

Perhaps those are the only options he needs for his study? 

Over 60 etc still comes under 50+.

As you support the mighty saints, I am not going to argue

[anagain]

Forums have gone out of popularity. It's mostly just the old gits who still use them. 

I still like this place. Probably because I'm an old git.

I'm not a fan of all this Faceybook and Instygram. Give me a forum and I'm a happy old git. 

Edited October 29, 2020 by anagain

[pele10]

Football Manager 1982 was the start on my ZX Spectrum 48k

[kevhamster]

19 minutes ago, anagain said:

Forums have gone out of popularity. It's mostly just the old gits who still use them. 

I still like this place. Probably because I'm an old git.

I'm not a fan of all this Faceybook and Instygram. Give me a forum and I'm a happy old git. 

I'm an old git and proud!

[kevhamster]

14 minutes ago, pele10 said:

Football Manager 1982 was the start on my ZX Spectrum 48k

Ha, same but the C64 version!

[Deisler26]

My first was Championship Manager Italia.

First time I've had to use the 40-49 section 

[DementedHammer]

If you think that we're on the old side here, you should see the average age of motorcyclists these days. I'm in my early 40s, and most motorcycling events that I attend, I'm comfortably the youngest person there.

Edited October 30, 2020 by DementedHammer

[Phil930]

4 hours ago, Deisler26 said:

My first was Championship Manager Italia.

First time I've had to use the 40-49 section 

That's where it all began for me too.  Used to race to sign Giggs or Cantona every time.  Best formation was 1-0-5-5.

[Norfair]

First one for me was CM 00/01 I believe. A co-worker at a warehouse job was speaking not only highly of it, but as if there was no question that CM was the best management game available and that playing anything else was insane. I had been playing USM prior, and the old Amiga title Premier Manager for years. Didn't take me long to fall in love with the series.

Still a bit surprised to see almost a complete lack of younger people playing this!

[mattcoll12491]

6 hours ago, Deisler26 said:

My first was Championship Manager Italia.

First time I've had to use the 40-49 section 

I’m still clinging onto the 25-29 section for dear life

[Andros]

is it worth putting a notice on the steam forums linking this page @BeardyMcFace to try and get a few more people in? Or perhaps some other forums? Just an idea.  Although if you put in your source for the assignment that your audience is for people on this forum then perhaps you have enough.  I am guessing that would be enough to meet the  requirements?

[karanhsingh]

I just turned 35 - been playing since CM03/04 I think. Agreed that the forums attract the more experienced/ older players, and probably better for it!

[toffee71]

15 hours ago, Dagenham_Dave said:

Gutted this is the first poll of this type where I now have to choose 50+ for the age category 

I'm happy this is my last year in the 40-49 bracket, I'll be with you next year.

11 hours ago, pele10 said:

Football Manager 1982 was the start on my ZX Spectrum 48k

 

11 hours ago, kevhamster said:

Ha, same but the C64 version!

Such happy times, one day was at mine on speccy, then next at mates on c64. And who needs attributes.

@BeardyMcFacegood luck with paper, excellent poll.

[kevhamster]

14 minutes ago, toffee71 said:

I'm happy this is my last year in the 40-49 bracket, I'll be with you next year.

 

Such happy times, one day was at mine on speccy, then next at mates on c64. And who needs attributes.

@BeardyMcFacegood luck with paper, excellent poll.

It did always bother me though that Southampton weren't in the game by default, even though they were a top division team at the time.  Obviously, as you could edit the names, I picked another team which played in red and changed their name to Southampton.

[Federico]

16 ore fa, Neil Brock ha scritto:

Yeah think we'll see this forum userbase is definitely more 'experienced' shall we say?  

Or "differently young"!

[yolixeya]

7 hours ago, Norfair said:

Still a bit surprised to see almost a complete lack of younger people playing this!

I still think it's the lack of younger people being active on forums then lack of them playing it.

[toffee71]

1 hour ago, kevhamster said:

It did always bother me though that Southampton weren't in the game by default, even though they were a top division team at the time.  Obviously, as you could edit the names, I picked another team which played in red and changed their name to Southampton.

I can't remember S'oton not being in, my memory is really bad though, but do remember some creative editing, talk about OP, used to love the matchstick players, but the best thing for me was the flashing goal! In it's day it was way ahead of it's timeand I was hooked from the start, I think if I was a new player now I may well find it too much information for the basic premise of football, but with me being me I would take lots of time exploring and experimenting, where as if I was a newbie and of todays youth I probably wouldn't have the patience to dig about to find what i need so I wouldn't get the full FM experience.

[Impacto]

Interesting poll. I was expecting a lot more younger players. I guess young ones don't really spend much time in forums anymore the way we are used to. 

[BeardyMcFace]

Thanks to everyone who responded, some great points re the 'younger' crowd not using these forums etc. This is just a snap poll before I dig deeper into it but brilliant to get so many replies/responses, much appreciated! I'm sure I'll be on again soon to link in on further topics 

[IrrelevantLion]

Very interesting, bunch of oldies here! 

[Wavelberry]

Suddenly feeling a lot younger than usual. Thanks you old beautiful bastards.

[Neotropolis]

14 minutes ago, Wavelberry said:

Suddenly feeling a lot younger than usual. Thanks you old beautiful bastards.

I share this sentiment, though it's my first time having to use the 25-29 age bracket...

[Grifty]

I used to watch my dad play on CM 94/95 I think it was with a tub of sweets.

Started playing CM 00/01 and Ultimate Soccer Manager. Then CM 01/02 for 14 years until I bit the bullet for FM15.

Now got my dad playing FM20 and he hasn't got a clue what he's doing!

[Shenmue-X]

Discord, Telegram, Reddit, Steam game forum, Youtube popular channels, Twitter, private forums, Facebook groups, national communities.

The community is as fragmented as other gaming communities.

[Draakon]

I started my football games some ~20-25 years ago. Can't remember the game title exactly, some sort of Soccer Manager or something like that. In the end of 1990s its ME looked really arcade.

I believe that my first CM was 00/01 demo (poor teenager that I was - I couldn't afford the full game and had no means to buy it as game stores were close to non-existent and then internet orders weren't delivered to my country) and it looked extremely complex compared to everything else I'd seen in that genre. My first full Championship Manager game was CM4. I remember it's blueish design. Then came FM06 and the first attempt of 3D match engine (for the first time I could see if the goal was a header or a strike). 

Having played several games in the series (not every release, though) I can't imagine how I could make a short introduction of the game to a friend. I believe at this stage you need 2-3 full days of learning course before you could hit 'continue' for the first time in your save. Having said that, I've never played FM Touch - I assume it's more plain and simple.