Konami's rebuilding the PES franchise, but it's a "long process"

Konami has said it doesn't believe there is a "huge gap," between its Pro Evolution Soccer series and EA's FIFA. However, there are current plans at the firm to rebuild the franchise, but don't look for it soon, as it will be a "long process."

Speaking MCV, Konami's UK general manager Pete Stone said: “I don’t think there’s a massive gap in terms of the playability [between PES and FIFA]. There are certain areas we need to improve, but it’s not a huge gap – and we’re gradually closing it."

“We may not outsell FIFA, but we can sell enough so that it’s good from our point of view," he continued. "Don’t think of it as a battle where we’re trying to ‘win’, or outsell them, because that’s not necessarily the case.

“We’ve made progress and that’s beginning to be noticed, but we’re also going to spend a few years rebuilding PES and sales. It’s a long process.”

Stone said the current version of PES helped stabilize sales of the series after a period of commercial decline, and that the firm expects the next iteration in the series releasing this fall to remain flat.