Author Topic: New Star Soccer - Probably the most addictive online/iOS/Android footy game ever (Read 13183 times)

On Axis · « **Reply #200 on:** June 20, 2012, 07:56:35 PM »

Quote from: Lfsea on June 20, 2012, 05:12:24 PM

I've scored well over 1,000 career goals and about 1,200 assists, but it took me an awfully long time to get international recognition. That said I didn't update my game for a while, but still.

Wales' loss.

Thing was, money carries over from previous games so I had like 17,000 to spend so I improved rapidly. Am I a cheater?

Tepid water · « **Reply #201 on:** June 20, 2012, 10:55:34 PM »

It's just taken my evening....bastard thing

Still, won the world cup, and Spanish league, champions league and Spanish cup almost single handedly scoring 123 goals in the season at the age of 19. didn't break sweat

joel · « **Reply #202 on:** June 21, 2012, 07:51:50 AM »

Brilliant on the phone this!

About 23 now and at Liverpool after being at Barca and Inter.

Won the treble last season and looking for the CL and charity shield this time around to make it a clean sweep

Also won the WC

tanvir · « **Reply #203 on:** June 23, 2012, 03:13:16 PM »

Roger Rearend (19)

Career stats: 152 appearances, 64 goals, 108 assists.

Previous clubs: GLCSTR, SHREWS, SWINDN

Now signed for LVPOOL

This game is very addictive... but I'm quite shit. My stats seem realistic, while others on here seem out of this world lol

Immoral King Brian Blessed · « **Reply #204 on:** June 23, 2012, 08:31:39 PM »

Quote from: tanvir on June 23, 2012, 03:13:16 PM

Roger Rearend (19)

Career stats: 152 appearances, 64 goals, 108 assists.

Previous clubs: GLCSTR, SHREWS, SWINDN

Now signed for LVPOOL

This game is very addictive... but I'm quite shit. My stats seem realistic, while others on here seem out of this world lol

well, the longer you play the easier it gets. But the best shoes, get all the stats at 100% and you'll easily top a goal a game.

Second season with Hayes and got them back to back league titles. I could only get to the quarters of the World Cup, though.

Spanish Al · « **Reply #205 on:** June 23, 2012, 08:35:02 PM »

How have I only just downloaded this the other day!? It is the best phone game without a doubt. Started with some made up welsh team in the 3rd tier and after half a season moved to Llangefni. Bossing it atm. 11 goals in 16 this season and 40 in 48 in my career.

Rusty Oysterburger · « **Reply #206 on:** June 23, 2012, 08:43:32 PM »

twitter.com/nssproblems

MichaelA · « **Reply #207 on:** June 23, 2012, 09:00:46 PM »

iOSmack

CharlieAdamsLeftFoot · « **Reply #208 on:** June 24, 2012, 09:57:32 AM »

only achievement i have left is the 100 goals for international team, i am currently on 63. how sad am i!!!

KopiteWD · « **Reply #209 on:** June 25, 2012, 05:14:21 PM »

This game is too addictive! I've got a couple of achievements left but am focusing on getting Huddersfield into the champions league as they were my stepping stone to join Liverpool. Repaying the favour.

Gene · « **Reply #210 on:** June 26, 2012, 01:34:00 AM »

Traveling to the States today. This will help shorten the flight.

On Axis · « **Reply #211 on:** June 26, 2012, 03:04:13 AM »

What happens if you accept a bribe?

Flon · « **Reply #212 on:** June 26, 2012, 03:25:00 AM »

Quote from: On Axis on June 26, 2012, 03:04:13 AM

What happens if you accept a bribe?

It's random; sometimes you just get the money, other times it's the press setting you up and all your relationships tank.

lfcshaunod · « **Reply #213 on:** July 4, 2012, 09:58:48 AM »

Cant stop playing this fucking shit.

Tepid water · « **Reply #214 on:** July 4, 2012, 09:27:52 PM »

For all those gambling jobs or relationships on their addiction to this, read about the man to blame. Quite an interesting read.

Quote

With more than half a million downloads, New Star Soccer is riding high in the iTunes charts. People can’t get enough of its old school graphics, arcade playability, and cheeky sense of humour.

We chatted to the man who created it to talk about the upcoming PS Vita version, how it was inspired by a drug-running game, and how a distraction from his desk job ended up making him five grand a day.

Glance at the comments devoted fans have left for New Star Soccer, and you’ll see why it passed half a million downloads on iTunes last week. “Do not buy this game if you have a wife, children, or other people dependent on you,” reads one. “Never written a review but such an amazing app deserves more stars than I can give,” says another. And more succinctly: “I would like to bum this game.”

But the app’s creator wasn’t trying to inspire a huge following; he just wanted something to do while bored at work.

“It started as just a hobby really,” says Simon Read, who started the series back in 2003 (the app is a version of New Star Soccer 5).

“I was working nightshifts on an IT helpdesk. After midnight there wasn’t a lot to do, so for about eight hours I was sitting around waiting for the phone to ring, and it never did.

“So I took my laptop in, and spent many a night working on New Star Soccer.”

That’s right, his smash hit started life on company time.

The original inspiration

Read was a huge fan of football games of yesteryear. He played Emlyn Hughes International Soccer “religiously” as well as Kick Off, Kick Off 2, and Sensible Soccer. But the original New Star Soccer was inspired by a game a world away from the digital astroturf.

“The first version was inspired by the game Dope Wars on the PC,” Read says. “It was a cult thing, just a text-based Windows 95 app, and you could buy or sell drugs, going from city to city, charging the best price. And I thought ‘I could make a game like that, but based on football.’

“I guess crime and football seemed like natural bedfellows.”

But it wasn’t until 2005, when the series made the jump from text-only to graphics, that Read could give up the day job. (Or evening job, as he was working nightshifts.) “When New Star Soccer 3 came out, it was a significant success, so I was able to quit my job, and spend my time being a full-time developer.

“It was a bit scary. I kept thinking it would suddenly stop selling and I’d have to go back to the real world, but fortunately that never happened.”

Critically appraised

That’s underplaying it somewhat. Since the app version launched in March it’s been by far the most successful of the series; it made the top three in iTunes, and currently sits above Angry Birds, Cut the Rope, Fruit Ninja and Temple Run in the free games chart. It’s had rave reviews from gaming sites and the mainstream press like The Sun and Telegraph as well. And Read is reaping the rewards.

“On a good day the app version can make £5,000,” Read says. Yeah, not a bad day, certainly. So a good week would yield £35,000, a good month £150,000, and a good year… well we don’t want to think about that.

But this is no overnight success. It’s the result of a decade’s work. And other games in the series were nowhere near as profitable. Getting the game to this stage has been a long learning process.

With New Star Soccer 4, Read says he “tried to throw everything at it,” with a player database, different kinds of training, mini games and all sorts of extras. He also used 3D graphics for the first time, straying from the series’ retro roots, which he thinks was a mistake.

“I went down the 3D route, and I realised that unless you get a really stylised look, people are just going to slate it,” he says. “They’ll say ‘This doesn’t look realistic, it’s not FIFA.’ So I went back to keeping it retro; it keeps it easier for me, and people seem to like it enough.

“I mean I’m not trying to compete with the big games.”

iOS vs Android

The game costs £1.99 on Android, whereas on iOS it’s free (though you have to pay 69p to progress to career mode after 10 matches). This difference in price was also a mistake, Read says.

“It’s purely down to the programming language that I use. At the time there wasn’t an installation for in-app purchases on Android. I probably could’ve spent a few weeks finding a way for it to work, but I just wanted the game out there, and I thought it’d be interesting to see how a paid app did compared to a free app. And actually that was probably a mistake, because the iPhone version is outselling the Android about 10 to one.

“The Android version is suffering from piracy as well, and I think a free version would’ve combatted that. So the next time round I’ll make them both free.”

He also says he got bogged down in the lifestyle side of the game in previous versions. “People can suggest what should be in the next version, and in New Star Soccer 3 the shop was absolutely chockablock, there were about 200 items you could buy. There were guitars in there. But I scaled it back because it was a bit of a headache managing all those icons and things.”

It seems it pays knowing when to ignore your fans. “One of the most common requests is to add the ability to have babies in the game. In New Star Soccer 4 you could actually do that. Again, it’s another element which is just a bit of a hassle to include.

“With the app version I cut the chaff.”

Stripping it back

This was due to the technical limitations of mobiles, but Read thinks it actually made the game better. “I think there’s a big advantage in stripping it back, because it keeps it simple. The app is probably as simple as the version back in 2004, but seems to appeal to people more now than it ever has. So it’s helped me refine the core elements and make it fun, rather than cramming in as many things as possible.

“It’s not the most complex simulation ever, but I think that’s what people love about it.”

The more contentious elements were also ditched. “Previous versions were a bit more controversial. You can gamble in the app, whereas in its predecessors you could buy booze which increased your flair on the pitch. It was alluding to players like George Best. For the mobile version I thought I’d play it safe and leave those elements out. I wanted it to appeal to all ages.”

All this talking in the first person is nothing to do with ego: bar a bit of help here and there, it’s still just Read making the games. “Other people do contribute, with translations and things,” he says. “All of the coding and most of the graphics is me, but anything that looks good is probably done by a different artist.”

(He’s a Spurs fan, if you’re wondering which team he takes to the cup. “People often say Spurs are too strong in the game, but teams rise and fall over the course of a career, it just so happens that Spurs might go up sometimes. It’s just like in the casino, it’s purely random.” That’s his story and he’s sticking to it.)

Console versions

Read is still updating the app versions (soon you’ll be able to buy and race horses), as well as working on a tennis game for mobiles. But he’s looking to bring New Star Soccer to other consoles too. “I hope to launch the same game on the PS Vita. I haven’t started it yet, but the programming language I use should allow me to do that.

“Someone mentioned a Kinect version the other day too, which I thought could be quite interesting. You could have the ball bouncing across and timing your kicks to shoot and things like that. It sounds quite ambitious, so I’m not sure really.”

The game has certainly come a long way from a hobby to help while away the hours manning an IT helpdesk. “Yeah I guess it has,” Read says. “You know I suppose I owe everything to that job.”

MichaelA · « **Reply #215 on:** July 4, 2012, 09:41:01 PM »

So we have our target. Class action lawsuit for loss of earnings. Who's in?

Lfsea · « **Reply #216 on:** July 4, 2012, 09:44:36 PM »

I was one of the first players of it on Kongregate when it released and I provided some feedback and he sent me a couple of lovely emails in reply.

But the thought of making some money through claims direct sounds appealing

Tepid water · « **Reply #217 on:** July 4, 2012, 09:45:24 PM »

Quote from: Lfsea on July 4, 2012, 09:44:36 PM

I was one of the first players of it on Kongregate when it released and I provided some feedback and he sent me a couple of lovely emails in reply.

But the thought of making some money through claims direct sounds appealing

I'm in....

Lee-87 · « **Reply #218 on:** July 5, 2012, 02:04:12 AM »

Finally just won all the awards, after finishing a season where i won all 4 trophys, 5 if you count the world cup i just won with Japan.

Took me long enough, do you start at 16? 12 seasons ive been playing, been a busy week $:-\$

Age - 28
Apps - 692
Goals - 1107
Hat-tricks - 153
Assists - 400

Furthest Goal - 53.4 yrds
Furthest Pass - 42.9 yrds

Back to every day life now... meh maybe one more season. is there a retirement age in the game?

Mivi · « **Reply #219 on:** July 5, 2012, 09:45:05 AM »

Quote from: Lee-87 on July 5, 2012, 02:04:12 AM

is there a retirement age in the game?

I'm up to Age 59 now & a star rating of 252.

Fella at the top of the leaderboard has a star rating of 1001 !!!!

Lee-87 · « **Reply #220 on:** July 5, 2012, 02:03:58 PM »

Take that as a no then

Wow couldn't be arsed playing that long, the awards were my aim, now i got them i doubt i'll go on anymore. Maybe i'll go back to FM.

Ziltoid · « **Reply #221 on:** July 5, 2012, 08:28:58 PM »

Quote from: Mivi on July 5, 2012, 09:45:05 AM

I'm up to Age 59 now & a star rating of 252.

Fella at the top of the leaderboard has a star rating of 1001 !!!!

Now there's a challenge

Beav · « **Reply #222 on:** July 5, 2012, 08:49:29 PM »

Just downloaded this.

There's my life gone, stupidly addictive.

On Axis · « **Reply #223 on:** July 5, 2012, 09:48:05 PM »

Transfered to Liverpool from Barça and they fucked me off in the January window of my first season there! Went to Spurs and I've won Europa League twice and the Premiership once. Won the World Cup with Italy as well.

lfcshaunod · « **Reply #224 on:** July 6, 2012, 07:18:31 PM »

Liverpool were leaking shit loads of goals so I had to move on.

I went to Barcelona, had an awful first few months so went straight to seville, then at the end of my indifferent season in spain I made an emotional return to Liverpool.

We won the league and knocked Barca out of europe.

I hate this fucking game.

Sangria · « **Reply #225 on:** July 7, 2012, 12:39:55 AM »

I can't get the last few free kick points. Any tips?

Lee-87 · « **Reply #226 on:** July 7, 2012, 12:47:53 AM »

Quote from: sangria on July 7, 2012, 12:39:55 AM

I can't get the last few free kick points. Any tips?

Drink a couple of the skill point drinks, if you got the money. not too sure how i went about it, but i remember i did get the hang of it in the end, just by practising em shit loads.

Immoral King Brian Blessed · « **Reply #227 on:** July 7, 2012, 01:09:44 AM »

I've found the best method for freekicks...for me at least...is a very soft shot with loads of chip. Right over the wall. If it bounces just in front of the line the keeper usually misses it.

Lee-87 · « **Reply #228 on:** July 7, 2012, 01:19:06 AM »

Thats the method i tend to use in games.. But i think the shot hes trying to conquer though is the last set on the freekick training which if my memorys correct is really far out and with full 5 wind in either direction? So don't think the slow chip method will work, think he need a real blaster curled round the wall and helped by the wind.

Lee-87 · « **Reply #229 on:** July 7, 2012, 01:50:36 AM »

Ahh bollocks!! Just went to play the game and there wasnt one available to load. Did a windows advancecure full scan earlier today and its wiped my game.. FUUUUUMING, a good 2-3 weeks of hard work and no socialising down the drain

l2k83 · « **Reply #230 on:** July 7, 2012, 07:51:19 AM »

Started with Truro, promoted in 1st season, signed for Bolton in the following January window & won the Prem with them (I know!?). Spent 1 season at Barca won the league, another season at Milan and won the league. Sign for LFC and won the league there. Staying at LFC now until I win everything in one season (which I'm close to doing this season).

Thinking of moving back to Truro and seeing if i can get them to the Prem.

Does anyone else provide their own running commentary in their head or is it just me?

Immoral King Brian Blessed · « **Reply #231 on:** July 7, 2012, 02:46:40 PM »

Quote from: l2k83 on July 7, 2012, 07:51:19 AM

Started with Truro, promoted in 1st season, signed for Bolton in the following January window & won the Prem with them (I know!?). Spent 1 season at Barca won the league, another season at Milan and won the league. Sign for LFC and won the league there. Staying at LFC now until I win everything in one season (which I'm close to doing this season).

Thinking of moving back to Truro and seeing if i can get them to the Prem.

Does anyone else provide their own running commentary in their head or is it just me?

When I went from Barca to a tiny team in order to see if I could carry them up the leagues, Adrian Durham accused me of being a bottler and retiring from football. I called him up and set him straight.

Sangria · « **Reply #232 on:** July 8, 2012, 12:03:28 AM »

Quote from: Immortal King Brian Blessed on July 7, 2012, 02:46:40 PM

When I went from Barca to a tiny team in order to see if I could carry them up the leagues, Adrian Durham accused me of being a bottler and retiring from football. I called him up and set him straight.

Did your star rating suffer from scoring a load of own goals?

Immoral King Brian Blessed · « **Reply #233 on:** July 8, 2012, 12:12:07 AM »

I'm about to kick you in the own goals until you see stars.

BigMarcs · « **Reply #234 on:** July 8, 2012, 06:29:50 AM »

Quote from: lfcshaunod on July 4, 2012, 09:58:48 AM

Cant stop playing this fucking shit.

Beav · « **Reply #235 on:** July 8, 2012, 09:14:36 AM »

Now at Milan after a brief spell at Napoli. I can't put this thing down.

G1 Jockey 4(betfair) · « **Reply #236 on:** July 8, 2012, 11:38:44 AM »

"Buy and race horses" gettin there

On Axis · « **Reply #237 on:** July 8, 2012, 02:28:38 PM »

I missed my penalty in PKs in the CL final. Arsenal won.

Beav · « **Reply #238 on:** July 8, 2012, 07:45:51 PM »

Quote from: On Axis on July 8, 2012, 02:28:38 PM

I missed my penalty in PKs in the CL final. Arsenal won.

Tough break. Missed one in the semi final of the world cup against France.

Won the Champions league with Milan, secured my dream move to Liverpool and life is brilliant. Top of the league, full relationship in all my categories, top scorer and in the final of the league cup so far.

Lee-87 · « **Reply #239 on:** July 8, 2012, 07:56:09 PM »

Really fucked up in this new game i started after having my last one wiped.. had a brilliant first season netting 80 goals. Then gone down hill since, playing for newcastle, lost all me money gambling then just got nicked by a shifty reporter for accepting a bribe.