It should come as no surprise that another edition of Football Manager is going to be coming out before Christmas, and while I really enjoyed last years version, some of the additions for this years version sound very, very good. Studio Director Miles Jacobson introduces them in a press conference style announcement after the break. You should take a look, talk of a Classic mode has certainly caught my attention. View the announcement and some more screens after the break.

The Classic mode promises to provide a stripped out experience reminiscent of Sports Interactive’s earlier titles. Miles expects players to complete a season in this mode in 8-10 hours as training is streamlined and media and player interaction are cut back. While I love the full fat version of Football Manager, this Classic mode sounds very promising to provide people with a way to get through the game without it becoming such a time-sink. Alongside the open-ended Classic mode will be a variety of Challenges as seen in Football Manager Handheld on smartphones. Again, this sounds a promising way to give players the chance to dip in and out of the game without having to invest their life into it.

Deeper Steam integration will also feature allowing for global leaderboards and a massive multiplayer revamp. You will now be able to create one-off leagues or cups to go alongside the traditional career mode, and there will be the option to take your team from the singleplayer game online to test it against your friends and foes.

Right now, this is sounding like the version with some of the biggest changes for quite some time, and I am all for it.