Have FIFA and Football Manager effected perceptions of players / young players?

[N_O_W_S]

Interesting question posted on Reddit earlier.

Have Fifa and Football Manager effected fan expectations and perceptions of players?

How do you think these games have skewed peoples views on youth players or even those players being bought in by the big clubs?

I for one sometimes have to remind myself that potential in Football Manager, even though thoroughly researched, is just that a simulation!

[Bronaldinho]

Think it's criminal that SSN rate signings on FM ratings - With the amount of pundits and research teams they hire, it's disgusting that they judge players on their in-game ratings, rather than speaking to their correspondents from them nations.

Players like Thauvin for example has some decent stats in-game and some on the same level as De Bruyne, but in reality De Bruyne is one of the best in his position and Thauvin failed to deliver.

Take it back to how it was 5-6 years ago, where some players arrived relatively unknown and with no pressure rather than the cult figures they obtain on ratings on FIFA and FM.

The amount of money Sky has and the media outlets it works with,  they should be able to build indepth analysis and understanding over a wide network rather than relying on game databases.

[fulhamben]

That sky transfer thing was one of the most embarrassing things I've seen on telly. One can only imagine that FM paid them a lot of money to do it. Will be interesting to see if they do it again as they must know how cringe worthy it was.

[ToodlesMcToot]

Something like grading real transfers, or prospects, based upon FM ratings would have to be pure marketing - very good marketing though.

I can't believe a pundit - someone who's presumably spent his whole life in and around the game - would allow people to believe that he can't come up with his own analysis of a player, that he'd have to use FM to judge. Must've been embarrassing - no matter how much they got paid to do it.

And it does sound cringeworthy.

[Twig]

They haven't effected anything, they may have affected them.

[HillFace]

It's not the worst way to do scouting. Cost-effective, largely accurate and easily read. You'd be foolish not to use to get a general idea of a player or where their strongest attributes lie. The only thing it can't accurately estimate, and I believe never will, is the players attitude and application. Too many different factors of personality contribute to a players success.

Personally, I always develop soft spots for people I've signed in my games and support them in the unlikely scenario they actually make a breakthrough. Shout-Out to Ismael Ehui, former Fulham Youth, who I sold to Arsenal for $40mill in FM05

[fulhamben]

It's not the worst way to do scouting. Cost-effective, largely accurate and easily read. You'd be foolish not to use to get a general idea of a player or where their strongest attributes lie. The only thing it can't accurately estimate, and I believe never will, is the players attitude and application. Too many different factors of personality contribute to a players success.

Personally, I always develop soft spots for people I've signed in my games and support them in the unlikely scenario they actually make a breakthrough. Shout-Out to Ismael Ehui, former Fulham Youth, who I sold to Arsenal for $40mill in FM05

the biggest shout out has to go to jamie mcmaster, haven't got a clue if he ever played a professional game, but he won me everything and the world cup for england. Don't think I've played dm this millenia so god knows what version it was

[Carborundum]

I don't know about the effect on fans, but I did wonder whether status as a so-called wonder kid in the electronic games helped inflate Patrick Roberts transfer fee.  Whatever scouting was done, it surely wasn't performances for our first team that drove up the price.  Lots of aspects come in to play I'm sure, so not suggesting it was the sole cause, just a factor.

[fulhamben]

I don't know about the effect on fans, but I did wonder whether status as a so-called wonder kid helped inflate Patrick Roberts transfer fee.  Whatever scouting was done, it surely wasn't performances for our first team that drove up the price.  Lots of aspects come in to play I'm sure, so not suggesting it was the sole cause, just a factor.

maybe him excelling for our under 18s and for england did. Anyone who saw him play could see he has real talent

[WolverineFFC]

Interesting question posted on Reddit earlier.

Have Fifa and Football Manager effected fan expectations and perceptions of players?

How do you think these games have skewed peoples views on youth players or even those players being bought in by the big clubs?

I for one sometimes have to remind myself that potential in Football Manager, even though thoroughly researched, is just that a simulation!

Yes, in how it makes people believe development is a given, or worse yet, a straight line. Some players are the best they will ever be by age 21, while others don't peak until their late 20's, if ever.

FWIW, I play FM myself. I think if I were a smaller club with limited resources, the database would be a good tool for identifying players. But it is absurd to compare a simulation game to real life football otherwise.

[jimmyc19]

Definitely, look at Freddy Adu. Football Manager ruined his career it could be argued. Unrealistic expectations, everyone got excited, before realising he wasn't as good as the game suggested, therefore everyone immediately thought of him as a flop.

[MJG]

I think what it had done for some fans is make them think differently about 'transfer funds'
Even a thread on this site about £10m to spend is overblown. In FM it breaks down the transfer find into a separate figure, but in real life while their may be a budget it's much more flexible. Also it's made fans think the process of buying and scouting  is easier than it really is. Tap I a few attributes and bid a couple of different prices and that player is theirs. It is just not that easy.

With regards the actual database in FM, but while it has a few errors I find it a really good guage about which players to watch out for. I'd say it's 75% correct as an overall database to look at in relation to players your not sure about.