Kevin Toms Interview

Kevin Toms. Some of you might know him but most of you probably don't. He is the original author of Football Manager. A legendary computer game designer who founded Addictive Games and released the famous Football Manager simulation game in 1982 that included a portrait of his bearded face on publicity material and cassette covers.

I have recently contacted Mr. Toms and he was kind enough to answer 10 questions I prepared for this brief interview. We talked about FM, his career, Sports Interactive and his upcoming iOS app. I hope that you find it interesting...

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It appears that after selling Addictive Games, you moved to New Zealand. Was that one of the reasons that made you leave the UK? And why New Zealand?

New Zealand has a great lifestyle and quality of life. It was a good move.

Sports Interactive revived the Football Manager name 15 years after the release of your first game. I realize this is something that triggered mixed feelings; you felt good about the name's long lasting credibility, but also a bit saddened as it has gone away from you. Which feeling was more intense back in 2005 and how has that changed today?

In 2005 I had a lot of things going on in my life, and it was not everything to me. It still isn't. I am still attached to the name, because that was the name of the game I created that was so successful!

Would you return to the UK if Sports Interactive were to offer you a position to join their studio?

I have not thought of that situation and what I would feel. That would be something like an artistic collaboration. As for the UK, I have thought about it, but I have also become a bit of traveller over the years and like the challenge and stimulation of new places.

Have you played Championship Manager or the modern Football Manager series through the years? If yes, was it something you did in order to test where the series was going or was it a pure enjoyment thing?

Yes, I have, but it's something I have not done seriously for a while because I have been too obsessed with my own writing. It's something I plan to do soon, and report online on my experience and how it seems to me.

I know you approve certain things Sports Interactive brought to the football management genre and how they have cultivated their community. Could you please name 5 most important things you like about the modern FM series?

Depth of information, Community, Brilliantly astute development of the brand, Community, Game evolution, oh and Community. (That was six, sorry)

There are people arguing that SI are milking the golden cow by releasing a new arrangement of FM every year with minimal drastic improvements to the game and plenty of bug fixes instead. Do you agree with that opinion?

Well fixing bugs is important, and game evolution is difficult because you want to improve without harming what is existing. No, I am not going to criticise!


You recently attended Games Britannia and had a chance to meet with Miles Jacobson again. Did you two by any chance discuss ways FM can get better? If not, what would your advice for that matter?

It was good to meet Miles, but no, I wouldn't do that. It's comparing 2 different artistic styles. Each game takes a different direction, so which way is better depends on the strategy of the games design in the first place.

It is clear that you have been working on a new Football Manager type of game for iOS for the past 3 years (correct me if I am wrong). Have you concluded on what will be the final title yet? When should we expect the release date for it (a vague answer such as 2012 Q4 is acceptable)?

Yes that it right, and it is evolving as I write it. I have not decided finally on the title yet. I pushed it back a little recently by adding another feature that will take a while. So, the next few months is the best guide.

You launched your personal blog back in 2008; I think late March it was. You are also managing a page on Facebook and a Twitter profile. How much of your time do these 3 combined take off your day? Are you satisfied with the traffic and feedback you are getting there by now?

The blogging, Twitter, Facebook etc, that I do is something I love to do, but I am still time starved for it. It's something I consider a bonus, because I get contact with players of my game in a much better way than I did first time around. I occasionally go quieter when my work load is heavy but I manage my time carefully to do it. Traffic? Well I have not released the game yet, so there will be more to discuss with people when I have. I am content right now.

What motivates you to create your new FM game? And what is the ultimate goal behind your efforts; money-making, keeping busy as a hobby, keep challenging yourself to reach new heights, something else?

Well the 2 things go together really. Motivation and money. They go together because in the process of writing this game I realised how much I truly love doing it, and how many ideas I have. But to implement those ideas I need to make money out of it, so that I can spend the time making games.

The second part is, yes, I have not finished the job. I have more to do, and more to offer regarding creating football manager games and other games. I have a long way to go on this journey yet!