To no surprise, Konami has announced the next iteration in its long running soccer simulation franchise, PES 2012, a developer diary has consequently been released featuring PES creative producer, Shingo "Seabass" Takatsuka, discussing the various improvements being made to the gameplay.

According to Seabass, the key feature in this year's game will be the importance of Teamwork, since last year's additions like 360 degree dribbling and manual passing allowed star players to overwhelm the oppositions defence and limiting other styles of play. Off the ball movement will play a big role in PES 2012 as explained in the video, where team mates will make diagnol runs into the opposition's half, opening up pockets of spaces to run into or make a pass. Thus, the team works together a more cohesive unit, reacting to the movements of the player with the ball, and working to force the opposing team into mistakes.

The off-the-ball switching also extends to key set pieces, such as goal kicks, corners, free kicks and throw-ins, and allows users to target a specific player and send them on runs or to drag defenders out of position, and allows for quick breaks and space to be exploited more easily.

It'll be easier to steal the ball, but players will also have an option to perform hold-up-play and buy time for teammates to get back into defensive positions.

Zonal marking and positional defending are also massively enhanced; ensuring players are forced to work harder to split the opposition defence. Meanwhile a new cursor switching system has been implemented using the right analogue stick to switch to any player on the field. This allows users to pick a team mate anywhere on the pitch, thereby allowing players to react to threats faster, and to shut down attacks more quickly. Hold up play is being tweaked to give even greater control.

The physicality of top-level football is represented as PES 2012 extends the jostling system of its predecessor. Defenders rely on their strength and stature to force a player from the ball as strikers and play makers make use of unique attributes to beat their markers. Tighter, more accurate collisions see players tumbling dependent on how they are knocked off the ball. Crucially, control is not lost, allowing the stumbling player to be brought directly back under control.

Find out more about the game which has been trying to reclaim the crown of the best soccer sim for the last few years in the first developer diary below.