February 8th. Proving that the award-winning Winning Eleven franchise is the closest gamers can get to real soccer in a video game, Winning Eleven 8 once again raises the bar with in-depth gameplay, improved realism and increased control. The game features more teams, players and stadiums than ever before, including all the licensed teams from the Italian, Spanish and Dutch leagues.

â€œWinning Eleven is renowned worldwide and with Winning Eleven 8 weâ€™re presenting arguably the best soccer video game ever,â€ said Rob Goff, product manager, Konami Digital Entertainment â€“ America. â€œWith all of the new content, licensed teams and greater depth of play, this is the perfect time for fans of other soccer games to pick up Winning Eleven and see what theyâ€™ve been missing.â€

Featuring 136 club teams andmore advanced player stats that govern every aspect of their play, including how well players can bring a ball under control, hit it past an encroaching defender or flick it to a teammate.

Further adding to the excitement of the game, Winning Eleven 8 also features the first-ever on-screen referee in the history of the series. Boasting an enhanced ref AI, the referee will run up and down the field reacting realistically and instinctively to fouls, giving advantage for minor infringements and even stepping in to calm things down when the action gets heated.

Winning Eleven 8 features improvements on a number of options in the game. An enhanced training mode allows beginners to learn the basics of soccer as well as help gamers master the vast depth of play.