Announcing the face and launch date for PES3!
Pierluigi Collina to front Konami of Europe's highly acclaimed football title as October 17 launch date is confirmed.
Konami of Europe has announced that Pierluigi Collina - the most respected referee in the modern game and arguably one of the most regonisable faces in football - will be on the packaging of Pro Evolution Soccer 3. The publisher has also confirmed that the PlayStation 2 game will be launched October 17, while a PC version will follow later in the year.
The Italian-born referee will feature on the packaging of the PC and PlayStation 2 versions of the eagerly-awaited game. Collina has been selected as he is synonymous with the game and is known and respected by football fans all over the globe.
Pierluigi Collina was born in Viareggio in Italy in 1960 and after a flirtation as a player and following national service, pursued a full-time career as a financial advisor before taking up refereeing part-time. In 1983 he passed the necessary qualifications to oversee national matches, officiating in lower league matches. Since then, he has risen through the ranks of his native Italian Serie C1 and C2, Serie B and Serie A leagues, and now oversees the biggest matches - including 2002's World Cup Final between Germany and Brazil - and key Champions' League, UEFA Cup and European Qualifying games. During this time he has also won a number of awards, including the Italian Players Association's 'Oscar del Calcio' referee of the year in 1997, 1998, 2000 and 2002, while he won the International Football Federation of History and Statistics world award for five years running between 1998-2002.
"Pierluigi Collina sums up everything that is great about modern football and Pro Evolution Soccer 3," commented Martin Schneider, Director European Marketing & PR for Konami of Europe. "He is an uncompromising, no nonsense figure who enjoys the respect of everybody in the game - from fans through to the world's most famous players and leading managers. With such a strong pedigree, we are naturally delighted that Mr Collina has agreed to front the packaging for a football game that shares so many of his traits. Pro Evolution Soccer 3 will be one of our key titles this year, and Mr Collina will help to extend aware of the game to a wider range of football fans."
Konami of Europe's Pro Evolution Soccer series is rightly regarded as the pinnacle of console football titles, and Pro Evolution Soccer 3 is certain to set new standards for console and PC football games. Befitting a series seen as the definitive football experience for any format, Pro Evolution Soccer 3 represents a mammoth step forward for the series, with every aspect of the game massively reworked, with new player models, on and off the ball moves and key additions to the Master League incorporated into the new game.
The Italian-born referee will feature on the packaging of the PC and PlayStation 2 versions of the eagerly-awaited game. Collina has been selected as he is synonymous with the game and is known and respected by football fans all over the globe.
Pierluigi Collina was born in Viareggio in Italy in 1960 and after a flirtation as a player and following national service, pursued a full-time career as a financial advisor before taking up refereeing part-time. In 1983 he passed the necessary qualifications to oversee national matches, officiating in lower league matches. Since then, he has risen through the ranks of his native Italian Serie C1 and C2, Serie B and Serie A leagues, and now oversees the biggest matches - including 2002's World Cup Final between Germany and Brazil - and key Champions' League, UEFA Cup and European Qualifying games. During this time he has also won a number of awards, including the Italian Players Association's 'Oscar del Calcio' referee of the year in 1997, 1998, 2000 and 2002, while he won the International Football Federation of History and Statistics world award for five years running between 1998-2002.
"Pierluigi Collina sums up everything that is great about modern football and Pro Evolution Soccer 3," commented Martin Schneider, Director European Marketing & PR for Konami of Europe. "He is an uncompromising, no nonsense figure who enjoys the respect of everybody in the game - from fans through to the world's most famous players and leading managers. With such a strong pedigree, we are naturally delighted that Mr Collina has agreed to front the packaging for a football game that shares so many of his traits. Pro Evolution Soccer 3 will be one of our key titles this year, and Mr Collina will help to extend aware of the game to a wider range of football fans."
Konami of Europe's Pro Evolution Soccer series is rightly regarded as the pinnacle of console football titles, and Pro Evolution Soccer 3 is certain to set new standards for console and PC football games. Befitting a series seen as the definitive football experience for any format, Pro Evolution Soccer 3 represents a mammoth step forward for the series, with every aspect of the game massively reworked, with new player models, on and off the ball moves and key additions to the Master League incorporated into the new game.