The Championship Manager games are “on hold” as far as PC gamers are concerned. Beautiful Game Studios’ general manager Roy Meredith said he “really, really couldn’t say” when the franchise would return to PC. 

Speaking to Eurogamer, Meredith said, “I don’t think boxed copy on PC is going to last much longer. It just feels like the boxed PC game is on its way out. Square Enix, as much as they love us, are not going to pay us for no returns.” He told them that part of the problem was that PC gamers made better purchasing decisions by choosing digital distributors over high street retailers. He also said that Football Manager’s success had zero impact on the decision.

SURE IT DIDN'T

It’s been common knowledge for a while that they’d decided to put the series on hold for this year – it’s common for these games to release a new version each year, with stats that reflect the most recent football season. When they announced that, it sounded more like a break – an extra year to work out some bugs and polish more features. Now it looks like they’ve put it on hold indefinitely – instead, they’re making something for the iPhone after an 80% downsizing in 2009.

He also had a go at bus driving simulators.

“I was in GAME at the weekend and I couldn’t believe how little [PC games] there was. I saw a game, Bus Magnate I think it was, and I thought, ‘Wow, is that what the PC market has come down to?’”

Yep, because you only get really mundane simulator games in retail stores. And Championship Manager is way above all that, with its sexy war guns.

http://www.pcgamer.com/2010/09/08/no-new-championship-manager-planned-for-pc/

Never played the games myself but a bummer for the fans...

Wait.. so they are gonna release an iPhone version but no PC version...

*shakes fist at Square-Enix*

*goes back playing the superior Football Manager from Sega*

well when you have had a 80% downsizing the iPhone is the obvious platform. I guess SE thinks that the margins and cost/risk is better on the iphone than a retail PC release, and they don't feel like going DD only on PC.

Are they surprised that Square Enix wants to cancel Championship Manager?! The new CM games may be much worse than Football Manager, but their decision to ignore Digital Distribution is simply irrational, especially considering that Digital Sales now make the vast majority of profits.

Just look at how Championship Manager 2010 is being sold on Digital Stores:

1. It's not on Steam
2. It's not on Impulse
3. Only the MAC version is being sold on D2D
4. Only the MAC version is being sold on Gamersgate

What the fucking hell?! It's not on the 2 biggest DD stores, and the PC version is not being sold anyhere!!!

Can someone explain me what the hell they're thinking?

SE has little to no experience in the PC space and what experience they do have is mostly outdated, add to that the fact they also don't really get DD even on consoles and it is obvious they are simply not thinking. 

an iphone game would only cost a 5th of a full pc game so even if they only make a 5th of they money they still get a return without the capital or risk of a PC game. Sure if they treated the PC platforms in a better way they could make more money but they probably won't. At least the total war and edios divisions are good with the PC platform, and I can only hope as SE becomes more global they will get better at leveraging the PC platform.

It would be interesting to start getting Final fantasy games on PC again. 

I don't know how it is in other places, but I don't know any old CM fan that didn't move on to FM back when SI and Eidos parted ways, I don't even know how a non-SI CM game plays.

So they complain about lack of sales whilst rejecting DD?

Its not rocket science.

Also, isn't Football Manager far more popular anywa? I mean these games usually sell really well, like a million copies or so don't they?

"He also said that Football Manager’s success had zero impact on the decision."

'Course not... and CM being utter shite in comparison and needing a ton of work to get anywhere near FM had no bearing either I suppose.

oh that's not the sega one... I got scared for a second :p