This was a great decision on Konami’s part, and really helped catapult the game to new heights.
With Winning Eleven 9, Konami implemented online play, so you could play with your friends from the comfort of your own homes at a moment's notice. Soccer games are great fun to play locally, even for casual fans of the sport. It’s incredible that the game managed to perform so well without some of these key licenses, and it’s the game's biggest fault.
They also managed to license a bunch of fan favorite players, like Sol Campbell and Patrick Vera, though they did miss out on some key players like Ruud Van Nistelrooy (known in-game as Von Mistelroum).
