Pro Evolution Soccer 2016 might be getting a free-to-play version

The word on the street is that Konami's Pro Evolution Soccer 2016 is going free to play.

is going free to play. And by "street," I mean the Australian government's videogame classification website, which just yesterday slapped a "G" rating on something called Pro Evolution Soccer 2016 Free To Play.

PES 2016 fared not horribly in our October review, although we knocked it for being a poor port that lacked the quality of its console cousins. You can judge that for yourself, to an extent, through the demo available on Steam. But if the Aussies are correct, another no-money-down option may soon be available.

Konami hasn't commented on the listing, but it appears that the free-to-play edition will exist alongside the regular release, since they're rated separately on the Australian classification site. It's also possible that it will be released only in certain regions of the world, similar to EA's FIFA Online 3, as there is currently no listing for a free-to-play version on the ESRB website.

Then again, it seems unlikely that Konami would rate the game in Australia if it didn't plan on making it available elsewhere. I've emailed Konami for more information, and will update when I receive a reply.