ESPN 2K6Just like everyone else, I've had a couple of weeks to deal with the bad news regarding the next football title from the folks at Sega/Take-Two/Visual Concepts. I know that for the next five years, at least, EA's Madden series will be the only NFL game in town, and I've even been able to make peace with the idea. After all, the Madden series (if it continues to be known by that name in future iterations) has always been more hit than miss. Despite having exclusive rights to the NFL license for the next half decade, the Madden game surely won't be the only football title released this year. While details on the next pigskin release from the folks at ESPN are nonexistent, I'm extremely curious to see what they come up with. The way I see it, they've got a few avenues of opportunity for the follow-up to ESPN NFL 2K5. Option one would be to revive an already existing football license, such as the Canadian Football League or the old World League. Option two would be to take the competition directly to EA by reviving the Sega NCAA football franchise. In my opinion, there can't be enough college football, so I would perhaps welcome this most of all. The potential downside? EA scoops up an exclusive NCAA license and punks the folks at Take-Two once again. Which leads us to option three: a complete revamp of Sega's football franchise from the ground up. New teams and new players (all fictional, of course) would be presented alongside all the things we've come to enjoy from the 2K series of sports games, like slick presentation, gorgeous graphics, and excellent gameplay. This title could benefit from not being bound to the NFL's ever-vigilant eye as well, in terms of gameplay restrictions. Neck-snapping hits and horrific injuries that make you squeal in disgust? Sure! End zone celebrations where Sharpie markers and cell phones are encouraged? Why not? Finally, now that Take-Two won't be paying those exorbitant licensing fees to the NFL, it can afford to upgrade the D-list celebrities that appeared in last year's game. Sayonara, Steve-O and Carmen Electra! Hello, Andy Dick and Nicole Richie! Forza MotorsportBesides the minimum amount of exposure required by my job, I've tried to avoid much contact with any information regarding Forza Motorsport simply because I can't wait to get my hands on the game. Among all the different flavors of sports games, racing games are my favorite, particularly those with a bent toward realism. While another delay for the game, developed in-house by Microsoft and exclusively made for the Xbox, is bad news, my self-imposed distance from the game lets me wait an extra couple of months without yanking out too many tufts of hair in frustration. Here's what I know so far: The game will have five main modes: arcade, career, multiplayer, free run, and time trials. Through these modes you'll be racing cars from more than 50 manufacturers on 60 tracks from all over the world. This information alone is enough to get my attention, but it doesn't stop there. Car upgrades and tweaks, a staple of console driving simulation titles, get a new twist in Forza, because you'll have nearly as many options for adjusting the outward appearance of your car as you will for making changes under the hood. Body kits, rims, spoilers, side skirts, fender flares, hood scoops, and the obligatory decals and paint jobs are all adjustable, so you can give your car the exact look you desire. Then there's the "Drivatar," the clever name for the driver artificial intelligence in the game. The way it's been pitched, the Drivatar system will let you "teach" the AI exactly how it should attack a course. Of course, your opponents on the track will have access to this same system, which will hopefully mean for a steady challenge in single-player races, even as your skills improve. If you tire of racing soulless computer drivers, however, you can take advantage of the game's built-in Xbox Live support, which, considering the game's a Microsoft-developed product, should be extensive. Christmas may be behind me, but I've got visions of ride height adjustments and fuel mixtures dancing through my head. Will Forza turn out to be the Gran Turismo killer that gearheads have been whispering about for years? We'll find out when the game hits stores in April. I, for one, can't wait.

Video providers : , and this video is stored with all copyright by