When EA Sports revealed that NFL Blitz would be making its return to consoles a few weeks ago, we were unsure as to how much of what made the series so enjoyable would return. After finally getting around to sitting with the game, we found that it felt like classic Blitz, but at the same time, it gave off the impression of something different.

We quickly jumped into a match and began to see the similarities and differences. Players look like their real-life counterparts, and the way in which they move and react falls in line with previous games. Animations are somewhat over the top, but even with the removal of late hits (when tackles and in-air collisions occur), the animations look cool and players appear to be injured after taking that hit. There are a lot of cool moves that you'll be able to pull off, and when you manage to get your offense or defense "On Fire," your foes better be careful. Tim Kitzrow will also be lending his voice to NFL Blitz, so those who loved his brand of over-the-top commentary in NBA Jam will be in for quite a treat. Although our time with the game was limited, the audio was great. The only real gripe we had with the commentary was Kitzrow's referral to the Seattle Seahawks stadium as Qwest Field, which is a name that was changed back in the summer.

As you might expect, the action on the field has a lot of variety to it. On offense, you'll have two pages of play selections that range from quick, short-ranged passes to long bombs. While these long throw situations leave your quarterback vulnerable, if the pass connects, your opposition won’t be able to stop you from scoring. Defense isn't that in depth, but considering this is Blitz, chances are you're going to rush all you can and hope to snag a fumble or interception in the process. The playbooks appear to be the same for all teams, so the team you select and your own skill will determine your success. Thankfully, one of the game's online elite leagues will let you customize your teams to a greater degree, ensuring more balanced matches.

There isn't much to learn in regard to the controls. Each action has its own specific button: Triggers are used to sprint faster, one button is used for passing, and one button is used for jukes. It won't take someone long to adjust to the controls and begin scoring. There will different control setups for those who want to change things up, including the ability to shift to either a Blitz or Arcade control choice.

Our time with Blitz was brief. We didn't have the opportunity to experience firsthand any of the other meatier modes included in the game. We did, however, briefly catch a glimpse of others playing the Gauntlet mode, which has you play against real NFL teams and some Blitz-specific teams. This ladder-like mode seems pretty standard, and it should be fun to unlock the specialty teams for online use. NFL Blitz makes it triumphant return this January and will be available on both Xbox Live Arcade and the PlayStation Network.

With EA Sports having brought back the NBA JAM franchise, a lot of talk was rumbling around as to whether it would resurrect another popular arcade series of the late '90s: NFL Blitz. Well, this January, EA Tiburon is bringing NFL Blitz to consoles, and we had the opportunity to talk to designer Yuri Bialsokursky who gave us some information as to what fans can expect.

EA's take on NFL Blitz isn't going to shy away from the classic gameplay that so many people spent quarters on in the arcades. You're still going to have two-minute quarters, no penalties with big hits, and other crazy actions in between. This will be the same frantic action from the past but with tons of modes to play with and sharper visuals. Even Tim Kitzrow will be doing commentary, and this time, he's joined by actor-comedian Brian Haley to do color. Expect the pair to be quite crazy and add an extra layer of enjoyment to every match. Of course, while EA is looking to keep the core mechanics that made NFL Blitz so popular, it is also hoping that the new additions will bring in other gamers to the fold.

For those who simply want to play on their own, the game's Gauntlet mode will let you create a fantasy team. Then you can play against the rest of the league and even fantasy boss teams on your way to league supremacy. Battles against boss teams will take place in the Blitz Coliseum and feature power-ups that will alter the course of the game. Defeating boss teams will unlock a cheat code, which allows you to use it in all other modes.

But where NFL Blitz really looks to shine is its focus on numerous online modes. Of course, if you simply want to play standard matches against others, you can do so, but co-op play both locally and online will be offered. Grab a friend and play together on the couch against others, or if you want, you can partner up with one of your online friends to challenge another group of players.

Other online modes include Blitz Battles. Here, you begin by selecting your team of choice and your location. Once you've chosen, you're put into a local battle board and face off against other NFL Blitz players in your area. Within the local battle board, there are four tiers: rookie, pro, veteran, and elite. Playing matches will earn you ranking points. Then based on your performance and upon reaching the top of the current tier, you'll have the opportunity to play in a "rank up" match. Winning that match moves you up to the next tier and a new set of foes. After completing the local battle board, you'll move to a regional and then a national tier. And if you can go through and be among the very best there, you'll be awarded a spot in the Blitz Hall of Fame. You can even pair up with a friend and play together online, which is a cool addition to Blitz Battles. You'll share the glory, and it might make reaching the Hall of Fame a bit easier.

The last mode that online gamers will be able to take part in is called Elite League. The Elite League is similar to the Ultimate Team mode seen in EA's regular sports series. You'll begin with a starter deck of players and play against other elite teams. Your team is built on both the skills of players and how well they work as a team. If you have a team that consists of a lot of fast players, then your team's turbo meter will last significantly longer than another team's meter. As you develop your squad, you'll want to look for trends to ensure you have the best possible team.

All online modes give you the opportunity to earn Blitz bucks based on your performance, and these can be spent on a number of different unlockables, including the ability to purchase card packs that improve your team. Every card has a contract value associated with it, but collecting an entire team will allow you to trade it in for a noticeably better card. Trading in a team gets you a "pro" player who has two maxed rating stats and an infinite contract.

On top of that, if you have an entire complete division, you'll be able to trade it in for an "ultimate" player. There is only one ultimate player per position, and his stats are maxed out in all categories and he also has an infinite contract. Collecting all the cards will be quite a challenge because each team will have 12 cards to collect, but you'll be able to trade and wager cards with other players with the hope of completing your collection and developing that ultimate team.

NFL Blitz has been in development for well over a year, and the developers at EA Tiburon feel very confident that they are bringing back the series that so many people have loved. They hope that their brand of NFL Blitz action will appeal to all players and that the number of modes included, especially the focus with online, will keep people playing for long periods of time. With any luck, we'll have the chance to play around with NFL Blitz soon as its January launch on Xbox Live Arcade and the PlayStation Network can't come soon enough.

Earlier this year, THQ released WWE All Stars on various consoles and brought back the days of arcade-style wrestling that haven't been seen in a long time. The game was popular enough that THQ has decided to release it on the Nintendo 3DS, and we had the opportunity to play around for a bit to experience what's in store this November.

The 3DS version retains everything you got to experience when it was released earlier this year. You'll get 30 WWE superstars, ranging from current wrestlers like Sheamus to greats like The Ultimate Warrior. If you grew up with wrestling in the '80s and '90s, then your favorite wrestler of the time is bound to appear. On top of that, the additional wrestlers that were originally offered only as downloadable content for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions of game are available right from the get-go.

It would be one thing if this were just a straight-up port that was thrown together, but the 3DS version will include some additional modes not seen elsewhere. The first is Gauntlet mode. Here, the objective is to defeat every wrestler in the game in a ladder format with no breaks. If you finish off one opponent, prepare yourself for another one to immediately follow. Your character won't have his health replenished between matches, but there will be ways to regain health so that going through all these foes won't feel like a task that can't be completed.

The other addition to the 3DS version is Score Scramble mode. The objective in this mode is to earn the highest score possible. Here, either playing against the computer or a friend, you have requirements. You have to be the first to reach X number of points of the highest score after a certain amount of time. Because WWE All Stars is focused on over-the-top moves, pulling off combos and getting those flashy finishers and signature moves will get you the higher score, as well as the ability to gloat to your friends.

Again, everything that players got to experience earlier this year has been transferred to the 3DS. From crazy moves to classic WWE footage that showcases the greats from years past, there should be something that will appeal to any brand of wrestling fan. At the same time, because other fighting games have proven to be successful on the 3DS, THQ is hoping that this brand of high-flying and flash wrestling will see the same success. WWE All Stars slams the Nintendo 3DS on November 22.

When you have something that is well received and popular among its core audience, it's only a matter of time before you try to branch out and hopefully appeal to an even wider audience. This is the case with 2K Sports: the company revealed that it's bringing its popular NBA 2K series to iOS. With NBA 2K12 launching on the iPod Touch and iPad alongside its console big brother, we had the opportunity to play around with it and see what mobile users can expect.

NBA 2K12 is surprisingly meaty, with a slew of different modes available. For those wanting to simply pick up and play a game, that option is available, but at the same time, those wanting to play through a regular season will have that opportunity as well. If you're the kind of gamer who doesn't care about the ups and downs of a regular season, then playing through the playoffs should satisfy those needs. Then there is Situation, a mode geared for those wanting a quick game, catered to their own preferences. Want to see how well you can erase a 10-point deficit with two minutes left in the game? With Situation, you can do that. You have control over how a game starts, and you can try to turn it around in your favor. Games can be as long or as short as you want, and the match possibilities are endless.

But that's not all 2K12 has to offer. Although this version won't feature the NBA Legends mode that's available on consoles, the Jordan Challenges from 2K11 will be included. As in that game, you'll have to complete tasks as Michael Jordan and his different Bulls teams; famous games such as The Shrug, The Flu, and even the Father's Day match against the Sonics are included. These should be quite challenging to complete, and they should keep basketball fans occupied whether they're playing on the bus on the way to work or relaxing on the sofa.

One of the most important issues approaching an iOS game is controls, and NBA 2K12 will feature two control options. The standard/classic controls use an onscreen D-pad; on the left side of the screen there will be a D-pad that can be used to move your players around the court. On the right side of the screen, depending on whether you're playing offense or defense, different onscreen options will be available. On the offensive side, you'll have pass, shoot, and even an alley-oop button, while on defense, there is change player, block, and steal attempt.

If the D-pad option isn't for you, the alternative, one-finger control option should be a fine way to play. The game will automatically control the movement of players on the court, and all you need to do is touch a respective player to pass him the ball or hold the current player to shoot. On defense, it works the same way; players will move automatically, and you have the ability to initiate steal attempts by tapping the corresponding attacking player or to block by swiping up on your own player. Surprisingly, both control options work well and can be switched during a game by adjusting them in the options menu. In some situations, you may want to have full control of your team, but other times you may feel like passively playing, and the one-finger controls let you play without having to be completely absorbed in the action on the screen.

Though the iPad is larger and has sharper visual capabilities, the iPad version is identical to the iPod Touch version in regard to features. Of course, with a larger screen, the control options are a bit friendlier on the iPad, but you can still play a mean game on your iPod Touch. Both games hit the App Store on Tuesday, October 4, with the iPad version costing $9.99 and the iPod Touch version being $4.99.

The inclusion of a personalized career in sports game is nothing new and has been around for ages, so developers need to find ways of changing things up to entice gamers to return to this mode. My Player, NBA 2K12's player career mode, is seeing quite a few changes and additions over last year. We had the opportunity to start a career in the NBA and begin our path to the Hall of Fame.

Upon beginning My Player, you will notice a number of changes when creating your virtual self. You'll be able to fine-tune your player with a slew of new additions, including more detailed shooting and movement animations, as well as more options for accessories or hairstyle choices. Your player progression has also been modified. With the inclusion of your standard attributes, which you can adjust as you play, new abilities have been added to give you the option of fine-tuning your play relative to the position you play on the court. Abilities allow your player to become much more individualistic, but they won't necessarily make you a beast because the AI will learn what abilities you have and do what it can to prevent you from dominating. Also, abilities cost significantly more skill points to improve, so you'll be required to save up before you can make your player a more central force. The changes from the first part of My Player go even further than simple cosmetic changes. Rather than going through a series of three pick-up games, which determined your draft order, this time, you'll only have to play in one big matchup and your performance will determine where you land. This predraft "prospects" game will have you still trying to wow GMs, but it won't be the ultimate factor that decides which team drafts you.

This year, a locker room predraft interview is included where three teams will sit down with you and ask a series of questions. You can get an idea on where you may be drafted by the teams you talk with because they will mention where they stand in the draft, but it goes even further. The questions will dynamically change based on your player's position, the city, the culture of the team, and the other players currently on the team. For example, our player was a point guard, and when we talked with the Washington Wizards, one of the questions dealt with not being the star player and having to play behind current Wizards' point guard, John Wall. There are four possible answers, and depending on what you choose, it may sway a team a certain way. The Knicks also interviewed us and when they asked about dealing with the pressure of constantly being scrutinized by the paparazzi and the city, we replied that we liked to keep our lives private. Thus, the Knicks felt that we wouldn't be a good fit as a member of the Knickerbockers. In addition to having a predraft question-and-answer period, the team at 2K Sports has taken the NBA draft to the next level. Re-creating the draft was a goal for 2K Sports in that it managed to not only include current NBA commissioner David Stern in the cinematics, but 2K also had him sit down to do actual commentary. While he won't be able to announce your name when it's finally your turn at the podium, this level of authenticity is quite a treat. Anxiously waiting to see which team drafts you is also quite exhilarating.

Having to play through an 82-game season is another issue that has been addressed. Now, if you don't feel like playing through an entire season, you can play only key matchups, which are based on your player's position, you team's standing, and team's rivalries. Being able to rush through a season allows you to play more seasons and is another addition to this year's game. The ultimate goal in My Player mode is to eventually reach the Hall of Fame, and within My Player, you will have a series of career objectives that will help determine if you are worthy of a place in Springfield, Massachusetts. These objectives are pretty standard stuff, from simple tasks like reaching the play-offs at least four times to more time-intensive requests like scoring over 10,000 points. But if you do reach the Hall of Fame, you'll be able to cater your acceptance speech so your entry is remembered for generations.

However, the inclusion of Hall of Fame objectives isn't just found in My Player. A mode also making an appearance this year is Create a Legend, which lets you take a current NBA player and help him reach the Hall of Fame. Like My Player, you'll take any current player, complete the same objectives, and improve your player as he progresses in the NBA. Some players, like Kobe Bryant or Dirk Nowitzki, probably already have a place in the Hall of Fame set aside for them, but if you're a fan of players who could be on the edge of greatness, you'll be able to take over their careers and help lead them to eternal greatness.

There are a slew of other My Player additions that fans can expect to see later this year when NBA 2K12 launches this October. From dynamic goals that change on the fly based on your play to postgame press conferences where your answer can alter your influence and popularity amongst fans or players, the way in which you progress from rookie to NBA great should be engaging, as well as appeal to any sports fan. On top of these additions, the presentation has seen a number of improvements as it continues to replicate actual NBA broadcasts. While we are still waiting to hear what will become of this upcoming NBA season, fans at least know that 2K Sports plans on delivering a basketball experience that should make up for not watching the real thing.

About a month ago, we had the opportunity to talk to EA Canada regarding the upcoming Nintendo Wii release of FIFA 12. The big new inclusion for this year's release is FIFA City, a level-based system that rewards you for playing the other modes in the game. It sounded quite interesting when we were told about it over the phone, but we finally got to see its inclusion firsthand.

For those unfamiliar with FIFA City, it acts as the main menu for FIFA 12. Upon starting the game for the first time, you're asked to name your city and your club. Once that's completed, you are greeted by a fairly bare-looking city with various near-empty sections, each corresponding to the different modes available to play with. The modes will be instantly familiar to fans of last year's release and include Street to Stadium, Be a Manager, and Tournament, to name a few. To improve each section of your city, you have to play those modes and unlock in-game achievements. These vary from easy-to-complete tasks, such as win a game on any difficulty, score your first goal as a created player, or win by four-plus goals, to long-term requests like becoming a 90-plus rated player, playing in every stadium, or scoring 50 goals in Street Soccer. The achievements work in two ways. For starters, for every accomplishment, your population increases, and you obtain items that make your city look more populated. These items include homes, better fields, and even larger stadiums. But as your city increases in size, you can take part in the game's Intercity Cup mode.

FIFA City has a level system that lets you obtain the rights, each time you level up, to select a player who will become a member of your city's football club. Once you have a team in place, you can play against other fictional created cities as part of the Intercity Cup. Defeating cities will unlock more to play against and will increase your rating as the best city in this fictional nation. Early on, only Street Soccer tournaments against rivals will be available. As you level up your city and earn additional players, you'll unlock the ability to field a proper, 11-player squad and take part in full-field matches.

During our few hours with FIFA 12 and FIFA City, the new feature really caught our attention. Trying to find ways to complete the easy objectives had us playing games in a number of different ways, either by adjusting the difficulty or by increasing the length of halves. Of course, there are objectives that will take a significant amount of time to obtain, but purists willing to take the time to do so should feel quite proud as they reach the level 52 cap. Be sure to find out more and see our final verdict of the game when it hits stores at the end of September.

There is a lot of history associated with the NBA. Yes, the league itself has only been around for 65 years, but in that brief amount of time, there have been so many great players and teams that have graced the various hard courts around America. Unfortunately, though, so many younger basketball fans don't realize just how good these players were, and thankfully, the guys at 2K Sports are trying to educate the uniformed. We had a chance to sample the game's upcoming NBA's Greatest mode and were transported back to various periods and played with some of the best players to ever grace the sport.

For starters, the initial statement of being able to play as 15 of the greatest NBA players is a huge understatement. Yes, you do get to play as superstars like Bill Russell, Isiah Thomas, and Julius Irving, but you also get to play with or against more than 30 teams from different periods of history, all of which are represented as they were when the teams originally took to the court. Dr. J plays alongside the great Moses Malone; Jerry West and Wilt Chamberlain team up and face off against my favorite player Pistol Pete and his '70s Hawks team; and so many other memorable names appear. So while there may be a focus on 15 of the greatest players ever; in fact, you're interacting with even more than that number.

NBA's Greatest mode works differently from Jordan Moments in last year's game. Rather than having to complete a game and achieve a certain stat goal, you just have to win. When you win with the NBA's Greatest team in question, you unlock both that team and your opposition in Exhibition mode.

Aesthetically, this is where the mode really shines. The team at Visual Concepts has gone a long way in offering an experience that matches those that actually took place. Our time with the mode had us playing three halves of basketball in three different periods of history. The first match had us taking control of Bill Russell's 1964-65 Celtics alongside Hondo and K.C. Jones as they battled it out against the Lakers who featured Jerry West and Elgin Baylor. From the moment the match loaded, it was if we were tossed into a time machine and were watching a broadcast from the 1960s. The black-and-white broadcast with plain white text overlay looked exactly as it would have back in the day. On top of that, even the look of the court, from the backboards to the scorer's table, were re-created to simulate the way it would have looked in that era. As we moved forward in time, our next visit was the 1980s and two different matches. The first was taking the bad-boy Pistons of 1989 and facing off against Jordan's Bulls; the other had the electrifying 76ers of the mid-'80s face off against the surprisingly strong Milwaukee Bucks. Both matches re-created the time frame superbly with short-shorts and a Pistons team that everyone really did love to hate.

While the commentary is still done by its current-day team, the commentators do a fantastic job of educating you as you play in regard to the history of the players on the court. As you play, you'll learn interesting tidbits of information, not only on the key NBA's Greatest players but also the other players that made up these squads. You might not know too much about Maurice Cheeks, but after playing with him on the 76ers team, you'll learn a bit about his struggles as a Chicago kid playing college basketball in a small town in Texas.

Not only does the commentary reflect on the players, but it also takes notice of other interesting bits of information regarding the time periods. Because there was no three-point line in the early part of the league, the commentators talk about it. They also make mention of how statistics like blocks weren't calculated and how a player like Bill Russell would have been the all-time stats leader if they were calculated. As an added bonus, the audio reflects the era. When playing in the 1960s, the audio replicates the mono radio sounds of the time, including obvious static, which adds to the nostalgia factor.

In all honesty, our time with the mode wasn't as long as we would have liked. Having played basketball and being able to have the chance to play as some of the teams we not only read about but actually watched on television was quite a treat. Thankfully, NBA 2K12 hits store shelves in October, and from what we've managed to play thus far, NBA's Greatest could be a mode that not only entertains fans of the sport but also educates them.

Before moving to the San Francisco Bay Area, I was lucky enough to live in Vancouver for the last four years, and as most sports fans know, the city was draped with hockey fever until mid-June. So, it's a little hard to believe that we are only a couple of weeks away from the launch of NHL 12. With the game launching on September 13, we had the opportunity to sit down and see the final build of the game and get one last taste of what everyone else will experience in a matter of weeks.

Electronic Arts' brand of hockey has delivered over the last few years, and this year is no different. As we've touched upon in previous coverage of the game, the focus is EA's trilogy of improvements: anticipation AI, dynamic goalies, and signature traits. Surprisingly, these are not the only areas where NHL 12 is looking to progress over last year's game. For starters, the presentation is seeing a massive overhaul, because EA wants to give gamers the closest experience possible to watching a real hockey match. They are doing this by having an Action Tracker that keeps track of every possible, meaningful bit of action that occurs in-game. No longer will you have to pause after every cool play to see what you managed to pull off; it's all recorded and can be referred back to at any time.

The Action Tracker is also implemented in Be a Pro mode and can be used in a number of ways. Not only will you get a better frame of reference for how your team performs, but you'll see how well you are on the ice in comparison to others. On top of that, the Action Tracker helps to speed up play in Be A Pro mode, letting you track the progress of a particular match without having to stay stuck in the standard bench angle viewpoint until your next shift on the ice.

In regard to Be a Pro mode, expect to see more interaction with your coaches and more response from them as you make your way up from a Major Junior Club to the AHL and hopefully become a star in the NHL. Improvements include having more-realistic play time dependent on your position and line setup. If you're a third-line defenseman, for instance, expect to play fewer minutes in comparison to a first-line player. Furthermore, your coach may ask that you complete certain in-game tasks on top of normal requirements. Accomplishing these feats will see you earn more ice time and become an even more important member of your team.

Another improvement being made this year is allowing for some incorporation of your pro from last year's game. While you won't be able to start at exactly the same point where your career left off, you will get a head start and avoid having to start at the bottom. Of all the talk surrounding the upcoming release of NHL 12, the recent announcement of the inclusion of various legendary players has garnered the most attention. Incorporating classic teams and players is nothing new for sports games--EA included a centennial Montreal Canadiens team a few years back--but this year EA is incorporating some of the greatest players in a number of different modes.

Based on completing objectives as your Be a Pro player, you will unlock the Legendary players for use in other modes. Players include Wayne Gretzky, Jeremy Roenick, and Patrick Roy, to name a few, but getting them all will take you a while. Requirements include finishing a game with a "Gordie Howe hat trick"--score a goal, get an assist, and get into a fight--or scoring your first goal on your first-ever shift the way Mario Lemieux did in his debut back in 1984. As an added bonus, those who play the card-collecting Ultimate Team mode, Legends will also be available as rare cards. Their stats will be significantly better in comparison to other players, and considering their lengthy careers in the real world, they'll last considerably longer than regular cards.

Taking into account the success of the last few entries in EA Sports' NHL franchise, fans of the franchise should be pleased that rather than coasting along the ice, the team over at EA Canada is picking up steam and eager to crash the net. NHL 12 will be available on the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 on September 13. Expect our final analysis of the game around the same time.

The FIFA series on the Nintendo Wii has had a fairly good run of late. When you consider the small number of sports games that are regularly released on the console, EA Sports has done a good job of not only giving fans a game to play but also improving the series each year. We recently managed to have a nice phone call with Tristan Jackson, producer of FIFA Soccer 12, to discuss some of what fans can expect later this year.

For starters, the biggest inclusion this year is a new front-end feature called FIFA City. When you boot up the game for the first time, you will be introduced to your very own soccer city. Initially, your city will contain a few different items, such as a basic training facility and small stadium; as you progress in the five different modes, which include Be a Manager and Streets to Stadium, your performance will unlock items that will allow your city to grow. Your city grows both in terms of how many people live in it and how it looks. Other ways of improving your city have to do with your performance on the pitch. In previous games, scoring a hat trick or saving a penalty would unlock minor upgrades and rewards, but this time, accomplishing these feats will help improve the city with a number of different treats.

This type of rewards system isn't new to sports games, but EA Sports is taking it one step further with an additional mode called Intercity Cup. As the size of your own FIFA city starts to grow, you will be able to play against other cities in various five-versus-five tournaments. This mode won't be unlocked at first, but as your city grows into the millions, you will slowly unlock a better training facility and then kits for your team to wear. Once you surpass 5 million residents, you will be invited to start challenging other cities. Of course, you'll start off playing smaller sides, which will allow you to then recruit those players and use them to challenge better sides. Once you reach the high ranks of a city, you'll be rewarded for your progress and be able to play against full squads in 11-versus-11 matches and tournaments.

The Intercity Cup should not only easily prolong the experience, but also entice soccer fans to play all the modes available in FIFA Soccer 12. Last year's popular mode, Streets to Stadium, returns with very little changed. You will still commence as a lowly street soccer player, make your way up the ranks, and hopefully reach your dream goal of playing for the club of your dreams. After your five season trek to greatness--if you so wish--you can take your created character and move on to the game's improved Be a Manager mode and see how well you can manage a squad to championship status.

Be a Manager will see a major upgrade from past years and should offer a more realistic approach to managing a team. Gone are the star requirements to recruit players; now it's all about dollars, pounds sterling, and euros because you need to carefully manage your budget for scouting players, improving facilities, and handling contracts. You'll be able to either begin by taking a smaller club and moving it up the ranks or maintaining one of the better clubs in Europe and ensuring its pedigree stays in tact.

Pedigree also plays into your own position, and your requirements as a manager will factor into how much prestige you earn through your five seasons. If the board's expectations are low and you manage to not only accomplish its expectations, but also greatly surpass them, you will be rewarded with additional prestige and be able to do more with your side. Conversely, though, if you can't fulfill the board's requests, then you can expect to see your ability to improve your squad diminish. Managing a side, such as improving your health facilities and training grounds, not only factors into Be a Manager but also improves your FIFA city status and your ability to take on other cities in Intercity.

As you may have gathered from the early bits of information we got, FIFA Soccer 12 is looking at ways to incorporate all aspects of the game so that players are enticed to partake in every mode possible. The inclusion of FIFA City, where you will be able to see your city grow as you play, is something we're looking forward to fooling around with once we get our hands on the game. For those people anxiously waiting to get their hands on FIFA Soccer 12 on the Wii, your wait ends on September 27.