It’s that time of year again. My right knee is getting sore and stiff. It’s either old age kicking in or another Madden game is about to release. The sad truth is that it's probably a little bit of the former and a whole lot of the latter.

I’ve officially been out of retail industry for four years now, but every August I still get the sense of dread. I get that feeling several times a year, but Madden season is the worst. The seemingly unending lines of customers lined up to eagerly pass on their tired old rosters for the shining new ones. I have never seen such devotion to a franchise like the Madden series in all of the history of gaming. In their eyes, there has never been a question or a doubt as for which football series they will gladly be plunking their dollars down. That is why this rabid fan base earns a depiction as sheep in our comics and I think it suits them well. Letters and comments from retailers around the nation seem to back up our sheep theory as well.

The worst part about this single-minded focus on Madden is that it’s shut the door on any other aspiring football game. The 2K series tried to fight, and did a remarkable job, but in the end even they couldn’t stand up to the Madden powerhouse, leverage hard for NFL exclusivity. Quite honestly, it may very well be impossible to see another football game on the market due to the fear of getting crushed under the foot of Madden. Why not try a different route?

• Make a spiritual sequel to Mutant League Football?
• Make a first/third person perspective game that uses the new add-on attachment for the Wii Remote for more accurate control?
• Release a football game after the season ends when people are craving more football?
• Kick it a little old school, a la the new Tecmo Bowl for the DS, and release something for portables or download services?

Well, we could always just let the Madden fans have their sports games and be happy living in their own little worlds. I imagine most of you don’t care for sports games and could honestly care less what happens in the world of virtual pigskin. I probably won’t be buying a Madden game anytime soon, unless of course my San Fransisco 49ers actually have a break out season this year. Cause, you know, then my team would be good again and I wouldn’t be laughed at for playing them. I’m just sayin’.

- Dover

Greetings from Beau’s Eight-Sided Cage of Pain . . .

Hello subjects! Your benevolent Beau has decided to speak about a genre of games near and dear to his heart - Professional WRESTLING! To be sure I am more excited than you know about the announced Legends of Wrestlemania coming to a console near ME in the coming months. I am sure that Dover and Irving are attempting to cut their wrists with a dull plastic spork as they are reading this.

You see, I have a history with the former Acclaim-produced Legends of Wrestling titles, and when I say a "history" what I mean is that I bought all of them even though they began horribly and spiraled downward from there. In their old retail days, Dover and Irving were diligent in trying to dissuade me from purchasing copy after copy, but to no avail. I want to believe in a wrestling title that focuses on personalities like Macho Man and Brutus "The Barber" Beefcake and Dusty Rhodes and - well, I could just keep going. Which probably explains a lot. I admit that I have been let down in the past, but I am always willing to give the benefit of the doubt if I might get to drop the Atomic Elbow on my in-game character’s arch-nemesis.

A note that I believe needs consideration you see even though this game is a "Legends" game, it is called "Legends of Wrestlemania" and does not precisely bear the exact namesake of my old shame. So, there is at least a chance it will be good, right? Well we will just have to wait and see. At least I will have Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe to keep me until then. I kid, I kid . . . sort of . . . well . . . we all know I am buying it . . . SHUT UP!

- Beau