All of a sudden, the videogame world of football is interesting again. There was a time, not too long ago, when I think everyone (myself included) was wondering whether EA's scooping up the NFL license would lead to a one-game gridiron world, with Madden being the only game in town. As we've seen from the past few weeks alone, that isn't going to be the case at all. Not only has 2K thrown the football gauntlet with the revival of its 2K football franchise, but Tecmo, of all companies, made a splash last week by announcing that Tecmo Bowl is returning in 2008 (though, to be fair, that's all we know about that game). And with Midway sure to release a follow-up to their revamped Blitz series at some point, football fans will still have plenty to choose from, even if there's only one place to play with guys like Chad Johnson, Drew Brees, and Reggie Bush. And then of course there's my favorite football series--NCAA Football--with details yet to come (such as details on the big dynasty mode changes. Can't wait for that.) 

But back to Madden. Our first hands-on preview of Madden NFL 08 is up and, if it isn't conveyed to you clearly enough in the preview, I'll say it here: I like what I've seen of this game so far. A lot, in fact. When we were down in Orlando to visit EA Tiburon last month, the Madden team impressed me with their upfront desire to address gameplay first with this year's game. Forget the superstar mode, and the minigames--sure they're all going to be in there (along with owner mode, thank God)--but the first thing these guys wanted to talk about was gameplay, controls, and animation. And, when you play the game, you'll see what they meant. Players seem much more responsive than before; inside running--something I've avoided like Paris Hilton avoids homeless people--feels right; and the player animations are more varied and responsive to control than I've played in a long time. 

It's easy to be pessimistic about the NFL license and its obvious money-grubbing downside. Naturally, I'd rather everyone get a chance to play in Roger Goodell's sandbox. Still, a lack of license by no means that innovation is dead. The optimist in me thinks that the lack of an NFL license could be just the creative spark that ignites game developers to do what they do best: get creative and focus on the fun, instead of merely towing the licensed line. Taking it a step further, it's that kind of innovation that will keep the Madden and NCAA guys (none of whom work in a vacuum) honest about their own games, and spur even more creativity on their parts. And in the end, ideas and innovation (and, dare I say it, competition) are the lifeblood of sports games. The optimist in me thinks the next three-to-five years could be the best the genre has ever seen, precisely for these reasons.

So, yeah, I'm pumped about Madden 08. I'm beside myself waiting to get the full story on NCAA Football 08. I'm curious as hell to see what APF 2K8 has in store for us. Tecmo Bowl? Blitz? Another friggin' Eyeshield 21 game? Sure! Bring 'em on! 

Who says football games are dead?