Aside from pre-order content and SKU announcements, the first game details have been announced for NBA 2K17. Coming to MyGM and MyLeague will be full-fledged league expansion, allowing users to increase their league up to 36 teams.

When starting MyGM/MyLeague, users can begin with the standard 30-team league, expand up to 36 teams, or completely customize the league including divisions and mixing & matching current, classic, Euroleague, et al. teams.

The game will come with 10 created squads, such as the Nashville Stars, Louisville Liberty, Kansas City Knights, San Diego Surf, Pittsburgh Force, and the Baltimore Barons. These teams will come with full branding including logos, uniforms, and arena. Users will have the ability to create their own teams and share/download them in-game with other users.

The development team has also tackled the challenge of adding in properly generated schedules for 31-36 league teams, player protections, expansion drafts, and more.

Also, as evidenced in the three screenshots within the blog, NBA 2K17 will feature a simplified menu system. This is a change that was desperately needed as it had become cumbersome to navigate the in-game menus and the game appeared dated in how it handled navigation. It remains to be seen how/if menus in-game have been simplified and/or improved.

More NBA 2K17 information and perhaps even some in-game footage may emerge during Gamescom 2016, held August 17-21 in Colgne, Germany. Continue on to read the full blog from NBA 2K17 Senior Producer Erick Boenisch. ...

DM Racing & Monster Games have released the first official trailer for NASCAR Heat Evolution, the first full-fledged NASCAR title for PS4 & XB1.

The trailer provides a quick look at the licensed tracks in the game, a fast scan through some of the selectable drivers & racing teams, the create-a-driver face options, car set-up settings, and some in-game racing including pit stops and crashes.

NASCAR Heat Evolution will release on September 13, 2016 and is currently available to pre-order for just $48 for Amazon Prime members. The title will hope to reach and satisfy a hungry NASCAR gaming fanbase as it faces a challenge in reaching more casual gamers in such a crowded release window. Late August through October features game releases for titles such as No Man's Sky, Madden NFL 17, NBA 2K17, FIFA 17, WWE 2K17, and Battlefield 1, among others. Such a populated release window is believed to be one of the reasons NBA LIVE 17 has been moved to an early 2017 release instead of staying in late September/early October.

Continue on to see the first official trailer for NASCAR Heat Evolution. ...

Continuing the trend of offering a perk-laden special edition of WWE 2K, 2K Sports has announced a special NXT edition of WWE 2K17.

A PS4 & XB1 exclusive, the NXT special edition will retail for $100 and include a signed Shinsuke Nakamura lithograph, a Finn Bálor figure, and collectible cards. In-game items include three playable characters (Shinsuke Nakamura, Nia Jax and Apollo Crews) and 50% more points at NXT in MyCareer as well as the pre-order Goldberg items.

Continue on to see the WWE 2K17 NXT Edition Trailer and the press release from 2K Sports. ...

After months of being available only in Canada and select regions, NBA LIVE Mobile is now available worldwide in the App Store and on Google Play.

The mobile title is similar to Madden NFL Mobile in design and features as both were designed by EA Swiss Sarl with content being created/updated by the Forge live content team at EA Tiburon. Game modes include: Live Events, Head-to-Head Games, Season Mode, Friends Matches, Leagues, Collections, and Store/Auction House. The game uses a modified version of the NBA LIVE 10 game engine, which is considered by many to be the best in the history of the console franchise.

Continue on to see the launch trailer and press release for NBA LIVE Mobile. If you play the title, share your thoughts with the community. ...

Perhaps the most widely discussed community question/topic following the initial release of Madden NFL screenshots come from fans wanting to know what new gear and equipment have been added to the game. This is no exception in Madden NFL 17.

Disclosed in a developer blog, M17 will feature new helmets, facemasks, gloves, cleats, and also some new accessories. With Madden NFL 17 including full roster editing, the increased amount of apparel and equipment will help users customize players and visuals to their liking. Coaches have also been given updated and accurate gear packages to make them look more realistic as well.

Continue on to read the full blog entry from EA SPORTS. ...

Announced at tonight's 2016 NHL Awards, Blues forward Vladimir Tarasenko will be the cover athlete for NHL 17. During the show, the official gameplay trailer was also revealed.

Similarly to last year, fans can play in the NHL 17 beta to help test the game and provide feedback. Users can sign up for the beta now and it will run from July 28-August 4.

Continue on to read the full press release from EA SPORTS which contains information on how to sign up for the NHL 17 beta. ...

This time of year is always hard for the die-hard NCAA Football fans. Typically the game would be releasing in the next few weeks and by now, impressions & videos would be coming out of the woodwork making the wait even harder. However, with the absence of NCAA, EA is using this window to talk about the upcoming Madden NFL 17 due out in a couple of months. As part of that, Madden's Creative Director, Rex Dickson was doing an interview at E3. As part of that, the question was asked about the return of NCAA Football.

Continue below to hear his answer. ...

The season two finale of NBA 2KTV featured host Rachel DeMita and NBA 2K's Ronnie Singh who, between jokes, provided some of the first info on September's NBA 2K17.

- Presumably primarily featured as a shoe option within MyPlayer, Yeezy's will be a new in-game choice.
- Timed Locker Codes. Free Agent cards will allow for the timed cards, giving all users chance to play as or try a certain card/player before they expire.
- Face Scan App. Some of the biggest complaints of 2K15 & 2K16 were challenges in getting the console specific camera scan to work and also the decrease in face scan import from 2K15 to 2K16. In the video, Singh implied that 2K17 will utilize a face scan app on mobile devices.
- According to developer Mike Wang, 2K17 will feature the most signature animations of any game to date along with full control of get-back animations with the right stick.

Continue on to watch the season finale of 2KTV featuring the first bit of info on NBA 2K17. ...

Just ahead of EA Play and E3, EA SPORTS has released two lengthy blogs on the improvements coming to Franchise Mode in Madden NFL 17. Part two of the Franchise blogs focuses on Big Decisions, a methodology that surfaces important decisions the user must make, and some of the top community requests added to the game, such as an in-game score ticker, full player editing, and practice squad.

As Franchise Mode has underachieved - and been underdeveloped - in the eyes of many the last few years, M17 aims to change that by satisfying some of the biggest community requests. An in-game score ticker will help keep users connected to other games that week in the Franchise, even updating other user scores (if game is completed) during the action. Commissioners have the ability to fully edit rosters, including player ratings, appearance, and even contract terms. Highly requested, each team now has a practice squad, allowing them to develop ten players but be careful - as in real life, these players are essentially free agents and can be poached by other squads.

Big Decisions surface the major options and choices a user must make during the course of a season that, if they existed prior, were previously hidden or buried in menus. Now, they are brought front and center.

Continue on for part two of the Franchise Mode improvement blogs by Senior Designer John White. ...