Having seen a good deal of the next generation sports titles, I'm convinced that sweat is the new lens flare. Seriously, remember back a half-decade ago or so, when you couldn't run into a game that didn't have some sort of overwrought lens flare effect? Every game you played made it seem like you were looking directly into the sun while wearing bifocals made out of flawlessly cut diamonds.

　　That's how sweat effects are these days, or will be once the Xbox 360 and PS3 launch. It's obvious the developers of games like NBA Live 06--who can likely claim the first shot in the Sweat Wars of 2005 with the brief footage they showed of the game back at E3, featuring sopping wet members of the Seattle Supersonics--and the NBA 2K6 Xbox 360 crew over at 2K Sports are looking for the most minute of sports minutiae for their games. And right now, sweat is the effect du jour.

　　Speaking of NBA 2K6, you've got to stop reading this right now, and head over to check out our first look at the 360 version of 2K6. Seriously. Go now. I'll wait... OH AND BE SURE AND WATCH THE MOVIES TOO! Okay, go.

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　　Pretty sweet huh?

　　Stay tuned for more from 2K's Greg Thomas in the near future.