With the UFL (United Football League) being the latest in a series of spring football leagues to have challenged the dominance of the NFL, this emergence begs the question: who will do the honors of producing a video game based on Mark Cuban’s latest brainchild?

Of all of the wild items emanating from the proverbial rumor mill at this point in time, this is perhaps the most bizarre yet: that Visual Concepts/2k Sports will pick up the contract, thereby providing a semi-legitimate contender to the gridiron gaming realm heretofore monopolized by Electronic Arts. Or so it could be argued. While there is admittedly little beyond this to report at this time, we certainly intend to stay on top of this matter. We may pay futebole a modicum of respect around GamePartisan HQ, David, but football is king.

Online game development hub Gamasutra has released an in-depth featurette on Microsoft and several of its products, namely its Zune digital music player.

Before its confirmation of the Zune as a portable music device, the rumor mill seemed to direct all inquiring minds to the indication that the product would signal Microsoft’s initial foray into the portable gaming market. However, market analysts were stunned to find out the device was instead intended to compete with Apple’s iPod-driven strangehold over the portable music player market, and fans of Microsoft Corporation’s Xbox platform were disappointed to discover no portable gaming plans were in the works.

Or so it would seem.

However, let the rumor mill commence its unsavory task once more, as Microsoft employees questioned by Gamasutra revealed that Wolfenstein 3D was recently ported to the Zune, and the results were alleged to be surprisingly good. While there is little, at this time, to suggest that the Zune itself will in fact turn into a portable gaming device as well, one cannot help but wonder why Microsoft has still yet to make an attempt at combating the two-way market of handheld console gaming.

More on this to follow.

Just in time for Ace Combat 6 to help lend the Xbox 360 credibility and greatly improved sales, bad news started coming out of the woodworks on virtually all fronts for Microsoft’s Xbox division. The continued hardware problems, Xbox Live issues and a sudden fall to third place in sales has got the rumor mill cranking on all cylinders, with all signs pointing to an exit from the hardware market by Microsoft Corporation upon the conclusion of this round of the console wars.

However, Microsoft having put so much into second and third party developers stands as a roadblock to them exiting the market entirely. This point leads us to a prior rumor, of the Sega brand being resurrected and Microsoft putting its support into the company developing and bringing to market a new console, perhaps the long-rumored Sega Phoenix.

Even if all of the aforementioned rumors are simply a load of BS, the fact remains that unless the Epic acquisition pulls through as rumored this summer and Gears of War 2 gives the 360 a much-needed boost, the situation is definitely looking bleak for Microsoft in the console business. After having so much momentum and the best online gaming network, their best appears to simply not be cutting the mustard.

Our contacts at Microsoft Corporation were all either unvailable for comment or simply declined to speak on the aforementioned topics.

You can scratch, but sniffing will get you nowhere.

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Rumor has it that a remake of NiGHTS into Dreams is well underway and set for release on the PlayStation 2 console in the middle of 2008.

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Stemming from a source who wishes to remain anonymous, it’s looking more and more like a full-fledged, arena combat incarnation of  Mortal Kombat  is on the way, for a time to remain an Xbox 360 exclusive.

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Not long into the life of the 128-bit uber-console, Sega’s ill-fated underdog, the Dreamcast, Sega of Japan head Shoichiro Iramijiri made reference in Japanese gaming magazine Famitsu concerning a new console. The 256-bit console, dubbed the Phoenix, was allegedly better suited to carry out struggling Sega Enterprises’ ambitions of competing with the then-mighty Xbox and PlayStation 2 consoles.

We all know the rest of the story, however: the Phoenix, so-called, never saw the light of day, and Mr. Iramijiri was soon shown the door at Sega and sent on his merry way to the Japanese automotive racing circuit.

However, the rumor mill is working at full steam, and appears to be indicating that Microsoft is interested in reviving the Phoenix name as it contemplates a portable gaming endeavor. Word has it that while Phoenix would be the name, the actual technology driving the system would, in essence, be that of a portable Sega Dreamcast.

No one within Xbox Live seemed willing or able to offer comment when contacted concerning the issue, and we’ve yet to elicit a response from Sega.

Sooner or later, though, the rumors will likely be put to rest one way or another: it’s no secret that Microsoft wants a piece of the portable gaming pie. Upon announcing the development of the Zune portable media player, many industry pundits emitted loud boos, expecting instead a portable gaming announcement.

We will continue to investigate this matter, and hopefully will be the first to shed any major light on Microsoft’s portable plans.

Whether or not the rumor proves true, the word on the street definitely seems to be pointing in the direction of the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) returning to its pre-2007/pre-crap format of yesteryear. This means more press involvement, the return of copious amounts of booth babes and, yes, more gaming press-wannabes on the show floor.

After the botched attempt at positive reform at this year’s show, however, such a return to form would likely be widely welcomed by those in the developer and press sides of the industry.

Do be advised, however, that this is strictly a rumor at this point, and while I do feel, given the source, that it does garner a certain level of credibility, until it is confirmed, don’t write home about this.

We will, as always, stay on top of this. Mmm…