SmackDown 2006: General Manager Mode

You've heard the rumors, seen the Australian box scans, and asked the editors at IGN Live, but the subject has always been the same: General Manager Mode: is it real or is it not? As we're sure you've guessed by now, the franchise-inspired feature in indeed a real addition to WWE SmackDown vs. RAW 2006 -- the final piece of a grand scheme that THQ hopes will show gamers that this was the year the team pulled out all the stops.

"Going into this, we wanted to make sure we listened to the fans who enjoyed creating and simulating their own weeks through Fantasy Football-type leagues," commented producer Devin Knudsen, one of the primary masterminds of the GM Mode. "We think that this is a great way for guys who like power booking to get even more out of their game than what was originally thought."

The feature itself is pretty straightforward. Available in the same menu as Season Mode and Create-A-PPV, the GM option allows users to assume the role of head of either SmackDown or RAW with the ultimate goal of earning the highest ratings. When starting off, gamers can use SVR's default roster set or draft their own from scratch and gain up to 20 superstars for their roster at a time. The trick here is to work within your budget to assemble the best possible lineup -- while also keeping in mind that first pick is entirely random (which can affect the order and which guys you go after).

After players have picked their lineup, it's off to assign their champions. Luckily, you don't have to assign champs if you don't want and can set it up so that they can wrestle for the title later on in the season. Any champion can end up on any show through trades and releases too (with the exception of Cruiserweight for SmackDown and Women for RAW), but to start all the proper belts begin with the appropriate program.

Once titles have (or haven't) been taken care of, Vince McMahon welcomes you to the family and charges you with the goal of getting the highest ratings possible from now until WrestleMania. Whichever GM gets the highest score by then, wins the season and wins the mode (along with a few unlockables and trophies).

Internally, this feature is being referred to by THQ as "Year One GM Mode." The producers have acknowledged that there's still a lot they could add and tweak if it's to be perfect somewhere down the line, but they're going to use fan reactions and suggestions from this year to figure out where to take the mode for next year's version. But this forward thinking doesn't mean that Year One GM Mode isn't capable, it does offer some cool little things to toy around with.