Adriano signs up for Pro Evo 6

Konami Digital Entertainment GmbH has announced that Adriano Leite Ribeiro, one of the world's best strikers, will be the face of football game Pro Evolution Soccer 6. The Brazil and Inter Milan forward will lend his likeness as the main European representative of the game, with additional localised talent to be announced in the next few weeks.

Last year's title, Pro Evolution Soccer 5, featured Chelsea defender John Terry and Arsenal striker Thierry Henry on the UK version's box, but Adriano will arguably have a greater appeal across Europe as a whole. The player stated that he was looking forward to working on what he called "the most realistic football game around," although it's unlikely that his involvement in the game will extend beyond some press appearances and the use of his likeness.

Pro Evolution Soccer 6 will be available for the PlayStation 2, PSP, and the PC, as well as for two new formats this year: the Xbox 360 and Nintendo DS. As with previous releases in the series, there will be a mixture of licensed and unlicensed teams included, although new additions to the officially re-created international teams are Spain, Italy, Sweden, Argentina, and the Netherlands. The game will ship across Europe in the fourth quarter of 2006, and will hit the US in January 2007.