With the next generation of consoles on the horizon, sports games find themselves at an interesting branch point. The engines that have powered sports products for the last five-plus years are starting to show their age, and developers are spinning their wheels when it comes to new features, modes and gameplay systems. On top of all this, the visuals have started to flag in the big franchises, with crowds looking the same, animations showing minimal improvement, and lighting not really changing all that much.
 

For NHL 14, EA could easily just go through the motions and tout the standard moderate upgrades and one or two new features, but I personally hope they take this chance, at the cusp of new technology, to actually re-evaluate the look, feel and pace of their hockey product. Don't get me wrong: I love a lot of what they've done in recent years, particularly with the revised skating engine, improved EASHL features and various subtle additions (puck chop, board play), but there's a lot of areas that need to be reimagined, reinvigorated, or straight up fixed.

Of course, a lot of what NHL 14 will be is completely unknown, as it's uncertain whether the new game will have a “bridge” product that ships on next generation consoles. Even if it does, that title will likely only have slight graphical tweaks, much like the transition products that were released in the first year of the PS3 and 360 launches. We also don't know what features will be the focus this year, and it always seems that the annual schedule only allows for a limited number of upgrades.

How should EA Vancouver spend their time this year?

Solve AI and Defensive Problems

As I outlined in a recent feature, there are still plenty of AI logic and system issues that can be bolstered, fixed or completely reimagined. Certain aspects of the gameplay have been tweaked over the years, and other areas have been revamped and made better. However, some parts have remained woefully inadequate when compared to the revised skating engine, rock-solid stick handling and generally smooth passing.

For starters, the AI logic for teammates and goalies still needs to be addressed, even after all of these years. The fact that AI teammates can fall behind and give up easy breakaways (especially when you're position locked) is absolutely unacceptable at this point. On top of that, AI players refuse to provide puck support when you're engaged in board play behind the net, and their gap control on point shooters still leaves something to be desired. Also, it would be nice if players actually cut to the net when you expected them to, especially when the slot is wide open. Let's hope the extra processing power of the new systems can help revolutionize the CPU brain in a meaningful way.
 

As for goalies, they've come a long way, but they're still not where they need to be. Plenty of goofy goals can be scored from the short side, and netminders still have a tendency to flop into desperation when the situation doesn't warrant such heroics. I think if the developers truly distinguished how certain goalies play (rather than just pay lip service to it with some stats that don't really change all that much), you'd get more of a dynamic feel with the goalies.

The defensive side of the game also needs some focus from the developing team, even though that isn't as saleable as something like big hits or power skating. Stick sweeping has been tweaked over the years, but even 2K's offerings from years past implemented this feature better. EA also needs to finally decide whether it wants to have collision detection on its sticks or not. It's frustrating to have the poke-check work so well in some instances yet then have times where players can just dangle around you while you're slashing and poking, with the stick basically teleporting through their skates. Having hitting based on momentum and size is a great idea as well, and EA has inched in this direction over the last couple of years, but I still feel that the players need to really feel small or big depending on their actual size, and this should be reflected in the collisions and their ability to handle opposition players in the slot and on the boards.

Finally, even though most people roll their eyes at this being mentioned, I really hope the fighting engine is scrapped entirely. Make it something fast, fun and full of impact.

Modernize the Legacy Features

In order for EA to create a product that truly feels new (even though the skating engine was a great start), they need to completely overhaul the presentation elements that have been untouched for years now. First on the chopping block? Gary Thorne and Bill Clement on commentary. While these guys have generally done a solid job of keeping up with the action and providing some funny quips, their act has gotten pretty stale. It's all the more annoying when EA adds very little to their repertoire each year, and it really just feels like a “roster update” for the commentary. I know there has been talk of new commentary and voice technology being patented and licensed, so why haven't we seen any of it in EA Sports products?

Just like the commentary, the in-game presentation — including interstitials, cutscenes and television camera angles — is way beyond its expiration date. It was always baffling to me how it took four or five years to get a goal celebration with five players celebrating on screen. I'm glad that EA tried to add some “dynamic” presentation this year during stoppages, but there is plenty of room for innovation here, as the game-winning cinematics, crowd shots, camera cuts and general player behavior just feels too limited when the game isn't being played. I think this is an area where EA could bring in a contractor who specializes in broadcasting who could actually inform this piece of the puzzle.
 

In terms of modes, EA might be well served to actually combine or prune a few from the bulky number that usually ship with an NHL product, especially since many of the modes get only minor presentation brush-ups or logic tweaks from year to year. Be-A-GM and Be-A-Pro seem particularly neglected in recent years, and they would be better served by stronger presentation and deeper logic and stat features. Frankly, Be-A-GM should almost be broken off into its own digital release — akin to something like Football Manager — so that the hardcore stat-head audience could be given a proper focus. Be-A-Pro could borrow presentation and systems found in stuff like NBA 2K13's MyPlayer, as that would help people get much more invested in their pro's development and storyline.

Iterate on Recent Innovations

The EASHL has grown in some really interesting ways over the last few years, adding playoffs, modified ranking systems, team captains and an improved player progression system. Still, NHL 14 could add a lot to this mode by truly allowing users to make the team they want and play the way they want. I think roles in the EASHL should be more clearly defined, and players should have to specialize in ways that make them great at one or two aspects while sacrificing something else. I'm sick of seeing danglers who can also fly by you on the wing or hit you into the boards. A great shot should be achievable, but it should be at the expense of something else. EA would do well to actually explain what the stats do for a player behind the curtain as well, as I get the feeling that points often get put into areas that don't really do all that much for human-controlled players. It would be great to have enhanced customization of team jerseys, arenas and strategies as well, allowing for much more investment into the squad over the long term. Tiger Woods' Country Club feature comes to mind here.
 

I didn't think too much of NHL Moments Live, but it could be something fairly meaningful if EA does two things: (1) add legend rosters so Gretzky isn't playing with modern players, and (2) find a way to present the gameplay so that it feels unique. Most “objectives” end up involving scoring goals really fast or holding a lead. I'm not exactly sure how they'd do it, but something hedging towards Fight Night Champion's story mode gameplay seems appropriate.

Final Outlook

It's probably wishful thinking, but I really hope that NHL 14 ends up being more than just a nominal upgrade over NHL 13. Obviously, the developers have limits on what they can do in an annual development cycle, but if they focus on making the core gameplay better in the right areas while bringing next-generation technology to bear for the presentation, we might actually see a shift in the franchise that's really worth getting excited about.