What Did You Think Of the First NHL 15 Gameplay Footage? (Roundtable)

Feature Article

Submitted on: 08/15/2014 by

After watching NHL 15's gameplay trailer, do you think it was a good idea for NHL to take an extra year to develop for the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One?

Phil Varckette: Absolutely.

The last thing the new consoles needed last year was a rush job of a game that left a bad taste in gamers mouths for a year. EA couldn't afford to dig themselves out another hole, see NBA Live.

Taking time to get it right is something you don't see in sports games anymore, so this decision definitely speaks volumes about how EA wants to be perceived by the community. At least in this case. I feel like we will all feel this way when the game drops and we see what was essentially a two-year development cycle in action.

Glenn Wigmore: Visually speaking, it was absolutely worth the wait. The level of detail present on the players, arenas and crowds is really something to behold, and I loved the camera work and presentation of the newest trailer. From the gameplay I was able to check out at E3, it was also worth the extra development time in order to get things right on the ice.

All that said, a lot of this good will could be undone if EA Vancouver doesn't include the modes that people have come to enjoy the most. As of this writing, we still don't know about the fate of EASHL, OTP, HUT or GM Connected. Honestly, we don't even know about the career mode (Live the Life) and where it stands. I'm sure we'll know more soon, but the omission of some of these modes would be a massive blunder that would really damage the hype generated by this game's outstanding presentation and gameplay upgrades.

Jayson Young: Considering that the NHL series has the smallest development team of Electronic Arts' annualized sports titles, it's understandable that they couldn't get an Xbox One/PlayStation 4 edition ready for last season.

But if the Reddit rumors are true, and key online modes like GM Connected and the EA Sports Hockey League have not survived the console transition, then I cannot envision the next-gen version capturing a large audience this fall, regardless of its graphics, physics and presentation improvements.

Caley Roark: I'm not the world's biggest (or most knowledgeable) hockey fan, but I have enjoyed this series on an almost annual basis.

However, at first glance, I'm not overwhelmed. I think the jerseys look a little "plastic-y" and the lighting, while good, doesn't seem to be a drastic improvement over last-gen versions. I do like the creative camera angles, especially those that mirror those used in actual broadcasts.

To answer the original question, I'd rather have a game that's plays well over a game that looks good. If the extra year delivers on gameplay, then it was certainly worth it.

Dustin Toms: Taking a full year to fully grasp a new system's limits sounds like a great idea, and it shows with the graphics in the new gameplay trailer. But last season's sports titles still looked pretty damn good despite having games release at, or near, the next-gen launch. I'm still not sure why NHL opted to wait, especially if the rumors Jayson mentioned turn out to be true.

With a lack of EASHL and Connected GM overshadowing things right now, won't a lot of hockey nuts just stick with the 360 and PS3 versions? Graphics are great, and I'm one to fall in love with whichever game looks better, but a hockey fan base is far too loyal to judge a book by its cover. The next three weeks are going to be huge for EA's NHL series.

NHL 15 Videos

Member Comments

# 1 Juevos @ 08/15/14 12:19 PM

I'm so excited to play this game...unfortunately, I only play EASHL. If EASHL is not included on the PS4 version I will be sitting out this season. I'll wait till next year. It's TLOU & Destiny for me.

# 2 snc237 @ 08/15/14 12:24 PM

The reason I got an xbox one was because of nhl (well not completly true I'm addicted to video games but I have been looking forward to nhl the most). Loving the graphics especially the crowd, now this is what ea needed to show last year for living worlds cause they look great. However if game modes have been dropped like eashl I'm not going to be pissed but extremely disappointed. I don't care if eashl is a stripped down version, at least I have the option to play with my friends on a team. Sorta makes nhl feel like a different game all together. Anywho all in all can't wait to get my hands on it regardless.

# 3 adayinthelife @ 08/15/14 12:29 PM

I think it was a great idea to take the extra year. Having said that, I doubt the timeline actually worked out like that considering the size of the NHL team, and the fact that they still had to do NHL 14 and all that came with it last year. Realistically, this probably only had slightly more time in the oven that it would've otherwise. Regardless though, hopefully that proved to be useful.

# 4 Sheba2011 @ 08/15/14 12:50 PM

I take rumors with a grain of salt, especially ones on Reddit. This time of year it seems everyone knows someone "of great importance" at EA who gives them inside information.

# 5 Inhocmark @ 08/15/14 02:15 PM

HUT will be in it. Beyond the fact its a cash cow for EA, all the pre-order bonuses deal with extra HUT gold packs.

The EASHL drop would hurt, especially considering FIFA kept their version of it in the game last year.

# 6 ManiacMatt1782 @ 08/15/14 02:41 PM

This was a little bit of a sneaky article. We are supposed to see some real gameplay today according to an announcement, and this is just asking us to comment on that 2nd sizzle trailer from a couple days ago. If this was made by a poster and not an OS writer, he would have been warned if not straight out banned.

# 7 asu666 @ 08/15/14 03:36 PM

NHL 15 looks pretty slick to me. I'm an offline franchise mode guy, so as long as that's in there, I'm good. The graphics, presentation and gameplay look amazing.

# 8 canucksss @ 08/15/14 03:46 PM

All I've seen are CGI presentations and some gamers playing the game. So its hard to say if the AI has some improvements, modes like that of BaGM (which I play the most) and gameplay is address.

If EA is showcasing their job graphically and presentation well...its a very good one. But I hope EA will stop using "Gameplay" in their videos since its not being emphasized on their video clips.

# 9 NYRangers31 @ 08/15/14 03:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by asu666


	NHL 15 looks pretty slick to me. I'm an offline franchise mode guy, so as long as that's in there, I'm good. The graphics, presentation and gameplay look amazing.

Yeah, same here. I generally just play Be a GM. I'm obsessed with making trades, setting lines, signing FAs and watching stats...sometimes more so than the gameplay itself!!

# 10 Retropyro @ 08/15/14 05:20 PM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Kklp7UzMiE

# 11 yausser1017 @ 08/15/14 05:29 PM

Not good fellas, check out the box art for the back of the nhl cover. Only says 1-4 players, whereas the xbox 360 version says up to 12 players...

http://www.costco.com/NHL-15-PlayStation-4-Video-Game.product.100127446.html

EA I have supported you for years and bought your crappy games. If no EASHL in this years game, I will no longer be an EA customer. That is the mode I play more than any other game.

# 12 yausser1017 @ 08/15/14 05:40 PM

More importantly, why the hell did I buy a ps4 if nothing works smoothly for it. All I want is to play a damn game of hockey with my friends

# 13 GuyinPA75 @ 08/15/14 05:44 PM

No EASHL no buy for me. End of story.

And that is saying something. With my gamertag being lemieux that pretty much says how much a die hard hockey fan I and still not willing to support the game without EASHL.

Would do single player but controls and camera feels off. Last good game with good camera and controls was NHL2k8. I miss that game.

# 14 Retropyro @ 08/15/14 05:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by yausser1017


	Not good fellas, check out the box art for the back of the nhl cover. Only says 1-4 players, whereas the xbox 360 version says up to 12 players... http://www.costco.com/NHL-15-PlayStation-4-Video-Game.product.100127446.html EA I have supported you for years and bought your crappy games. If no EASHL in this years game, I will no longer be an EA customer. That is the mode I play more than any other game.

Also say's only 2v2 network players.

# 15 The Amaizen Blue @ 08/15/14 06:58 PM

I was expecting a lot more from the commentary during gameplay. Doc shows so much emotion during games, but the calls in this game are pretty bland. "Look at this... and score..." So much more potential, hopefully they build on it.

# 16 Cletus @ 08/15/14 07:11 PM

I like the commentary. It's different and it's hard for someone to fake enthusiasm, which is what you have to do in these situations. It's also something that separates George Clooney from Bob of the local theater (or theatre). I don't mind the dead air, it's easier for me to play with dead air then someone sabre rattling about things. One of the many reasons I hate Tim McCarver.

# 17 garyjr33 @ 08/15/14 08:46 PM

However, I will be very disappointed if there is no GM mode because that is primarily what I play.

# 18 macclane1974 @ 08/15/14 09:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NYRangers31


	Yeah, same here. I generally just play Be a GM. I'm obsessed with making trades, setting lines, signing FAs and watching stats...sometimes more so than the gameplay itself!!

Have you heard if there is a multi player OFFLINE GM mode?

# 19 DirtyJerz32 @ 08/15/14 10:05 PM

Shinny graphics is good, but without EASHL, I'm not sure I can pull the trigger.

# 20 Rhaze48 @ 08/17/14 03:12 PM

After watching the gameplay footage I am slightly concerned that us folk that almost exclusively play Goalie are getting boned again this year. From what I saw we can look forward to another year of cross-crease one-timers and cheese top-shelf goals from the slot after a behind-the-net pass

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