In July NCAA Football 09 gave us Online Dynasty, a mode that will forever change gamers' expectations when it comes to online modes. A few weeks ago, NHL 09 unveiled EASHL (EA Sports Hockey League), a competitive ladder-style league that builds upon last year’s successful Online Team Play mode. EA Sports, the fanboy punching bag, has set new benchmarks for online sports gaming. Those are words few sports gamers thought would ever be strung together. But can both modes become new standards for future sports games to aspire to? Or will one rise above and leave the other on the sports game scrapheap with First Person Football?

NCAA Football 09's Online Dynasty Mode was a game changer for me. Every year since 1989 I have dutifully bought Madden for my current gaming system -- that is until this year. When Online Dynasty was announced I knew that was it. Goodbye Madden and your weak sauce Online Leagues, hello NCAA. Online Dynasty is the best of both worlds. Both A.I. and Human opponents scrap on the field and on the recruiting trail with the whole spectrum of teams that are in college football's BCS. It is hands down the most fun I have ever had playing in a video game sports league.

There have been complaints that you are only allowed to have 12 human controlled teams per Dynasty. I can understand how very popular people might be frustrated with that; it was not an issue for me. I am running an eight team league, and I have found it challenging enough wrangling them up to complete their games in the three day windows we abide by.

I was hoping that this mode would trickle into other EA offerings this year, most especially NHL 09. I was to be disappointed in this respect. The saving grace: there is plenty of online goodness to be had in NHL 09 with the introduction of EASHL. It almost makes up for no online franchise mode, almost.

Your name goes on the back of the sweater. The camera moves with your player. You are in the game.

EASHL is a league that is set up as a ladder system. As you win you move up through numbered divisions, you lose, you move down. The system is set up so that you create a club, replete with name, jersey, etc. and recruit up to 50 people to play for your club. It supports full six vs. six action and the game plays like a dream. You take your Be A Pro player (who you create when you log into the game) and build him up online. It is important to note that your player has two unrelated progression systems: online and offline. This prevents cheesers from loading up their players offline playing on Rookie difficulty.

The biggest plus with this mode is that it is incredibly visceral. Your name goes on the back of the sweater. The camera moves with your player. You are in the game. There was something about seeing: Goal scored by J. Kotaska (my twin brother) assisted by R. Kotaska on the screen when Robys Ragamuffins (my club) finally put one home. The Ragamuffins lost their first game 2-1 but it was the most thrilling 40 minutes of sports gaming I can remember being a part of. It is the ultimate hybrid of co-op and adversarial gaming. (If I had to classify it, it would be co-op.) In my limited experience, if you play together (the goal), you will find success. Go solo and you may give up a game-winning goal in overtime -- like I did because of a selfish penalty. I felt shame.

As for the drawback of this mode: It is tough getting people together to play. You need at least three human club members to play an official EASHL game. The Ragamuffins went almost two weeks without playing and plummeted down the ladder. Real-world responsibilities and itches by teammates to play Halo 3 and romp as a Sith apprentice have proven to be an issue. The only way to combat this is to fill your roster. But I am leery of recruiting people I don’t know to fill the squad. The concern is they could be jerks, cheesers, or worse yet "Johnny Skillstick."

"Johnny Skillstick" was the name we (me and my posse) gave to every yahoo we got stuck with in NHL 08 who would rather show off his mad skills than play a decent game of hockey. They are running the trap? No problem. Johnny will beat the first two guys and turn the puck over in the neutral zone resulting in an odd-man rush the other way. 3-on-2 developing? Johnny will zig at the line putting you offside. No thanks, I would rather the team be dormant than play with a guy who thinks dump the puck means a trip to the bathroom. In spite of this issue I cannot wait for another 40 minutes of sports gaming heaven. In fact, I crave it.

There have already been almost 10,000 teams created, and over 50,000 people have played in the EASHL. We are working to add more servers and improve any issues that you have called out."

Both modes provide a huge incentive to keep each game in your rotation for a long time. But as stated before, I wonder will developers give us both from year to year, or will one stand out? EA seems to have made a decision. A version of the EASHL is due for both FIFA and NBA Live this year. Madden meanwhile joined NHL 09 with weak, old-style EA leagues. This decision will clearly hurt participation in those outdated leagues and give them more reasons to throw their efforts into EASHL type modes.

NHL 09 producer David Littman is quoted on EASportsworld.com as saying: "The EA Sports Hockey League (EASHL) has been such a success that we were not prepared for the online traffic. There have already been almost 10,000 teams created, and over 50,000 people have played in the EASHL. We are working to add more servers and improve any issues that you have called out."

I think I can see where EA will be steering in the future.

I love the EASHL mode. But I don’t love it enough to cost me online franchises in NHL 2010, or any other sports title for that matter. Both modes would bring completely different spins to online play. My hope is that EA can look at EASHL and online franchise/dynasties the way that FPS games look at co-op and adversarial. Both types of multiplayer are needed to put out a complete product that will satisfy all sports gamers.