First NHL 12 Video Posted, New Release Date Set [UPDATE: Extra Info Added]

[Fiddy]

Quote: Originally Posted by dannyheck

Ok Mr. Fiddy..... name your gameplay fixes please. What is it that you don't like? Or needs to ge fixed. And I will bring it up in our next team meeting.

use the search engine here at the site, you will find all the posts on what i think needs fixed etc.

[thedudedominick]

Apparently I am in the minority here but I loved the video. The reactions when players ran into each other looked a lot better than NHL 11. Granted there were way too many big hits, but that could just be EA showing off their new stuff. I also think the interactions in front of the net looked amazing, and the goalies being dynamic adds a ton to the game. Every goalie collision in the video looked like one that I have seen watching hockey. As long as they call interference EVERY TIME some guy just randomly hits the goalie it will be fine. I also loved how the goalies played. Them being "live" should add a lot to the game.

[Vikes1]

Like some others...I'm cautiously optimistic about some of the early news.

When I hear things about HUGE hits, sending the goalie flying, etc...yeah, it concerns me how realistically these things will be done. Maybe I'm dead wrong, but I think nearly everyone, regardless of age or gamer type, casual/hardcore, is pretty much looking for the same thing from today's sports games. For them to play as true to life as possible.


Anyway...I'm cool with the early news. And really hoping that a solid balance is found in added some of these things. To keep my favorite sports game moving ever closer to realism. It'll be very interesting to see how the overall improvements to the physic engine, will effect the gameplay.

[BlueNGold]

Quote: Originally Posted by Vanman2425

Yuck. Are they trying to make an NHL version of "NFL Blitz?" I'm not at all interested in plowing into a goalie for a good laugh, or smashing someone through the glass. When was the last time that actually happened in a real game? Just when Madden finally looks like they're going in the sim direction, NHL goes the other way. I loved the series for a few years, then the game got stale, mostly because of the lack of presentation, and now it seems they're trying to rope people in by letting you see how big of a hit you can lay on someone? No thanks, looks like a pass for me this year for the first time in as long as I can remember.

Anyways, for the first preview there was some good info. Again there's going to be more overreaction because they're showcasing big hits, hits over the bench, crease crashing, etc. The thing is, remember last year when everyone was going "Oh no! There's going to be too many broken sticks!"? Or when people thought the hustle button was going to be something that makes you cruise around the CPU? How about in NHL 10 when shooting from your knees or batting the puck out of the air was introduced and people thought it was going to happen all the time?

The point is, of course these videos are going to make these things look over the top and when it's the only gameplay we've seen to this point, people are going to think the frequency will be too high, but we forget that these guys are some of the better devs around and know what we want. Not to mention that there's also a reason we have sliders - so we can customize the game to our liking.

A lot of these new additions shown are things that have been on many wishlists and this was only the first preview. Of course I didn't get to see yet what's going to decide whether or not I buy the game (Be A GM improvements and better on-ice AI), but for the first true info, this isn't bad at all IMO. Especially when you consider the crease crashing and battles in front of the net. Those are things that have been sorely lacking and will make a big gameplay difference.

There was one negative in that video though. We still have first person fighting.

[Money99]

Fighting. Still. Blows.

Just copy 2K's already. The first-person fighting is so bad in this series I just shut it off.
Besides, I got tired of watching Lidstrom drop the mitts with tough guys and win.

[Bumble14]

Not terribly excited, but not exactly disappointed either (the TV style presentation saved it for me). I'm reserving further judgement until I see some gameplay.

I want to see how the television style presentation actually ties into gameplay before getting giddy. I also want to see how organic goalies play, hopefully removing the same cheeseball, robotic ways of scoring goals that one would have to rely on to be successful. Based on the video the goalie animations looked the same as last year, so my fingers are crossed. Goalie play IMO has been the weakest link in the NHL engine since NHL07 was released on the 360.

I do agree with Chase on the goalie screens--should be nice to have a player like Tomas Holmstrom actually matter now. Wonder if goals will be disallowed Holmstrom style for breathing on the goalie?

[Lightbringer719]

After all my clamoring to overhaul presentation, particularly the intermissions (or rather the lack of intermissions, in this case), I hope its exactly what I'm thinking it is in NHL12.

[Bumble14]

Quote: Originally Posted by Money99

Fighting. Still. Blows. Just copy 2K's already. The first-person fighting is so bad in this series I just shut it off. Besides, I got tired of watching Lidstrom drop the mitts with tough guys and win.

Agreed. I cringed when I saw first person fighting back in. It's absolutely awful. Worst part about it is that when you enter into the first person view, everyone else on the ice disappears--takes so much away from the game in my opinion.

Fights and scrums are a part of hockey--I'd love to see 3rd person reappear with more team involvement. Go play Ice Hockey on the NES--greatest fights ever!!