NHL 15: E3 Trailer and Details - Release Date Set For September 9th

[Sip_16]

Quote: Originally Posted by Diehardfan

Great post...echos what I have been saying for years. The only time you see a face, helmet, mask or a stick is when you're NOT playing. Who plays the game at an ice level where you can see this stuff anyway? Sorry to all the kiddies who need this sort of thing but let them invest their time in AI, gameplay and puck physics. The only thing I'm interested in other than that is the announcing team, which they finally upgraded. For the first time in years this will feel like a new game. Well, at least it'll sound like one.

very much agreed. none of that stuff changes how I play the game, it is a game it is never going to be completely like the real thing. The best way to do that is by AI, gameplay and puck physics like you said.

[bwiggy33]

Quote: Originally Posted by Moose24x

Where did I say yearly though? I said they should update the faces that are from 2007. That's closer to by-decade than yearly. It's not unreasonable. You just don't agree with my overall complaint so you're twisting my words into something I never said. Gameplay is clearly chief, but to me, immersion is an easy #2 on the priority list. After gameplay, my number one concern is in believing the illusion and feeling like it's as authentic as possible. That's why those details become important for me. And like I said, I don't mind doing the work myself each year to edit equipment. But certain equipment has to be there. The 4500 has been something people have asked for every year since they removed it. I'm not picking some obscure, random piece of gear that is important to me only. I'm talking about the fact that they removed the most widely used hockey helmet in the world and fans have been asking for it back since the day it happened, yet they continue to leave it out. I'm not complaining about "Wahh, they have the Easton ABC and ZYX stick but they left out the EFG!!!" I'm talking about a helmet that people ask for every year. It never changes. Unlike the skates and sticks and things that get updated every year, if they would just put this damn helmet back in the game, they could leave it year after year and not have to change it. It simply should be there. It's too prominent not to be. Like I said, it's been on the cover of the last two games.

Holy crap he is doing to you exactly what he did to me last week. He just twists what you say into making it bigger than what it is to disagree with you and try to make you feel like the idiot for complaining about it. Then if you're lucky he may even go and call you out in one of the first posts in this thread (check post # 15 out on page 2).

Your points are clearly valid. This stuff is nowhere near as important as gameplay right now, but the stuff you are talking about is the truth. The faces in this game have been completely lackluster for years upon years. It's actually sad how bad that department of the game is. The equipment EA does a pretty good job, I think (other than the missing helmet you are talking about). I do things exactly like you. I haven't started a Be A GM in 3 years, but when I did I always made sure every player in hockey had their equipment and color schemes before I started my Be A GM. That's just the way I am. I like the little details. EA has most of the equipment in so at least you're able to find equipment that looks basically like the stuff left out. The reason people find this stuff stupid is because this game isn't even close to the point gameplay wise that it should be paid much attention to. Look at The Show. Sure it has gameplay flaws, but nothing on the NHL level. Therefore it brings up the complaints like lack of cleats but it's not necessarily a dumb argument over there. Until NHL brings close to great gameplay equipment and faces just won't be a big deal to someone. No matter what people say, this stuff adds depth and replay value to a game.

As for the video, it really didn't do anything for me. I'm not judging any gameplay off of that trailer. I was pumped yesterday when I saw a video was coming out, but once I watched it today it was a big letdown. Not from the game, but just from the overall boring video. Real big thanks to EA for reenacting the Kane goal in Game 1 against the Wild though, not. If Doc sounds anything like the video in NHL 15 that area of the game will be greatly improved.

[SpectralThundr]

Quote: Originally Posted by Moose24x

Where did I say yearly though? I said they should update the faces that are from 2007. That's closer to by-decade than yearly. It's not unreasonable. You just don't agree with my overall complaint so you're twisting my words into something I never said. Gameplay is clearly chief, but to me, immersion is an easy #2 on the priority list. After gameplay, my number one concern is in believing the illusion and feeling like it's as authentic as possible. That's why those details become important for me. And like I said, I don't mind doing the work myself each year to edit equipment. But certain equipment has to be there. The 4500 has been something people have asked for every year since they removed it. I'm not picking some obscure, random piece of gear that is important to me only. I'm talking about the fact that they removed the most widely used hockey helmet in the world and fans have been asking for it back since the day it happened, yet they continue to leave it out. I'm not complaining about "Wahh, they have the Easton ABC and ZYX stick but they left out the EFG!!!" I'm talking about a helmet that people ask for every year. It never changes. Unlike the skates and sticks and things that get updated every year, if they would just put this damn helmet back in the game, they could leave it year after year and not have to change it. It simply should be there. It's too prominent not to be. Like I said, it's been on the cover of the last two games. Also, with the use of a database editor that someone was able to develop for last gen, it was discovered that a wealth of old gear is still ON the game disc (thus still taking up memory) but EA just mysteriously makes it unselectable for some reason. This includes the 4500 helmet. It's there. They just don't make it an option. So it doesn't even require work on their behalf. It's in the game. They just hide it. Last year, you could edit your database and assign it to players, but you couldn't add a visor since it wasn't technically available. It's even more frustrating that the helmet already exists in the game's DNA. There's just no real reason for it being left out. And as if you hadn't heard enough of my complaints (I get it, aesthetic is of no value to you. The players could all just have generic faces and the same stick and gloves and helmet, as long as the gameplay was solid) check out Ovechkin's skates in the part where he scores. 2015 and you still can't flop the tongue of the skates. It's just funny to me that so many of these guys claim to play hockey and be avid hockey fans, but they come up with three options for skates back in 2007 (back tuck, front tuck, full tuck) and decide those are the most accurate options possible and will never reassess, add to or change them, over 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015. I can put on my skates right now and flop the tongue like Ovechkin does and I've never worn mine that way. The collective hockey fandom at EA apparently thinks more people wear their tongues the way they've designed than the way the most prominent players in hockey do. I know I'm nitpicking, but after all their talk about player likeness and about equipment finally being three separate layers, I just thought they'd have these things looking realistic for once. Very little in that video struck me as "three distinct layers of player, gear, jersey". It all looks like the same static player models and canned animations. If you played 2014 I don't really know how you can be excited about anything but the arenas and commentary based on this video, really. Might be some nicely polished cut scenes on next gen, but if you don't care about equipment and player likeness, why would cut scenes be of any importance either? Sorry to be a buzzkill, but it just seems like the same old, after getting fairly excited about the promises of increased player likeness, independent gear layers, etc. I was expecting the jump to next gen to seem a little more significant. At this point, the only thing I'm excited about is the arenas.

You said they should update star player faces every year. I get why they do it the way they do. It's not at all cost effective on the smaller budget that a series like the NHL series has compared to NBA2k or Madden that they could feasibly update cyberfaces that often. Not when there are more critical aspects of the game that need attention.

See I'm in the minority that didn't nitpick NHL 14 to death and actually enjoyed the gameplay, AI warts and all, because at the end of the day, I know it's never going to be 100% realistic because NO video game ever will be. I think it's more about having realistic expectations and trying to stay away from the whole entitlement mentality that most seem to exhibit these days. Not saying that you're coming off as entitled because I truly don't think you are. I just feel there's so many bigger aspects of the gameplay that are worth criticism over rather than if Marty St Louis has the right helmet or stick.

[Pezell04x]

Quote: Originally Posted by SpectralThundr

Like I said I meant no offense, but expecting them to update faces yearly just isn't going to happen. That's a pretty unrealistic expectation, star players or not. To each their own obviously, and like you I only play GM mode but to be honest I could care less about player equipment being the right helmet or stick or not. Things like that are the equivalent to those that complain about shoe color being off in NBA2k, ie not critical to gameplay or overall make or break. To each their own however.

They look like they haven't even updated them yearly though. Madden is doing facial scans, why can't the NHL series? Perfect example is NHL 14 still has Patrice Bergeron, a well know player in the NHL (and potential cover guy), rocking his face/hair cut that he wore when he was drafted.

Brad Marchand's face is as generic as it comes.

It's just a shame that many games progress in facial recognition and NHL is so lacking.

[yanek27]

Kane play at the end was unreal. So pumped for NHL 15

[Moose24x]

Quote: Originally Posted by SpectralThundr

You said they should update star player faces every year. I get why they do it the way they do. It's not at all cost effective on the smaller budget that a series like the NHL series has compared to NBA2k or Madden that they could feasibly update cyberfaces that often. Not when there are more critical aspects of the game that need attention.

I said they should make sure the stars on each team have their faces each year. If that was the case this year, then next year, they wouldn't have to change any of those faces unless a rookie stepped up huge or a different player had a breakout year. If they had McDonagh, Nash, Lundqvist, Girardi, St. Louis and Staal in this year, and up to date, why would they have to update it next year? Saying they should ensure each teams biggest stars are accurate doesn't mean they have to update them every year. It means if the scan of Rick Nash is 8 years old, it's time to change it. If a guy like McDonagh has risen to stardom, it's time to add him. Everything else gets left alone. I do think next gen deserves a fresh start with next gen quality scans. You can't argue that a scan taken in 2006 for a 2007 game on Xbox 360 is really sufficient for PS4 in 2015.

Also, you do know the art department doesn't have any control over gameplay or AI, so asking them to make some improvement doesn't actually take away from the gameplay, right? You do know that the guys who work on faces probably have no clue how to work on AI and if they had their art department working on AI we'd end up with a very, very bad game. It's not like asking someone from the art department to go into the game data, find the helmet that already exists and is already built and add the helmet numbers to it so that it can be used in game would take away from improved AI development.

[blinkfan77]

Quote: Originally Posted by Pezell04x

They look like they haven't even updated them yearly though. Madden is doing facial scans, why can't the NHL series? Perfect example is NHL 14 still has Patrice Bergeron, a well know player in the NHL (and potential cover guy), rocking his face/hair cut that he wore when he was drafted. Brad Marchand's face is as generic as it comes. It's just a shame that many games progress in facial recognition and NHL is so lacking.

Couldn't agree more. Such a massive issue for me. I NEED more real faces. Such a huge must for me.

[Madwolf]

The NHL series finally started doing face scans this year. They had a whole clip of them doing Eddie Lack's face in Vancouver.