NHL GameChangers Event Recap: "You Should Be Excited"

[RaychelSnr]

OS'er Oohwayy recapped the special EASHL committee which EA held in Vancouver recently with some interesting new details on where the NHL franchise may be heading. In the post, it was proclaimed that gamers "should be excited" about the direction on EA Sports' NHL. Compiling points from various sources, here is what came out of the meeting, with much of it being nothing more than vague rumors and hints -- so if that isn't your thing you probably shouldn't read on:

• There was a lot of back and forth at the event, with developers being very interactive and open about the process.
• NDAs were signed so a lot of things can't be revealed obviously.
• EASHL will be very exciting for both casual and competitive players, big changes are coming to the modes which have been planned well in advance.
• The future is bright for offline gamers too.
• A lot of highly requested features are being implemented this next year.

So basically, a lot of vagueness, which is to be expected at this early point in the development cycle. The 'big' news is easily that EASHL is definitely going to happen in NHL 16, but that is neither shocking nor unexpected. It also sounds as if the mode will be getting some pretty big changes versus what it used to be, which could be taken as either a positive or a negative.

Otherwise, from the general tone coming out of this meeting -- plus the tone coming out of EA period -- there is no reason not to believe NHL 16 won't make a huge step forward this year both in terms of modes offered and the usual yearly gameplay enhancements.

What do you want to see from NHL 16 this year?

[acreinha]

God, I hope they nail it this year. I know we joke on OS about the "built from the ground-up" selling point with every NHL game but I truly want them to actually reinvent most of the game mechanics. I've tried to convince myself that NHL 15 is decent on the ice but always resort to "it just doesn't feel good."

I fell in love with FIFA (on manual) this year because I was enamored by the freedom of gameplay and authenticity it provides. I think the only way I will come back to NHL is if the attention to detail and authenticity of real gameplay mirrors that of FIFA.

[GuyinPA75]

Honestly, reading this article does nothing for me.

All these promises and the annual beating drum of "this year is the year of innovation" has just left me disenchanted and desire to play the next year of "X" in said EA sports franchise very stale.

If EA backed it up each year, I would actually care. But in last 10 years their philosophy is: drastically hype up as a step forward while in reality take 3 steps backward. That may work on the new and younger generation of gamers. But as someone gaming since 1972, EA you need to show, prove, and do something to garner my interest and hype going forward.

Doubt I am the only gamer feeling this way.

[GeauxTigers]

It's probably too late for this coming edition (especially with the actual event not taking place until 2016 anyway); but definitely hoping at some point they add an authentic way to play an event like the World Cup of Hockey. Also as an NHL fan who actually lives in a WHL city and follows my local team closely it would be nice to be able to play seasons in the WHL too (anyone else interested in this?). The teams are already there along with the players ... I don't think fans of these leagues would be worried about authentic arenas or updated rosters either ... so just a single season mode would be fun (especially if it wrapped up with the Memorial Cup).

[AdamJones113]

Quote: Originally Posted by GeauxTigers

It's probably too late for this coming edition (especially with the actual event not taking place until 2016 anyway); but definitely hoping at some point they add an authentic way to play an event like the World Cup of Hockey. Also as an NHL fan who actually lives in a WHL city and follows my local team closely it would be nice to be able to play seasons in the WHL too (anyone else interested in this?). The teams are already there along with the players ... I don't think fans of these leagues would be worried about authentic arenas or updated rosters either ... so just a single season mode would be fun (especially if it wrapped up with the Memorial Cup).

There is single-season mode on last gen.

I'd love for this to work the same as franchise mode, especially if you could edit draft classes and incoming juniors draft classes.

[Retropyro]

I'm believing a single word until the game is released. It's nothing but talk until then with a bad track record. Hopefully they knock it out of the park, but until I get it in my hands to try, I'll remain very sceptical of anything surrounding the NHL franchise.

[SH15]

Quote: Originally Posted by GeauxTigers

hoping at some point they add an authentic way to play an event like the World Cup of Hockey.

No idea why they don't do this. How amazing would it be to program in an EA Sports World Tournament every other year in Feb or Sept (depending on Olympics or World Cup).

Then simply ask DO YOU WANT TO PLAY when that time on the calendar comes up. Select yes, pick your team, then you fill out your 14F/8D/3G from the current rosters/overalls in your Dynasty (BAGM). This would take into account current injuries (imagine if Crosby was out? ouch!) as well as overalls (hello Connor McDavid in 2016 Olympics)

It would be so amazing. But nope, why do something that is awesome. Yay EA

[bigwill33]

What "Gamechanger", "Community Leader", etc. in history has ever come back from a community event that a developer has flown them to and come away from it with a less than positive outlook? This is the huge grain of salt that needs to be taken with these types of things.

When companies bring these people in they do all the right things, just like a recruitment trip for a college athlete. You don't see the flaws and problems because the focus is on the positives. But what really can be accomplished over 8 hours of sitting down and discussing the game?

Was there hands-on with a current build of the game in which the group of visitors got to test the game out? What legacy issues are still prevalent. When a company just talks about what was wrong and what they are hoping to fix or what will be different they aren't showing anyone anything that may still be wrong or that is broken. It isn't until extensive time with a game that most major flaws come to light. And with 8 hours of sit down what really can be gathered and changed in the development cycle for the next iteration of a game?

These programs can be good in that there is some interaction between a fan base and a developer, but overall what the rest of us are left with is hope and hype. And every year each game has a hope and a hype factor. I can tell you this, if we get into August without major media of NHL 16 or without a list of game modes again what are we to believe will be great about this game?

Basically all we have at this point is a handful of people that were super stoked to have been "selected" to go on a free trip to play video games. They were wined and dined and made to feel as though they were important for a day or two. In the end we hear "The game is gonna be awesome! Oh, but I can't tell you why or anything about that for quite some time. When? Well until EA gets ahead of the official hype train and spins everything in a manner that won't negatively impact sales."

To EA it is important to get the most "popular" members that can influence others into believing the hype being sold. If I trust joeyoutube's assessment that the game will be awesome because he said so and I agree with other things he says about the game then I can't be lead down the wrong path.

Where is the tangible evidence? What is being done that is different? There are things that can be said that wouldn't violate an NDA. Furthermore, the fact that people are so afraid to even tread on the grounds of the grey area surrounding an NDA because the main fear isn't that they would face legal repercussions, but rather they worry that they will have blown the privileges that accompany the position they have gotten to.

When would we ever get the person that flies back home after one of these events and says to the general audience of a game "You know, they just aren't where I think they should be given how bad recent versions of the product are."?

Because with every event like this we see nothing but positives being brought back, but then somehow we still get games that have bugs, legacy issues, horrific game play, glitch or money plays, and features that have been removed for some reason. And if any of it is brought up all we get are excuses. Well there wasn't enough time, but we hope to fix it one day. The damn thing has been that way for 5 years! When is 'one day'?

Why should I care how hard it is to program something? It is hard to do a lot of things at most jobs, yet somehow they still get done. Other game developers manage to do more with less even. These are excuses! And I am tired of them! Nobody at a site like this is asking for a reinvention of the wheel. IN FACT, most of us are just asking for things that have already been accomplished in a hockey or sports video game, if not by another developer by the very company that is making this current game now, but in the past. There is a whole wishlist thread in our NHL forum and 95% of that is just asking for stuff that has somehow disappeared from the NHL series. These are things that were in the game already, some of them 10 or 20 years ago!

EA used to do things that others didn't because they felt they had to. Now they don't do things that others are doing or even things that they have done in the past because they no longer have to. And for someone to come in and tell us that this next game is really going to be awesome when the past 4 or 5 have trended downward towards a near pitiful level, what right minded person would jump aboard that boat? Let's hope that someone all the hype is true, but let's take this for what it is at the same time, people.