NHL 16: Official Gameplay Balance Video, Trailer and Blog

[peter21]

I'd be interested in finally upgrading to a PS4 and NHL 16, but I'm still wholly unconvinced about this game.

I know that gamers looking for more realism are not EA's target demographic, but because of the snafu regarding NHL 15, they also took a financial hit. Barring another company developing an NHL-licensed game, I've been thinking about our options and recourse. We can not buy the game, which I didn't do for the first time in many years last year.

I'm thinking we also need to let our voices heard, not to EA, but the NHL. It obviously wants to maintain a positive brand and image and a faulty video game from EA might make them rethink their support. I noticed the NHL posted something about NHL 16 on its feed the other day and the amount of negative comments regarding the game was pretty surprising. I hope the league is hearing that. They can pressure EA where us consumers may not. Exhaust all options and maybe we'll start to see a game worthy of our playing experience!

Until then, I'll be enjoying EHM.

[Vikes1]

After watching the vids a few more times, i did start to notice some of the things mentioned in Bigwill's post. Some positive things. Most notably the ai players didn't seem as brain dead as before. I of course could be completely wrong, but the game seemed to be a bit more defensive minded. Which to me would be great.

[Ruffy]

Quote: Originally Posted by Money99

100% agreed. I think EA's reluctance to create a realistic game is because it requires a lot of time and effort to program that level of AI. Instead of wasting time on useless stuff like NZ pressure or proper team and player separation, the programmers are told to fine tune EASHL and HUT.

100% Correct...and if profits is the name of the game....you can't really fault the logic...even though we don't like it.

[bad_philanthropy]

I honestly think the dev team is doing their best between the mandate from above to develop the most profitable modes (which are also the most popular), having a shoestring budget in the scheme of other EA titles, and last year having a good bit of the team reassigned to get the UFC property out the door.

Let's be honest, out of all the sports, hockey is comparatively niche. I think NHL 16 selling well could be the best thing for the series, and at that point I'd be prepared to really critically focus on lack of improvement and innovation by the devs.

I will say, I'm worried that with the increased costs of implementing/improving features this gen that the dev team is simply inadequately equipped.

[actionhank]

Quote: Originally Posted by Vikes1

After watching the vids a few more times, i did start to notice some of the things mentioned in Bigwill's post. Some positive things. Most notably the ai players didn't seem as brain dead as before. I of course could be completely wrong, but the game seemed to be a bit more defensive minded. Which to me would be great.

One thing that's still frustrating to see (And can hopefully be addressed before release) is the way the AI still has trouble playing defense against the rush, and how they still skate into their own creases, and knock each other into the goalies. Around the 50 second mark, two defenders just skate in and crowd the crease, having trouble getting out of the way.

[Money99]

Quote: Originally Posted by bad_philanthropy

I honestly think the dev team is doing their best between the mandate from above to develop the most profitable modes (which are also the most popular), having a shoestring budget in the scheme of other EA titles, and last year having a good bit of the team reassigned to get the UFC property out the door. Let's be honest, out of all the sports, hockey is comparatively niche. I think NHL 16 selling well could be the best thing for the series, and at that point I'd be prepared to really critically focus on lack of improvement and innovation by the devs. I will say, I'm worried that with the increased costs of implementing/improving features this gen that the dev team is simply inadequately equipped.

Agreed.
I think their team is a lot smaller now than what it was when NHL07 was being produced.
They created the base and now it's about maintaining while adding a few bells and whistles.
Even if the team wanted to go knuckles-deep into gameplay, they don't have the resources, time or money to do so.
I think that's what has so many of us frustrated.
But it's going to be status quo from now on until someone else starts making hockey games - which is very unlikely.

With all the great hardware, intelligence, talent and resources available, it's kind of a sad time to be a sports gamer.
Very few sports genre's have more than one option and the sports with only 1 option are not satisfying the majority of consumers - which really shouldn't be a surprise (no comp=bad games).

[actionhank]

Quote: Originally Posted by Money99

Agreed. I think their team is a lot smaller now than what it was when NHL07 was being produced. They created the base and now it's about maintaining while adding a few bells and whistles. Even if the team wanted to go knuckles-deep into gameplay, they don't have the resources, time or money to do so. I think that's what has so many of us frustrated. But it's going to be status quo from now on until someone else starts making hockey games - which is very unlikely. With all the great hardware, intelligence, talent and resources available, it's kind of a sad time to be a sports gamer. Very few sports genre's have more than one option and the sports with only 1 option are not satisfying the majority of consumers - which really shouldn't be a surprise (no comp=bad games).

Definitely. My frustration is with the game, and the people calling the shots about the shape the game should take. Those are the higher up's at EA. That's what frustrates me about people dumping on the dev team, or Rammer. They do what they're told, or they find a new job. And, unless they've got the money to start their own game development studio, they're likely to do what they're told.

It's like people complaining that the artist sucks because they don't like the subject of a commissioned painting.

[bigwill33]

Quote: Originally Posted by actionhank

Definitely. My frustration is with the game, and the people calling the shots about the shape the game should take. Those are the higher up's at EA. That's what frustrates me about people dumping on the dev team, or Rammer. They do what they're told, or they find a new job. And, unless they've got the money to start their own game development studio, they're likely to do what they're told. It's like people complaining that the artist sucks because they don't like the subject of a commissioned painting.

You are mostly correct in that assumption, but the truth is that we don't know what goes on behind the scenes. All we know is that in 2007 this was a very promising hockey product. And now, 8 years later, we have this mess.

The truth of the matter is that the parent company (EA) and the devs have seemingly messed the bed together here. Even if we give the devs the benefit of the doubt with being understaffed, under-financed, pulled in a direction that doesn't suit their wishes, placed under unrealistic time restraints, and being pulled to work on other projects; we still cannot ignore the horrible PR that has occurred in the last 5 years, or so. We cannot forget the blatant lies about this product, as recently as last release.

The bottom line with these games is just that... the bottom line. If it is for the company, than it should also be for the consumer. Just like with any other enterprise or business situation.

It shouldn't matter or concern the consumers what is going on behind the scenes at McDonald's. All the people should have to care about is whether or not the final product that reaches them is worth of their purchase. If you have a few bad experiences eating somewhere you most likely wouldn't keep traipsing back through the doors of that establishment. You might also wish to warn others of your experience.

Now of course there are better and worse ways to go about your agenda of detailing your pleasurable or miserable experience with a company, but in the end it is your $$$ that speaks the loudest.

My point is this, and I have said this before; I am tired of hearing excuses for this company and development team. It is not of my concern what their issues are other than that the final product has been substandard for awhile now, to me. It is great that we can learn more about the inner-workings of a company or it's staff, but at the end of the day they must put their money where their mouths are. And this whole product has not lived up to any standard or precedent that has been set by other sports games (even those with equal or lesser funding and development staff), let alone the standard or precedents that were set by EA and the NHL game itself in the prior decade or earlier.

That is what is important to the consumer, which is what every last one of us on this forum is.

If you are a developer and those situations are true and your hands are being tied, that sucks for you. Just as the chef at the restaurant might be out of a job because people stopped eating there because his company stopped supplying him with salt to season the food, the devs at a video game site are subjected to whatever their parent company says goes. It is no different for NHL than it is for MLB the Show, than it is for NBA2k or Live, than it is for Madden, than it is for FIFA... and so on. The difference lays within the final product. Some of those games are near masterpieces and some of them are complete flops. How they got to that point is literally of least concern to the average consumer. Nor should it ever really be their cross to bear when deciding whether or not to make a purchase on any product.