Most excited I've ever been for NHL series

[UMiami]

NHL 2013 has me more excited for hockey than any prior release. (since NHL 94) I love the fact EA has put so much time into the AI to make this game as realistic as the development cycle allows. They have real hockey guys working with the AI team! The skating models look awesome and I love the way teams play like their real-life counterpart. (ie, Tampa Bay 1-3-1). They've added increased fore-checking pressure which adds an entirely new element to the game. I will actually feel like I'm playing a team and not just playing against sliders... finally!

Being an NHL fan, I have never been as excited as I am about NHL 2013!!

Can't freaking wait!!

[goalieump413]

With ya man. Although they did have a good backbone product from last year to work on. They've made solid strides for at least 3 years now, and since I'm still playing '12, I guess I'm sold. Goofy board play aside...

[Vikes1]

I'm really looking forward to '13' too. For many of the reasons mentioned.

Imo...the up and down, back and forth with ease type of play vs the AI has run it's course. For me anyway, another year of that type of gameplay would have been pretty tough for the game to hold my interest. Let alone that every team/game played vs the AI was pretty much all the same experience.

If the AI improvements and strategies are done anywhere near as well as I hope, NHL '13' could be a real turning point for the series.

[Majingir]

lol, the goods/bads to NHL releasing. Looking forward to it coming out, but that also means, summer vacation is over, and school is back lol.

[UMiami]

Quote: Originally Posted by Vikes1

I'm really looking forward to '13' too. For many of the reasons mentioned. Imo...the up and down, back and forth with ease type of play vs the AI has run it's course. For me anyway, another year of that type of gameplay would have been pretty tough for the game to hold my interest. Let alone that every team/game played vs the AI was pretty much all the same experience. If the AI improvements and strategies are done anywhere near as well as I hope, NHL '13' could be a real turning point for the series.

Agreed. I'd love to see EA Sports put all their efforts into AI and physics. Useless game modes, graphical tweaks, etc seem to distract the developers from the core component of a good sports game. NHL 2013 sounds like they finally 'get it.'

[bwiggy33]

Quote: Originally Posted by UMiami

Agreed. I'd love to see EA Sports put all their efforts into AI and physics. Useless game modes, graphical tweaks, etc seem to distract the developers from the core component of a good sports game. NHL 2013 sounds like they finally 'get it.'

While I do partly agree with you, I also disagree with you. See every one of those "useless" things you mentioned have been improved/changed for NHL 13, plus they've made the major changes to the AI and I'm sure they touched up physics at least a little bit. Basically they've added something to every part of the game and two of those things being pretty major and time consuming features (AI and GM Connected). The developers never lost track of the true component of the sports game, they just never had a good plan of attack. They don't have different people working on different parts of the game for nothing. It's not just Sean, Andy, and the other top developers who do everything for the game. It would be impossible for them to program every part of the game. Some people tend to forget about this. There are separate people doing all of the different parts of the game.

IMO I don't think it's the fact the developers spent too much time on those ridiculous nuances and additions in years past, I think that they just never had smart goals and plans in what they wanted the game to be. In turn all of the other workers underneath the top developers are confused on what to do and are basically being useless. It's just like any other company in the world. When the top of the chain doesn't have a plan then the other workers become confused on what to do and the company becomes disfunctional.

I also believe EA got too comfortable because they have 0 competition and everyone kept praising NHL every single year. It wasn't until 12 where people finally started realizing that this game can be so much better and EA has basically wasted their time the past 3 years. EA was also afraid of change. All of a sudden for 13 we have changes all across the board. What's funny is EA actually speaks the truth when they say they haven't made this much change since the skill stick in 07. I think they finally created a smart plan and goals for this game. They felt the pressure from us buyers, and they knew they had to do something to improve the game.

[HellJumper SK]

I agree, can't wait for 13 to come out. My only problem, I don't know whether to pick it up on PS3 or 360

[06woz]

Quote: Originally Posted by HellJumper SK

I agree, can't wait for 13 to come out. My only problem, I don't know whether to pick it up on PS3 or 360

They have been historically identical with the main difference being faster load/sim times on 360