News Post

NHL 09 Preview

02:39 PM - June 11, 2008 by Steve_OS

Last month Operation Sports visited the EA Canada studio in Vancouver, British Columbia. We sat down and listened to what NHL 09 Line Producer, David Littman, had to tell us about the game. We were impressed.

Patrick Williams has put together a very in depth preview of NHL 09.

Quote:


	"For the third year in a row on the next gen consoles the skill stick has evolved to include more of a dynamic factor in the offensive and now defensive game. Skilled players have more control this season. These players can try to deke around defenders and goalies alike, but must be aware that sticks and skates are truly and totally interactive this year. Such an example is Cup winner Pavel Datsyuk coming in one on one with a goalie and cutting one way as he drags the puck with one hand on the end of his stick around the goalie for a nice slide in style goal."

Game: NHL 09Reader Score: 9/10 - Vote Now
Platform: PC / PS2 / PS3 / Xbox 360Votes for game: 47 - View All

NHL 09 Videos

Member Comments

# 1 mdgoalie37 @ 06/11/08 03:17 PM

"You can also customize your controls to suit your style of game. So if you are more of a stick checker versus a body checker you can actually set the right stick up to control the stick by default on defense. This would mean you would hold the modifier button to control checks. This is something that is certain to help to cater to each individual's style."

I've read like 8 previews and I think this is the first I've heard of this.

# 2 mdgoalie37 @ 06/11/08 03:18 PM

"The producers were sure to explain to us that hitting from behind can result in a penalty however in this game now, as well as running interference on the goalie, so pick your pressure accordingly."

First I've heard this too - great preview Patrick...

# 3 Ruffy @ 06/11/08 03:42 PM

After just trading in MY NHL 08 yesterday....just wasnt going to play it anymore knowing 09 isnt that far off and having played the game strictly only over 600 ranked games....probably the most I ever played a sports game since NHL 94...

It sounds like EA is doing the right thing and slighty adding tweaks and not trying to re do a game that they finally got right again...

The ability to go retro with the controls is a nice feature too..

Can't wait!

I hope in this one you can make Crosby's head Bleed...

http://gamevideos.com/video/id/5437

# 4 Lubey @ 06/11/08 03:46 PM

Can someone clear up for me what "Running interface with the goalie" means?

Also, how will using the right thumbstick to poke and sweep check be different than holding down RB and using the R stick in 08?

I'm sort of confused on those two points.

# 5 mercalnd @ 06/11/08 04:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lubey


	Can someone clear up for me what "Running interface with the goalie" means?

It running interference not interface. The legal way of doing it is bascially parking yourself right in front of him to prevent him from seeing the puck and the play. If you back into him or prevent his free movement in the blue paint with your legs or stick then it become an interference penalty.

# 6 thmst30 @ 06/11/08 05:30 PM

How can the same studio that makes this incredible game also make NBA Live? Its night and day.

# 7 mdgoalie37 @ 06/11/08 05:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mercalnd


	It running interference not interface. The legal way of doing it is bascially parking yourself right in front of him to prevent him from seeing the puck and the play. If you back into him or prevent his free movement in the blue paint with your legs or stick then it become an interference penalty.

Unless you are Tomas Holmstrom who gets called for goalie interference for just standing in the general vicinity of the crease (non-Wings fan BTW)

# 8 catcatch22 @ 06/11/08 05:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lubey


	Can someone clear up for me what "Running interface with the goalie" means? Also, how will using the right thumbstick to poke and sweep check be different than holding down RB and using the R stick in 08? I'm sort of confused on those two points.

It won't be, they did it cause it was difficult for several people to hold RB and use the right stick together because it would cause different issues. If anything it should make it easier for guys like me that use the stick more than the body.

It would have been better to just make the left stick be what you use the guide in for natural collisions instead of a button, but I guess people have the need to have a "button" for the auto big hit.

# 9 Lubey @ 06/11/08 07:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mercalnd


	It running interference not interface. The legal way of doing it is bascially parking yourself right in front of him to prevent him from seeing the puck and the play. If you back into him or prevent his free movement in the blue paint with your legs or stick then it become an interference penalty.

Wow I feel like an idiot.

# 10 VanCitySportsGuy @ 06/11/08 10:05 PM

"As they celebrate their centennial in the league you will see old time players without helmets and a special in game addition that EA was pretty hush hush on at this time for the Habs it appears."

Legends are in the game? This must be one of the things EA is holding back. It would be sweet to see HoF'ers like Orr, Messier, Kurri, Coffey, Gretzky, Howe, Richard, Hull, Yzerman, Harvey, Langway, Bossy, etc.. in the game.

I haven't read all the previews but I wonder if EA has put in the option of changing the game clock by whatever minute we want instead of 5/10/20 mins. Also I wonder if goalies like Turco and Brodeur will come out of their net more often to play the puck.

# 11 bigwill33 @ 06/11/08 10:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by asianflow


	"As they celebrate their centennial in the league you will see old time players without helmets and a special in game addition that EA was pretty hush hush on at this time for the Habs it appears." Legends are in the game? This must be one of the things EA is holding back. It would be sweet to see HoF'ers like Orr, Messier, Kurri, Coffey, Gretzky, Howe, Richard, Hull, Yzerman, Harvey, Langway, Bossy, etc.. in the game. I haven't read all the previews but I wonder if EA has put in the option of changing the game clock by whatever minute we want instead of 5/10/20 mins. Also I wonder if goalies like Turco and Brodeur will come out of their net more often to play the puck.

The only team that is likely to have the old timers is Montreal as I stated because they are having their 100th anniversary.

There will be no other old time players in the game unfortunately.

Game clock is still only 5, 10 and 20 minutes for period options.

Goalies when controlled by the computer will play even more like their real life counterparts. Those goalies were more likely to play the puck in '08 though, so it might not be that drastic of a change from this year.

# 12 bigwill33 @ 06/11/08 10:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mdgoalie37


	"The producers were sure to explain to us that hitting from behind can result in a penalty however in this game now, as well as running interference on the goalie, so pick your pressure accordingly." First I've heard this too - great preview Patrick...

Thank you! The game is sounding pretty good about now, and they definately have the model upon which to build a winner with. Just have to wait and see what they are going to show us with their big surprise.

# 13 mkharsh33 @ 06/12/08 02:20 AM

so in spite of some of the new positives being put into this game, it looks like we're still years away from a polished product...sigh.

# 14 bigwill33 @ 06/12/08 10:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sportmats


	But I dont understand why people speculates about new stuff and so on, when the dev-team has more important things to concentrate on. Like making a game without cheating cheese-goals. I think that should be the most important thing of all. And I cant understand why it would be so difficult making a game whitout cheese-goals. Can anyone tell me that please?

Well it is hard because until the masses get a game it is not really known what is going to work for cheese type plays. I mean sure they test the game, but to really find what is going to work it needs to be played a couple dozen thousand times. And as you know once a few people stumble on to a glitch goal or cheese play and do it on the internet it won't take long for people to replicate it and abuse it further.

On the bright side the development team has really done somethings to counter the known cheese goals in last years game. Improved battles in front of the net along with the ability to tie up your opponent's stick will go miles in taking away the slap pass and one timers of 08. Still no matter what is put in place a new cheese or glitch is sure to pop up. Sometimes it is just the amount that pop up that determine what make a game fun to keep playing over time.

# 15 wildhockey19 @ 06/12/08 06:52 PM

There will ALWAYS be money goals in any game you play. Until the day that an "actual" AI is developed, and by that I mean a system that thinks solely for itself and adapts to its surrounding we will all fall victim to the infamous "cheese" goals. The game is just that, a scripted set of code that may have different variations under different circumstances but always to a set limit. The goalie will always react the same way even to different moves. Again, until they solve the almost impossible task of developing a system that would be able to give the goalie the ability to act on his own, your doomed. Sorry to sound like a space cadet, but I am a computer science major so I cant help myself some times! Peace!

# 16 Joborule @ 06/12/08 07:37 PM

Good write up man.

# 17 Eddie1967 @ 06/12/08 08:35 PM

The part about fighting being rebuilt from the ground up with the circling and turtling sounds awesome. If they could just add separate line changes and more board play, I might just buy 2 hockey games this year.

# 18 ohyeahbaby123 @ 06/12/08 09:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Eddie1967


	The part about fighting being rebuilt from the ground up with the circling and turtling sounds awesome. If they could just add separate line changes and more board play, I might just buy 2 hockey games this year.

Separate line changes are in.

# 19 Eddie1967 @ 06/12/08 09:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ohyeahbaby123


	Separate line changes are in.

Not that I don't believe you but is that in the article?

# 20 metallidevils @ 06/12/08 09:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Eddie1967


	Not that I don't believe you but is that in the article?

It was definitely stated somewhere; I think in the dev blog

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