NHL 16 News Post

NHL 16 Q&A Update - No Demo, Goaltender Interference & More

11:15 AM - July 26, 2015 by Steve_OS

The NHL 16 team continues to answer questions about the game at their Ask EA page. The Q&A is copied and pasted below for easier reading. Other Q&A sessions have been posted here in the same fashion.

Will there be the 3 stars at the end of the game?

We do have the three stars selected after a game but there will not be a sequence showing the 3 stars of the game coming out to salute the fans.

Do the San Jose Sharks have their Stadium Series jersey in this game?

The San Jose Sharks Stadium Series jersey will be in NHL 16.

In long-term GM modes, I always find that the a lot of the computer generated players in the 2018+ drafts have the same last name. Any efforts to fix this? I have four Arkatov's on my team and it's quite confusing.

Hi Dane, we do have a large database of names for the different countries. I will look into the distribution of the names and see what we can do in the future.

Will there be fan interactions in playoffs, like hankies being waved and the white out in Winnipeg?

Yes, teams that have towels in the stands will have them in NHL 16 and we have done our best to get all the colors correct as well. The white out will be represented in Winnipeg and you will also see other teams that are known for giving out t-shirts to their crowd.

Will I be able to customize the goalie gear?

Yes both what brands you select and the colors region by region.

Will the control of goalies emphasize good positioning, rather than reflexes? It seemed like in previous installments that you would cheat slightly, stay low in your crease, have a big goaltender and simply move side-to-side. When I tried to use the technique I use on the ice I found that I was punished for moving into shots, not rewarded. Have you tried to replicate the NHL style of today?

In NHL 16 the aim this year was to build a system that didn't limit your ability to get to where you wanted but to make you accountable for that momentum. If you start to go one way and quickly change your mind, your goalie will have to recoil rather than just play a straight butterfly push. You can also take either small strides or larger T-Pushes from set depending on how far you want to go in the crease. We have added the ability to move into/with a save as you mention which works well when you are moving across to make a save. We have tried to eliminate the feeling of being 'stuck' when a save starts as that was something people often commented about with the old system.

Will we get new visors such as the Oakley Aviator and straight cuts? Also, new more realistic sock tucks and the option to pick the brand of pants/girdles.

In NHL 16 we have added a few new visor styles to help add authenticity to star players we couldn't capture before. You can't brand pants for this year. The sock tucks in style are what we have had in the game before but the textures were reworked to look more authentic to the current way the socks look over shin pads/skates. We have added different sock tape styles (which you can change the material and color of tape for as well).

Can I adjust my players hair length? I want long golden hair flowing in the breeze as zip past the defenseman and ultimately score.

Don't we all. Unfortunately for NHL 16, that won't be an option in Create Player. We do have over 200 new heads to pick from when you customize your player though. Some of them may have something close to the hair style you are after.

Will the Goaltender Interference penalties be fixed in NHL 16?

We have done work against both goaltender and player on player interference. We have also added the ability to call off a goal due to interference without having to hand out a penalty.

Is there going to be a demo?

We will not have a traditional demo this year. Instead, we will be launching our first ever EA SPORTS Hockey League Beta on July 30 for NHL 15 owners. We prioritized a Beta over a Demo because we wanted our fans to go deep with the mode and give us early feedback so we can continue to refine and improve the experience. For more information on the EASHL Beta visit the EASHL Hub. For fans of Be a Pro, Be a GM, and Hockey Ultimate Team there is more information about those modes within the beta and we will provide deeper dives for those modes at a later date.

Are there going to be more free content updates after launch this year?

Yes, fans can expect even more from NHL 16 after launch. While we're incredibly proud of what's in the game this year - with new gameplay balance and added depth across the most played single player and team modes - we're just as excited about keeping your experience fresh and exciting with free content updates after the game ships.

Game: NHL 16Reader Score: Vote Now
Platform: PS4 / Xbox OneVotes for game: 0 - View All

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Member Comments

# 1 Vikes1 @ 07/26/15 12:08 PM

Gotta say, very disappointed about the no demo. I look forward to aleast that each year at this point.

# 2 Smutka @ 07/26/15 12:16 PM

Yep! F*ck BETA for only current 15 users...who the hell still has that game? when there is only about a month left for the next release. I sold mine on ebay a few months ago just to get a few bucks back from that piece of shiiii

# 3 snc237 @ 07/26/15 12:26 PM

^^ negative much. excited for this years game.

# 4 jkra0512 @ 07/26/15 12:41 PM

I own a digital copy of the game...can I get in on that beta?

# 5 nordiques1995 @ 07/26/15 01:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Vikes1


	Gotta say, very disappointed about the no demo. I look forward to aleast that each year at this point.

Beta is the demo. You will be able to at least try some of the control and the new stuff on defense. But with user control teammate instead of CPU.

Envoy� de mon Nexus 5 en utilisant Tapatalk

# 6 nordiques1995 @ 07/26/15 02:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Smutka


	Yep! F*ck BETA for only current 15 users...who the hell still has that game? when there is only about a month left for the next release. I sold mine on ebay a few months ago just to get a few bucks back from that piece of shiiii

The real fan still got this game. Good move from EA, that way the feedback is going to be from people that are dedicated to this game. And maybe sell some more of this NHL 15. Great idea for the business. I Like it.

Envoy� de mon Nexus 5 en utilisant Tapatalk

# 7 AdamJones113 @ 07/26/15 03:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lions67


	this place is getting to be as bad as the EA forums. so much whining. i think the changes that have been announced for NHL 16 have been excellent and i look forward to getting my hands on this.

If you think this forum is as bad as the EA forums, I think you are sadly mistaken. The EA forums barely have a forum structure. And if you think they are more upbeat, remember that they're actually getting good posts from Ben Ross, whereas this forum, as usual, is left in the dust.

I too am very much looking forward to playing this game!

# 8 Cletus @ 07/26/15 04:12 PM

I'm not sure why they would release a demo. It's basically NHL 15 with goalie improvements and EASHL (if you have a group of guys who still support this game). I'm sure the team put a lot of work into the game, but there's not a lot that they've announced that you would notice in a demo.

# 9 spidertour02 @ 07/26/15 04:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jkra0512


	I own a digital copy of the game...can I get in on that beta?

Yes. The link to download the beta will be in the main menu of NHL 15, so as long as you can play NHL 15 during the beta period, you can get in on the beta.

# 10 Gangrel @ 07/26/15 04:41 PM

All the whining about no demo and blaming the beta....... More like its EAs way to get you to sign up for EA Access.

Demos are dead.

Either pay for Access or wait for impressions. The times they are a_changing

Sent from my SM-T520 using Tapatalk

# 11 ven0m43 @ 07/26/15 05:04 PM

My option on EA and its sports titles are pretty low right now.

Begin of rant

I feel like they're out to just make as much profit as they can year in and year out doing the minimum amount of work. They're at a point where they are satisfied with the status quo, instead of trying to be innovative and push the gaming industry forward. EA spends its time on gimmick features that entice people to buy the game, but dont work properly which then gets removed in the next installment. The same core problems remain in the game year in and year out. For the last decade or so they have been recycling the same things over and over. When a new console comes out they stripe the game now and slowly at the old features back in, until the next time it's time to start over again and repeat the same process. It's sad when a game over 10 years old has more features than the current version. The dlc is integrated into the core game, that adds nothing to the actual game, or should have been included with the game from the start.

By doing this they can increase their profits and purchase exclusive contracts from other companies/leagues, preventing others from innovating the games, hence allowing them to keep the status quo. People will continue to buy these games for many reasons, but mainly because there is no alternative, partly do to exclusive licenses.

I can go on and on, but I won't

# 12 snc237 @ 07/26/15 06:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ven0m43


	My option on EA and its sports titles are pretty low right now. Begin of rant I feel like they're out to just make as much profit as they can year in and year out doing the minimum amount of work. They're at a point where they are satisfied with the status quo, instead of trying to be innovative and push the gaming industry forward. EA spends its time on gimmick features that entice people to buy the game, but dont work properly which then gets removed in the next installment. The same core problems remain in the game year in and year out. For the last decade or so they have been recycling the same things over and over. When a new console comes out they stripe the game now and slowly at the old features back in, until the next time it's time to start over again and repeat the same process. It's sad when a game over 10 years old has more features than the current version. The dlc is integrated into the core game, that adds nothing to the actual game, or should have been included with the game from the start. By doing this they can increase their profits and purchase exclusive contracts from other companies/leagues, preventing others from innovating the games, hence allowing them to keep the status quo. People will continue to buy these games for many reasons, but mainly because there is no alternative, partly do to exclusive licenses. I can go on and on, but I won't

Other then the NHL series all the other EA sports games had 99 percent of features that it's last gen counter part had during its launch. What dlc are you talking about? I haven't paid for anything other then the game in all sports games? Now I know there is MUT, HUT, FUT and so forth but that's not dlc. I'm not getting more content to the game buy purchasing packs. I play HUT and am in D1 and haven't spent a dime on it. Making games, sports games in particular is very expensive and you have a short development window each year. There's a reason why EA and a few other companies make sports games. We were so lucky 10-15 years ago with so many options. That was the golden age

# 13 headzapp @ 07/26/15 07:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cletus


	I'm not sure why they would release a demo. It's basically NHL 15 with goalie improvements and EASHL (if you have a group of guys who still support this game). I'm sure the team put a lot of work into the game, but there's not a lot that they've announced that you would notice in a demo.

Better ai defense. Better defense positioning. Sliders to make the stick not go through players. Better presentation. Real stadium atmosphere. Team goal horns and songs. Better puck physics. Fixed glitched goals. Doesn't seem the same as 15 to me.

# 14 av7 @ 07/26/15 09:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lions67


	this place is getting to be as bad as the EA forums. so much whining. i think the changes that have been announced for NHL 16 have been excellent and i look forward to getting my hands on this.

Its getting hard for certain games to grab the interest of both hardcore fans and those who may be new. NHL is one sport I just recently started to take interest in and it can be hard to just jump into a sport without any real knowledge.

I hope NHL 16 brings the tutorial section like Madden has in regards to strategy and formations.

# 15 bad_philanthropy @ 07/26/15 09:11 PM

I for one am excited for 16. I was excited for 15, and it was a shocking last minute let down. Everything about the way it was handled was a mess�especially the hidden under-developed state of it.

I enjoy a lot of the constructive criticism/dreaming for the game in this community, and participate in it at times as well. For the most part though, to me, NHL was a huge success last gen. With a pretty decent slider tool box, I was able to have a blast with the game from 07 right through to 15. In that time I'd say 12 was, for me, the least enjoyed game, and 15 the best due to its incremental improvements over the series reset with the skating engine introduced in 13.

If 16 current gen is another disaster I'll join the more fervent band of EA NHL malcontents.

# 16 AdamJones113 @ 07/26/15 09:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bad_philanthropy


	I for one am excited for 16. I was excited for 15, and it was a shocking last minute let down. Everything about the way it was handled was a mess�especially the hidden under-developed state of it. I enjoy a lot of the constructive criticism/dreaming for the game in this community, and participate in it at times as well. For the most part though, to me, NHL was a huge success last gen. With a pretty decent slider tool box, I was able to have a blast with the game from 07 right through to 15. In that time I'd say 12 was, for me, the least enjoyed game, and 15 the best due to its incremental improvements over the series reset with the skating engine introduced in 13. If 16 current gen is another disaster I'll join the more fervent band of EA NHL malcontents.

Absolutely this!

# 17 Cletus @ 07/26/15 09:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by headzapp


	Better ai defense. Better defense positioning. Sliders to make the stick not go through players. Better presentation. Real stadium atmosphere. Team goal horns and songs. Better puck physics. Fixed glitched goals. Doesn't seem the same as 15 to me.

I think I've heard this all before. If all of that stuff was really in you would think they would want to show it off in a demo. EA access isn't available for ps4 players so you're basically cutting out a whole console from trying the game early. It seems a little ignorant to me, especially after how terribly received 15 was.

# 18 redsox4evur @ 07/26/15 09:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cletus


	I think I've heard this all before. If all of that stuff was really in you would think they would want to show it off in a demo. EA access isn't available for ps4 players so you're basically cutting out a whole console from trying the game early. It seems a little ignorant to me, especially after how terribly received 15 was.

It's not EA's fault that Access isn't available for the PS4. Blame Sony for that one.

# 19 Cletus @ 07/26/15 10:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by redsox4evur


	It's not EA's fault that Access isn't available for the PS4. Blame Sony for that one.

I wasn't blaming them for it. I know the EA Access details, it doesn't make sense from a business standpoint. If your game is so improved from what was the worst in the series then release a demo for everyone to get excited about. The only way to test out this all new reworked EASHL is to buy or rent the worst rated game in the series if you're on ps4.

# 20 jkra0512 @ 07/26/15 11:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ven0m43


	My option on EA and its sports titles are pretty low right now. Begin of rant I feel like they're out to just make as much profit as they can year in and year out doing the minimum amount of work. They're at a point where they are satisfied with the status quo, instead of trying to be innovative and push the gaming industry forward. EA spends its time on gimmick features that entice people to buy the game, but dont work properly which then gets removed in the next installment. The same core problems remain in the game year in and year out. For the last decade or so they have been recycling the same things over and over. When a new console comes out they stripe the game now and slowly at the old features back in, until the next time it's time to start over again and repeat the same process. It's sad when a game over 10 years old has more features than the current version. The dlc is integrated into the core game, that adds nothing to the actual game, or should have been included with the game from the start. By doing this they can increase their profits and purchase exclusive contracts from other companies/leagues, preventing others from innovating the games, hence allowing them to keep the status quo. People will continue to buy these games for many reasons, but mainly because there is no alternative, partly do to exclusive licenses. I can go on and on, but I won't

You realize EA's main job is to make money for its shareholders, right? I hate it myself, but the quicker people realize this, the easier it is to move on. It's a hard reality, but you'll start understanding why they do some of the things they do, right or wrong. I'll try the beta, but it'll take a lot for me to buy this year's iteration.

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NHL 16 Q&A Update - No Demo, Goaltender Interference & More