EA Sports NHL 11 Community Day

[SinisterAlex]

So Qb I'm guessing you're here in Vancouver now? Very nice.

[Money99]

From HFBoards member IrishSniper87:

http://hfboards.com/showpost.php?p=2...0&postcount=35

Quote:

Hey everyone! Day 1 of the Community Event is complete and I have now actually played an alpha build of NHL 11. I can't say much without breaking NDA agreements, but I want to convey to everyone that all these guys who work on the game are huge hockey fans. They really care about this game. I didnt realize how much the devs cared about the game until we had some meetings and I got a chance to interact with the guys who make the game. They really impressed me with how much they wanted to hear from both casual and hardcore fans alike. The NHL series has really been a hit the past few years, and EA really wants to make sure they keep up the growth. Ultimately, I want to mention a few points. First, the devs really listen to the community. They check the gaming websites and forums, and they often read feedback and forum posts themselves. They put a lot of time and effort into this series, and enjoy reading peoples reactions to the game. While the various gaming forums tend to be way too negative, the devs read a lot of the threads and posts to find ways to improve the game. They themselves are huge hockey fans, and they want to make the most authentic game they can. Now that I have gotten that out of the way, I want to say that I personally enjoyed hearing about where the devs wanted to take the NHL series in the future. We were told how each game in the NHL series is really a 2-3 year development plan. Some of the features that the community wants are things the devs know about, but they dont have the time or resources to get it into the game. They want to relay to you that they really do try and read the reactions to the game, and try to improve it as much as possible within their own deadlines and limited resources. Certain features obviously take priority in the development cycle, so every years game has it's own feature set and focuses. All in all, I think most fans will really enjoy NHL 11. It has an impressive feature set, and focuses on being more realistic then previous generations. While the build I got to test was not perfect (numerous bugs that will be fixed before the game ships), I got the jist of what the team is looking to accomplish this year, and I tried to be as helpful as possible. I came here with a large list of things HF members wanted to see, and can honestly say that EA covered a lot of them. I think the Community Members really did raise some really good points in the testing, and that hopefully we managed to help the developers make a better game. After all, in many ways, that is the point of the Community Event in the first place. I will post again tomorrow after the second day of the event, but I will not be able to discuss new features until they are announced. So please, check back here for new information as I am allowed to discuss it and feel free post your comments and complaints here. Thanks!

[Vince]

Since there is no competition anymore (2k), they might as well just release the info asap, no?

[Money99]

Quote: Originally Posted by Vince

Since there is no competition anymore (2k), they might as well just release the info asap, no?

I like that line of thinking.

But I'm sure if they let it all out of the bag now, they'd have less to promote come August.

Still, I think they could allow these guys to give us some vague impressions of NHL11 at the least.

[RealmK]

Quote: Originally Posted by Money99

I like that line of thinking. But I'm sure if they let it all out of the bag now, they'd have less to promote come August. Still, I think they could allow these guys to give us some vague impressions of NHL11 at the least.

I can has new presentations pls? heh couldn't resist. My guess is any info will indeed be of the vague nature what with NDA's and all.

[Scottdau]

Deep down inside; I get why they do what they do, but I also think it is lame. Why not show all you got now and get more people even more hyped, but I guess that is why I am not in PR.

[RealmK]

Quote: Originally Posted by Scottdau

Deep down inside; I get why they do what they do, but I also think it is lame. Why not show all you got now and get more people even more hyped, but I guess that is why I am not in PR.

Because that way you have unannounced features to promote and further create hype/excitement closer to release, its basic marketing 101. Considering its May and the game doesn't ship til September, I'm more impressed that we're starting to get info this early. What with the CHL announcement and the physics engine changes. Unlike with how 2k markets games where you might get a screen shot or a trailer if that even, 1 week before its on store shelves for example.

[Scottdau]

Maybe, but I still think if you show what you got you will get more hype, but oh well! It is all good.