First NHL 15 Screenshot Revealed, Pre-Order Offers Detailed

[Mikey88]

Quote: Originally Posted by bwiggy33

I'm really hoping this is a very early screen shot. The lack of nameplate on Thornton's jersey is almost inexcusable unless this is an early picture. I'm assuming it is because if you look at the other next gen sports games, their first versions had many glaring issues that just showed it was an early build. That is just something so glaring that you'd think it will make it's way into the game. To me the screen does look like Thornton. I think if he had a bigger beard that would represent him better, but he did go beardless/stubble for a good amount of this year. I agree with people though, what is EA doing with those Yotes fans? First of all the Yotes hardly get fans at their home games, so I don't know why on earth they'd put that many in the stands for a road game. Honestly I'm more concerned about the Preorder bonuses. It just shows once again that EA is pushing online play. I don't think the tables have turned to offline at all. That's what has me scared. The NHL series has been so bad for however many straight years, that as long as this game finally represents the game of hockey in the light it should be in, no nameplates or really small details will turn me away. Plus I honestly can't imagine nameplates not being put in. That'd just be inexcusable, even for an EA game.

Why in their right minds would they focus on offline modes ? In this day and age its all about online. If u actually enjoy playing the same tired cpu ai well good for you but the majority of gamers like to play with or vs other gamers via online versus or eashl

[bigwill33]

How EA hasn't figured out nameplates by now is beyond me, but that is the least of the problems in this game. And to be honest, if I had only seen the face I wouldn't have guessed Thornton from that pic alone, but whatever.

The NHL series has been on the decline and is pretty awful if you are more than a casual hockey fan. It started off so strong on the 360/ps3 and in the last 3-4 years has just been a rehash... and that isn't a good thing.

I have pages upon pages of issues I've noted with this game and each mode specifically. I log more hours on NHL than any other game and since Rammer has taken over things my communication with EA Vancouver has dwindled, I am hoping they eventually reach out to me again in the attempt to work on some of these issues in the near future.

[bwiggy33]

Quote: Originally Posted by SpectralThundr

So them offering a preorder bonus to push preorders, like EVERY publisher in existence, on EVERY AAA game known to man, means they only focused on online? The reaching is amazing. We've seen one screen shot of the game, no gameplay at all, but hey EA's catering to the online crowd. Bwiggy aren't you the same person who said 2k's goalies are better simply because they have a "push off" animation? Ignoring completely that 2k's goalies have the brains of a fruit fly? Why don't we wait to see some gameplay footage before we deem that the offline game got no love, and keep in mind I don't play online, I'm a GM guy just like you and haven't particularly been blown away with the sim engine or the AI trade logic the last few years either. I get where you're coming from, truly I do. But c'mon, lets be a bit realistic. Drog: I'm so glad you can see eyebrow spacing from a side profile shot.. my god this forum..so amazing.

Yes I am the same one who said the goaltending system from 2k is better than EA but please lets not even get into that. Trust me I don't use the first screen shot to judge a game (I probably wouldn't have bought FIFA or The Show if that were the case), but I do judge games off of prior history especially when it's been much of the same for the past 4 years. You sit here and say we all nit pick and this and that, but really why shouldn't we? The people angry with the game have been angry at the same exact faults the game has had for ages. When you don't see improvement in glaring problems people are allowed to be angry. I'm extremely excited to see what this game has in store, but I'm becoming less and less excited because I just still have the feeling it will be much of the same. I really do hope this game improves. I'm at the point where if this game actually replicates a better brand of hockey then current gen NHL, I am 100% satisfied. I don't need Be A GM or any other mode to be flawless, I just want to play a game of hockey that has the pace, skill, smarts, strategy, and other nuances of hockey.

@Mikey

I'm not saying they should only focus on offline. Not at all. I completely understand the majority of people play online, but there are still many who don't and you will find many on this forum. Also have you ever thought that maybe if EA put out a decent offline product maybe more people would play offline? AI wouldn't be repetitive if the devs actually cared to make it that way. There's other sports games out there where the AI is barely repetitive at all. NHL is just so lackluster in this area that maybe it makes you think other sports games are exactly like it. Since AI is one of EA's sticking points with the "Ignite" engine, I am really hoping EA follows through.

[OSGuy321]

As always with EA, the approach is guarded and cautious. The corporate BS talk and hype doesn't work anymore. I'll wait for consumer reviews.

[snowblind89]

Quote: Originally Posted by Mikey88

Why in their right minds would they focus on offline modes ? In this day and age its all about online. If u actually enjoy playing the same tired cpu ai well good for you but the majority of gamers like to play with or vs other gamers via online versus or eashl

Yes...you must have literally no friends outside of Xbox live. The foundation of sports video gaming was built of offline, local multiplayer. Not against AI, not online, but offline multiplayer. Offline multiplayer, where you can actually play a game (20 minute periods, sliders fully adjusted) with some sliver of resemblance to actual hockey were there not bouncing pucks, hilarious dump ins, and glitch goals. Also, have you considered that all of the gameplay and aesthetic faults also apply to online modes? Yep, that bouncing puck exists in all of your online, EASHL games. The same hilarious fan models and behavior that we see in this new groundbreaking screenshot of NHL 15 will exist in all of your online games. Unless you are blatantly trolling (which you aren't) think before you post something and actually apply logic please.

Just a little side note...has anyone actually tried "Authentic" post-whistle rules? What an absolute joke of programming, the people at EA should be ashamed and embarrassed of themselves.

[TheRealHST]

Im not a hockey fan but this is beautiful.

[SpectralThundr]

Quote: Originally Posted by bwiggy33

Yes I am the same one who said the goaltending system from 2k is better than EA but please lets not even get into that. Trust me I don't use the first screen shot to judge a game (I probably wouldn't have bought FIFA or The Show if that were the case), but I do judge games off of prior history especially when it's been much of the same for the past 4 years. You sit here and say we all nit pick and this and that, but really why shouldn't we? The people angry with the game have been angry at the same exact faults the game has had for ages. When you don't see improvement in glaring problems people are allowed to be angry. I'm extremely excited to see what this game has in store, but I'm becoming less and less excited because I just still have the feeling it will be much of the same. I really do hope this game improves. I'm at the point where if this game actually replicates a better brand of hockey then current gen NHL, I am 100% satisfied. I don't need Be A GM or any other mode to be flawless, I just want to play a game of hockey that has the pace, skill, smarts, strategy, and other nuances of hockey.

We both want the same things, but valuing things like push off animations over actual intelligence speaks volumes of bias, its interesting to me that the same handful of users that slag EA's AI every year are fine that 2k10's ai can't even manage to perform a proper breakout or that while their goalies may have some nice animations at times, they often would likely have issue stopping a puck the size of a beach ball with how stupid the AI is in that game, regardless of the slider set used.

If you're going to slag one for certain things, please be consistent. Otherwise to me EA could put out the most simtastic game ever and honestly? I don't think that would matter to certain people who seem to have an agenda to nitpick the game to death regardless.

I get the frustrations, truly I do, I don't need it to be flawless either, I'd like better sim logic based on player ratings, I'd like to see the sliders better explained as to why setting attribute effects in the middle provides a better gameplay experience than say maxing that slider out to either end (this one truly baffles me still). I'd like better neutral zone pressure which only one game in the history of NHL video games has ever gotten close to doing well (NHL2k3)

It just gets really old to hear the same complaints from the same very vocal few every year when in reality, with the right sliders, the game is not terrible by any means offline. Perfect? Nope, but no where near as bad as some try to claim it is.

[snowblind89]

Quote: Originally Posted by SpectralThundr

We both want the same things, but valuing things like push off animations over actual intelligence speaks volumes of bias, its interesting to me that the same handful of users that slag EA's AI every year are fine that 2k10's ai can't even manage to perform a proper breakout or that while their goalies may have some nice animations at times, they often would likely have issue stopping a puck the size of a beach ball with how stupid the AI is in that game, regardless of the slider set used. If you're going to slag one for certain things, please be consistent. Otherwise to me EA could put out the most simtastic game ever and honestly? I don't think that would matter to certain people who seem to have an agenda to nitpick the game to death regardless. I get the frustrations, truly I do, I don't need it to be flawless either, I'd like better sim logic based on player ratings, I'd like to see the sliders better explained as to why setting attribute effects in the middle provides a better gameplay experience than say maxing that slider out to either end (this one truly baffles me still). I'd like better neutral zone pressure which only one game in the history of NHL video games has ever gotten close to doing well (NHL2k3) It just gets really old to hear the same complaints from the same very vocal few every year when in reality, with the right sliders, the game is not terrible by any means offline. Perfect? Nope, but no where near as bad as some try to claim it is.

Ah, ok. I understand where you are coming from, I really do. The problem is that some of the things people have been complaining about for years, are completely and easily solvable. Things like dumping the puck in? Which happens tens of times a game? The puck bounces like a bouncy ball, and renders a realistic simulation of an NHL game completely broken. This has been prevalent and rampant in EVERY game of NHL 14 for months, MONTHS. One small detail, easily fixed, has dramatically reduced our chance of simulating an NHL game, which SHOULD BE the purpose of this franchise? You know, you can forget all criticism of the crowd and facial models not being right and "graphics" and the whole thing about the first released screenshot, because at the end of the day, there are gameplay issues that made NHL 14 relatively unplayable. Look, you said it yourself- tuning the sliders (which are totally, utterly, completely important in programming the game the way you want it to be played and anyone with half a brain will agree) is necessary. Nobody can give an explanation on what the hell the sliders do when moved one way or another. The in-game details are vague and very unhelpful. In the end, (thank god for OS, or we would all be left to do it ourselves) the consumers do the testing, and the forums can testify to this. There are slider sub-forums everywhere. This is what the developers need to be doing, it's what they are getting paid to do. Nitpicking is what drives innovation, it's the "this isn't perfect, so I will stay up and code it to do things exactly right" attitude that is lacking. Nitpicking is what all of the testers and developers should be doing, and demanding that perfection. EA can do better. Everyone knows this, and it is obvious. The problem is that nobody actually at the company is demanding it.