NHL 15 News Post

NHL 15: E3 Trailer and Details - Release Date Set For September 9th

11:34 AM - June 9, 2014 by RaychelSnr

EA Sports has published the NHL 15 E3 Trailer a bit early on their site and it looks wonderful. This is our first look at the new-generation console gameplay in action and there is a lot to like about the trailer.

“This is the start of a new era for the award-winning NHL videogame franchise,” Dean Richards, General Manager, EA SPORTS NHL. “New technology gives us the freedom and horsepower to change almost every part of the game. From the way players look and move on the ice, to the unrivaled electricity of the in-arena experience, to the sights and sounds of an all new broadcast team, NHL 15 brings the game we love to life in ways that were never possible before.”

n NHL 15, fans will see the most realistic looking and skating hockey players ever in a videogame, along with most detailed and authentic representation of the game of hockey itself. 12 Player NHL Collision Physics and Real Puck Physics capture the hard hitting chaos and unpredictability of the sport. Gamers can look, move, play and think like a real hockey player with all new authentic player modelling and an evolved arsenal of tools, including the Superstar Skill Stick and Vision AI that allow for an unprecedented level of control and elevated player intelligence.

Witness the sights and sounds of authentic arenas across the National Hockey League, as 9,000 individual crowd models, the most ever in a sports videogame, hang on every play called by an all-new commentary team of Mike ‘Doc’ Emrick and Eddie Olczyk from NBC Sports. TSN analyst Ray Ferraro will provide insights at ice level. In addition, a new partnership with NBC Sports brings a world class broadcast package to the game.

NHL 15 is set to arrive on store shelves for PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, and Xbox One on September 9th.

Check the trailer out above and let us know what you think and what you find!

Game: NHL 15Reader Score: 6.5/10 - Vote Now
Platform: PS3 / PS4 / Xbox 360 / Xbox OneVotes for game: 16 - View All

NHL 15 Videos

Member Comments

# 21 Moose24x @ 06/09/14 01:07 PM

Meh. Some times it looked fantastic, like every time they put it in slow-mo to make sure you saw what they wanted you to see - PK's celebration, Kane's celebration, Datsyuk's face, etc. other times it looked identical in every way to 2014. The screens of Nash and McDonagh looked like they were taken directly from NHL 14. I wonder if this trailer was all next gen footage or a mixture of both. Would explain some of the discrepancy in quality. Nash still has no beard and looks like a chunky 14 year old. Kane also didn't look that good, IMO. That's the same scan they've been using for him since he was drafted but, astonishingly, he's not 18 anymore. EA really needs to stop bragging about "unprecedented player likeness" (their exact words) and then using face scans that are 6+ years old. Especially for next gen. The facial scanning tech for the older scans is clearly junk compared to the newer scans we saw last year, and on next gen it just sticks out like a sore thumb that the scan is outdated. They've updated Ovechkin's face three times so far in his career. They need to update the guys whose scans are 5 years or older. I honestly didn't think anything in the trailer looked better than 14 except for a couple of super slowed down, high polished sizzle spots that were meant to stand out. The arenas look great but the player models and animations still look the same.

Also, still no 4500 it looks like, which is massively disappointing. I'm not a stickler for every piece of equipment and little tiny details, but the 4500 is still a MUST have. It is the single most worn helmet in the NHL today. Getzlaf, Toews, Seabrook, Leddy, Sharp, Gaborik, Greene, Ribeiro, Pavelski, Callahan, J. Johnson, Del Zotto, Ehrhoff, Clowe, Stastny, Gorges, Boyle, Dupuis, Grabovski, Stafford, Dubinsky, McDonagh, Nash, Zuccarello, Richards, Stamkos, Malkin... I can easily make a list of over 100 NHL regulars that wear it, and there isn't a helmet that's similar enough as to not throw off the realism. So you can make Jonathan Toews' face as incredible as humanly possible and even let him grow his terrible playoff chops and it still won't look 100% because there's no substitute for his helmet. I don't care about having every stick, or the exact stripes on the gloves or the correct banners in the rafters. The helmet can basically be considered part of the face. It changes the appearance of the distinguishable part of the player that makes them look unique and authentic. The 4500 helmet is worn by dozens of significant players. It needs to be in the game.

# 22 Money99 @ 06/09/14 01:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Simple Mathematics


	Everything looks awesome except that last celebration. Looks like user controlled celebrations are still in.

Individual celebrations still occur all the time:

Spoiler

As long as it ends with a nice, group hug, I'm down with some user controlled celie's.

# 23 IceNHL @ 06/09/14 01:17 PM

Bench looks great. Love how a few guys are handing on the boards during the fight then the whole bench is up in the background of Kane's close-up celebration.

Emrick is going to breathe so much life into the series,

# 24 habslover10_GoYanks @ 06/09/14 01:26 PM

Wowoeowowowow

# 25 Moose24x @ 06/09/14 01:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SpectralThundr


	No offense meant but this is the type of stuff that drives me crazy in the complaint department, Does Kane not look like Kane because there isn't as many wrinkles in his baby face? Do people honestly expect EA or any other developer for that matter to rebuild every player's face from scratch every couple years? How cost effective do you think that would be? Same with equipment, or goalie helmets, who EA would need to get artists permission from to use authentic masks or risk getting sued by the mask creators themselves. There's a ton of legal quagmire there that I don't think people take the time to really think about. When you're playing the game from an over head perspective are you really worried about if a player is wearing a Bauer helmet or a CCM helmet? Is it honestly that critical to your enjoyment of the game?

Yes. I'm sorry that it's not for you. Don't judge the way that I derive enjoyment from the game. I'm not going to do that to you. Yes, I play one game mode, all year, and that's GM. When I take a team I want it to be as close to watching their games on TV. I don't mind EA not getting all he equipment correct; before I start a GM I use recent on-ice photos and edit every player's equipment to be as close as possible. I don't mind having to do that. I mind not having the option to equip the correct helmet when it is LITERALLY the most used helmet in the NHL. I don't bat an eyelash and get upset when a helmet is missing that only 4-5 players wear. I just choose something else and try to get close. I get bummed when the list of SUPERSTARS who all wear the same helmet don't have that one helmet available because it's very distinct and takes away from the immersion and enjoyment of watching my team warmup, between whistle cuts and goal celebrations. I'm talking about one helmet that's worn by Toews, Stamkos, Malkin, Getzlaf, Seabrook, McDonagh, Nash, Gaborik and plenty more top profile NHLers. It should be there, plain and simple. They've had Toews and Stamkos as cover boys recently without either one being able to look accurate in game. It's a piece of equipment that is so widely used there really isn't an excuse. It used to be in the game but they removed it citing "memory limitations on how much gear is available" and instead left in the old Jofa, the other old helmet and the generic helmet with a cage. Because those are much more important to "unprecedented player likeness" and "if it's in the game, it's in the game".

As for scans? Yep, I expect them to be updated eventually as well. For players as prominent as Patrick Kane, yes. Like I said, they've changed Ovechkin's face three times. Superstar played should look as real as possible. Every year they should ensure that the top 5-6 players on each team, at minimum, are relatively up to date and authentic. It's 2015 and it's the dawn of next generation consoles. Yeah, I expect more equipment options and for them to actually LOOK at what players are wearing before creating that list of options, and I expect them to do all-new scans for the higher quality next gen consoles. I don't think scans from 2007 and 2008 should be used for NHL 2015 on PS4. Otherwise, don't talk about player likeness as one of your selling points.

# 26 murph17 @ 06/09/14 01:35 PM

EA posted the video to YouTube. Release date 9/9

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0jEgFzpsPMA

# 27 Moose24x @ 06/09/14 01:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SpectralThundr


	Like I said I meant no offense, but expecting them to update faces yearly just isn't going to happen. That's a pretty unrealistic expectation, star players or not. To each their own obviously, and like you I only play GM mode but to be honest I could care less about player equipment being the right helmet or stick or not. Things like that are the equivalent to those that complain about shoe color being off in NBA2k, ie not critical to gameplay or overall make or break. To each their own however.

Where did I say yearly though? I said they should update the faces that are from 2007. That's closer to by-decade than yearly. It's not unreasonable. You just don't agree with my overall complaint so you're twisting my words into something I never said. Gameplay is clearly chief, but to me, immersion is an easy #2 on the priority list. After gameplay, my number one concern is in believing the illusion and feeling like it's as authentic as possible. That's why those details become important for me. And like I said, I don't mind doing the work myself each year to edit equipment. But certain equipment has to be there. The 4500 has been something people have asked for every year since they removed it. I'm not picking some obscure, random piece of gear that is important to me only. I'm talking about the fact that they removed the most widely used hockey helmet in the world and fans have been asking for it back since the day it happened, yet they continue to leave it out. I'm not complaining about "Wahh, they have the Easton ABC and ZYX stick but they left out the EFG!!!" I'm talking about a helmet that people ask for every year. It never changes. Unlike the skates and sticks and things that get updated every year, if they would just put this damn helmet back in the game, they could leave it year after year and not have to change it. It simply should be there. It's too prominent not to be. Like I said, it's been on the cover of the last two games.

Also, with the use of a database editor that someone was able to develop for last gen, it was discovered that a wealth of old gear is still ON the game disc (thus still taking up memory) but EA just mysteriously makes it unselectable for some reason. This includes the 4500 helmet. It's there. They just don't make it an option. So it doesn't even require work on their behalf. It's in the game. They just hide it. Last year, you could edit your database and assign it to players, but you couldn't add a visor since it wasn't technically available. It's even more frustrating that the helmet already exists in the game's DNA. There's just no real reason for it being left out.

And as if you hadn't heard enough of my complaints (I get it, aesthetic is of no value to you. The players could all just have generic faces and the same stick and gloves and helmet, as long as the gameplay was solid) check out Ovechkin's skates in the part where he scores. 2015 and you still can't flop the tongue of the skates. It's just funny to me that so many of these guys claim to play hockey and be avid hockey fans, but they come up with three options for skates back in 2007 (back tuck, front tuck, full tuck) and decide those are the most accurate options possible and will never reassess, add to or change them, over 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015. I can put on my skates right now and flop the tongue like Ovechkin does and I've never worn mine that way. The collective hockey fandom at EA apparently thinks more people wear their tongues the way they've designed than the way the most prominent players in hockey do. I know I'm nitpicking, but after all their talk about player likeness and about equipment finally being three separate layers, I just thought they'd have these things looking realistic for once. Very little in that video struck me as "three distinct layers of player, gear, jersey". It all looks like the same static player models and canned animations. If you played 2014 I don't really know how you can be excited about anything but the arenas and commentary based on this video, really. Might be some nicely polished cut scenes on next gen, but if you don't care about equipment and player likeness, why would cut scenes be of any importance either?

Sorry to be a buzzkill, but it just seems like the same old, after getting fairly excited about the promises of increased player likeness, independent gear layers, etc. I was expecting the jump to next gen to seem a little more significant. At this point, the only thing I'm excited about is the arenas.

# 28 Diehardfan @ 06/09/14 01:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SpectralThundr


	No offense meant but this is the type of stuff that drives me crazy in the complaint department, Does Kane not look like Kane because there isn't as many wrinkles in his baby face? Do people honestly expect EA or any other developer for that matter to rebuild every player's face from scratch every couple years? How cost effective do you think that would be? Same with equipment, or goalie helmets, who EA would need to get artists permission from to use authentic masks or risk getting sued by the mask creators themselves. There's a ton of legal quagmire there that I don't think people take the time to really think about. When you're playing the game from an over head perspective are you really worried about if a player is wearing a Bauer helmet or a CCM helmet? Is it honestly that critical to your enjoyment of the game?

Great post...echos what I have been saying for years. The only time you see a face, helmet, mask or a stick is when you're NOT playing. Who plays the game at an ice level where you can see this stuff anyway? Sorry to all the kiddies who need this sort of thing but let them invest their time in AI, gameplay and puck physics. The only thing I'm interested in other than that is the announcing team, which they finally upgraded. For the first time in years this will feel like a new game. Well, at least it'll sound like one.

# 29 HenryClay1844 @ 06/09/14 01:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by johnnyg713


	If you're not excited after watching that, idk why you even play video games. I'm sorry that looked awesome

This comment has much truth. I can pick out what is still to be worked on, but if all you do is complain, then you should get a new hobby, you will never be happy.

# 30 ajblithe20 @ 06/09/14 01:54 PM

This is definitely my most highly anticipated game this fall. Even if the gameplay is improved enough, I'll still have a great time. I'd like to play Be a GM with my Flyers, but if it's still too boring to play against the CPU I can play online for hours. Hopefully the graphics do look "Next-gen" in the final product. The addition of that plus Emrick is enough to get me to buy this. Can't wait

# 31 Sip_16 @ 06/09/14 01:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Diehardfan


	Great post...echos what I have been saying for years. The only time you see a face, helmet, mask or a stick is when you're NOT playing. Who plays the game at an ice level where you can see this stuff anyway? Sorry to all the kiddies who need this sort of thing but let them invest their time in AI, gameplay and puck physics. The only thing I'm interested in other than that is the announcing team, which they finally upgraded. For the first time in years this will feel like a new game. Well, at least it'll sound like one.

very much agreed. none of that stuff changes how I play the game, it is a game it is never going to be completely like the real thing. The best way to do that is by AI, gameplay and puck physics like you said.

# 32 bwiggy33 @ 06/09/14 01:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Moose24x


	Where did I say yearly though? I said they should update the faces that are from 2007. That's closer to by-decade than yearly. It's not unreasonable. You just don't agree with my overall complaint so you're twisting my words into something I never said. Gameplay is clearly chief, but to me, immersion is an easy #2 on the priority list. After gameplay, my number one concern is in believing the illusion and feeling like it's as authentic as possible. That's why those details become important for me. And like I said, I don't mind doing the work myself each year to edit equipment. But certain equipment has to be there. The 4500 has been something people have asked for every year since they removed it. I'm not picking some obscure, random piece of gear that is important to me only. I'm talking about the fact that they removed the most widely used hockey helmet in the world and fans have been asking for it back since the day it happened, yet they continue to leave it out. I'm not complaining about "Wahh, they have the Easton ABC and ZYX stick but they left out the EFG!!!" I'm talking about a helmet that people ask for every year. It never changes. Unlike the skates and sticks and things that get updated every year, if they would just put this damn helmet back in the game, they could leave it year after year and not have to change it. It simply should be there. It's too prominent not to be. Like I said, it's been on the cover of the last two games.

Holy crap he is doing to you exactly what he did to me last week. He just twists what you say into making it bigger than what it is to disagree with you and try to make you feel like the idiot for complaining about it. Then if you're lucky he may even go and call you out in one of the first posts in this thread (check post # 15 out on page 2).

Your points are clearly valid. This stuff is nowhere near as important as gameplay right now, but the stuff you are talking about is the truth. The faces in this game have been completely lackluster for years upon years. It's actually sad how bad that department of the game is. The equipment EA does a pretty good job, I think (other than the missing helmet you are talking about). I do things exactly like you. I haven't started a Be A GM in 3 years, but when I did I always made sure every player in hockey had their equipment and color schemes before I started my Be A GM. That's just the way I am. I like the little details. EA has most of the equipment in so at least you're able to find equipment that looks basically like the stuff left out. The reason people find this stuff stupid is because this game isn't even close to the point gameplay wise that it should be paid much attention to. Look at The Show. Sure it has gameplay flaws, but nothing on the NHL level. Therefore it brings up the complaints like lack of cleats but it's not necessarily a dumb argument over there. Until NHL brings close to great gameplay equipment and faces just won't be a big deal to someone. No matter what people say, this stuff adds depth and replay value to a game.

As for the video, it really didn't do anything for me. I'm not judging any gameplay off of that trailer. I was pumped yesterday when I saw a video was coming out, but once I watched it today it was a big letdown. Not from the game, but just from the overall boring video. Real big thanks to EA for reenacting the Kane goal in Game 1 against the Wild though, not. If Doc sounds anything like the video in NHL 15 that area of the game will be greatly improved.

# 33 Pezell04x @ 06/09/14 02:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SpectralThundr


	Like I said I meant no offense, but expecting them to update faces yearly just isn't going to happen. That's a pretty unrealistic expectation, star players or not. To each their own obviously, and like you I only play GM mode but to be honest I could care less about player equipment being the right helmet or stick or not. Things like that are the equivalent to those that complain about shoe color being off in NBA2k, ie not critical to gameplay or overall make or break. To each their own however.

They look like they haven't even updated them yearly though. Madden is doing facial scans, why can't the NHL series? Perfect example is NHL 14 still has Patrice Bergeron, a well know player in the NHL (and potential cover guy), rocking his face/hair cut that he wore when he was drafted.

Brad Marchand's face is as generic as it comes.

It's just a shame that many games progress in facial recognition and NHL is so lacking.

# 34 yanek27 @ 06/09/14 02:06 PM

Kane play at the end was unreal. So pumped for NHL 15

# 35 Moose24x @ 06/09/14 02:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SpectralThundr


	You said they should update star player faces every year. I get why they do it the way they do. It's not at all cost effective on the smaller budget that a series like the NHL series has compared to NBA2k or Madden that they could feasibly update cyberfaces that often. Not when there are more critical aspects of the game that need attention.

I said they should make sure the stars on each team have their faces each year. If that was the case this year, then next year, they wouldn't have to change any of those faces unless a rookie stepped up huge or a different player had a breakout year. If they had McDonagh, Nash, Lundqvist, Girardi, St. Louis and Staal in this year, and up to date, why would they have to update it next year? Saying they should ensure each teams biggest stars are accurate doesn't mean they have to update them every year. It means if the scan of Rick Nash is 8 years old, it's time to change it. If a guy like McDonagh has risen to stardom, it's time to add him. Everything else gets left alone. I do think next gen deserves a fresh start with next gen quality scans. You can't argue that a scan taken in 2006 for a 2007 game on Xbox 360 is really sufficient for PS4 in 2015.

Also, you do know the art department doesn't have any control over gameplay or AI, so asking them to make some improvement doesn't actually take away from the gameplay, right? You do know that the guys who work on faces probably have no clue how to work on AI and if they had their art department working on AI we'd end up with a very, very bad game. It's not like asking someone from the art department to go into the game data, find the helmet that already exists and is already built and add the helmet numbers to it so that it can be used in game would take away from improved AI development.

# 36 blinkfan77 @ 06/09/14 02:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pezell04x


	They look like they haven't even updated them yearly though. Madden is doing facial scans, why can't the NHL series? Perfect example is NHL 14 still has Patrice Bergeron, a well know player in the NHL (and potential cover guy), rocking his face/hair cut that he wore when he was drafted. Brad Marchand's face is as generic as it comes. It's just a shame that many games progress in facial recognition and NHL is so lacking.

Couldn't agree more. Such a massive issue for me. I NEED more real faces. Such a huge must for me.

# 37 Madwolf @ 06/09/14 02:20 PM

The NHL series finally started doing face scans this year. They had a whole clip of them doing Eddie Lack's face in Vancouver.

# 38 centauris @ 06/09/14 02:22 PM

those were real calls from Doc.. not in game. that's disappointing.. i want to hear the new stuff!

# 39 Trevelyan @ 06/09/14 02:24 PM

The players all have a toy solider look to them, but it doesn't really bother me that much. I'm really excited for this game.

# 40 gator3guy @ 06/09/14 02:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bigwill33


	They likely haven't been working on this any longer even though they skipped a release for next gen last fall. And the goalies look the same in their stiff movements and animations. But the worst part was that check from behind when Ryan McDonagh flattens Williams on the Kings in the open ice. Same dumb, canned animation that is completely unrealistic. How can you hit someone to the ice when they have a step on you towards the goal in the open? Your speed and momentum would need to exceed that player that is in front of you, but EA seems to neglect physics in these situations. The P.K. one-timer where he wrists one in from the point is also an eye sore. Dropping to your knee to one-time a puck is fine... but not from that far out!

Yeah looks like the same hits. So much for those new physics they pimp every year. Graphics look good, but if they don't nail the gameplay, I won't be playing too much to worry about the presentation or graphics.

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