Does anyone else wish that EA would just release HUT next year......

[Matt_350z]

and take the year off to really develop and cultivate the actual gameplay and overall user expierience?
I know it won't happen, and I do suggest it in a rather tongue and cheek manner.
Seriously though, just release a downloadable HUT mode next year, then they can still make a ton of cash. Then take the extra year off(starting right now) and actually start watching some real life hockey, play some older hockey games to see what works, what doesn't, and what made some games so great. Then they could actually listen to a large portion of their fan base, take suggestions, and put out a great hockey game the following year?
I understand hockey is a niche spirt. It's not universal, it's not as big a cash cow as other games. None of that should be an excuse though. They are tasked with putting out an NHL game each year, and really haven't delivered with the overall expierience in some time.

As someone nearing 40, who has played every hockey video game probably ever made, still plays rec league 2 nights a week, and watches the game intently each and every night, I think it's time EA delivered. I'm willing to wait if it means a game that can actually be tweaked to play like real hockey, and represent an NHL broadcast, all while delivering the nuances that make the game of hockey so great. Come on EA, step up. I've been playing NHL 15 since it came out, and while I don't hate it, it just fails in so many aspects. I want my son to have the same joy I had when I first played NHLPA 93. You've got about 3-4 years. Get started.
.

[jake19ny]

Two problems with that and they relate to one another. First EA already took a year off when they didn't release NHL 14 on Next Gen. They used the excuse that they wanted to concentrate their efforts on NHL 15 and look how that worked out. Second they really could care less about us die hard hockey fans. It would seem that their priority is HUT followed by Online play which is why we get tuners that ruin the offline single player experience, and that's followed by the casual gamer who wants to score 10 goals a game and lay crushing hits on people. Us real hockey fans are left out in the cold and its getting worse with each release. There is not much left that resembles real hockey in the series and its a poor representation of the true NHL which should bother them but Gary Bettman is a moron anyway so he probably thinks its great. This series is nothing more now than a cash grab fantasy hockey game that should be called HUT 16 next year anyway. I like what your saying but in order for it to work they would actually have to give a damn about us serious hockey fans.

[Moose24x]

What I'd really be okay with is EA not releasing HUT at all and making an actual NHL video game. If they all they're going to put effort into is HUT and micro transactions than they can sell it on the online store and call Hockey Ultimate Team. If they're going to keep making a game called "NHL 1X" then they should actually focus on the hockey/NHL part of the game, which is the gameplay, the season and GM modes, the players, etc. HUT has absolutely nothing to do with the NHL. My life would be identical today if they didn't make HUT at all since I don't play it at all. In fact, my life would be better if they didn't make HUT at all because that means they'd presumably actually have spent time on things like letting us edit players or just having a clue how to rate players in the first place. I love playing a GM where Brendan Morrow is rated higher than 90% of TB's youth. The rosters look like it's still 2010 the way players are rated.