NHL 2K10 Screenshots

[Ridgeberg]

Re: NHL 2K10 Screenshots (IGN)

"Ashamed" isn't the word I'd use. "Rolling in the dough from all the development money they saved by not upgrading the game's presentation in the slightest in four years" is how I'd put it. Okay, make that "words" I'd use.

Actually, it probably isn't as cut and dry as that, is it? From Redshirt_EA:

"The size of the presentation and gameplay "teams" is still a resource allocation decision. We can't have our cake and eat it too.

There were presentation improvements (e.g. crowds, to mention an obvious one), they are just in proportion to the investment we made there."

I am sure the NHL2K team faces similar budget restraints, it is possible that they chose to concentrate on arenas over everything else. I'd guess that this is a possibility considering that their stick models have not changed since NHL2K3.

Here, I will even give you a side by side...



We could sit around a nitpick all day...complaining is a great way to evoke reaction and get attention OR we could make the best of what we have. I understand that it is your right to express your opinion and I think it is great that you so freely do so. In that same vein, your comment was not opinion inasmuch as it is slander. Could you provide the message board with the financial statement from EA Sports NHL franchise? I'd be interested to examine the profit margins, considering they are rolling in the dough, due to the fact that they haven't "upgraded the games' presentation and arenas in four years." Madden 09 sold 2.38 million copies for the XBOX 360 in the US last year...NHL 09 sold 0.52 million copies on the XBOX 360 in the US last year. Here is my source. The fact remains that no game will ever be perfect and we are lucky to have two manufacturers making hockey games, something that NFL and MLB fans cannot experience. And if we conclude that budget is determined by sales, we could hypothesize that Madden's budget is roughly five times as large as the NHL budget. Considering the product that the EA Sports NHL team puts out at 1/5th the budget, I'd say we are extremely fortunate. I'd guess that the 2K team operates at a similar budget and their product is admirable as well.

Ultimately, I do not see how your comments are productive. What exactly are you trying to convey? That big companies like EA Sports do not give a crap about their customer and are only focused on the bottom line? If so, let me congratulate you for stumbling upon this epiphany!

[Scottdau]

Re: NHL 2K10 Screenshots (IGN)

Not really but EA is going for gameplay first. Which is OK, but if they want to get more people they should go for presentation first. I have a feeling that more kids and adults would buy the game. People want a game that they can pick up and play and look good too. I am not saying all people. But in all honesty to you think the majority of video gamers want real sim or do you think that i still a minority? On here that is a majority, but in the World what do you guys think?

[baa7]

Re: NHL 2K10 Screenshots (IGN)

What exactly are you trying to convey?

That EA's NHL development team has spent little or no effort on the presentation in four years, which has everything to do with saving the corporation money. I thought I made that clear.

[Ridgeberg]

Re: NHL 2K10 Screenshots (IGN)

Not really but EA is going for gameplay first. Which is OK, but if they want to get more people they should go for presentation first. I have a feeling that more kids and adults would buy the game. People want a game that they can pick up and play and look good too. I am not saying all people. But in all honesty to you think the majority of video gamers want real sim or do you think that i still a minority? On here that is a majority, but in the World what do you guys think?

I agree that to much of the "gaming world" realism is probably an afterthought, heck, just play an online game of NHL09. The players that win the most try to play as unrealistic as possible or try to take advantage of a couple programming mistakes.

On that note, other than arenas, can you honestly say that NHL2K has better presentation than any of EA Sports games? The biggest knock on EA Sports before Peter Moore took over was that they get away with horrendous gameplay by making everything look pretty. Like Baa said above, the NHL2K player models are pretty bad. If you look closely at the two pictures in my previous post, the players don't even look THAT much different, save for the new sheen on the 2K10 graphics and the incorporation of player faces and high definition. The player models is one of the reasons I cannot stay interested in NHL2K. I can't get into it. You could draw a parallel to the FIFA/Pro Evolution dichotomy on the PS2. FIFA had all of the licensed teams and looked fantastic, but played like mud. Pro Evo on the other hand had few team licenses but the gameplay engine was unreal, plus you could customize everything. If 2K's gameplay was above and beyond NHL, then perhaps I could give it more time, but truth be told, it is not. It is unfathomable that they still have not moved shooting to the Right Stick. EA made an innovation there and hit pay dirt, there is no shame in copying.

And back to your original point, I would imagine the "pick up and play" factor is huge to game sales. I think this makes NHL10 even more appealing when you consider how much customization they have provided this year. Want to play a video game that tries to mimic real life hockey? Great, adjust the settings to Hardcore/Superstar, after that, if there is something you don't like, adjust the sliders. Want to play a fast, end to end, high scoring, hard checking game of arcade hockey? Great, adjust the settings to Rookie/Casual.

I understand that people have different preferences and that they may enjoy and have a higher priority for certain things. That is great and what makes the ability to choose fantastic. I start taking issue when people start to lose focus on what this is all really about, having a fun time.

[baa7]

Re: NHL 2K10 Screenshots (IGN)

Not really but EA is going for gameplay first. Which is OK, but if they want to get more people they should go for presentation first. I have a feeling that more kids and adults would buy the game. People want a game that they can pick up and play and look good too.

EA's games have always been the ones that look good, and that people (kids) can easily pick up and play. And their NHL series is no exception. Also, I'm not sure pre-game cutscenes of pretty arenas is what people want. People want players and gameplay that looks like a photo-realistic representation of the sport. And EA's game beats 2K's in that department, hands down.

[Ridgeberg]

Re: NHL 2K10 Screenshots (IGN)

That EA's NHL development team has spent little or no effort on the presentation in four years, which has everything to do with saving the corporation money. I thought I made that clear.

And how has that worked out for them? Let's see, NHL2K9 sold 0.12 million copies on the XBOX 360 last year. So, NHL09 sold roughly 4.5 times more copies. When making a business decision, it is usually wise to examine trends and the like. Considering that the EA product sold almost five times the amount as the 2K product, AND considering that 2K had the better "presentation" (and I will put presentation in quotes because I think the only thing 2K did better was the arena, not commentary or player models), it would make sense to allocate more funds towards gameplay, because obviously, presentation didn't really help 2K's sales.

So, yes, you are right. Thank you for restating was Redshirt_EA has already made clear. Whoever is in charge of allocating resources ("for the past four years") has not been heavily investing in presentation. Awesome.

[Scottdau]

Re: NHL 2K10 Screenshots (IGN)

Maybe I think the player models are closer this year. Also, I like the animation better in 2k10. It just looks more real. Sure there are some that are just weird looking, but some that are so smooth it looks so real. Arenas go a long way, especially if they are all different. I like what I am seeing and the graphics looks a lot better than last year. So I am happy.

[baa7]

Re: NHL 2K10 Screenshots (IGN)

So, yes, you are right. Thank you for restating was Redshirt_EA has already made clear.

I haven't read what EA reps have had to say on the subject. I'm saying EA the corporation doesn't put much money into upgrading their games. Improvements and new features are doled out in dribs and drabs each year. And no, I don't think the inclusion of board play, which has been a staple in 2K hockey for years, qualifies as EA going all-out to improve NHL 10. And other than adding manual passing, I don't see that they've done very much to upgrade NHL 10. And again, I would guess that saving money has plenty to do with that.

Anyway, you're way off topic, so whatever it is you believe, have at 'er.

[daflyboys]

Re: NHL 2K10 Screenshots

Gee... I can't wait until the next set of photos and a new review so that we can have the same discussions over and over again. Riveting.

[baa7]

Re: NHL 2K10 Screenshots

Gee... I can't wait until the next set of photos and a new review so that we can have the same discussions over and over again. Riveting.

Ha-ha! You must be new to OS, welcome!

[Scottdau]

Re: NHL 2K10 Screenshots

I guess Football, Eddie and me are the only ones that think this game is fun and will rock. I am pumped to play the demo, but in about 3 weeks the game comes out, so I guess I can wait. I think the player models look fine Baa, but I agree about the shoulders. But the player faces actually look better than EA's this year. I hoping they fix the herky jerky in replays and I will be good to go.

[Eddie1967]

Re: NHL 2K10 Screenshots

Yes we are. I could care less about EA's sales numbers. Their game doesn't appeal to me and that is all that matters. EA has a cult following and that's what I attest a lot of their games popularity to. How on earth EA NHL won 12 awards last year is mind boggling considering it just added a few things to NHL10 that 2K9 had already. It looks like 2k has stepped up in all areas of their game (at least from the vids) and EA has yet to do the one thing that draws me to a game and that would be to upgrade their horrendous presentation. Sales numbers? blah blah blah. Doesn't mean a thing to someone who doesn't like their product.

[Ridgeberg]

Re: NHL 2K10 Screenshots

Yes we are. I could care less about EA's sales numbers. Their game doesn't appeal to me and that is all that matters. EA has a cult following and that's what I attest a lot of their games popularity to. How on earth EA NHL won 12 awards last year is mind boggling considering it just added a few things to NHL10 that 2K9 had already. It looks like 2k has stepped up in all areas of their game (at least from the vids) and EA has yet to do the one thing that draws me to a game and that would be to upgrade their horrendous presentation. Sales numbers? blah blah blah. Doesn't mean a thing to someone who doesn't like their product.

The 12 awards thing is purely PR. I also think that it is a combined 12 awards from 08 and 09 plus I'm willing to bet that there are some wonky websites that gave them awards, but in this instance EA doesn't care because it is a great PR line.

And regarding sales numbers, I was not trying to make a case that because EA has better sales numbers they have a better game. I was trying to demonstrate to Baa that, from a fiscal standpoint, given limited funds to allocate each year, EA's decision to invest more heavily in gameplay has paid off, due to their overwhelmingly positive sales numbers compared to 2K, who according to some, has a better presentation.

I am happy that the 2K game appeals to you and hope you get enough enjoyment from it to justify your purchase. The reason I posted a couple of times in this topic is because I took issue with careless comments that displayed nothing but unabashed vitriol for seemingly no other reason but to hate. I am no loyalist by any means. I will give the 2K game a chance, like I do every year, when the demo comes out. Additionally, I do not think I am defending a particular company. I think I am making certain individuals aware of careless statements they make, in order to promote fair, intellectual discussion on a hobby we all enjoy.

[baa7]

Re: NHL 2K10 Screenshots

I guess Football, Eddie and me are the only ones that think this game is fun and will rock.

Actually Scott, after your last post I went back and took a long look at the IGN videos of 2K10. I can see what you mean when you say it looks better than NHL 10. The game in motion looks grounded, and players have weight and momentum.

EA's NHL series has always looked to me as if players are floating rather than skating. And the complete lack of player momentum is that game's biggest downfall IMO -- the way in which the CPU can stop and turn on a dime makes offline games more annoying than fun.

As for the 2K screens, I still think the player models aren't right, but I do agree they look much better than last year, and faces do as well.

[daflyboys]

Re: NHL 2K10 Screenshots

I guess Football, Eddie and me are the only ones that think this game is fun and will rock.

Well then, their sales numbers just tripled from the projection I posted in the other thread (of 84 preview/review/screenshot/replay threads).