Five Things to Know About NHL 11 (ESPN Videogames)

[Steve_OS]

ESPN Videogames has just posted five things to know about NHL 11.

"Over the last three years, EA Sports' "NHL" franchise has won 22 Sports Game of the Year awards from various publications.

So to the game's creative director, David Littman, it doesn't even matter that this year the game faces no direct hockey game competition on the Xbox 360 or PlayStation 3 (2K Sports is only making "NHL 2K11" for the Wii). "Our competition has always been games like 'FIFA' and 'MLB: The Show,'" he explains. "We're not only trying to make the best hockey game out there, we're trying to make the best sports game period.

"That's how we approach the 'NHL' franchise every year. For us, it's not about the hockey category, it's about growing the sport and winning more Sports Game of the Year awards because that means that we're among the best sports games in the world and that's our goal."

So what does the team at EA Sports have planned for the "11" version of their game?

I recently caught up with producer Sean Ramjagsingh to break down the five biggest gameplay improvements hockey heads should expect when the game drops September 7."

[ODogg]

Re: Five Things to Know About NHL 11 (ESPN Videogames)

It's going to be a great year for video game hockey I think!

[06woz]

Re: Five Things to Know About NHL 11 (ESPN Videogames)

I really hope there are more than 4 'advanced' dekes....

[ch46647]

Re: Five Things to Know About NHL 11 (ESPN Videogames)

Wow!! This will take over MLB: The Show as best sports game ever IMO! I am still playing NHL 10 almost everday, this may be the only game I need all next year.

[ch46647]

Re: Five Things to Know About NHL 11 (ESPN Videogames)

I wonder when you go to jump over somebody if you land perfectly everytime... Hopefully the landing is completely un-predictable with you slipping or losing your balance (and the puck) a majority of times you try and do it.

[plaidchuck]

Re: Five Things to Know About NHL 11 (ESPN Videogames)

I wonder when you go to jump over somebody if you land perfectly everytime... Hopefully the landing is completely un-predictable with you slipping or losing your balance (and the puck) a majority of times you try and do it.

Oi I hear ya I REALLY hope they don't go overboard with this next year and all you see is people leap frogging across the ice...

[06woz]

Re: Five Things to Know About NHL 11 (ESPN Videogames)

I wonder when you go to jump over somebody if you land perfectly everytime... Hopefully the landing is completely un-predictable with you slipping or losing your balance (and the puck) a majority of times you try and do it.

One of these new articles, maybe it was luger. Said that it is a timing thing. So you can actually jump too early and get caught up on the player or his stick.

[Vince]

Re: Five Things to Know About NHL 11 (ESPN Videogames)

In all my 17-18 years of watching hockey (I'm 22), I have very rarely seen a "jump deke".

I'm just saying....

I have full confidence in Litt and his crew, but I hope that is something that we don't see too often in the game.

[ch46647]

Re: Five Things to Know About NHL 11 (ESPN Videogames)

In all my 17-18 years of watching hockey (I'm 22), I have very rarely seen a "jump deke".

I'm just saying....

I have full confidence in Litt and his crew, but I hope that is something that we don't see too often in the game.

That is because in real life defenseman very rarely lay down on the ice unless they are trying to block a shot. In the NHL series people go diving all over the place and it has become a "defensive strategy" for many that has become very effective. The ability to jump over them just balances the game out and hopefully will greatly reduce the amount of people who go diving all over the ice.

I completely understand where you are going with this though...

[plaidchuck]

Re: Five Things to Know About NHL 11 (ESPN Videogames)

Well it looks like the horrible tripping/diving animation is still there.. I wonder why this isn't changed if everything is 'real time physics' now?

[bh446066]

Re: Five Things to Know About NHL 11 (ESPN Videogames)

I can't wait to use that hit stick on someone who's jumping over one of my guys who's flailed himself on the ice. I tend to play a wild, up tempo brand of hockey.

[Red71Star]

Re: Five Things to Know About NHL 11 (ESPN Videogames)

In all my 17-18 years of watching hockey (I'm 22), I have very rarely seen a "jump deke".

I'm just saying....

I have full confidence in Litt and his crew, but I hope that is something that we don't see too often in the game.

Watch more hockey. ;-) They're not really jump dekes. It's just eluding another player with a split second decision.

<object width="480" height="385">


<embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/tTUnfvbYJsw&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></object>

<object width="480" height="385">


<embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/0gveVyZHGYY&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></object>

[FUBAR2713]

Re: Five Things to Know About NHL 11 (ESPN Videogames)

One of these new articles, maybe it was luger. Said that it is a timing thing. So you can actually jump too early and get caught up on the player or his stick.

This will interesting to see if you have to time your jumps. I would assume that if you mistime your jump and land on a player that the defenseman can get injured (offline only) or perhaps break his stick if you land on that. As a defenseman, I don't go down on the ice often but now I will have to be even more careful when I choose to do it since this seems like it could be an effective counter move. Can't wait to see this in action.

[Vikes1]

Re: Five Things to Know About NHL 11 (ESPN Videogames)

NHL'11' just keeps sounding better and better.

[CS10029]

Re: Five Things to Know About NHL 11 (ESPN Videogames)

As all these new features come out, it's kinda interesting to see how they will counter each other. Makes me worry about certain things, but for the most part every NHL from EA on next gen has been fairly balanced, I don't see that changing. With that said though... this game sounds freakin' sweet!