Online or Offline? Future of Hockey on Next-Gen Systems

[Thelastnova]

This is becoming quite concerning for me as an avid franchise user. With Xbox going to always online connections I feel like franchise modes are going to be forgotten. With that being said, would you rather have a hockey game dedicated to franchise or a hockey game dedicated to online franchise or mutiplayer?

[GlennN]

Re: Online or Offline? Future of Hockey on Next-Gen Systems

Yep, I share your concern. I only play solo offline franchise. If gaming goes to only online/multiplayer, I'll be staying with the old games. No interest in online gaming at all.

[AllJuicedUp]

Re: Online or Offline? Future of Hockey on Next-Gen Systems

I'll take a good 6's game online over offline all day every day. I used to be an avid offline/franchise gamer, but getting a good group of guys to play 6's with is FAR and AWAY better. Not even close.

That said, if I only played OTP or hut or stuff like that, then yeah, I'd prefer offline in that case because those modes are garbage imo.

[geoffstanek]

Re: Online or Offline? Future of Hockey on Next-Gen Systems

I dont think that they will ever get rid of the FRANCHISE mode. With the new generation systems saying they will be online at all times is nothing new. You are always connected to the internet now and Im sure that they are going to improve on that. IMO OFFLINE is better for me because i dont like end to end NO DEFENSE games. I dont care what you say every online game i have played or seen played including ELITE level is end to end goal fest. IMO franchise mode is more realistic than online.

[NHLandPESFan]

Re: Online or Offline? Future of Hockey on Next-Gen Systems

As far as I am concerned, EA has never had a franchise mode as I like to play variable length seasons (ideally around 30 games) and only like to play franchise modes with local friends where we each control a team. This was present over 5 years ago in NHL 2k8 and EA has yet to implement it, I'm pretty sure they never will. I predict Be a GM mode will be gone within 3 years and everyone will be forced to play Be a GM online as EA seems intent on forcing online down everyone's throats.

[Mad 69]

Re: Online or Offline? Future of Hockey on Next-Gen Systems

Not a fan of online sports games, ill play shooter online Vs but I prefer an offline carreer mode.

[Schmackity]

Re: Online or Offline? Future of Hockey on Next-Gen Systems

You have to look at this all from a business standpoint. There's no money in an off-line based game of any sort anymore in the sports genre. It's all about money. They keep fans statistically speaking, into their games and games in general longer if they can incorporate a multiplayer experience.

I personally love doing a franchise and building a team and drafting players, it's my favorite thing. But it's obvious that they won't focus a great deal on these in the future. It'll stick around because it's a viable option from Multiplayer but to keep discussing if they'll redo it and add a crap ton more things is just not smart on our part.

Money. Money. Money. 3 Most Important things in business.

[Crapula]

Re: Online or Offline? Future of Hockey on Next-Gen Systems

Xbox is going to an always online connection? Did May 21st come and go already?

[AllJuicedUp]

Re: Online or Offline? Future of Hockey on Next-Gen Systems

IMO OFFLINE is better for me because i dont like end to end NO DEFENSE games. I dont care what you say every online game i have played or seen played including ELITE level is end to end goal fest. IMO franchise mode is more realistic than online.

Then you've CLEARLY never actually played "elite" level online hockey. Sorry, but if you have you would not be saying this, period.

Top 6's clubs facing one another if FAR from end to end hockey. In fact, I guarantee there's far more sloppy play and neutral zone play than any offline game can ever hope to achieve. A top 6's club that knows how to play a neutral zone trap, forget about it. About as far from end to end hockey as you'll see given the game itself and how its naturally geared towards offensive play.

[mpu86e]

Re: Online or Offline? Future of Hockey on Next-Gen Systems

Then you've CLEARLY never actually played "elite" level online hockey. Sorry, but if you have you would not be saying this, period.

Top 6's clubs facing one another if FAR from end to end hockey. In fact, I guarantee there's far more sloppy play and neutral zone play than any offline game can ever hope to achieve. A top 6's club that knows how to play a neutral zone trap, forget about it. About as far from end to end hockey as you'll see given the game itself and how its naturally geared towards offensive play.

it's sloppy because the game physics are bad and everyone spams on the poke check which is magnetic to the puck and very overpowered... i've played plenty online and have won and lost against top players... online is a bad brand of hockey even with good 6's playing each other... goalies need to be reworked along with many other aspects of this game

[Storm12]

I play strictly offline now, I hate EASHL... With slider sets and rosters I have got the game to be as realistic as possible, but EA needs to decide about actually fixing and improving games instead of adding more things to it that won't make the game more realistic. I'd say they will be more concerned about online people than offline gamers.

[Mike0ne]

Re: Online or Offline? Future of Hockey on Next-Gen Systems

You have to look at this all from a business standpoint. There's no money in an off-line based game of any sort anymore in the sports genre. It's all about money. They keep fans statistically speaking, into their games and games in general longer if they can incorporate a multiplayer experience.

I personally love doing a franchise and building a team and drafting players, it's my favorite thing. But it's obvious that they won't focus a great deal on these in the future. It'll stick around because it's a viable option from Multiplayer but to keep discussing if they'll redo it and add a crap ton more things is just not smart on our part.

Money. Money. Money. 3 Most Important things in business.

Unfortunately this guy is right..

Companies have no interest in the 'pay $60 and see you next year' model. All gaming across all platforms is quickly moving to microtransactions.

Here's the bad news for franchise modes.. Microtransactions sell most in a hyper-competitive environment such as HUT or EASHL which franchise just doesn't have. Franchise gamers want the challenge, not just the result which is why so many of us look for rebuilding projects and spend dozens of hours constructing teams to our liking and feeling responsible for the new found success.

Online players want a 99 rated team, and then to have success with them. If they could edit their players to perfection, they would.

Franchise architects want to earn the 99, they can edit the players to perfection, but they don't.

The franchise mode as we know it is dying/dead. The opportunity now is to find a way to make microtransactions viable in franchise mode, and sell EA on the idea.

[NHLandPESFan]

Re: Online or Offline? Future of Hockey on Next-Gen Systems

The franchise mode as we know it is dying/dead. The opportunity now is to find a way to make microtransactions viable in franchise mode, and sell EA on the idea.

I think this would be an awful idea, you would turn franchise into a pay to win mode which would completely defeat the purpose of building up your own franchise. The franchise mode is dying/dead as you say only because EA is taking a machete to it and wants to force everyone online.

[Mike0ne]

Re: Online or Offline? Future of Hockey on Next-Gen Systems

I think this would be an awful idea, you would turn franchise into a pay to win mode which would completely defeat the purpose of building up your own franchise. The franchise mode is dying/dead as you say only because EA is taking a machete to it and wants to force everyone online.

You're not wrong.. I know paying continually for an offline mode is a difficult idea to be excited about, but how else can we convince EA(and other companies) to focus resources on a game mode that doesn't create post release revenue?

If you consider that in a world with no microtransactions, $60 buys you hundreds, maybe thousands of hours of entertainment. Compare that to a movie, or a night at the bar.

Right or wrong, the $60, see you next year model is a ghost. It doesn't exist. If we want offline franchise to be anything but a tacked on, incomplete game mode, we have to find a way for it to fit in the online microtransaction model.

[Reiny09]

Re: Online or Offline? Future of Hockey on Next-Gen Systems

The franchise mode as we know it is dying/dead. The opportunity now is to find a way to make microtransactions viable in franchise mode, and sell EA on the idea.

Oh God...I'm now imagining EA charging us real life money to sign free agents, pay player salaries, etc..

Sad thing is, I wouldn't put something like that past them.