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

[Moose24x]

Re: NHL 15: E3 Trailer

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.

[blinkfan77]

Re: NHL 15: E3 Trailer

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.

[Madwolf]

Re: NHL 15: E3 Trailer

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

[centauris]

Re: NHL 15: E3 Trailer

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

[Trevelyan]

Re: NHL 15: E3 Trailer

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.

[gator3guy]

Re: NHL 15: E3 Trailer

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.

[SpectralThundr]

Re: NHL 15: E3 Trailer

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.

Likely? Smaller budget and getting those guys to the studio to submit to facial scans. Don't get me wrong, it sucks that a player like Marchand has a somewhat generic face being a fellow Bruins fan. But I'd be lying if I said it really affects my enjoyment of the game too much because it's a video game. Having come from the Atari 2600 era to where we are now, I'm just happy that the games we're playing now adays come as close as they do to be honest.

[IceNHL]

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

could be both. Would be interesting if they used some real calls as in-game audio.

[drog1602]

Re: NHL 15: E3 Trailer

EA was the one that offered up they had all these new player scans, authentic arenas, fancy new jersey modelling. Yet, the players so far look ho-hum and even plastic, the Bell center is wrong, the players jersey flaps while standing still and they look boxy.

Does this not bother anyone? When these are the features they have poured time into?

This is not the next gen I have been waiting for!

[Pezell04x]

Re: NHL 15: E3 Trailer

Likely? Smaller budget and getting those guys to the studio to submit to facial scans. Don't get me wrong, it sucks that a player like Marchand has a somewhat generic face being a fellow Bruins fan. But I'd be lying if I said it really affects my enjoyment of the game too much because it's a video game. Having come from the Atari 2600 era to where we are now, I'm just happy that the games we're playing now adays come as close as they do to be honest.

It doesn't take away my experience from the game either, but in a new generation of consoles where we are told how much power they have - I'm not really seeing it. The new graphics don't really impress me and that could be because I just don't care about how a sports game looks anymore.

I know that is kind of hypocritical to what I said about faces, but while the jerseys are shiny and new there's still no nameplate on the back, the numbers still stretch weird and the jersey is moving like the wind is blowing while he's standing still.

Honestly, I'm more of a gameplay guy and it is why I put NHL 14 down a couple months after owning it. The AI is terrible, the physics are terrible and the goalies have so many holes in them when it comes to consistency. But if EA is going to tout a next gen experience and throw graphics and screenshots in my face, I'd like them to at least go all in and get some faces done too.

That's all.

If a game looked like crap but played wonderfully, I wouldn't complain. I'm a gameplay guy first who grew up with an NES.

[yanek27]

Re: NHL 15: E3 Trailer

EA was the one that offered up they had all these new player scans, authentic arenas, fancy new jersey modelling. Yet, the players so far look ho-hum and even plastic, the Bell center is wrong, the players jersey flaps while standing still and they look boxy.

Does this not bother anyone? When these are the features they have poured time into?

This is not the next gen I have been waiting for!

The guy at E3 now states better arenas than ever before. Your right, far from authentic.

[acreinha]

Good lord, people. I've been coming to this site for years and just made an account today simply to make a comment. It's unreal how pessimistic and critical people are in this forum. All the complaining that goes on about the NHL series and the "fans" that play them makes it sound as if this game is broken.

It seriously feels like people can simply not be pleased. Complaining about Joe Thorton not having the right beard or goalies not having the correct mask? Seriously guys, this game gets better every singe year (with small improvements I'll admit) but improvements nonetheless. People are wayyy too negative about a gameplay trailer that shows a brief glimpse of the product.

If you have complaints, which it's seems like most of you do, then don't pick it up. It's as simple as that. True fans of the series will appreciate the work that goes into the game and the great improvements the EA team added it.

[Aggies7]

Re: NHL 15: E3 Trailer

Looks good to me. Would like to see more it real time instead of slow motion before I really make a judgement.

[SpectralThundr]

Re: NHL 15: E3 Trailer

Good lord, people. I've been coming to this site for years and just made an account today simply to make a comment. It's unreal how pessimistic and critical people are in this forum. All the complaining that goes on about the NHL series and the "fans" that play them makes it sound as if this game is broken.

It seriously feels like people can simply not be pleased. Complaining about Joe Thorton not having the right beard or goalies not having the correct mask? Seriously guys, this game gets better every singe year (with small improvements I'll admit) but improvements nonetheless. People are wayyy too negative about a gameplay trailer that shows a brief glimpse of the product.

If you have complaints, which it's seems like most of you do, then don't pick it up. It's as simple as that. True fans of the series will appreciate the work that goes into the game and the great improvements the EA team added it.

Spot the F on.

[AdamJones113]

Re: NHL 15: E3 Trailer

Good lord, people. I've been coming to this site for years and just made an account today simply to make a comment. It's unreal how pessimistic and critical people are in this forum. All the complaining that goes on about the NHL series and the "fans" that play them makes it sound as if this game is broken.

It seriously feels like people can simply not be pleased. Complaining about Joe Thorton not having the right beard or goalies not having the correct mask? Seriously guys, this game gets better every singe year (with small improvements I'll admit) but improvements nonetheless. People are wayyy too negative about a gameplay trailer that shows a brief glimpse of the product.

If you have complaints, which it's seems like most of you do, then don't pick it up. It's as simple as that. True fans of the series will appreciate the work that goes into the game and the great improvements the EA team added it.

I understand completely where you're coming from. I've been a big supporter of NHL 14, I've defended it on this site, I've played over 150 games in a dynasty. But EA is advertising this game like it's (to use a hockey metaphor) the next Rocket Richard—flashy, goal-scoring, and speedy. But it turns out more like Henri Richard—solid, assist machine, pocket rocket type. It's that not flashiness, not heroic final product that people don't feel live up to the billing.

Here's my take:

NHL 15 E3 Trailer Discussion
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/0jEgFzpsPMA" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Damn does that look good. Looks very realistic, Subban's goal at the end had me wondering if that was real life. The dekes look pretty good, arenas look even better. Commentary sounds solid, but who knows whether that's real life or in-game. I'm not loving the new jersey physics: Gaborik's jersey and Tavares' jersey both look way to rigid. And poor Datsyuk just looks like he's constipated.

Let's compare with the 2014 trailer, focusing on dekes and the enforcer engine:

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/DRdHDI4f2IM" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Skating looks a little worse besides for the Eberle clip, dekes look a bit thinner, but the hitting looks exactly the same. The fighting gets a lot more attention, and I figure EA hasn't changed it whatsoever. Knockout punches look the same.


Overall, the 2015 trailer looks a lot crisper and a little more realistic than the 2014 one. And that's fine, good in fact, if EA has the gameplay and game modes down. Let me quote something I said here on OS: "I will believe it all when they start making the game-play and game modes great. Graphics, no one will care as much if the game-play/modes are great. Everyone will care about graphics if they are not." And the graphics look fine. The game-play better be. There isn't enough of a discrepancy in the two trailers to make me feel like EA changed a ton in NHL 15.

Final Verdict: It looks great. I'll be the first to tell you that. What may be the most important thing for 360/PS3 users, however, happens in the first ten seconds: "All footage taken from XboxOne and PS4." Another coat of sparkly, shiny new paint. But when I look closely, I see the same goaltending animations from Josh Harding in 2014 and 2015, and in '15 he isn't losing his jockstrap to Datsyuk. (Why does EA love Hardng so much?) Goaltending hasn't been defaultly improved (sliders help).

What makes hockey great is the unpredictability. A rolling puck, a stick with not enough torque can change a goal into a whiff. And I think we're going to have to wait another year, at least, before EA gets that unpredictability.