Ask Me Anything: Sean Ramjagsingh, NHL 15 Producer

[Glooper35]

Re: Ask Me Anything: Sean Ramjagsingh, NHL 15 Producer

Is create-a-team still in the game?

[scitychamps87]

Re: Ask Me Anything: Sean Ramjagsingh, NHL 15 Producer

Hey Sean,

First off I'd like to thank everyone at the EA NHL team for their dedication to bringing a true next gen hockey experience to fans around the world. As a community member your focus on broadcast immersion, captivation, and creative drive truly makes this an amazing gaming experience each year. As a fan since NHL 2001 and an annual buyer since NHL 06, this series is truly my favorite. Here are just a few questions I have..

Will Mike Emrick's goal calls showcase his trademark excitement we see on TV and what will presentation bring us as fans?

Is the ability for custom music in the game or can it be patched in when Sony gives music a go on ps4?

As a weekly viewer of NBC game of the week and someone who is amazed by the immersion factor, is the true broadcast camera still in the game?

Thank you so much for all you do for fans of the series and hockey fans as a whole.

[crankybaker]

Re: Ask Me Anything: Sean Ramjagsingh, NHL 15 Producer

Wait, the United Center is not in NHL 15 for Xbox One/Ps4??

No the licence is held by 2K. Watch the trailer however it does look preety bang on

[biggity13]

If the license for the united center is held by 2k, then how come the united center was in nba live 14. And screenshots of it in nba live 15 being released today??

[THExCHELxGAMER]

Sean is be a pro going to be the same as live the life or is it going to take a step back from next year?
Also will there be any improvements to be a gm mode?

[skrody]

Re: Ask Me Anything: Sean Ramjagsingh, NHL 15 Producer

how do ya'll prioritize "9000 unique fan models" over game modes.

why does it seem like EA NHL fans always get the run around.

why does NHL series seem to never progress like other EA franchises.

but really if you want to answer a question:

in all the gameplay videos we're seeing, it seems like goals are still the same ol cheese goals from before. how is this not just a ported nhl 14 with better graphics...

[KickSave33]

Sean,

Would it be possible to explain a little further on what sort of aspects of Be a GM we should expect NOT to see when the game releases? I know that you have plans to add some of the depth of the mode in via patch, but would like to have realistic expectations as to what Be a GM will look like at launch.

[VeryEvilAsh]

Re: Ask Me Anything: Sean Ramjagsingh, NHL 15 Producer

Hi Sean,

Will the how much content did you shoot for the pregame videos? How often will we see the same ones? Is it going to be a see it once and done type of thing? I also saw that this commentary is like nothing we've ever seen before. How so?

Thanks.

[Ovechkin962]

Re: Ask Me Anything: Sean Ramjagsingh, NHL 15 Producer

Sean,

Would it be possible to explain a little further on what sort of aspects of Be a GM we should expect NOT to see when the game releases? I know that you have plans to add some of the depth of the mode in via patch, but would like to have realistic expectations as to what Be a GM will look like at launch.

I would like to see this answered as well. Thanks Sean!

[crankybaker]

Re: Ask Me Anything: Sean Ramjagsingh, NHL 15 Producer

If the license for the united center is held by 2k, then how come the united center was in nba live 14. And screenshots of it in nba live 15 being released today??

I just know it was a sticking point, maybe they have the licence for it now.

[crankybaker]

Re: Ask Me Anything: Sean Ramjagsingh, NHL 15 Producer

<CITE>EA_Karo wrote:</CITE>Just a quick update. Rammer had to step away from the PC for a bit to handle some dev stuff, but will be back shortly. We plan to answer as many questions as we can, so keep em' coming.

Thanks everyone.

This is from the EA forums, looks like he will be back

[PhillyGuy11826]

Re: Ask Me Anything: Sean Ramjagsingh, NHL 15 Producer

As a weekly viewer of NBC game of the week and someone who is amazed by the immersion factor, is the true broadcast camera still in the game?

It's still in. There's an achievement/trophy for playing a game using it.

[Jet Sufferer]

Re: Ask Me Anything: Sean Ramjagsingh, NHL 15 Producer

How different is the AI this year? From what we've seen in gameplay footage the CPU AI seems very similar to last gen.

It seems very easy to gain the zone, it looks like your CPU defensive teammates are very passive, has there been any re writes to their behavior?

Has there been an effort to make goal scoring more organic and more real life? Will the same "hot spots" work from last gen?

I understand you have a small team, but I could totally forgive the omission of modes if the AI was organic and more realistic and goal scoring came from proper hockey plays and angles.

In the future will it be a priority for your team to aggressively improve the meat and potatoes of the game, specifically the AI to strive for a realistic, organic game of hockey and do you think that's a realistic expectation on my part on this generation of consoles?

This is all I really want in a game, a somewhat realistic AI, preferably customizable by effective sliders. The bells and whistles are nice, but what I really want is to feel the difference between players and teams, use realistic tactics and skills to score and defend and not feel that neither I or CPU players use "cheap" tactics to score and win.

I believe if you concentrated on that philosophy in the long run you would gain the simulation and the casual gamer. The graphics are nice enough, I would be more than happy with last gen graphics if we could get the kind of gameplay I described in my previous paragraph.

Thanks for your time.

[Trist5382]

Is there any chance of EASHL coming out later this year or next year in an update?
I think if you did that, all would be forgiven c:

[BearishRiggs]

Re: Ask Me Anything: Sean Ramjagsingh, NHL 15 Producer

Hey Sean,

First let me echo what mostly everyone else here has stated; thank you to yourself and the rest of the NHL team for the work they've done over the years. I've sunk countless hours into this series since I was a kid playing it for the first time. There are certainly flaws, always will be, but I love hockey. I love these games. Now, onto the questions.

1) As a 360 player who wasn't planning on making the jump to next-gen regardless, I'm a little bit scared that myself and other last-gen players are getting left by the wayside. We obviously won't be seeing the graphical improvements or likely the new physics engine, but what exactly is going to trickle down from the Next-Gen versions? New commentary team? NBC Presentation? Puck physics? Any new animations, etc. etc. etc. Basically, is the on-ice product going to differ from NHL 14?

Off-ice, will the GM and Live The Live modes be improved or expanded upon at all?

I know this is a tough question to answer, but I'm essentially asking...is NHL 15 last-gen going to be a significant improvement over 14? Will there be big enough improvements to warrant the purchase?

2) This is more wishful thinking here. Is a mobile GM Mode game possible? Will it ever be? I have no idea how extensive the code is for everything that goes into the Be A GM Mode, but this is kind of my dream as a hockey video game fan. Having an iOS GM game where we can build a team, draft, trade players, etc. etc. and simulate seasons the way we do on the console version...I would plop down $5-10 for that in a heartbeat. Probably a longshot because the work/dollars involved might not even out with the return, but it doesn't hurt to ask.

Thanks for dedicating your time here with us tonight. I know having to break this news isn't easy for you or the team, but hopefully we'll see the results/benefits of these decisions in the coming years.