The best part of hockey..

[sfontaine]

For me, the best part of hockey has always been storylines. Obviously the game is great, and watching the incredible skill on display is incredible, but a big part of it for me is storylines and passion.

Like for example, when Mats Sundin returned to Toronto this season and scored the game winner on Toskala. Incredible. His reaction, the team's reaction, how perfect it all ended up being was awesome. Things like when Iginla brought his team back onto the ice for Trevor Linden's last game as a Canuck and they did the handshake line. Little things like that make hockey for me, and it's something I hope to see in NHL 10.

I remember playing NHL 07 on my computer and having the camera focus on the player his first game in a new team. Or having the Stanley Cup or conference/division champ banners being raised to the rafters at the beginning of the season. Stuff like that. The big dramatic movies before each playoff series (as old as they did get the ninths or tenth time you played a playoff game), all that dramatic, cinema stuff.

The point of all of that is that is what they need to bring to NHL 10. First person fighting is cool, the board play is cool, the goalie updates are cool. All needed from a gameplay perspective. But the thing that has got me most excited is stuff like superstar players in rivalry games being booed by the opposing fans, or the fans slamming on the glass, people waving towels (should be way more prevelant in Vancouver than anywhere else, but you know). That sort of stuff is what I want to see. I want to see the C of Red in Calgary, or the white out in Pittsburg, and octopus being thrown on the ice in Detroit. It'd be great to see a variation in goal celebrations, especially when a really important one in a key part of a game is scored. It wouldn't be hard to do from a coding standpoint.

It just seems to me, for all the improvements that have been made in the NHL series, there's been a lot of regression on the presentation front, some of which I listed above (didn't mention the Stanley Cup celebration thing which is like 2 minutes long compared to the 4 minute, much better well done one in 07).

Anyway, sorry for the long rambling nature of this post. I never made it far it hockey so I want to live vicariously through video games

(sorry about the weird links, the board won't let me post links with under five posts)

youtube.com/watch?v=6OHahY4xh0U
youtube.com/watch?v=nWHDi9DQg9k
youtube.com/watch?v=VS0TzbggXEg

[baa7]

Interesting post. Has any video game come close to something like that? Me, I'd much prefer they spend their development time adding long-overdue customization options. The game needs to have CPU team strategy customization options, the same sort of feature you see in FIFA. Honestly, does it matter that Vancouver fans wave towels, when the CPU Canucks play exactly the same style of hockey as the Red Wings, and the Oilers, and the Canadiens, and the Bruins, and the Maple Leafs...

[Son of Sam99]

I agree with this post. The rasing of the banners in a team's first home game was sooo cool. Also I wish they had made the Stanley Cup celebration longer. I play BAP and after such a long season I want to bask in the glory for longer than 20 seconds.

[Eldebrink]

Good post. Yeah, stuff like those really gives you a "wow moment" which definitely enhance the experience. - While I agree most effort must be put into the gameplay (single most important aspect), the name of the game is nonetheless entertainment, and so additions like those, above great gameplay is, as said, good value.

[JsMcbain]

I am a big fan of presentation. When I play home with my Habs, I edited arena music so I get in with the coldplay song and have the right goal song etc. and it never gets old. While also agreeing with the fact that gameplay needs to be the priority, the emotion of the game could be upped a few notches with a couple simple details and cinematics as brought up by sfontaine. A Overtime winner in the playoffs should never be celebrated the same way as the 2nd goal of your team that is already losing 5-2 the sixteenth game of the season against Florida (I apologize to Panthers fans ).

[dom22]

No offense, but this stuff is a waste of time. Storylines and gimmicky presentation things don't matter if the game itself sucks. Do you want to see hats after a hat-trick if the player scored all 3 goals using the curve shot? Do you want to see fans pound the glass after brian gionta checks chara who then does a backflip/somersault? Or how about a really awesome Stanley Cup celebration after you go 82 and 0 with the Islanders because the AI is ******** and can't score?

The best part of hockey is the thinking and skill that goes into beating an opponent, along with the beauty, power, and emotion that is characteristic of the game.

I really don't want to sound harsh but its these kinds of things that have been drawing the attention away from gameplay all these years, and is why we have hockey games where every single play starts with an odd-man rush, defenseman don't control gaps properly, every pass is perfect, you are never FORCED to dump it in, and success is contingent upon memorizing patterns and goalie/defense flaws.

Honestly, the graphics and presentation have come a LOOONNNGGGGG way from NHL 94. If you think about it, the only difference in the gameplay is the skill stick. That is pathetic.

[ohyeahbaby123]

Quote: Originally Posted by dom22

No offense, but this stuff is a waste of time. Storylines and gimmicky presentation things don't matter if the game itself sucks. Do you want to see hats after a hat-trick if the player scored all 3 goals using the curve shot? Do you want to see fans pound the glass after brian gionta checks chara who then does a backflip/somersault? Or how about a really awesome Stanley Cup celebration after you go 82 and 0 with the Islanders because the AI is ******** and can't score? The best part of hockey is the thinking and skill that goes into beating an opponent, along with the beauty, power, and emotion that is characteristic of the game. I really don't want to sound harsh but its these kinds of things that have been drawing the attention away from gameplay all these years, and is why we have hockey games where every single play starts with an odd-man rush, defenseman don't control gaps properly, every pass is perfect, you are never FORCED to dump it in, and success is contingent upon memorizing patterns and goalie/defense flaws. Honestly, the graphics and presentation have come a LOOONNNGGGGG way from NHL 94. If you think about it, the only difference in the gameplay is the skill stick. That is pathetic.

Really?

-Stick Lifts
-New passing system
-Board play
-Improved A.I. in 10
-Improved skating; no speed burst
-Improved goalies

Just to name a few...

[copecowboy]

the video games im not a fan of the sport itself