NHL 15 Next Gen Thoughts...

[MDgolf]

I'm surprised that there isn't a thread yet on what to expect from NHL on next gen systems. After seeing how great FIFA is and how Madden seems to be going in the right direction I wanted to ask what everyone is looking forward to most for NHL 15 which will most likely be available on next gen consoles.

I'm looking forward mostly to graphical and presentation upgraded. NHL had some of the best presentation and commentary around NHL 09 and has since stayed the same and been stale.

Gameplay and real physics is also something I'm looking forward to. Players moving more fluid and real penalties being called because of actual reactions of the players.

Looking forward to everyone's hopes for next gen hockey.

[dlxsf18]

I think it's still a little early for threads like this. I've made posts in a few of them already but next-gen talk will most likely heat up soon after the new year.

Anyways I'll repeat what you said, I'm looking forward for EA to deliver something new with presentation. A graphical overhaul... player models, faces, arenas and crowds, etc. This series lacks the depth others do, and as a mostly offline player I feel that's partly because of the stale presentation. Sometimes it's like, how can you feel involved as a true hockey fan when you can't recognize your own team. The good news is the Ignite engine has the potential to do big things.

The gameplay is solid, but there are still a few recurring bugs that need to be looked at, plus puck physics and in-game mechanics such as shooting, passing, and goaltending, which should be revamped as well. Lots of room for improvement, I hope EA is listening.

[JaFFiTh]

Yeah they definitely need better presentation and cutscenes. Maybe much more cyberfaces. They seem to be lazy on that part.

[bwiggy33]

After reading impressions from people that have Madden and FIFA I am absolutely expecting improved AI from NHL. As long as the comeback code and the lazy band aid approach programming of the current gen AI is gone, this game will be better. I also expect the hitting and skating physics to improve as well. I'm hoping we can see some better hitting animations, instead of everything being bone jarring, or a love tap. Player likenesses is much needed as well. I need to see the star players pull off moves that others cannot. Same with goalies. Each goalie should play to their own style. I understand the team that does FIFA and Madden are way bigger than that of NHL, but to me that is no excuse to not implement these things. Heck they are all things that could have been done with current gen because other games had them.

I just believe that these new systems open the door for what could be an amazing hockey experience. Whether it's EA or someone else making that experience I hope I finally have a reason to buy an NHL game again. I do truly believe that whatever they put out for NHL 15 on Next Gen will most definitely be an improvement over current gen. Damn I'm hoping EA can give us a great hockey game. They've got the tools, it's just whether or not they want to provide us an experience for both the sim and casual player. NHL definitely needs a fresh start though and hopefully this is where it turns the corner. I'm extremely anxious for what this game will bring.

[ifeaturemyself]

regarding to presentation, gm-mode etc i don't expect much, if anything at all from the next gen versions.
it seems without any competition EA just don't care that much about the offline aspects of the game. so i really hope 2kgames decides to make a comeback on the new consoles.

[Qb]

Based on the decision to not port NHL14 and presumably focus resources on 15, I expect a strong showing next fall.

I don't know anything yet -- aside from knowing someone who does know a little seemed excited -- but a guess would be full real-time presentation and the elimination of canned cut scenes. New commentary also seems logical, as there's no better time to start from scratch. With the obvious visual upgrades of next gen, I hope player likenesses are made a higher priority. In-person head scans for every NHL team likely aren't feasible (time, money, manpower), but there's go to be some way for them to improve in this area.

[shogunofharlem3]

Keeping it simple for now but what I really hope for is a version that is full featured. I keep reading about how NBA 2k14 is great but he features are scaled back. I get it, it is a launch title so I'll cut them slack and they only have so much time.

That being said, NHL 15 will not be a launch title so I expect full features, not bare bones.

[bwiggy33]

Quote: Originally Posted by shogunofharlem3

Keeping it simple for now but what I really hope for is a version that is full featured. I keep reading about how NBA 2k14 is great but he features are scaled back. I get it, it is a launch title so I'll cut them slack and they only have so much time. That being said, NHL 15 will not be a launch title so I expect full features, not bare bones.

Agreed. There's no reason for it not having full features with a full development cycle. I think think one reason they didn't release 14 for Next Gen is that they just didn't have the staff or money to make a complete game. IMO I think that's a great move on their part. If people would have bought an incomplete and very limited version of NHL 14 on Next Gen, there wouldn't be too many happy people and they could lose sales. With NHL 07 we were provided a complete game (Franchise, play now, shootouts, online, etc) so I definitely think that the same will happen with 15 but obviously in this case the modes from 14 will be carried over. Hopefully these modes, especially Be A GM, will be improved. Be A GM has gotten stale and has too many issues. Although I know in my position Be A GM would be much better if the gameplay was as addicting as it used to be for me.