Action! PC Hockey

[newsguyone]

Looks like we're going to see a new hockey sim released in the next few weeks.
ActionPC is putting out a hockey game. The company's website is http://www.dksports.com/

There's a forum dedicated to the game here:
http://actionpcsports.yuku.com/forums/5 ... sions.html

If you're like me, you've been waiting for a good text time since EHM disappeared.
I really doubt this will be the same kind of gaming experience as EHM.
These guys seem more to "replays" based on stats, and not simulating into the future, based on attribute ratings.

But still, it's something new.

Also, the development of Faceoff Hockey seems to have slowed. Long term, this could be a successor to EHM. But they've already delayed a career mode until 2010, and the 2009 version has been pushed back, as it is.
More information can be found at http://www.wolverinestudios.com/forum/

[archibalduk]

Official site: http://www.dksports.com/hockey.htm

Has anybody tried Action!PC Hockey? It looks as though it is a very new game - released in May 2010. However there isn't a demo of it and I'm not willing to take a risk and pay $44 for it. The screenshots suggest it might be a half decent game, but the user interface looks very clunky and dated. It's a real shame that there isn't a demo because the clunky appearance of it is putting me off buying it - however perhaps the game experience is much better - only a demo would prove this.

The developer is Dave Koch Sports and it looks as though he's written similar games for other sports (baseball, basketball, and American football). They all broadly have the same appearance, just different sports - and they're all $44 each. You can also buy retro rosters for $19.95 each (some of the older ones from the 50's are $9.95 each). It seems like an awful lot of money to spend on a game.

Has anybody tried this game? The screenshots suggest that it has some neat features but also that the UI is clunky. The amount charged for the game and additional features gives me an initial impression that the series of games is a bit of a cash cow. Perhaps I am being unduly critical. A demo would really help show how good a game this is...

Thoughts?

[YZG]

I haven't tried it either and will not unless I get a free trial. It might be a good game, and indeed looks to be a good game, but I think they've totally screwed up the game right from the start with their marketing strategy - well, at least it doesn't give me any slight kind of interest in purchasing it.

I feel very few people are willing to blindly pay $44 on something they can't try, especially if the UI is badly laid out and looks designed for windows 95 (and comes with no license). Then come the $20 per retro season... actually, it's $20 every new season to get the new season updates, and $20 per additionnal retro season. They also sell individual teams, though not for hockey at this point it seems (e.g. the 2001 New England Patriots), each for $1.50. I strongly believe there ought to be limits in charging for every single little thing! I vastly prefer user-made stuff like that, that comes for free and is probably of more-or-less similar quality. I mean, EHM's Lidas rosters are awesome, yet free. It really seems like you need to spend quite a lot of money to merely get a half-decent amount of data with them.

As a last point, it also looks like this is yet another game that grossly overlooks the European leagues and focuses solely on the NHL, which is a standard I no longer accept in a hockey management game.

Geez, I've been very critical too

- YZG

[B. Stinson]

I'm with YZG.

As long as there's no trial, I won't bother. Not knowing the game or the developer, and being on Linux, I'd have too many questions to want to risk the $44... which is actually pretty steep to begin with, no? I think Football Manager cost me about $25 to $30 from Amazon, and EHM is $35. And they're both big corporate products!

[archibalduk]

Geez, I've been very critical too

- YZG

I don't think you have, to be honest. I completely agree with everything you said.

[Valkoon]

Looks like freeware. I wouldn't spend money on it ether.

[bruins72]

The interface isn't too pretty but it could be a decent game. It's a shame there isn't a demo so we could try it and see if we feel like it's worth our money. Also, I see that there are past rosters available for purchase but does he offer an editor so that people could make their own rosters? The player attributes seem very basic, so it's got to be difficult to make players unique. Is this just a single season sim or can you draft and build for the future?

[dave1927p]

i was looking at it a couple weeks ago...i'm just not intrigued by a single season sim especially if you have to pay that much more for the season disks which are essential to playing the game...i too feel like it's too much. The price for the game isn't too bad alone but the season disks costing extra is a huge turnoff for me.


To be truthful i really have never tried any hockey single season simulation so if one had a decent interface (good ease or use) i'd give the demo a try and would highly consider buying it (but again, the season disks would have to be free)

[Ogilthorpe]

I bought it when it first came out but only after I got email confirmation from them that they do indeed have a 30 day money back guarantee.
At first I did kind of enjoy the game, it was interesting to see game summaries from 1967-68 and the 1972-73 WHA seasons but after using it for about three to four days I got very bored with it and asked for and received my money back.
Some people enjoy this sort of hockey game, I'm not one of them.