EA Sports NHL 10

Post by **archibalduk** » Fri May 15, 2009 9:00 pm

Here's some early news on NHL 10 (to be released in September): http://uk.gamespot.com/sports/blogs/spo ... ot;thumb;1

I haven't really played that much NHL 09 so I'm not sure whether I'll be buying 10 (too busy with GTA IV!!). It'll depend what new features they bring in with it. The developers say they really want to listen to the fans and create the fans' game. It'll be interesting to see how far they go with this as in the past they've tended to ignore the fans' views.

dave1927p · Post by **dave1927p** » Sat May 16, 2009 5:58 am

archibalduk wrote:Here's some early news on NHL 10 (to be released in September): http://uk.gamespot.com/sports/blogs/spo ... ot;thumb;1

I haven't really played that much NHL 09 so I'm not sure whether I'll be buying 10 (too busy with GTA IV!!). It'll depend what new features they bring in with it. The developers say they really want to listen to the fans and create the fans' game. It'll be interesting to see how far they go with this as in the past they've tended to ignore the fans' views.

i'm sure the gameplay will be great again, but considering they keep saying "the future is online" i don't think they will be making (offline) Be A Pro and franchise mode any better. BAP was horrible in 09; it was clearly made primarily for online and i am really hopeing they add some depth to the offline mode but i doubt they will - why would they start now?

I'm probably going to purchase the game but it will just sit on my shelf, only coming out when friends are over.

Post by **archibalduk** » Sat May 16, 2009 10:27 am

NHL 09 sits on the shelf quite a lot for me too. But this is mainly because that when I play on the XBox it tends to just be GTA or, if the fiancee wants then Guitar Hero or Lips (I can't sing to save my life, by the way

). I'd describe myself as a very casual gamer in that I only play a few hours here and there at the weekends and not at all during the week as I'm just so busy. So I can't really justify getting XBox Live because I wouldn't get my money's worth. I had a free one month trial of Live and thought the online play was fantastic but I couldn't commit to playing regularly in a team. I'd just join those one-off online exhibition games.

If NHL 10's main improvements are solely online then I don't think I'd bother. I quite enjoyed BAP but perhaps it does get slightly repetitive. Also, I found that my AI team mates weren't clever enough and the game would tend to result in 0-0 on Pro level if I didn't score. This is why playing online is so much better.

Post by **getzlaf15** » Sat May 16, 2009 2:40 pm

archibalduk wrote:If NHL 10's main improvements are solely online then I don't think I'd bother. I quite enjoyed BAP but perhaps it does get slightly repetitive. Also, I found that my AI team mates weren't clever enough and the game would tend to result in 0-0 on Pro level if I didn't score. This is why playing online is so much better.

I think that's the way all games are going now though. Online play tends to be a priority over single player modes. I'm a fan of online play for the time that i have had it, but i'm not convinced. I can't play in a league, only single matches and this EASHL is not even an option for me. I played a guy online who wanted me to join his team, but when he found out i was in England, he said it would be too difficult for the team to be online at the same time. I've searched for a bunch of teams, but i can't find any available! And that was really the online reason i wanted online play:thdn:

I also agree that the AI in BAP is pretty bad and unrealistic. So i've resorted to Goalie Mode BAP. I love goalie mode as it is and it seems to be a lot more realistic!

dave1927p · Post by **dave1927p** » Thu May 21, 2009 10:12 pm

archibalduk wrote:NHL 09 sits on the shelf quite a lot for me too. But this is mainly because that when I play on the XBox it tends to just be GTA or, if the fiancee wants then Guitar Hero or Lips (I can't sing to save my life, by the way ). I'd describe myself as a very casual gamer in that I only play a few hours here and there at the weekends and not at all during the week as I'm just so busy. So I can't really justify getting XBox Live because I wouldn't get my money's worth. I had a free one month trial of Live and thought the online play was fantastic but I couldn't commit to playing regularly in a team. I'd just join those one-off online exhibition games.

If NHL 10's main improvements are solely online then I don't think I'd bother. I quite enjoyed BAP but perhaps it does get slightly repetitive. Also, I found that my AI team mates weren't clever enough and the game would tend to result in 0-0 on Pro level if I didn't score. This is why playing online is so much better.

my biggest problems with BAP were simple ones:
1) When you simulated for a number of games you were demoted, always.
2) There was no draft
3) On the stats page it didn't tell you what team you played for : 2008/2009 - TOR - NHL - 77 - 12 - 33 - 45

i had more problems with it but those were my biggest. I was so disappointed with that mode. I really hope this year they add depth to it, if not, i think this will be my last year of purchasing their game; it's just not worth it for me anymore.

I wish they could work in things like player personallities to BAP but they are so far from adding features like that. They don't even have the basics in yet. I could go on and on about how disappointed i was with that mode...for your sakes though, i will stop

Anyways, i just got The Sims 3 (if your wondering it actually isn't a torrent copy - it's the real deal!) I got it for my sister's birthday

and then ended up playing it myself first

Lets just say it feels just like the sims 2 without all the expanisions. It really isn't all that impressive and it too lacks depth, but when 3-4 expansions come out for it it will be better...

Post by **archibalduk** » Sat May 30, 2009 11:52 am

Two bits of interesting news:

1) The second (and, presumably, final) expansion episode for GTA IV has been announced:

http://e3.gamespot.com/story/6210257/gtaiv-to-sing-the-ballad-of-gay-tony-this-fall wrote:Earlier this month, rumors surfaced that the next downloadable episode for Grand Theft Auto IV would be titled "Blood and a Four Leaf Clover" and would possibly deal with the Irish Mob. Today, that bit of speculation self-immolated when Rockstar Games used its quarterly earnings report to reveal that the add-on to the free-range crime game would in fact be subtitled The Ballad of Gay Tony.

Due out this fall, the second Xbox 360 exclusive will focus on Luis Lopez (pictured), the criminally minded assistant of Anthony "Gay Tony" Prince, associate of the Ancelotti crime family in GTAIV. Prince should not be confused with the game's most flamboyantly homosexual character, Niko Bellic's war comrade Florian Cravic aka Bernie Crane.

Both Prince and Lopez were featured in the "Diamonds are a Girl's Best Friend" mission in GTAIV, and the latter also popped up in the "Museum Piece" mission featured in both the original game and the first expansion, The Lost and Damned. The title of the achievement granted for completing "Museum Piece" in GTAIV, "Impossible Trinity," had led some to suspect Lopez was the subject of the second expansion.

Unlike its predecessor, which focused on Liberty City's grimy underworld, The Ballad of Gay Tony will examine more upscale after-hours activity, promising an "overdose of guns, glitz, and grime" according to Rockstar. "This episode's focus on high-end nightlife contrasts with the biker gangs portrayed in The Lost and Damned, whilst giving us a lot of new gameplay possibilities," said Rockstar Games founder Sam Houser in statement.

The Ballad of Gay Tony will be released on Xbox Live this fall for $19.99/MSP1600 and requires the original Grand Theft Auto IV to play. It will also be available as part of a disc-based title, Grand Theft Auto: Episodes from Liberty City, which bundles it with The Lost and Damned and does not need GTAIV to play. Contrary to other rumors, the compilation will be exclusive to the Xbox 360 and will retail for $39.99 this fall.

2) A little bit of news on NHL 10 online and BAP:

http://uk.gamespot.com/sports/blogs/sports-blog/909097139/26887946/nhl-10-online-fixes-and-the-future-of-be-a-pro.html?om_act=convert&om_clk=picks&tag=picks;title;5 wrote:We'll have to wait a bit longer for new EASHL feature announcements for NHL 10 but the list of things the development team is fixing from last year's game looks to be solid. Some highlights:

* Match-making looks to be one of the big areas of focus. For example, in NHL 10 you'll only be matched up against teams with the same number of human players as yours. No more six-on-two match-ups where you get worked by a team full of experienced players while your AI teammates play with their hockey shorts. In addition, the new match-making system will match teams based on their EASHL rating, and a new decay mechanism will be built into the system so that successive wins against the same opponent will earn you less points.
* The cheesing factor looks to take a bit of dive this year thanks to a couple of improvements: First, DNFs will be listed not just on a team basis but an individual one as well, so you'll be able to see which players on any team might be liable to "accidentally" drop out if things don't go their way. Also, in order to prevent frequent and annoying pausing, players will only be able to pause the game during a complete stoppage of play on the ice.
* Expect to see more customization options in NHL 10, such as lots of new jerseys to choose from. This is especially important for creating an online identity for your team. Ideally I'd love to see some sort of Web application akin to what the NCAA Football 10 folks are doing with Create a School, but I think that might be a hair too ambitious for NHL 10. At the very least, more jerseys and more logo and color combinations would be a good start.

Finally, one tantalizing bit of NHL series news that I learned today: It seems the developers at EA Canada are in the midst of planning a feature that will eventually allow you to carry over your "Be a Pro" career from one year's version of NHL to the next. This is something that career mode aficionados have been anticipating for a long time and, while it won't be part of NHL 10, it sounds like the team wants to make it happen sooner rather than later.

I like the idea of carrying over your BAP players from one game to the next. It'll avoid the pain of having to re-establish your player every year, and it makes the prospect of turning your BAP into an experienced veteran player (i.e. 5/10 seasons). However, I really hope that prioritise making the BAP more enjoyable offline first.

Post by **philou21** » Fri Jun 05, 2009 4:43 pm

Hey Archi and Getzlaf just to tell you that i have a playstation 3 and yes it's wireless, no need for a addon pack, my routeur is upstair and my playstation is in my basement and it work actually very well, but for the cost of the xbox i think this is just a way to making money, my friend got a xbox 360 and we have no problem with our connection either.

I heard rumors too that Microsoft already have a new design console for the next gen, think it's a little bit earlier because the new gen of consoles doesn't take 100% of the potential of the console yet. They release the 360 too earlier to pass Sony with the rent of the console but they've got some problem at the start for the Xbox. Taking is time is the better way to make a good console.

Post by **archibalduk** » Tue Jun 09, 2009 8:41 pm

I bought a Wii in January 2008 but traded it in for an XBox 360 in December 2008 because I was fed up of all the gimmicky mini games for the Wii. NHL 2k9 was the final straw - it was so poor and felt like EA NHL 2000 rather than something from 2009. I just don't think developers are making much effort for the Wii but are rushing out games to cash in on the casual gamers who know no better. Another example is the upcoming Codemasters Formula 1 game being developed. Although only recently announced, a Wii version will be released this year. However, there won't be a 2009 version for the 360 or PS3 but there will be a 2010 version. I wonder if this is because they're going to take more time and develop a much better/polished game for the XBox/PS3 whilst they rush out a Wii version to cash in on the motion controls...

At the moment I have:
* GTA IV
* NHL 2009
* Race Driver Grid
* Guitar Hero World Tour
* Lips
* Flatout Ultimate Carnage
* Project Gotham Racing 4

I don't have XBox Live at the moment. I have a free three month subscription but haven't activated it as I'm so busy at work at the moment. However, I'll add you onto my friends list and will let you know when I activate it. Do you have any of the same games we could try online?

Post by **getzlaf15** » Sun Jul 19, 2009 4:23 pm

And so... With NHL10 just a couple of months away. I did some snooping to see what we can expect from the new NHL. And what i found was EA trying to fix our EHM problem. And it looks pretty good. It's got quite a lot of features that look really impressive. Check it out.

EA's Be-A-GM: http://uk.gamespot.com/xbox360/sports/n ... -mode-demo

Post by **philou21** » Sun Jul 19, 2009 4:57 pm

I use to play the NHL series since 2001, i bought this game every years it came out. Since i discover EHM one year ago, i don't want to play anymore to NHL.

I don't know why but EHM push me completely away from the NHL series. For the first time since 2001, i won't buy the NHL game that came out this year, prefer continue to play EHM.

Post by **archibalduk** » Mon Jul 20, 2009 9:32 am

I played Tiger Woods on 09 on the Wii but found the swingin mechanism was pretty weak so eventually lost interest in it. I guess with the new Motion Plus it makes things a lot more fun?

Regarding NHL, I found this shorter video that's a little more succinct: http://uk.gamespot.com/xbox360/sports/n ... -mode?hd=0 I ended up just skipping through that other nine minute video!

It does look quite impressive but I get the impression it's just a beefed-up dynasty mode rather than a full blown manager game like EHM. Getz - did you notice anywhere if they said how the games are simulated? I wonder whether it's just the result or whether you watch a game (presumably 5 mins per period). Maybe they'll improve the simulation of the game; in other words an AI v AI game doesn't end in a 0-0. I found that with Be a Pro, if I don't score then my team doesn't score. It'd be nice if the AI for each side scores more.

I haven't played NHL 09 enough since I bought it to warrant splashing out for NHL 10 but I'm sure I'll check out NHL 11 when that comes out next year. It does look like they're starting to listen to the fans (or is it that the producers just so happen to want to include features that the fans also happen to want)?

I do wonder about the emphasis on toughness this year. I hope it doesn't unbalance the game. It's funny because the NHL 2k series introduced toughness and boardplay four years ago in NHL 2k6.

Post by **getzlaf15** » Mon Jul 20, 2009 2:03 pm

Yeah, the AI vs AI was really poor in NHL09. I mostly play Be-A-Pro as a Goalie, and the games don't end up much more than 3-1 a game. And normally i lose 0-1 and my coach has a moan saying im not winning them games and stuff.

Watching the game would be a great addition to it, but as you say it does look like they've just added a few graphics. Like the phones on draft day and stuff. But i'm not sure as to how the games are simulated. They don't half like that accomplishments page as well, i rarely check the things i've done.

I don't think the additions to gameplay are all that good. The goalies new saves look pretty darn awesome but boardplay doesn't really excite me. It's not the most exciting part of the game really. But i'll still find myself sucked in and probably purchasing it on the first weekend.

My Xbox has just suffered from the Ring of Death though. So i've given it to my friend who says he can fix it. I'm not convinced.

Post by **archibalduk** » Mon Jul 20, 2009 2:45 pm

getzlaf15 wrote:My Xbox has just suffered from the Ring of Death though. So i've given it to my friend who says he can fix it. I'm not convinced.

How long have you had it? Check whether it's still under the Microsoft warranty. Otherwise you can send it to MS to get repaired. I think there's a whole RROD (red ring of death) section on their xbox.com site.

Qikdraw · Post by **Qikdraw** » Mon Jul 20, 2009 9:28 pm

Have you tried using it with your friends power supply? Apparently thats a cause too.

On another site a guy sent his n to microsoft and when he got it back, he hooked it up and rrod came up immediately. He called to complain and he was told to try another power supply. That worked.

So its something to try before it gets taken apart. Sometimes its the easy things. It might not work, but it doesn't hurt to try.

mtsouth · Post by **mtsouth** » Sat Aug 22, 2009 1:00 am

NHL 2010 demo is now available on 360/PS3. I liked how the CPU AI moved the puck around to move it up ice instead of trying to muscle through the neutral zone. CPU seemed to be more aware and willing to move the puck back to defensemen to get it up the ice.

dave1927p · Post by **dave1927p** » Sat Aug 22, 2009 7:21 pm

mtsouth wrote:NHL 2010 demo is now available on 360/PS3. I liked how the CPU AI moved the puck around to move it up ice instead of trying to muscle through the neutral zone. CPU seemed to be more aware and willing to move the puck back to defensemen to get it up the ice.

i tried to download the demo on my 360 but you need a gold subscription now? That's ridiculous.

Anyways, being a person who likes Be A Pro type (offline) modes i was unimpressed with the depth to it last year, and this year isn't any different. They added a fake prospects game and from the looks of it added what team you played on in the stats pages, but either then that that is it. If that was in NHL 08 i would be thrilled but added a couple small features to the mode is certainly disappointing. They have the euro leagues so implement them in BAP and Dynasty already. Geez!

Post by **getzlaf15** » Sun Aug 23, 2009 1:51 am

dave1927p wrote:
mtsouth wrote:NHL 2010 demo is now available on 360/PS3. I liked how the CPU AI moved the puck around to move it up ice instead of trying to muscle through the neutral zone. CPU seemed to be more aware and willing to move the puck back to defensemen to get it up the ice.
i tried to download the demo on my 360 but you need a gold subscription now? That's ridiculous.

Anyways, being a person who likes Be A Pro type (offline) modes i was unimpressed with the depth to it last year, and this year isn't any different. They added a fake prospects game and from the looks of it added what team you played on in the stats pages, but either then that that is it. If that was in NHL 08 i would be thrilled but added a couple small features to the mode is certainly disappointing. They have the euro leagues so implement them in BAP and Dynasty already. Geez!

I agree that the Euro Leagues are pretty obselete. I mean, I never use them. Maybe Swedes or Russians, etc. would because it's there home league, but why not involve them in the game more.

Can surely be only a matter of time until the OHL, WHL and QMJHL are added in.

dave1927p · Post by **dave1927p** » Mon Aug 24, 2009 3:36 am

getzlaf15 wrote:
dave1927p wrote:
mtsouth wrote: I agree that the Euro Leagues are pretty obselete. I mean, I never use them. Maybe Swedes or Russians, etc. would because it's there home league, but why not involve them in the game more.

Can surely be only a matter of time until the OHL, WHL and QMJHL are added in.

In 1-3 versions i'm sure they will implement the euro leagues and that will be the big new feature, unfortuanlty i won't be impressed because i feel they should of done it this version just like they should of had some type of prospects game and draft. Oh well. The junior leagues would be great to have but there is no point in adding them until they take advantage of their euro leagues.

Post by **archibalduk** » Wed Aug 26, 2009 9:36 pm

I've completely missed the release of the NHL10 demo. It's strange that I didn't notice something when I was browsing through the latest XBox news on the XBox Dashboard last Sunday. I'll be sure to download it this weekend. I'm on a three month trial of XBox Gold so that's some good luck. They do, however, release the demo to Silver members after a short while. It seems that new demos are initially only available to Gold members - presumably to get more people signing up.

Having played the EA NHL series for over ten years, I have found that it tends to be that every other release of NHL is worth buying; NHL 99 was good, NHL 2000 wasn't, NHL 01 was good, NHL 02 and 03 were terrible, NHL 04 was great, etc, etc. Looking at the previews for NHL10, I won't be getting it. It seems EA have concentrated on improving the online play and the dynasty mode - as well as the introduction of physical play. My concern is that when they introduce features such as physical play, they overemphasise it and it ends up being too much.

NHL09 is good enough for me for the time being. Although actually I don't really play that much NHL09 - certainly not compared with the likes of 99, 01 and 04 which I played to death.

Unlike NHL10, I have pre-ordered a copy of FIFA 10. The previews suggest EA have really worked hard on the game. They have put a lot of work into improving the gameplay, particularly the AI. I think concentrating effort on the AI is going to play real dividends in terms of how well the game plays. For the first time in many years, I'm actually really excited about a football/soccer game!

Post by **archibalduk** » Sat Aug 29, 2009 10:34 pm

getzlaf15 wrote:
dave1927p wrote:
mtsouth wrote:NHL 2010 demo is now available on 360/PS3. I liked how the CPU AI moved the puck around to move it up ice instead of trying to muscle through the neutral zone. CPU seemed to be more aware and willing to move the puck back to defensemen to get it up the ice.
i tried to download the demo on my 360 but you need a gold subscription now? That's ridiculous.

Anyways, being a person who likes Be A Pro type (offline) modes i was unimpressed with the depth to it last year, and this year isn't any different. They added a fake prospects game and from the looks of it added what team you played on in the stats pages, but either then that that is it. If that was in NHL 08 i would be thrilled but added a couple small features to the mode is certainly disappointing. They have the euro leagues so implement them in BAP and Dynasty already. Geez!
I agree that the Euro Leagues are pretty obselete. I mean, I never use them. Maybe Swedes or Russians, etc. would because it's there home league, but why not involve them in the game more.

Can surely be only a matter of time until the OHL, WHL and QMJHL are added in.

I've been playing a few games on the NHL 10 demo and it's exactly as I was expecting. If you've got NHL 09 already, don't bother with NHL 10. They're virtually the same game in terms of gameplay. The demo lets you play a regular NHL game and also a Be A Pro game. Here is a run down of my impressions:

* Finally they've introduced board play. It's amazing that something so elementary to the game of hockey hadn't been introduced years ago. Actually, NHL 2K6 introduced it and did a better job of it with much more advanced controls.

* Smoother graphics. I've noticed with NHL 09 on the X360 that the cutscenes (i.e. the bits in between whistles, celebrations, etc) could be a bit jumpy. They seem to have sorted this for NHL 10.

* Graphics generally look identical to NHL 09. Crowds look a little more animated and there's a wider variety of character models. I guess it adds to the atmosphere but I'm more interested in the gameplay rather than graphics.

* Marginally better presentation. The score in the top left and the stats / player profiles that it occasionally shows ingame look virtually the same as NHL 09 but they do look ever so slightly better.

* You can now get into scuffles once the whistle has blown. You can choose whether just to scuffle or drop the gloves. Looks like it can result in mass brawling too.

* Fighting is excellent. The first person view is an excellent idea. You use the left analogue stick to dodge and the right stick to punch - like the skill stick controls.

* The most important thing: It plays and feels exactly like NHL 09. Other than things like board play, it's exactly like playing NHL 09. This is the impression I was getting from the previews online; they've put all of their time and effort into developing online play and dynasty mode. On this point alone I'll be waiting until NHL 11 in the hope that maybe they'll have improved the gameplay. I won't be paying £40 for a game which is in effect just a roster update.

On the note of including the Canadian juniors; I agree with you both. I'd much rather have them in the game than the Euro leagues. It'd be really cool to start your Be A Pro career in the Canadian juniors. I guess, though, including the Euro leagues means more sales in those Euro countries where hockey is big.

alexob18 · Post by **alexob18** » Fri Nov 20, 2009 10:00 pm

I find that I have issues playing EA Sports NHL games after playing EHM...
Otherwise I find that I've been playing Warzone Tower Defence when I'm bored.

dave1927p · Post by **dave1927p** » Sun Nov 22, 2009 8:12 am

I've been playing MW2 (single player only) and it was fun, but like people say, short. Story is alittle confusing and not a cinematic experience at all but the ending was amazing.

I also got Assassins Creed 2 because i got all caught up in the hype...and it's not all that great. It's fun but again repetative. I'm probably not even 25 percent complete the game so hopfully it will get better. i was disappointed to hear that the Splinter Cell conviction demo didn't come with the game like people said it did....a rumor started by some bozo who couldn't read (apparently it said a SC:C exclusive download...nowhere did it say DEMO.) Funny, i was more excited to play that demo then AC2

Post by **archibalduk** » Wed Dec 09, 2009 8:40 pm

Having split the gaming thread into three, this thread is now for discussion of hockey games - e.g. EA NHL series, 2K Sports NHL series, and any hockey manager/management games.

EA Sports NHL 10

EA Sports NHL 10

Official PC/Console Thread: HOCKEY Games

Official PC/Console Thread: HOCKEY Games