NHL '12

[JR Boucicaut 3797]

Beezer in '94.

No, Beezer was 97

[zachary 2]

This...and the horrendous lack of ability for the AI to recognize a situation where it should pass or shoot.

Gotta love the rare occasions when your AI gets a break in OTP and he just skates into the goalie.

One thing my buddy pointed out which makes alot of sense is the fact that goalies are programmed to make saves on expected goals which in return makes glitch goals so prevalent since they are most of what goes in. Makes me wonder if it'll ever be possible to add that realism. Only way I can think of is to force a player to be goalie. Obviously of course only in EASHL. Still doesn't hold much weight though.

[Leafsrule16 5]

I wish they would make fighting more realistic so bad.. There was a 2k game.. maybe 2k4? It had everything, fake punches ect. The graphics were horrible and i think it was a regular xbox game but something on that principal would be great, even a grappling and stuff would add to it along with a ref and players in the background. Also, i hate how you can skate right through a goalie sometimes and stuff, they need to make goalies more of a part of the physics almost like the boards or players but without having them fall over everytime you run into them.

[Cams 7]

I wish they would make fighting more realistic so bad.. There was a 2k game.. maybe 2k4? It had everything, fake punches ect. The graphics were horrible and i think it was a regular xbox game but something on that principal would be great, even a grappling and stuff would add to it along with a ref and players in the background. Also, i hate how you can skate right through a goalie sometimes and stuff, they need to make goalies more of a part of the physics almost like the boards or players but without having them fall over everytime you run into them.

I totally agree on the fighting. It is in need of an overhaul. Too arcady - and thus far from realistic.

I am sure your concerns on the goalies are addressed in this years game - check out the blogs, etc. regarding the "alive" goalies.

No video game will be a perfect simulation of real live sports - but the closer they get to it the better. I think the most realistic sports game I ever played was the F1 2002, which had a website for user modified tracks, cars, etc - and wow....what a great experience playing that on PC with a wheel. Everybody pumps how good the FIFA and Madden franchises are for EA Sports. I think this is the case, because they are by far the best selling sports games, esp FIFA, whereas hockey has a more limited audience/appeal (unfortunately). It wouldn't surprise me at all if the development teams for Madden and FIFA were double the size of the hockey developers at EA. More resources = better product.

[Vulcan7905 88]

See, I think the problem lies withing the idiots of the game. The last tuner set was good and made the AI play well and the goalies stopped A LOT. Couple of morons complain "Wahhh! I can't score dumb down the AI and Goalies" and of course EA does it and it's just a pile of crap. I don't think we are ever going to get a good Hockey Game for that reason alone.

[Chadd 916]

See, I think the problem lies withing the idiots of the game. The last tuner set was good and made the AI play well and the goalies stopped A LOT. Couple of morons complain "Wahhh! I can't score dumb down the AI and Goalies" and of course EA does it and it's just a pile of crap. I don't think we are ever going to get a good Hockey Game for that reason alone.

as long as there is a slider to adjust their IQ, it shouldn't be a problem.

[HattrickSwayze 3]

See, I think the problem lies withing the idiots of the game. The last tuner set was good and made the AI play well and the goalies stopped A LOT. Couple of morons complain "Wahhh! I can't score dumb down the AI and Goalies" and of course EA does it and it's just a pile of crap. I don't think we are ever going to get a good Hockey Game for that reason alone.

If you don't like the new tuner sets, you know you can switch back to the old ones right? I found that no matter what tuner I was using, I had to tweak the sliders to get the game where I wanted. NHL 2K10 was even worse. I had to change almost everything before I was happy with that game, but once you get them where you want, it makes a huge difference.

[5 Minute Major 1]

If you don't like the new tuner sets, you know you can switch back to the old ones right? I found that no matter what tuner I was using, I had to tweak the sliders to get the game where I wanted. NHL 2K10 was even worse. I had to change almost everything before I was happy with that game, but once you get them where you want, it makes a huge difference.

Hattrick Swayze! Great Handle Name!!

[Vulcan7905 88]

Can't tweak the Tuners for EASHL which what I play all the time.

[pbhockey4 0]

Would the enterance for the teams be better instead of being the same thing? Also it would be cool to have the sharks enterance in there. Their enterance is just the coolest in the nhl

[raganblink 82]

I'd rather see that time creating those spent on improving the AI. Like I don't know how hard it would be to create this, but, something along the lines of "players stay at minimum 5 feet away from user who is controlling puck going up the ice"

[TeamHonda401 54]

I'd rather see that time creating those spent on improving the AI. Like I don't know how hard it would be to create this, but, something along the lines of "players stay at minimum 5 feet away from user who is controlling puck going up the ice"

The biggest reason they don't put a system like that in place is to reduce the number of potential bugs in the game. If they put the 5 foot forcefield around the player with the puck, what would happen to the game if a guy is along the boards and u skate by him with the puck. He'd be forced through the boards in a glitch by the physics engine.

[raganblink 82]

Fine by me. I'd rather have stupid things like that happen then break for a 2 on 1 and skate away to the outside with the puck and have my computer teammate come from the middle right next to me, get in front of me, slow me down then allow enough time for the other guy to get back into the play.

[17D1998 1]

I'd like them to fix the board play. It's like a magnet, a huge annoying, unrealistic magnet (F'ing magnets, how do they work?). It's like, you skate near the boards, full speed, the player just magically pins you to the board and of course, your teammates are too busy skating in circles to help you. And also, I'd like LESS faceoffs. I get that the new faceoffs are cool and all but sometimes it feels like I'm playing NHL FaceOff 2000 (If you don't know that game, it basically looked like EA but the goalie freezes the puck 99 times out of 100, hence the name). I'm done renting, feels good to let it out ahah

[zachary 2]

I'd like them to fix the board play. It's like a magnet, a huge annoying, unrealistic magnet (F'ing magnets, how do they work?). It's like, you skate near the boards, full speed, the player just magically pins you to the board and of course, your teammates are too busy skating in circles to help you. And also, I'd like LESS faceoffs. I get that the new faceoffs are cool and all but sometimes it feels like I'm playing NHL FaceOff 2000 (If you don't know that game, it basically looked like EA but the goalie freezes the puck 99 times out of 100, hence the name). I'm done renting, feels good to let it out ahah

That's another problem of mine as well and I love how anytime you go behind the net the AI auto board plays you as well. I understand board play is a big part of hockey but it's not as easy as being 5 feet away and sucking him into the boards...

Somethin a little aside from the game but, have you guys ever felt that playing NHL makes you a better player on the ice? I was thinking about a news report where they talked about video games helping vision and reaction times so it sparked this. I always told my buddies playing made me see the ice better. Sounds a little crazy I suppose.

[Hradsky 1]

Somethin a little aside from the game but, have you guys ever felt that playing NHL makes you a better player on the ice? I was thinking about a news report where they talked about video games helping vision and reaction times so it sparked this. I always told my buddies playing made me see the ice better. Sounds a little crazy I suppose.

For sure, especially with these new games where the gameplay is pretty damn realistic, I'd say it definitely helps me with positioning and just playing in general.

[MURedhawk 0]

Somethin a little aside from the game but, have you guys ever felt that playing NHL makes you a better player on the ice? I was thinking about a news report where they talked about video games helping vision and reaction times so it sparked this. I always told my buddies playing made me see the ice better. Sounds a little crazy I suppose.

I have looked into that subject a lot. I do not think it is crazy at all. I think it is a great way to test better know the game.

Back when I first read about inteligym, I did a few searches to find if any other sports were utilizing video games to teach. I cant find the article anymore but I read one about video games being used for soccer in Europe to allow for kids to read and react and anticipate certain actions. They were using the FIFA video game but they also were using real action video games to let the players learn from pro's. So it wasn't all Xbox.

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncaa/recruiting/football/news/story?id=4414669

http://www.nesn.com/2010/04/athletes-use-virtual-sports-video-games-to-enhance-performance.html

[Stryker 37]

I don't find this too surprising. Ive noticed it personally, just a better feel for the game, it seems. Y'know, they do use videogames to help train the Army in some ways too. Makes sense it can apply to anything.

[mug25 2]

By the looks of this screenshot — still no actual head coaches. EA brags that they are the most authentic Hockey simulation every year yet they still cant get the Head Coaches (back) into the game. Not to mention that when you have a full line out on the ice you have only 9 players on the bench. Last time I checked, a pro hockey team has more than 14 players dressed at once.

[BenderHockey 127]

By the looks of this screenshot — still no actual head coaches. EA brags that they are the most authentic Hockey simulation every year yet they still cant get the Head Coaches (back) into the game. Not to mention that when you have a full line out on the ice you have only 9 players on the bench. Last time I checked, a pro hockey team has more than 14 players dressed at once.

I'm really ok with not having real head coaches. With the amount of time they spend programming nonsense like that, it means we would have one less new option on the game.

[Fury of One 6]

By the looks of this screenshot — still no actual head coaches. EA brags that they are the most authentic Hockey simulation every year yet they still cant get the Head Coaches (back) into the game. Not to mention that when you have a full line out on the ice you have only 9 players on the bench. Last time I checked, a pro hockey team has more than 14 players dressed at once.

Don't worry, that'll be touted as a new feature for NHL 13.

[dsjunior1388 81]

Last year a report came out that EA had acquired the rights to NCAA hockey, right before '11 came out. They didn't know at that time if it would be an add-on to NHL, a feature in NHL, or its own game. I think structuring it as an expansion pack for NHL would be ideal. I just hope this happens because I love NCAA football games for the ability to play with 120 teams, and having however many NCAA hockey team there are, (60ish I believe) would be pretty cool, especially if they have tournaments like the GLI and the Beanpot.

[Hradsky 1]

It would be cool if you were allowed to start your BAP at birth or something, where you have to play for random (obviously fictional) AAA teams and stuff, then you can get drafted to the CHL or you can choose to take the NCAA route, etc. Would be really cool to just have a really long and maybe realistic be a pro thing. I actually find it quite boring to play the memorial cup (better than nothing) and then go straight into the NHL/AHL. I would rather have the whole journey.

[TeamHonda401 54]

Or you could start with a high school state championship game, then you can decide to go the NCAA or CHL route, then get drafted from there. I'm with hradsky on the memorial cup. It would be a lot more fun to have it be a more complete journey to the NHL, instead of a watered down playoff to determine draft position. There's a lot of cool things that they could do with the NCAA in the NHL franchise.

[trevor13478 1]

Expansion NCAA pack would be fantastic, as would a NCAA hockey game on its own. I believe in the NCAA football franchise you can play their be a pro (campus legend or something) till graduation and then there's an option to export your player to Madden's be a pro. That would be awesome.