Re: Will NHL 21 Come Out For PC?

Do you think we will ever get NHL on PC again, has anyone heard any word why they won't release on it? NHL game is the only reason I still have an Xbox.

Edit: Merged post with the already existing thread on this topic. - CM

Hey @Busted_WW , you should be able to find most of thr information you're looking for within this thread. In simple terms, there isn't enough demand and it would take resources away from other aspects of the game.

With new consoles around there corner, your best bet is for NHL 21 (nothing is guaranteed, however)

I dont see how you can take much away from the development with the few changes made each year. I could make an nhl game in a year alone on unreal engine. Only thing stopping me is legal rights. Ive provided the proper math to show the demand for it. 

We have been yet to get a good answer from the devs. Just speculation from the Community managers.

Your math was also based off assumptions and best case scenario sales (you never took into account players like me who game share or those who wait for it to come to the vault and stuff).

If they can only put in a few changes per year what makes you think they can make a PC version on top of that?

Nothing is stopping you from creating your own hockey game (EA doesn't have exclusivity rights); you'll just need to swap some names around like that one company who laumched a PSN game a few years back.

@TheJinqstar 

There are no legal rights stopping you from making a hockey game except licensing. You're welcome to create a game with fictional players and branding.

Our information on a PC version of NHL comes from the dev team. It's not speculation.

You answered your own statement. Yup licensing would be a legal issue- I have come to this game year in and year out due to it being N H L - dont need to be a rocket scientist to understand hockey is a sport no one owns- 

No unfortunately for me and the rest of the hockey world EA is essentially the only company allowed to make a NHL game. 

I wouldnt be on this forum if i wanted a "FiCtIonAl HoCkEy GaMe".

Still havent gotten my answer on the xbox game pass yet.

Glad you can answer this question for me- perhaps try the other ones now?

Can you explain how taking half the sales of the most popular game, and only adding the 60$ copy vs the 100$ copy is best case scenario?

Can you explain how comparing Madden and other sports games surges since moving to steam being best case scenario?

Do reckon maybe rather than it being best case scenario, or "assumptions" 

I provided real numbers, an arguably worst-case scenario, and it still came out with respectful numbers. Do you reckon maybe this game is highly demanded on PC- 

@TheJinqstar 

We don't have any details on NHL being added to Game Pass. If we do, most likely it'll be announced on our official channels.

We aren't stopping anyone else from getting the NHL license. Regardless of using NHL licensing, I'm sure there would be interest in another game. If you could make one in a year, it would certainly be cool to see that.

As far as your other questions go, we don't discuss sales numbers and the ones that are publicly available aren't accurate. If hockey were as popular as American Football, chances are good there'd be a PC version of the game. When doing support for Madden and FIFA (both available on PC), the number of people we talk to on console very heavily outweighs those on PC.

I would hope the majority of the people you talk to are for the system you produce the game for.

It is listed on this site for Xbox and EA Play: https://www.xbox.com/en-US/games/ea-play

Then on this page it says EA Play is coming to Xbox Game Pass at no additional charge: https://www.xbox.com/en-US/xbox-game-pass/pc-games

It seems officially offered on EA Play, but will it be blacked out for use on the PC through Game Pass?

@NumberTwentey 

There is no PC version of NHL so it won't be playable on PC through Game Pass.

Thank you for the info. I don't own a console, so I'm curious how other games on Xbox are usable with the Game Pass on a PC.. Do you need to own an Xbox meaning Game Pass is similar to Valve's SteamLink?

@NumberTwentey 

We don't have any details on that, but you should be able to find out more here. When I say NHL isn't playable on PC, I mean natively as a PC version. As far as the console version of NHL being playable through cloud gaming on a PC goes, we'll have to wait and see if that happens. You can keep an eye on our official channels for updates.

Porting games to Windows 10 has never been easier.

https://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/278630/Sponsored_Learn_what_every_PC_game_dev_should_know_about_Windows_10.php

Play Anywhere makes Origin redundant though, so EA is probably trying to figure out how to best position on this, especially since they're now part of Gamepass.  I guarantee your development team would enjoy it if you could just completely remove yourselves from developing win32 binaries and shift to Xbox UWP.

Good job to EA Sport for making Fifa 21 on Nintendo Switch, seems like from the reviews that it was such a great success again. None of that money could go to making an actual NHL game on PC instead though. Congrats, I'm sure that was worth more of your time and money to do that instead of making a PC version of a game like everyone else for their game.

I would agree with the other people here. NHL need to be made for the PC. I've stop buying console a long time ago. I am excited that MLB THE SHOW 21 will be made of the PC! Too bad NHL is not.